The future of Florida's theme parks hangs in the balance
Florida’s big theme parks and attractions are still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and now we are seeing the first signs of Disney and Co having to make serious cutbacks amid billions in lost revenue.
This week saw one of Orlando’s long-time entertainment standouts, the Cirque du Soleil company, file for bankruptcy and lay off 3,500 staff worldwide just when it was due to open a new show at Walt Disney World.
This follows Universal Orlando shutting down all work on its new theme park, Epic Universe, which was due to open in 2023, and both SeaWorld and Busch Gardens delaying the debut of two blockbuster roller coasters this year.
Disney has not updated plans for a raft of new attractions ahead of its scheduled re-opening on July 11, but industry insiders believe many of their projects have been either suspended or shelved completely as the company battles with falling share prices and a massive drop in income from having to close all its theme parks worldwide earlier this year because of the coronavirus.
The big Orlando resort has been Disney’s flagship for the past 40-plus years, and it has borne the brunt of the theme park losses, with industry news source Blooloop estimating that it has been losing $25million (£20million) a day since shutting down in mid-March.
That would amount to a whopping $2.5billion (£2billion) deficit to date, enough to jolt even a company of Disney’s size. And, although the House of Mouse had lined up a wealth of new attractions for its 50th anniversary next year, the signs are that a number will now be postponed until some of those losses have been clawed back.
Work has already stopped completely on a new hotel, while the anniversary celebration itself is likely to be scaled down, with features like the proposed Mary Poppins attraction and the reboot of the Spaceship Earth ride at Epcot cancelled, along with some of the live entertainment elements.
Even rides that are already well under construction could now be delayed, including the TRON roller coaster for the Magic Kingdom and the headline Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Epcot.
The good news for theme park fans is that Universal has just opened its Jason Bourne-themed stunt show to rave reviews and work is well under way on its signature Jurassic Park coaster, which is scheduled for 2021.
Now, the industry is just holding its breath and hoping Florida can get virus numbers that have reached record proportions under control.
