KC health department allows Disney on Ice at T-Mobile Center but with smaller crowds
The Kansas City Health Department has signed off on plans to allow thousands of people to attend Disney on Ice performances at the T-Mobile Center beginning this week.
The performances, with a maximum capacity of 2,069 for each show, will be the first events held at the venue with spectators since the pandemic canceled the Big 12 basketball tournament in March 2020.
Performances begin Thursday evening and run through Feb. 7.
In late December, the T-Mobile Center announced a run of 16 performances of Disney’s “Dream Big” show. But as the venue began selling tickets, the health department said it had not approved the events.
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 and weddings with more than 10 individuals must submit a mitigation plan and receive approval from the health department.
Michelle Pekarsky, spokeswoman for the health department, said public health officials approved an amended waiver request last week after organizers submitted a plan “that managed to meet sufficient standards for health and safety.”
In a statement, Lucas said the city will “trust and rely on the advice of medical experts and science to plan the reopening of our larger venues,” noting that the department had worked for weeks with the event coordinators on a plan.
“As always, it is imperative that all Kansas Citians (remain) masked, keep their distance, practice good hygiene and stay home when they are sick, regardless of the activity, at all times,” Lucas said.
While originally expected to bring in about 3,600 people per show, the performances will now have a maximum number of 2,069 spectators — about 11.5% of total capacity at the 18,000-seat arena.
Pekarsky said the venue made several changes to its plans after discussions with health officials.
Those include a rearranged seating layout that will reduce attendees and avoid groups from being seated in the middle of a row between other groups.
The venue will also staff more employees to monitor crowds and prevent people from congregating in halls, tunnels and restrooms. Souvenirs will be available for pick-up only after ordering online. And advertising has been refined to target the Kansas City area in an effort to reduce out-of-town visitors.
Shani Tate Ross, vice president of sales and marketing for the arena, said local residents have so far dominated ticket purchases.
She said none of the shows were approaching maximum capacity.
“There are several hundred seats available for every single show,” she said.
The Disney performances will allow the T-Mobile Center to hire back staff and bring the venue back to life after 10 months.
“The expectation is that the live entertainment business will return slowly at limited capacity,” Tate Ross said. “We are fortunate we can have an event like Disney on Ice with children, who have been proven to be low transmitters of the virus, as our first set of events.”
Kansas City’s health department had approved nearly 300 waiver requests by the end of 2020. Health officials sanctioned birthday parties, holiday parties, weddings and funerals. The department also approved Kansas City Symphony performances at the Kauffman Center and the Kansas City Chorale Holiday Concert at the National World War I Museum.
The Star’s Allison Kite contributed to this story.
This story was originally published January 25, 2021 at 2:57 PM.
