The ad released on the Disney Parks Jobs Twitter account shows cast members throughout Disney World parks and resorts greeting guests by saying “Welcome home,” while wearing face masks. The clips are interspersed with attractions and rides from the park such as Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life and a parade in front of Cinderella’s Castle. The ad ends with a stormtrooper from Star Wars putting his own spin on the greeting. “Welcome, citizens,” he says.
“Cast members are ready to welcome guests back to Walt Disney World Resort,” the company wrote in the tweet.
While Disney seemingly intended for the video to warmly greet guests who can finally return to the Orlando, Florida attraction, which was previously closed since March, some people on Twitter found the ad more eerie than welcoming.
NPR’s It’s Been A Minute host Sam Sanders said it was the “scariest thing” he’d seen in weeks. In another tweet, he likened it to a movie from Get Out director Jordan Peele.
Dystopian horror-thrillers were a popular comparison on Twitter. Some users likened the video to the sci-fi series Black Mirror. The ad also was mentioned in the same breath with Jurassic Park.
Some people made jokes at the park’s expense. One user said that it was “america’s [sic] plagueground,” and another riffed that it was “The Coughiest Place on Earth!”
Washington Post reporter Gene Park shared a GIF of people carrying a coffin saying that it was the latest ride from the park. Another person made a joke about Donald Duck being taken off a ventilator.
Many people also expressed sympathy for the Disney employees who would be returning to work in the midst of the pandemic. Other people criticized the video and the parks for reopening, saying that it would likely continue the virus’ spread.
One person wrote that it did seem out of place for Disney to acknowledge the pandemic despite working hard to curate experiences in the park blocking out the outside world.
Some others simply declined the welcome respectfully, saying they would return to the park when it seemed safer.
Disney did not respond to Newsweek’s emailed request for comment in time for publication.
As previously reported, Disney World reopened the park to guests on Saturday, despite Florida reporting over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases for the third time this week.
On Tuesday, the Disney Parks released a blog by Dr. Pamela Hymel, the parks’ chief medical officer, with steps the park was taking to ensure guests’ safety. Safety measures included reduced capacity, temperature checks, increased disinfecting, new cast member training and more.
