ORLANDO, Fla.—The Walt Disney Company has been feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in its parks division.

  • Disney World, Disneyland remain closed due to coronavirus
  • Bob Iger recently talked about the future of the parks
  • New measures could be implemented to ensure guest safety

Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland closed last month and will remain closed for the foreseeable future as the virus continues to spread across the country.

The company recently announced plans to furlough some of its workers during the closures. And top executives are taking pay cuts, with executive chairman Bob Iger forgoing his entire salary.

But many theme park fans and employees are wondering when the parks will reopen and whether things will be different once they do.

Disney could implement new measures, including checking people’s temperatures before they enter.

In a wide-ranging interview with Barron’s, Iger briefly touched on what the future of the parks could look like in a post-coronavirus world.

“One of the things that we’re discussing already is that in order to return to some semblance of normal, people will have to feel comfortable that they’re safe,” Iger said. “Some of that could come in the form ultimately of a vaccine, but in the absence of that it could come from basically, more scrutiny, more restrictions. Just as we now do bag checks for everybody that goes into our parks, it could be that at some point we add a component of that that takes people’s temperatures, as a for-instance.”

Iger added that the company is watching what China is doing in their efforts to return to normalcy.

“So we’ve asked ourselves the question let’s prepare for a world where our customers demand that we scrutinize everybody,” he said. “Even if it creates a little bit of hardship, like it takes a little bit longer for people to get in.”

In the meantime, Disney has adjusted its travel policies, waiving change and cancellation fees for reservations. It has also paused collecting monthly payments for annual passes, even offering to refund payments made during the closure.

Attractions Insider is your all-in-one source for everything you need to know about Florida's theme parks. Get news, deals, helpful tips and more in our Attractions Insider special section!

  • Download the Spectrum News app and turn on notifications to receive a weekly Attractions Briefing every Friday.