The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 11

October 20, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 5 Features That Time I – Went to Disney during a pandemic By: Veronica Richard Contributing Writer With the pandemic looming over the shoulder of every American, going on vacation seems to be the last thing on everyone’s minds. However, after much debate and research, my family and I decided to visit Walt Disney World and saw first-hand how a major theme park is handling safety during the pandemic. Before making our trip, we had to first make reservations, which must be made on the Walt Disney World website. If you are staying on property at one of their many themed resorts, have an annual pass, or are a member of the Disney Vacation Club, you are given first access to making reservations. Park hopping to multiple parks on the same day was not allowed at the time, so guests had to reserve which park they wished to go to each day in advance. My family has annual passes and were staying on property at the Wilderness Lodge, so we were able to reserve a day in Epcot and a day in Magic Kingdom. Upon arriving at the Wilderness Lodge, we proceeded with our virtual check-in. Our room number and digital keys were linked to our Magic Bands. Everything was touchless and virtual, keeping both guests and employees safe. The My Disney Experience app was recommended as our room key, map, time guide and overall assistant during our stay to avoid physical interactions with employees. The app alerted us with a health announcement, listing all the sanitizing and work being done at the resort to keep things clean. Our room had been deep cleaned on multiple occasions and smaller items such as television remotes were in bags labeled clean. While in the parks, there were a multitude of safety measures put in place to assure health, but still kept things magical. There were no-touch hand sanitizer dispensers at the beginning and exit of all lines. My family never had to use the personal hand sanitizer we brought. Near all hand sanitizers were portable sinks with antibacterial soap for guests to wash their hands. Plexiglass dividers separated each side of the lines, keeping everyone at a safe distance from all sides. Floor markers indicated where standingwas allowed. Cast Members were in constantmovement; whether it was sanitizingwhere a guest once stood or reminding everyone to wear theirmasks at all times, evenwhen sitting.Miniature parades were held hourly, with socially distanced characters waving from Halloween-themed floats. Every 30 minutes, an announcement would play across the park reminding everyone of the rules set in place to keep them safe. Before leaving for this trip, I was wary. I was nervous about crowds, cleanliness and the “mask relief stations.” Mask relief stations were located in various areas around the park and allowed guests to take off their masks for a short period of time while keeping 10 feet apart.While in theMagic Kingdom, my family and I took advantage of the area in Tomorrowland to get out of the heat and cool off in air conditioning without wearing masks. Other than the Cast Members, we were the only people there. The attendants escorted us to a table that had been cleansed and instructed us to stay 10 feet away from everyone at all times while there. We were only there for 15minutes, but it was amuch needed break and I felt completely safe. My trip to the Walt Disney World Resort was overall fantastic. Everything was handled with precision and care from all Cast Members and not once did I feel a lack in Disney magic. If you are heading to the parks soon, make sure you abide by all guidelines and have a magical time! PRINTED WITH PERMISSION BY V. RICHARDS Washing hands at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Resorts From quarantine to Halloween It’s finally October -- or what I like to call spooky season. We’ve all presumed that Halloween this year is going to have to be different. We are still in a pandemic and we all need to continue following COVID-19 protocols, which means that we have to stay socially distanced. However, Oct. 31 is still on the calendar, Halloween decorations are still being put up and costumes and candy are still being sold. The show must go on. We just might have to be a little bit more creative when engaging in fun Halloween activities. As a college student, you may think that you are too old to trick-or-treat, but that is absolutely false. You are never too old to trick-or-treat, and if you were planning to this Halloween, you still can -- well, sort of. Instead of going door-to-door with a candy basket like you normally would, you can leave pre-packaged candy on the doorsteps of your neighbors, friends or family’s houses as a way of socially distanced “trick-or-treating.” As mentioned earlier, we might have to get more creative this Halloween. A way we can get our creative juices flowing is to make some sweet or savory Halloween treats. You can gather a couple of your closest friends and look up some of the best Halloween desserts and treats to make at home. Some ideas may include baking a cake, brownies or pie and adding some edible Halloween decorations. For example, “flying” bats made out of Oreos or spider webs madefromchocolate.Ifbakingacakeisn’tyourcup of tea, you can also do one of the most traditional Halloween activities: carving a pumpkin. You can carve out silly faces in the pumpkins and use them as decorations outside or inside your house. Usually, college students would attend Halloween parties or go Downtown as a fun way to celebrate the spooky season, but of course, that might not be a good idea during the pandemic. Socially-distanced parades are one way to have fun while still being safe on Halloween. The parade could consist of you decorating your car, bike, golf cart, etc. and showing off your Halloween costume. You could also use this opportunity as a drive-by trick-or-treating concept in which you give out bags of candy to the attendees at the parade. When it comes to Halloween, you don’t always have to do something creative to have fun. Enjoying Halloween in a pandemic can be as simple as snuggling up under the blankets with some popcorn and binge-watching all of your favorite horror movies. The important part is simply enjoying and being safe doing whatever activity it is that you choose to take part in. Spooky season can still be amazing, no matter what’s going on in the world. Happy Halloween! By: Jaden Wilson Contributing Writer PRINTED WITH PERMISSION BY R. ESNER A bowl of candy for Halloween