About a month ago Walt Disney World reopened during the peak of the COVID 19 pandemic. One reason is that they had already committed and brought back so many castmembers, vendors, food, etc. All over the world, Disney parks have reopened during the pandemic. One that hasn’t, Walts original park Disneyland in Anaheim California. And the million-dollar question is when will that happen?
It appears it won’t be anytime soon. California leads the country in positive COVID tests. They have more than 550,000 positive tests as os Sunday, according to John Hopkins data. “Theme parks are not permitted to open in California at this time, under current public health orders,” said Kate Folmar, a spokeswoman for California Health and Human Services. “We will continue to review health data to determine when and how theme parks may consider reopening at lower risk to staff and visitors.”
Disneyland was scheduled to open on July 17th the same day as its 65th Anniversary. But a surge in cases in June caused Calfornia officials to hold off on reopening plans and could not commit to plans before July 4th. This gave Disney no time to have a plan and they decided to pull the plug for the time being. Anaheim is currently in the early stages of phase 3 and is being watched very closely by state officials. As of this story is written there is only 1 reported positive case for a cast member that is in the Downtown Disney Complex.
Read: Disney Forecast To Lose Two Billion Dollars From Theme Parks Due To Covid-19
For the last month, all attention has been on Walt Disney World in Florida. From all reports I have seen they are doing a great job at implementing all the new rules and regulations. From facemasks, social distancing, plastic shields many guests have said they have felt safer there than going to a grocery store or a mall. Last week during the financial presentation Disney reported that they are not seeing the crowds they had expected even with the reduced capacity. Also, out of state is way down than anticipated.
Which brings us back to our question. When will Disneyland actually open? I guess the real answer is when California sees a trend that points to a decline. I hope that is soon. My guess is mid-September to early October. Just keep following all the rules. Wash your hands, wear a mask, stay away from people. Keep this up and we will all be able to return to the happiest place on earth before you know it.
Source: USA Today