ORLANDO — Universal Orlando Resort has announced a phased reopening beginning June 5 after closing on March 16 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The reopening, which according to Universal Parks & Resorts will include a wide range of new health, safety and hygiene procedures based on guidelines from the CDC and health officials, will also include Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay. Universal CityWalk Orlando already began reopening on May 14 with new health protocols in place.
Reopening plans for Universal’s resort hotels are being finalized, with details to be shared soon.
Attendance at parks during this time will be carefully managed and controlled, and team members will be scheduled for training on new procedures. Universal will also conduct a team-member-preview on June 1 and June 2 to allow new procedures to be practiced and refined.
A limited number of guests will be invited to visit on June 3 and June 4 as part of the phased reopening. The official public opening is scheduled for June 5.
“We want to invited guests back to our theme parks in a cautious and thoughtful way,” said Tom Williams, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Universal Parks & Resorts. “We have put new health and safety procedures in place for both our team members and guests. And we have worked hard to make sure our guests can enjoy their time with family and friends. Doing this the right way will take all of us – and we need everyone’s help.”
New health and safety procedures cover three areas: screening, spacing and sanitization. The following key measures will apply to boy guests and team members:
- It will be required to wear face coverings and observe social distancing guidelines
- It will be required to have temperature checks before coming on site; those with temperatures of 100.4 or greater will not be allowed to enter
In addition to these measures, guests can expect the following during their visit:
- Staggered parking
- Managed and reduced daily park attendance
- Managed and reduced attraction ridership, show attendance and restaurant seating, with some areas and events possibly remaining closed for now
- Increased cleaning and disinfection of food locations, ride vehicles, restrooms and other frequent ‘touch points’
- Social distancing practices at all locations through the parks, within attractions an queues and at restaurants
- Use of virtual lines at select attractions
- Cashless payments and ‘no touch’ policies where possible
All Universal guests are urged to follow CDC guidelines and conduct temperature checks prior to arrival. It is not recommended that older adults or those at high-risk with serious underlying medical conditions visit the destination.
For more information about Universal’s Orlando’s policies during this time go to www.UniversalTravelAgents.com.
