Disney guests share their thoughts on the park closing over coronavirus

Walt Disney World will close Sunday until the end of March

ORLANDO, Fla. – Families visiting from out of town are reacting to the news that Walt Disney World will be closing all of its theme parks in response to the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

On Thursday, officials with Disney decided to close all Orlando theme parks starting Sunday night.

RELATED: From tickets to FastPasses: The latest on Disney World’s coronavirus closure | This will be the longest closure ever for Disney World

Outside the resort on Friday, visitors talked about making changes to their vacation plans after the announcement was made a day earlier.

Lauren Smith made the trip from north Florida and said she wanted her family to spend time at the parks before they're closed until at least April 1.

"I'm trying to get our trip in before we can not come here anymore," Smith said. "I really think that it may not be very crowded, just because I think people are freaking out over the coronavirus."

Kayla Kastorina said she decided to cancel her Sunday trip to the parks because it wasn't worth the risk.

"We're just going to do two pool days and hang out and head back home on Sunday," Kastorina said.

Austin Hooper, who is visiting from St. Louis, said he'll be trying to avoid large gatherings of people in reaction to concerns about the coronavirus.

“Just stay away from large crowds (and) go to the beaches. I know that’s what we’re planning on doing now that we’re here and this whole thing is happening,” Hooper said.


About the Author

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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