Josh D'Amaro, the new Chairman Disney Parks, Experience and Products took part in an interview with CNN earlier today and shared some comments on the reopening of the parks, and on Splash Mountain.
When asked about reopening the parks when cases are increasing in Florida, he said, "We are in a new normal right now, so what's happening outside of the gates of Walt Disney World is our new world. I think you know we were one of the first theme parks to close, and we'll be about the last to open. And we spent every minute of every day thinking about how to operate in this new normal that we're in. I'm exceptionally proud of this group in terms of what they've put together from a protocol perspective and being able to open in a phased and really responsible way. I had a chance to walk Main Street just a few minutes ago. It feels really good in the park. So yeah, the world is a different place, but we feel really prepared to operate in this new environment that we're in."
He goes on to talk about new safety protocols and how guests so far have accepted the new environment and are complying with health and safety requests.
Josh also briefly commented on Splash Mountain's retheme to Princess and the Frog, "We actually have been working on it for well over a year. In fact, I was a part of those conversations over a year ago. Listen, our stories evolve all the time. I mean, back from when Walt started Disneyland back in 1955, he stated that if we would continue to evolve our stories, that they're never ending, that they'll always be contemporary. And I think that that's what you're seeing with Splash Mountain. I keep using the same word, but I'm really proud of this team and what we're doing on this front. I think Splash Mountain, no doubt, is a sacred attraction to many of our guests. And I think you're going to love what we're doing in making the attraction even more contemporary."
Read the full interview at CNN.
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