Expect smaller crowds but longer lines when Central Florida theme parks reopen, analyst says

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A theme park analyst told Eyewitness News that, at best, Central Florida’s theme parks will be opening in June. And when that happens we’ll likely see fewer people at first, but also longer lines.

“I think the big risk here of course is if the parks open too early and we have another spike in cases in Florida. And then the parks close even longer,” said Rick Munarriz, a theme park analyst for The Motley Fool, a private financial and investing advice company based in Virginia.

Read: More than half of Walt Disney World employees will be furloughed

Munarriz said he expects either more spacing while waiting in line to abide by social distancing or, at the very least, longer delays to clean the rides.

“There’s going to be a lot more clean-up, janitorial hands-on, physical work that need to be done to keep the parks clean and safe,” Munarriz said.

How the tens of thousands of Orlando theme park workers will be affected depends on attendance at first, which is likely to be slow.

Read: Disney World operations could take years to return to normal, analyst says

Heading into the fall and winter, theme parks’ big seasonal draws like Halloween Horror Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are “not a sure thing,” Munarriz said.

Munarriz said he compares the city of Orlando’s recovery to Forrest Gump’s long journey – slow at first, but then picking up speed.

“Orlando is one of the places that is hardest hit, but will be one of biggest winners coming out of it,” he said.

Munarriz said he expects the parks to bounce back even stronger due to their other assets.

Watch below to hear what the interim CEO of SeaWorld said about the future of the park.

VIDEO: SeaWorld CEO talks to WFTV about surviving the coronavirus crisis WFTV reporter Daralene Jones learned the park thinks it can operate as is until next year.

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