ORLANDO (CBSMiami / AP) – The coronavirus pandemic has replaced Orlando’s prestige as the top vine in the United States
It has not only impacted the area’s theme parks and hotels, but also the people who work in them.
In 2018, more than 75 million visitors arrived in Orlando, basically due to its reputation as a theme park mecca, which includes Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando.
In the week that Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom started welcoming back visitors, occupancy of hotel rooms in the Orlando area was down more than 60% from the previous year, a much deeper drop than the state as a whole, which declined more than 41%, according to STR, which tracks hotel data.
Less than a portion of Disney World’s 43,000 unionized employees were called to their previous jobs, helping to ensure that two counties in Orlando’s domain had the highest unemployment rates in the state last month: Osceola with 22.9% and Orange with 17.2%. Disney World has a total of 77,000, the largest single site in the country.
Many of the staff members who are still on leave are about to lose the federal level by the end of the month.
“This is an incredibly complicated time,” said Paul Cox, president of the local union that represents the drivers and exhibit technicians at Disney World. “There are still a majority of those who stay at home and are about to lose their support. Things are going wrong.”
Union officials who Disney parks are not full to more than a third, however, this is possibly more of a design to maintain social distance. Disney World does not publish attendance figures, however, in pre-pandemic times, its 4 parks and two water parks can also accommodate about 150,000 visitors depending on the day.
Florida has recently noticed an increase in the number of coronavirus cases and other Disney parks around the world have encountered coronavirus-related obstacles. Hong Kong Disneyland Park was forced to close this month after the city’s resolution to ban public gatherings of more than 4 people, and California Disney parks delayed reopening pending state instructions.
Cowen Inc. recently estimated that Disney’s parks and resorts would not be profitable again until the 2025 fiscal year, and there is a “significant” likelihood that Disney World will re-close due to the pandemic.
Disney World’s union worker leaders describe the virus-related security measures Disney has taken as “exemplary.”
After staff complained that consumers walked the mask down while eating foods like turkey legs, Disney World updated its mandatory mask policy, forcing visitors to eat in the same position while maintaining their social distance.
In reaction to the concerns of other staff members, Disney distributed boxes of non-public hand disinfectant that staff will have to wear on their belts, added more bathrooms to restrict the number of staff, and reduced the number of passengers on buses coming and going between parking staff and parks. Artists dressed as Disney princesses driven in a carriage through the parks are now seated separately in rows separated by divisions of transparent plastic windows.
“Singing your compliment is so strange,” said Julee Jerkovich, an official with the Union of Commercial and Food Workers, who represents Disney’s banquet and product workers. “As far as this wonderful delight is concerned, I must say that Disney has done a very clever job.”
But not all unions are satisfied. The union representing the actors and singers filed a complaint with Disney World, alleging that its 750 members were not allowed to repaint after complaining that Disney was ignoring its requests for coronavirus testing because they may not simply wear masks. Some artists, however, are eager to return to the paintings and are pressuring the union to reach an agreement with the company, as they are concerned that Disney will update their exhibits with exhibitions of transitority that present non-actors.
The Actor’s Equity Association presented a new salvo opposed to Disney over the weekend by tweeting a reissued edition of a welcome video produced through the company that introduces park staff to visitors. In the Equity edition, a slippery count of coronavirus cases in Florida appears on the screen.
There have been remote cases of personnel and visitors related to theme parks with COVID-19, “but we haven’t noticed any positive cases in any of the parks,” said Dr. Raul Pino, a fitness officer at the Florida Department of Health. Monday.
Disney’s policy of granting paid leave to poor health personnel for quarantine has made a difference, said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here! Local 362, representing Disney World Park hosts, charming staff and concierges.
But Clinton wonders whether the existing business style can last until the end of the pandemic, given that just over 20,000 of the 43,000 employees represented through the unions have returned to work, only a portion of the 30 hotels at Disney World’s site are already back and several in the park. restaurants are closed.
“Disney is a strong brand. They have a great product, but does the novelty wear off? Do people want to go to a theme park now? Is it more appealing with less crowds?” Clinton said. “I’m hopeful but nervous.”