The pandemic saw the longest closure in Walt Disney World history, with the parks reopening in July of 2020 after a nearly four month closure. With social distancing related limited capacity, once the resort did reopen, many of restaurants, entertainment, and entire hotels remained shut. Labor shortages, supply chain issues, and all the other pandemic-linked issues that we’ve all become so familiar with meant reopening a resort the size of San Francisco that lays claim as the largest single-site employer in the nation was no easy task. The reopening has occurred in phases over the past eighteen months, with the evolving pandemic safety protocols being one of the primary drivers of each stage.
As the latest variant wave is slowing, the resort is in the midst of another reopening phase. With a constant trickle of news coming from Disney, these phases can be difficult to differentiate. One Disney fan and podcaster in New Jersey, Matt Petolicchio, hoped to bring clarity to the extended reopening process by developing an index to better understand the progress made in reopening the resort. Inspired by the natural disaster linked Waffle House Index that looks to the famed diner chain as an indication of recovery efforts following a disaster, the Disney Comeback Index marks how far along Disney World is in its reopening efforts.
When the resort reopened in late June, before the parks themselves reopened, the Index saw just a 9.8 percent, buoyed mainly by Disney Springs. By the end of 2020, that had jumped to nearly fifty percent, thanks to multiple attractions and dining options having returned. Throughout 2021, the Index slowly ticked up to close out the year just over 78 percent.
Attractions, Disney Springs, dining, and the resorts have nearly all returned to their pre-pandemic levels, but entertainment and paid events/seasonal events are still far from their previous operations, with the index giving them a 56.03 percent and 47.58 percent, respectively. That will soon change with more entertainment now returning to the parks in the coming weeks.
The Magic Kingdom saw its first full-length parade return this winter when it welcomed the fan favorite Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade as part of its holiday offerings. But with that parade now gone for the season, the resort became parade-less once again. On March 9, the Festival of Fantasy Parade will finally return after a two-year hiatus. Best known for the steampunk-inspired fire-breathing Maleficent dragon, the Festival of Fantasy Parade will celebrate its eighth anniversary on its return date. Prior to the parade’s return, shows will return to the fully refurbished castle stage in front of Cinderella Castle when an updated Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire debuts on February 25.
In Frontierland, The Hoedown Happening will come back on February 11. This same day will see the debut of a brand-new character cavalcade at the Magic Kingdom. The character cavalcades, where Disney characters are shuttled through the parks on floats or vehicles surprising guests as they pass, were initially in response to traditional character meet-and-greets being closed due to social distancing concerns, but they’ve proven extremely popular. Now even as many of those character meet-and-greets reopen, the cavalcades look to be staying.
A reimagined Finding Nemo musical will open at Animal Kingdom’s Theater in the Wild later this year and, for the first time, will be updated to include elements from the franchise’s record-breaking sequel.
Still, there’s a surprisingly large number of items yet to receive a reopening date. There’s been no indication on when, or if, the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show will return to the Polynesian Village Resort. Also yet to return are several smaller attractions. Some, like the interactive Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Enchanted Tales with Belle experiences, come as no surprise, as these require hands-on, close proximity interactions between cast members and guests. But others, like the Voyage of The Little Mermaid and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, both at Hollywood Studios, have few reasons to still be holdouts, leading some to speculate they may not return at all.
Even as more things reopen and physical distancing now seems like a long ago luxury when shopping at Disney Springs, it’s crucial to remember we’ve yet to completely escape the grip of the pandemic. But as the Disney Comeback Index ticks higher, it gives us an indication of how far we’ve already come. For the first time since the pandemic began, the Index is expected to surpass 80 percent later this month.
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This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2022.