Following Disneyland’s closure in California, Disney World in Florida has been temporarily shut down due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
But that certainly didn’t stop people from having one last hoorah, turning the happiest place on Earth into a packed petri dish.
Disney announced last Thursday that it would be shutting down Disney World and its hotels effective today through the end of the month, which, unsurprisingly, brought people out in droves Sunday night.
There was even a farewell celebration with Walt Disney World president Josh D’Amaro and friends waving from a balcony at the packed throng of patrons below.
Here's the scene from Main Street USA tonight as Walt Disney World President Josh D'Amaro is joined by beloved Disney characters to say goodbye to guests (biggest cheers for Big Al and Wendell!) pic.twitter.com/O0YFpy29XA
— BlogMickey.com (@Blog_Mickey) March 16, 2020
Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency on March 9. As of Thursday when Disney announced that it would close Disney World, there were 46 known COVID-19 cases in Florida.
So the immediate question is why didn’t Disney World close its vaulted gates immediately, as opposed to allowing the very opposite of social distancing to occur?
Or, as Abigail Disney, Walt Disney’s great-niece, so succinctly tweeted: “Are you fucking kidding me??”
Are you fucking kidding me?? https://t.co/I568XuhCpF
— Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) March 16, 2020
Of course, personal responsibility needs to be accounted for. Mickey and his squad didn’t kidnap people and drag them to Disney World in the middle of a pandemic. However, if businesses are going to keep throwing around the phrase “in an abundance of caution,” let it actually be an abundance and not a hollow gesture. Disney World should’ve shut down immediately—no farewell tour needed.
Wendell, sir—you are an absolute mood.
uncanny https://t.co/okirvVQCE6 pic.twitter.com/ErHFroEufd
— Kc (@kcifeanyi) March 16, 2020