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News about coronavirus in Florida and around the world is constantly emerging. It's hard to stay on top of it all but Health News Florida can help. Our responsibility is to keep you informed, and to help discern what’s important for your family as you make what could be life-saving decisions.

Expert On Theme Parks Says Precautions During Reopening Will Be Crucial

Host Matthew Peddie speaks with Robert Niles of ThemeParkInsider.com.
The State We're In/Facebook
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

When the first of Florida’s theme parks reopen next week, Robert Niles predicts they will be taking a cautious approach towards welcoming visitors back.

“On the attractions themselves, that’s a managed environment. Once they enter the queue for an attraction, it’s relatively simple as a concept to keep people spaced apart,” Niles said. “It’s out there on the streets of the theme park where the challenge [arises].”

Universal Orlando Resort announced last week that it's planning a June 5 reopening with limited capacity and measures to enforce social distancing. Legoland in Winter Haven siad it will be reopening on June 1. 

And both Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando will present their proposals for phased reopenings before an Orange County task force on Wednesday. If Demings signs off on them, the plans will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval.

Robert Niles was a guest Tuesday on the State We’re In, a Facebook Live show from WUSF and WMFE in Orlando. He runs , a website geared towards covering theme parks around the world. Niles worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando while he was in college and graduate school.

He also writes a weekly column for the Orange County Register, a newspaper in Southern California.

Niles said one of the challenge theme parks will face is the number of visitors they can allow in before social distancing can no longer be maintained.

Along with limiting the number of people in the parks, he said they’ll likely need to hire more workers to enforce social distancing measures.  

“It’s not about recalling the people you furloughed. It’s about bringing in more people,” Niles said.

To see more content, visit The State We’re In’s Facebook page.

This story is produced in partnership with , an initiative using community engagement to inform local journalism. It is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7

Dinorah Prevost is a WUSF Public Media news intern for summer 2018.
Carl Lisciandrello is digital news editor of WUSF Public Media.
Carl Lisciandrello
Carl Lisciandrello is digital news editor of WUSF Public Media.
Matthew Peddie