Five years ago, tourism officials wrapped their heads right into a latest world of the theme park, temperature tests for hubs, processes for disinfection and the concept of social distance, for the reason that early weeks of covid 19 pandemic quickly modified their business.
Some procedures faded with the virus, others developed into practices that proceed to proceed throughout the travel industry.
In 2020 and 2021, the Orlando Sentinel asked five tourism experts who were to anticipate trends. Now, in 2025, they talk in regards to the everlasting effects of pandemic and latest trends in international travel, space service and roof bars.
Reservation station
Date -specific reservations for themed parks didn’t last in most places, however the technology used has accelerated the associated developments, said Curtis Parks, managing partner in Jacksonville, Icon experiences.
“This creates all of these new options that you can carry out with your ticketing systems, from dynamic prices to bundling of your hotel and your parking cards and dishes, and passengers can now add friends to your ticket purchases, and online tickets are sent on digital wallets,” he said.
Park reservations were created as attractions in 2020 end pandemic closings. Walt Disney World Continue to require reservations with some ticket types, although fewer restrictions.
A deal with online purchases and cleanliness influenced the trend of cashless parks Seaworld Attractions, Busch Gardens and Six Flags locations, said Parks. Disney and Universal never stopped taking money.
“All big players all still took cash, and when the pandemic met, they suspended it and only went on cards and pressed them online,” he said.
“You say that it is faster and safer and safer. … you no longer have the big money vaults that used to be in the parks,” he said.
On the opposite hand, billions of dollars are invested in a break or in once criticized themed park projects, an indication of trust, said Park.
“They bet on the American families and people who visit the parks, and that is exciting to see,” he said.
Fading influences
The influence of pandemic has faded in relation to future attractions, said Brian Morrow, owner of B Morrow ProductionsA banned design studio that works on projects for themed parks, resorts and museums.
“The words Pandemic and Covid are currently rarely used in every design process. They were back in '21, but now they don't hear it at all. … Customers do not use these words,” he said.
Another past factor is the fear of touchscreens.
“We work some work in the educational category, so that many touchscreens are used there … and all of that [concern] went away, “said Morrow.” It really dissolved. It is not a top topic. “
Epic universe: Early soil pictures of the New Orlando theme park
Talking about virtual queues has decreased, but the reservations have refused in some attractions for crowd management and the satisfaction of the guests, he said. Gaylord Palms Resort Keep her for his holiday season “ICE” aatraction.
“You kept it since it allowed them to remove this massive queue that they’d construct, and these massive arrivals from 9 a.m. for guests,” said Morrow.
Changes to chew
On the meal front, the food in Walt Disney World can be returned to her old ways with some exceptions, said AJ Wolfe, who operates the Disney Food BlogA page regardless of Disney World.
“Everything might be normal when it comes to character meals and buffets,” she said two fan favorites who were suspended during the pandemic, she said.
Some restaurants in the themed parks are not as much open as they were. And some restaurants have changed the eating opportunities. For example, Be our guest The restaurant in the Magic Kingdom sagged at noon in favor of a Prix fixe menu, said Wolfe. A la carte service at California grille It is also gone on the contemporary resort, she said.
In resorts in Disney there is the room service in the area Grand Floridian Only, said Wolfe. It could be a staff or a financial problem, she said. There are now no 24-hour restaurants on Disney property, she said.
“There were so many problems with the staff, and it could only be that they weren’t reproduced for these special things,” she said.
There was also the rise of services for food exits. It is probably a cheaper option than room service, said Wolfe.
“Doorash or Uber eats Or whatever is so distinguished and you may deliver to your hotel, “she said.
Fill rooms
The hotel occupancy in the USA is not as robust as in 2019, said Jan Freitag, National Director of Hospitality, for Costar groupA real estate company based in Arlington, Virginia based on real estate analysis.
“You would think that now we have recognized that,” he said. “The excellent news is that the room rates are after all 30% higher than then.”
The industry trends that stormed during the pandemic include the keyless entry and the long -distance examination for rooms, and these took.
The attitude that the rooms do not have to be cleaned of pandemic precautions every day, with the hotel's wish to meet environmentally friendly expectations, said Freitag.
But then in the Pandemic times “many individuals were released, and once they were used up again, the unions said:” Wait, wait, wait, wait, if we need less if you make the housekeeping optional, we need fewer housekeepers, which means that we have fewer union members, which means that we have fewer union contributions. And we don't like that. “
A more visible hotel trend that emerges from pandemic: bars on the roof.
“You were always in fashion in, such as '17, '18, '19, but I think if you build a hotel today, you have a bar on the roof,” said Friday. “It's just a great magnet, and customers love it and even locals like it.
Brit parade
“Looking back to the place where we were in 2021, there was actually no immediate sign that the international market got here back. Simon Veness, Co-author of “The Brit Guide to Orlando” and “111 places in Orlando, which you are not allowed to miss” With his wife Susan Veness.
For the British sure by Orlando, “bookings for this year last year are as good as on the rise, which returned almost exactly to pre-Pandemic level,” said Veness.
“The bad news that goes beyond the British market is that Germany, France and Scandinavia have all dropped for us this year and especially in recent months,” said Veness. “Orlando is not much dependent on these specific markets, but they are not unfounded.”
Now, to fight for European tourists, the United Arab Emirates, which strongly market within the UK and the USA, are strongly marketed.
“This could certainly be a place where Great Britain and Western Europe would address immediately because it is a shorter flight than for the USA or certainly to Florida,” said Veness.
There are indications that some people are actually “not politically inclined” to go to the United States, he said.
“The good news for Orlando and Florida is that it is a slightly different fish cauldron,” said Veness. “Great Britain in particular still sees this fantasy goal that is divorced by reality.”
In general, the Europeans don’t plan the vacations as much prematurely as Americans, and he suspects that some people need to wait until the opening of the epic universe Universal Orlando On May twenty second, a big ticket broker in England reported record sales on the primary day, where Epic tickets could possibly be bought.
“This is a fairly high sign that people are used more by the themed parks than are eliminated by politics,” said Veness.
Originally published:
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