The coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses across the country to close. Everything from restaurants and malls to city parks and amusement parks shut their doors. 

While many of these businesses have started to reopen, things aren’t exactly the same. First of all, face masks are required in many places, and social distancing is also required. This means that restaurants have had to rearrange their tables and come up with creative ways to keep their customers safe.

Walt Disney World has been closed since the middle of March. While the theme parks remain closed, Disney Springs, a shopping and dining area, reopened its doors on May 20th. In order to enter the shopping district, Disney is requiring guests to wear face coverings, practice social distancing and have their temperature checked.

A video taken at Disney Springs shows that Disney has come up with a very creative, and a very Disney way of enforcing social distancing. They have “Star Wars” Storm Troopers stationed on a balcony talking to each other and to the crowd below.

The Storm Troopers can be heard saying things like “move along” and getting the attention of guests by calling to them saying, “you in the face mask.” 

Watch the video below to see what guests at Disney Springs are experiencing.

Many people who have watched this video love Disney’s approach to social distancing enforcement. One comment reads, “What a wonderful way to keep things fun!” Another person wrote, “This is outstanding guest engagement at a distance. Disney needs to use this instead of character meet and greets.”

While the Disney parks have not reopened yet, Disney hopes to start a phased reopening of their Florida theme parks on July 11th. We have seen a glimpse at what guests can expect when they are finally allowed back in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Movie Studios. Several popular guest experiences will not be happening including fireworks, parades and character meet and greets. Guests will have their temperatures checked, be required to wear face masks, and park capacity will be limited. 

Perhaps Disney will use more creative ways to keep guests engaged and smiling like the Storm Trooper idea at Disney Springs. While this isn’t the same as a character meet and greet, it’s certainly better than nothing.

What do you think of the Storm Troopers’ banter on the balcony? Would this encourage you to practice social distancing?