ORLANDO, Fla. — Universal CityWalk will partially reopen Thursday with limited operations and new guidelines to keep guests safe.
Selects restaurants and shops will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Restaurants will have limited menus and limited seating. Hollywood Drive-In Golf will also reopen.
The theme parks will remain closed, as will the nightclubs and movie theater.
Universal officials said everyone will be required to wear a face mask. You can either bring your own or one can be provided for you.
There will also be temperature checks. Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater will be turned away.
Frequent hand-washing is recommended, as is social distancing. Floor markings will be in place to guide guests.
There will be no more valet parking. Instead, there will be free self-parking.
Update! Starting 5/14 select #UniversalCityWalk venues will open from 4-10pm w/ limited menus and guidelines for Team Members and guests.
— Universal Orlando Resort (@UniversalORL) May 12, 2020
See full details at https://t.co/1yjxKst7OT pic.twitter.com/6cfxN215JR
“I was really, really excited because this is really the beginning of everything coming back to (life) in the city beautiful,” said Shelley Caran, who runs the blog On the Go in MCO.
Caran said she was surprised Universal was so transparent.
“I think it’s going to push everyone in the right direction in that, giving your guests information is going to make them prepare better for their experience,” she said.
Read: Stimulus checks: Wednesday is the deadline for direct deposit; here’s how to set yours up
Retired UCF professor and theme park expert Duncan Dickson said Universal used surveys to gauge what people wanted when they returned.
“That's what the theme parks are really, really good at is running things. Testing it, seeing how it works adjusting and perfecting all of that," Dickson said.
It’s not known how long these new rules could be in place. Dickson said it’s a test drive for guests, as well as employees.
"Let's show our team members we've got the PPE in place. We've got the sanitizing in place. We've got the social distancing in place so they can feel comfortable taking care of the guests,” he said.
The Universal app will play a key role in the reopening. Guests can make reservations and order and pay for food and merchandise.
“The one thing that may last is the cashless system,” Dickson said.
Dickson said SeaWorld and Disney officials will be watching CityWalk to see how things go. Disney Springs reopens next week.
Read: Walt Disney World to begin accepting resort reservations in July
© 2020 Cox Media Group
