New Study Suggests Social Distancing Could be Reduced

Could the social distancing requirement that is currently in place be reduced from six feet to three feet? A new study seems to point in that direction.

New Study

A new study seems to suggest a possible change in the social distancing requirement. The study comes from the University of Central Florida and International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).

The study suggests that the current social distancing requirement that is in place could be reduced from six feet to three feet. In the study, key factors were examined such as droplet volume, quantity, size and propagation while participants coughed or spoke.

The following is taken from the study’s conclusion:

“The experimental study indicates that 3ft(0.914)physical distancing with face coverings is more effective at reducing aerosol/droplet exposure than 6ft(1.829m)without covering.”

-conclusion from University of Central Florida and International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) 2021

What does this mean for Disney?

Throughout the pandemic, one consistent rule that has been told to guests was to be aware of social distancing and stay six feet apart from others. After the theme parks reopened, social distance markers were put in place throughout all of the attraction queues to help mark safe distances for guests.

The study discussed above seems to suggest that as long as facial coverings are still required, theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal could safely reduce physical distancing guidelines and could also increase park capacity.

However, an increase in park capacity on top of the fact that there is still no FastPass available could lead to some extra long wait times. With the upcoming summer months and schools being off for summer break, this could lead to a pretty challenging time at the parks.

Relaxed Guidelines

As of now, there has been no announcement related to the social distancing guidelines put in place. However, we have seen updated guidelines come out regarding how masks can now be removed for pictures and possible changes to outdoor mask guidelines. Do you think physical distancing guidelines could be next?

What do you think of the study? Do you think a reduction in social distancing could be a good thing for the parks? What changes do you want to see on your next trip to Disney? Should FastPass return? Tell us about them in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Maggie Baltz