Kansas City Health Department shuts down all Disney on Ice shows after COVID outbreak
Kansas City shut down all remaining performances of Disney on Ice because it violated pandemic rules and failed to report a COVID-19 outbreak among its staff, City Hall announced Friday.
Disney on Ice performers were expected to present six more shows at T-Mobile Center Friday through Sunday. But according to an order from the city’s Health Department, the production’s approval to perform for spectators was revoked for “multiple and repeated violations” of the COVID-19 mitigation plan the production and the city agreed to. Such plans are required as part of the mayor’s restrictions on indoor gatherings during the pandemic.
“To protect Kansas City families and residents attending the event, the Health Department asked Disney on Ice to cancel the Kansas City tour,” city spokesman Chris Hernandez said in an email. “On Friday, the Health Department issued an order revoking approval of gathering.”
Hernandez said the Health Department believed the outbreak was limited to performers and crew and had not infected spectators.
The order the issued by the Health Department said Disney on Ice personnel began testing positive for COVID-19 in late January and failed to inform the city, as required under the mitigation plan.
On Wednesday, “during the unrelated inspection of a hotel in Kansas City,” the department learned some Disney on Ice personnel had tested positive for the virus. By then, at least five members of the staff had the virus, and six more were in quarantine because of exposure.
“Throughout numerous calls, meetings and requests for information, the Health Department was presented with conflicting and inaccurate numbers of positive tests, numbers of individuals in quarantine and testing dates,” the order says.
One staff member was quarantined in late January because of a close contact with an infected person, and under the agreement with the city, should have remained quarantined for 14 days. Instead, the person left quarantine on Tuesday, had close contact with three co-workers and then tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
How to get refunds
T-Mobile Center announced online within an hour of the city’s statement that the rest of the shows would not go on.
The arena’s website said ticket holders who paid with credit cards would be automatically refunded. Guests who purchased tickets with cash at the box office can present them there for refunds.
Shani Tate Ross, vice president of sales and marketing for the venue, said the outbreak was believed to be confined only to staff of the touring company, not local employees of T-Mobile Center. As of early Friday evening, she said the arena was working to contact ticket holders.
The T-Mobile Center had canceled Thursday night and Friday morning performances of Disney on Ice after the city expressed concerns about how the production was adhering to the mitigation plan, but the Health Department did not order them closed.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has restricted all indoor gatherings to a maximum of 10 people. All concerts, theater performances, lectures, weddings and similar gatherings with more than 10 individuals must submit a mitigation plan and receive approval from the Health Department.
In late December, the T-Mobile Center announced a run of 16 performances of Disney’s “Dream Big” show, the first events with spectators at the arena since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold 11 months ago, halting the annual Big 12 Basketball Tournament in its tracks. But as the venue began selling Disney tickets, the Health Department said it had not approved the events.
When organizers announced the events in December, they expected to allow 3,600 people for each performance — about 20% of the arena’s normal 18,000-seat capacity.
By the time the Health Department agreed to the organizers’ plans a month later, that number had dropped to 2,069. Performances started Jan. 28.
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‘So disappointed’
On Friday evening, T-Mobile Center staffers hauled in the maze of metal barricades erected outside for crowd control. Around the same time, families began arriving at the Grand Boulevard box office to ask about refunds.
With little notice of the cancellation, many were disappointed.
Some trickled into restaurants and stores at the nearby Power & Light District. And kiddos in Patrick Mahomes jerseys and princess gowns posed for photos in front of the T-Mobile Center’s magenta signs.
“So disappointed,” said Markeita Phillips of Liberty.
A school counselor, Phillips brought her 6-year-old daughter, Providence, to the venue to take photos after she had dressed her in a crimson dress and sparkling tiara.
“She’s all dressed up with nowhere to go,” she said.
Phillips said she had been confident in the venue’s plans to distance groups of spectators far away from others. After snapping a few photos, she said she hoped to take her daughter to dinner to make up for a bummer night.
“This was her gift for making the honor roll,” Phillips said.
Disney on Ice is presented by Florida-based Feld Entertainment, which began with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey traveling circus. In addition to Disney, Feld puts on monster truck shows, Sesame Street Live! and off-road motorcycle shows.
In a statement on Saturday, Feld officials said all impacted staffers would remain in isolation, per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The company did not address specific claims raised by Kansas City public health officials.
“Feld Entertainment touring units follow all applicable guidance and/or mandates from government authorities that are intended to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the company’s statement read. “The safety of tour personnel, our guests and everyone involved in the production of the shows is the top priority.”
The T-Mobile Center website says the production company “apologizes to our fans for any inconvenience and thanks them for understanding.”
“We look forward to sharing the same magical experience of Disney On Ice to our fans and their families during a future return to Kansas City and the T-Mobile Center.”
Tickets are still on sale for the tour’s next stop, scheduled for Feb. 11-21 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
This story was originally published February 5, 2021 at 5:16 PM.
