Late last month, Disneyland California announced plans to reopen on July 17, 2020, after its longest-ever closure. It would have been an auspicious date: it’s the 65th anniversary of the park’s opening in 1955. But the hoped-for date turned out to be too optimistic.
On June 25, the State of California announced that it would not begin to release guidelines for its theme parks until after July 4, and that would just be cutting it too close.
“Given the time required for us to bring thousands of cast members back to work and restart our business, we have no choice but to delay the reopening of our theme parks and resort hotels until we receive approval from government officials,” said a Disney spokesperson. “Once we have a clearer understanding of when guidelines will be released, we expect to be able to communicate a reopening date.”
The news is both good and bad for Disneyland’s 11,000-plus employees, who want their jobs back but who have also been outspoken through their various unions about safety concerns. Few places in the country can get more crowded than Disneyland, which regularly fills the 85-acre park to its legal capacity of over 80,000 guests, a perfect venue for the spreading of disease. In 2015, a single child with measles attended the park, resulting in 127 diagnosed cases in other park-goers and staff. Disneyland took it seriously, to their credit, and revised their policies to require staff be vaccinated afterwards.
Disney did reopen Downtown Disney on schedule. This group of shops at the outdoor shopping center adjacent to the park reopened on July 9, but masks and temperature screenings are required for guests and staff alike.
Walt Disney World in Florida reopened July 11, Disneyland Paris opened on July 15. Shanghai Disney and Tokyo Disney reopened earlier in the year, but at severely reduced capacities.
Photo: Tourists walk across the street toward the Disneyland theme park. Credit: David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com