ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Disney World’s theme parks begin reopening this weekend, but the action started Tuesday with a castmember preview. 


What You Need To Know

  • Disney World to reopen theme parks soon

  • Passholders feel mixed emotions about returning

  • Reopening comes as Florida sees rise in coronavirus cases

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic led Disney to shut down its parks for four months, but now Disney is ready to reopen.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference on Monday he thinks Disney is ready to reopen with their new safety procedures, but some passholders aren't ready to go back just yet.

"Disney, I have no doubt is going to be a safe environment," DeSantis said.

Torie Hutchinson-Keen, who is a passholder, wants more done before she feels safe to return.

"If the governor did a statewide mask mandate, I'd feel more comfortable about a month in," Hutchinson-Keen said.

She booked her reservation for September, hoping cases will decrease by then.

"They think it's OK to go to Disney, but you can't even visit your loved one in a hospital yet," she said.

Passholder Jeff Ruble feels differently, he's masking up for passholder preview later this week.

"I'm going to take about 4 different masks I'm going to switch out and try," Ruble said.

Ruble trusts Disney's safety procedures even with increasing coronavirus cases in Florida.

"I know Disney is going to do a good job, and I feel like people who are going, know what they're getting themselves into, they know they're going to be six feet, wearing their mask," Ruble said.

Passholder preview begins Thursday ahead of the public reopening on Saturday.