Disney World Reopening Ignites Fierce Backlash and Creepy Parody Videos
“Welcome home,” Disney World employees tell us in a controversial new ad announcing the Florida theme park’s reopening. Maybe not so fast? The Orlando vacation destination opened its doors back up for the first time since March on July 11 with capacity limits and strict mask requirements, but the event was not without some fierce backlash online. The reopening occurred just ahead of the latest COVID-19 totals out of Florida, which set the record on Sunday for the most new cases in a single day reported for any state since the pandemic began, at 15,299.
The ad released on July 8 encouraging parkgoers to return to Disney World inspired a series of parody videos on Twitter, with the announcement’s soundtrack replaced with everything from the music to the trailer for Jordan Peele’s “Us” to the soundtrack for “The Shining.” The video was even repurposed into an A24 trailer, using footage and branding from the preview for Ari Aster’s “Midsommar.” The ad also inspired Twitter users to imagine what the fictional Jurassic Park might look like if it, too, were to reopen during a pandemic. Check them out, along with Disney World’s original ad, below.
The Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom both reopened on Saturday in Florida, with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios set to follow on July 15. Meanwhile, the Anaheim-based Disneyland has only partially reopened in California, with the Downtown Disney District welcoming back patrons on July 9. According to The Hill, as of July 8, Florida is the global epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 270,000 confirmed cases and nearly 5,000 deaths.
Disneyland’s grand re-opening ad but with music from THE SHINING pic.twitter.com/1pJeJJwmKf
— TODD SPENCE (@Todd_Spence) July 11, 2020
2020 is a Jordan Peele movie
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) July 11, 2020
Disney reopening video as an A24 trailer pic.twitter.com/lOawwk2nJa
— Christopher Hudspeth (@CEHudspeth) July 11, 2020
Disney welcome home ad but with Midsommar trailer audio pic.twitter.com/ya2a9HC1Uf
— tenani (@Tenani) July 11, 2020
We are ready to welcome guests back to Jurassic Park. ✨ pic.twitter.com/kHSqTpkWSB
— Jurassic Park Updates (@JurassicPark2go) July 12, 2020
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Cast members are ready to welcome guests back to Walt Disney World Resort.✨
