If you have been to Disney World since the theme parks reopened, you have definitely experienced all of the health and safety changes that have been put in place to ensure both Guests and Cast Members are as safe as possible as we continue to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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One big change that Guests experienced was underoing the temperature check. Before entering Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs, all Disney Guests had to have a temperature. Any Guest with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher was be denied entry to the theme parks and Disney Springs.
Because a fever is one of the symptoms of COVID-19, the temperature check is meant to ensure that Disney can at least protect Guests against one of the obvious symptoms of the virus. That being said, we recently heard that the Orange County Department of Health is stating that temperature screenings are not necessary and are wasting resources.
Knowing this, we wanted to ask our audience if temperature checks make a difference for them in terms of visiting Disney World, and it seems that the majority of people are okay with seeing temperature checks come to an end.
68% of Guests do not mind temperature checks being eliminated, and 32% would like for this safety measure to stay.
Temperature checks do create an extra line for Disney World Guests to go through before security, which, during park opening or busy hours of the day could cause a delay in starting your day at the theme parks.
Recently, Governor DeSantis also stated that Florida would be removing all COVID-19 restrictions, however, Disney responded by stating that at the moment their operations would remain as it, but that they would review the new changes.
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Once the news was announced, a lot of Inside the Magic readers shared their opinion!
Melissa noted:
Next, get rid of mask requirements, please. Make it optional.
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Thea wanted to keep the temperature checks, but like Melissa, wants to see masks go.
They should have kept temperature checks and got rid of the masks. If someone has a temperature, don’t come to the park. Why is that so hard? Then we could stop wearing masks.
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Bailey is glad that things have rolled out as they have!
The temperature screenings I can understand as someone can have the virus but be asymptomatic. So a temperature check won’t catch that. However, I’m happy they’re continuing their mask policy as the virus is spread through saliva particles, and the United States is still not at the point needed for herd immunity. Thank you Disney for continuing to protect your employees and patrons. Also, considering Disney World is still going to require park reservations through 2022, I don’t see them ending their mask policies any time soon. They may continue to lighten them (i.e. people can now take maskless pictures outside, while socially distanced), but I think it will be quite some time before Disney does not fully require them anymore.
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Jackie is also happy about the change:
it looks like Disney is heading in the right direction.
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Melinda likes the precautions Disney takes but is ok with the new change.
Our family is extremely Covid cautious, but I don’t think the temperature checks do much anyway. Most people that spread this are asymptomatic anyway. I really doubt someone with a raging fever is going to rock up to Disney World but I am sure stranger things have happened.
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Kristen also said:
About time! People I know who have had Covid didn’t even have a high temperature
From this, we can see Disney is willing to continue to move in a forward direction as time allows, and as they are instructed to do so, and it seems Guests are also on board with these changes!
Are you okay with Disney removing temperature checks?
This article has been updated since it was originally published.
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