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TIMELINE: A look back at how Orlando’s tourism stalled one year ago

Industry leaders hopeful for spring break boost

ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida tourism industry leaders are hopeful this spring break could bring some of the strongest tourism numbers since the beginning of the pandemic.

It was one year ago, Orlando’s tourism came to an abrupt stop with Walt Disney World executives announcing historic closures at Disneyland in California and in Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Here’s timeline of the events that unfolded in the past year impacting Orlando-area tourism.

MARCH 2020: The initial shutdown

FILE - In this March 24, 2020, file photo, lanes leading to the parking plaza entrance of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom sit empty during its second week of closure in response to the coronavirus pandemic in Orlando. From Cape Cod to California, festivals are being canceled, businesses in tourist havens are looking at empty reservation books, and people who have been cooped up through a dismal spring are worrying summer will bring just more of the same. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File) (Orlando Sentinel)

The announcement then, was only for a two-week closure that immediately turned into more than two months without a single guest. Other theme parks followed suit. The first layoffs coming days later with hotel chains like Marriott furloughing thousands, citing they were losing money by staying open.

According to Daryl Cronk, Senior Director of Market Research and Insight with Visit Orlando, hotels were reporting just 12-15% occupancy.

“Looking back it was truly unimaginable,” Cronk said. “I could not have pictured a scenario where all the theme parks will be closed, not just for days or for weeks, but for a couple of months and the impact it that would have with travel.”

APRIL 2020: Furloughs begin

Disney furloughs threaten to strain system for unemployment benefits

The layoffs began within days of the shutdown. By April 19, an estimated 43,000 Disney World employees were out of work.

News 6 spoke with furloughed Disney cast members and theme park employees who said they had no idea of when they’d be able to come back to work.

“I was actually living on canned vegetables that I got from a charity,” said furloughed Epcot employee Dan Crowder.

It was in April too, Orange County’s Comptroller Phil Diamond says our tourism hit rock-bottom, reporting a loss of 97% of tourism development tax dollars.

“What we are reporting in April is the sharpest decline ever not just percentage-wise and dollar wise, it’s also the smallest amount this office has collected since we collected this since 1992,” Diamond told News 6 in April 2020.

JULY 2020: Reopening

Guests will remain physically distanced while experiencing attractions at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. These new boarding procedures are part of the new health and safety measures implemented as part of the parks’ phased reopening beginning July 11, 2020. (Matt Stroshane, photographer) (Walt Disney World)

However, the turn in the tourism economy came in July, with the limited reopening of all the major theme parks.

Walt Disney World, Universal Resort and SeaWorld all limiting capacity and hours. Videos from park goers showing social distancing in lines and rides, hand sanitizing stations, and mini, pop-up parades where even Minnie and Mickey were social distancing.

It marked the beginning of the recovery according to tourism leaders.

“Having a major player like Disney open up will bring guests up and down International Drive,” said John Goodman, the vice president of sales and marketing for Icon Park back in July.

[RELATED: DeSantis calls theme parks reopening ‘success story,’ flirts with easing capacity restrictions]

DECEMBER 2020: Holiday season provides boost

Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., will reimagine its holiday celebration this year. From Nov. 6 to Dec. 30, when night falls at Magic Kingdom Park, projection effects will transform Cinderella Castle with a kaleidoscope of holiday-themed designs. (Walt Disney World)

Cronk says by December, Central Florida’s tourism was seeing some of its greatest numbers since the pandemic, though well below what we usually see during the holiday season.

Visit Orlando also released data that showed hotel occupancy was the highest since the pandemic began the week after Christmas in December at 50.1%. It was even higher on New Year’s Eve with 63.4% of the hotels booked that night.

”We were still well below prior year levels,” said Cronk. “We averaged 50% occupancy for that period. Last year we were close to 90% and on New Year’s Eve, we would see levels in mid-90s so generally pretty full.”

MARCH 2021

Orange County's tourism tax dollar collection totals in 2020. (Image: Orange County Comptroller's Office) (WKMG)

Since December, Tourism Tax Dollar collections for the month of January dipped, but approaching spring break Cronk is confident it will signify signs of a strong recovery.

“We have come a long way from a year ago,” Cronk said.

Since occupancy rates in spring break of 2020 were as low as 12-15%, Cronk says they will be happy if this year hotels can reach 50-55% capacity for spring break.

“That will be a significant improvement, but to put that in context pre-pandemic a typical spring break might be more around 80-85% occupancy rate,” Cronk said. “So we have come a long way and we are optimistic but we are also realistic that we still have a long a way to go.”