‘It’s crowded’: After struggling amid pandemic, Central Florida theme parks see big boost to close out 2020

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Furloughs, layoffs and plummeting profits – that’s what 2020 brought to Central Florida’s tourism industry, the heart of which is theme parks.

However, those parks are actually seeing a boost in attendance as the year comes to a close.

Disney had every reservation booked. A spokesperson for SeaWorld said the park also got close to hitting capacity.

READ: Central Florida theme parks see big holiday crowds as COVID-19 cases spike

Guests inside the parks said some areas are quite crowded, but not everywhere.

“It’s crowded, but it’s not overcrowded to the point where you don’t feel safe,” said Megan Reeves who was visiting Universal Studios on Thursday. “Everyone’s still wearing their mask, everyone is being socially distanced. Hand sanitizer is everywhere.”

In March, theme parks one by one announced they would close indefinitely due to the pandemic.

READ: Many Orange County businesses closing early, not opening for New Year’s Eve due to pandemic

By the summer, they started opening back up with limited capacity, requiring masks and adding more ways for people to sanitize or wash their hands.

But it didn’t stop massive furloughs and layoffs. Theme park leaders warned during earnings calls that more cuts could come in 2021.

But they were hopeful for the holidays, which brought crowds that, though not as big as past year’s, were still a boon.

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“It definitely fills my heart with joy knowing that my friends are still working here,” said Casey Carpenter, a Disney visitor on Thursday. “(They’re) able to go back and get some money and get a paycheck, but it is a little terrifying.”

Reeves recently moved to Orlando, so she missed out on last year’s big New Year’s Eve celebrations. This year, there will be no parties or fireworks at Universal or Disney, but there will be fireworks at SeaWorld.

“I’m really happy that they’re not doing anything this year. They’re keeping it safe,” Reeves said.

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She said she might not be at the theme park she loves at midnight, but she’ll be back in 2021.

“Everyone at Universal, everyone that works here. I just wanted to wish them a happy holiday and happy new year,” she said. “And I look forward to seeing them in the next year. I’ll be here tomorrow.”

VIDEO: Central Florida theme parks see big holiday crowds as COVID-19 cases spike

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