We’re here live for the official reopening of third party locations at Disney Springs.

Many health and safety measures have been put into place, most of which are very new for Disney Springs employees and Cast Members. So, we thought we’d chat to a few Springs employees to see how their experiences have been on the first day of reopening.

Dining Cast Members and Employees

Of course, we’re checking in on all the dining locations in Disney Springs and we were curious to hear what the employees had to say about the reopenings.

Frontera Cocina

We grabbed a quick meal at Frontera Cocina today to see how they’re contending with new health protocols. Our server seemed to be in a really good mood. She told us that we should keep our one-use disposable menu as a historical souvenir. Ha! Maybe we will.

Apparently, the staff came back a little bit early for new safety and health training. Even with the added health measures, the staff says they still want time at Frontera Cocina to feel like a fiesta!

The BOATHOUSE

Our experience at The BOATHOUSE brought us some tasty eats and showed us a lot about what the new health measures look like for this waterside restaurant. According to our server, training packets were sent out a week ago to staff and reopeners were brought in yesterday for some training.

Our server also spoke pretty highly of the cleanliness at The BOATHOUSE. She said that, though she has worked in several restaurants, this one is the cleanest restaurant that she’s seen — even before the crisis.

Some behind-the-scenes measures at this location include that runners are changing gloves between tables, and cooks and chefs are on a 15-minute timer where they have to stop what they’re doing to wash their hands and change their gloves.

At The BOATHOUSE, staff members were given the option of whether they wanted to come back immediately or not. In the case of our server, she was ready to go and is excited to be back at work.

Wine Bar George

We absolutely love Wine Bar George so we were happy to sit down at this dining location. The staff was delightful, as usual. Our seater let us know that he was having a hard time not pulling our chairs out for us since they aren’t supposed to touch the chairs when guests are there.

Master Sommelier George Miliotes was actually in attendance. Yes, he is the “George” in Wine Bar George. George told us that he is very happy to be back, but it feels weird that he can’t smile at guests with his mask on. Don’t worry, he assured us that he WAS smiling when he talked to us.

Our server let us know that staff was reduced at the start of the closure, so the staff that was kept is made up of some of the strongest employees. The team received lots of training and they feel comfortable and safe.

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill

Over at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, the new measures were similar. Our server explained that the team was called in on Monday for safety training and came in earlier today to rearrange tables for distancing.

Some behind-the-scenes measures here include hand sanitizer at every bussing station, pen sanitizing between use, and mandatory handwashing for all team members when they enter the kitchen.

Guest Relations Cast Members

We also spoke to some Guest Relations Cast Members about how Disney has been handling the reopening. Though the whole Guest Relations team is not called back just yet, a few of them are and they’re doing things a little differently.

Returning Guest Relations Cast had a 3-day training program that included courses on personal protective equipment (PPE), safety precautions, and how to seem friendly when communicating in a mask (AKA, just using your eyes and hands!).

As of now, the Welcome Center is open with limited capabilities but guests can not wait inside. Fuel Rods are available but since they are a high-touch item, the kiosk has to be wiped down frequently and after each use.

Merchandise Cast Members and Employees

We talked to some employees in merchandise locations for insight too! Folks at The BOATHOUSE Store told us that they are not selling face masks for now. Apparently, it was considered, but they didn’t want to be stuck with the inventory if masks stop being mandatory.

Over at Ron Jon Surf Shop, the General Manager was happy to relay some insight into their measures. The management team came in a week prior to opening to clean the store and set up for a return to business. Since then, they are instituting weekly calls with the team, supplying masks for team members that do not have one, and bringing employees in for new training.

There are some of the insights from the employees and Cast Members who are getting Disney Springs running today.

We will be updating this post throughout the day as we talk to more Cast Members and employees in Disney Springs! Keep checking back for updates. 

Click here to follow along as we report LIVE from Disney Springs!

What are your thoughts on all of the changes? Let us know in the comments below.