Disneyland Delays Reopening, Downtown Disney Still on Track to Open July 9

Disneyland Resort announced Wednesday that the Disneyland and California Adventure parks in Anaheim will not reopen on July 17 as previously announced. However, Downtown Disney will reopen in line with previously issued guidelines on July 9th.

Disneyland closed their doors in mid-March in an effort to discourage large crowds and curb the spread of the coronavirus. While many of the health restrictions imposed amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic are being eased, Disneyland Resorts said in a statement that because California health officials will not issue reopening guidelines for theme parks until sometime after July 4th, their previous plan for a phased reopening will be delayed.

"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," the statement from Disneyland read. "Once we have a clearer understanding of when guidelines will be released, we expect to be able to communicate a reopening date."

Earlier this month, Disneyland announced a phased reopening of their properties in line with state and local health guidelines. However, a coalition of unions representing more than 17,000 cast members sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking him to stop Disney from reopening next month amid concerns about employee's safety amid COVID-19.

"Disney wants clearance from the government to reopen the Disneyland Resort in July,” according to the letter sent by the Coalition of Resort Labor Unions. "Unfortunately, despite intensive talks with the company, we are not yet convinced that it is safe to reopen the parks on Disney’s rapid timetable."

“The safety and well-being of our cast members and guests are at the forefront of our planning, and we look forward to continued dialogue with our unions on the extensive health and safety protocols, following guidance from public health experts, which we plan to implement as we move toward our proposed, phased reopening,” a Disneyland official said in response.

Disneyland also announced new protocols for visitors to the park, including a reservation system, timed entry and enhanced cleaning and safety protocols.

"We thank our cast and guests for their patience during this unprecedented time while we await approval from government officials," the statement from Disneyland added.

Photo: Getty Images


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