Disney Actors Return to Work

Actors at Walt Disney World in Orlando reached an agreement yesterday with the Actors’ Equity Association to return to work. As part of the agreement, Disney has put up COVID-19 testing sites outside the park, which all people and employees wishing to enter the park will be available to take. Although the president of Actors’ Equity Association Kate Shindle states that the testing is being put in place as a direct result of the employees agreement, Disney denied the statement saying that the testing is being put into place for their own personal safety rules for the park and all its visitors and workers. 

The testing facility is set to open on Aug. 14 just outside Disney’s Maingate Complex in Kissimmee, Florida, and is available free of charge to anyone who signs up, not just Disney World “cast members,” a nickname given to the employees at the park.  Officials did say they will have a dedicated testing lane for workers and their families.  Prior to the agreement, workers refused to return in July when the park first re-opened due to the lack of testing because they felt it was “unsafe”, however with the recent agreement and Disney’s cooperation with adding testing, all workers are set to return at the time of the test sites opening.