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Disneyland Wants To Reopen July 17, If Orange County And California Let Them
Disney is one of the companies that will continue to benefit from low property taxes after Prop 15's defeat. (Disneyland Resort)
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As California begins the reopening process, Disneyland has put its flag in the ground: Disney says they intend to reopen the theme park on July 17, it announced Wednesday.
Both the state and Orange County still need to approve the plan, but if they do, Disneyland and California Adventure would reopen Friday, July 17 — the 65th anniversary of the park's debut.
Capacity will be significantly limited, according to a Disney press release, due to both governmental requirements and the need to promote physical distancing. Administrators will be managing attendance at the park with a new reservation system, with all guests — yes, even you, Annual Passholders — required to make a reservation for entrance. New tickets and annual passes aren't being sold as the park sets up this new system.
They'll be no parades or other "nighttime spectaculars" right now, according to Disney, due to large crowds — so say goodbye for the moment to events like the World of Color and Fantasmic. The park is also shutting down character meet-and-greets, though the characters will be in the parks "in new ways." The touch-starved out there will have to wait a little longer for a hug from Mickey, for now.
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"While certain aspects of your visit may change, I assure you the quality of our storytelling, magic of our experiences and the caliber of our cast members has not," Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro said in a statement.
He notes that the team has been working on reopening for months, and has seen high guest satisfaction since reopening their Shanghai park in China. Disney promises enhanced health and safety measures, as well as customer service representatives to be on hand throughout the parks and Downtown Disney to answer questions about new policies. The theme park promises that their enhanced safety will apply to staff, too.
Shoppers will be able to get a taste of Disney a week earlier, with Downtown Disney reopening July 9. The neighboring Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Paradise Pier Hotel are set to reopen July 23.
This video shows how safety will be handled at Disney's hotels:
"It’s time for magic – and we look forward to welcoming you back," Disney said in its release.
But will people want to go back to theme parks, before a vaccine is available? We'll have to wait and see.
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