Disneyland & California Adventure to reopen; what to know before you go
ANAHEIM (CNS) - Disneyland and California Adventure will reopen on
April 30 after being closed for nearly one year due to the coronavirus
pandemic, Disney announced today.
Reservations will be required and only state residents will be permitted to visit the parks in line with current state guidelines. The parks will operate at 15% of capacity, and park admission and offerings are not guaranteed, Disney said. Certain hotels, restaurants, attractions and other offerings might be modified or unavailable.
California state health officials announced earlier this month that theme parks can reopen beginning April 1 in counties that have reached the red tier of the state's four-level Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Orange County moved into the red tier last week.
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek announced on March 9 that thousands of
furloughed workers were being recalled to be trained on new safety standards.
"I am pleased to say the response has been great thus far, our cast members are excited to get back to work,'' Chapek said, "And this is also good news for the Anaheim community, which depends on Disneyland for jobs and business generated by visitors.''
A Touch of Disney, the new limited-time ticketed experience at
California Adventure Park, will go on as planned from March 18 through April 19. That event has sold out, according to Disney.
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will reopen on April 29. The
Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel remain closed and will reopen at a later date. More information can be found here.
Traveling to Disney Parks during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go
If you're planning to travel to one of the Disney Parks & Resorts around the world, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The basics
After being closed for more than a year, Disneyland Resort in California plans to reopen on April 30 with limited capacity at Disneyland park and Disney California Adventure park. Only California residents may visit the parks until further notice.
In Florida, most of Disney World's parks are open. The Blizzard Beach water park reopened on March 7. No reopening date has been set for Typhoon Lagoon, however.
Hong Kong Disneyland reopened in February -- the third reopening for the park since the start of the pandemic.
Disneyland Paris was slated to reopen on April 2. However, the park announced it is once again postponing its reopening. No new date has been announced. If you have a booking, you may modify your arrival date or cancel your reservation without fees. The park hasn't yet announced a new tentative opening.
Though Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are open, a visitor cap is reportedly in place until at least March 21, with each park allowing 5,000 visitors per day, excluding those who have already bought advance tickets.
What's on offer
The original and, some might say, best, theme parks, Disney's resorts remain a magical experience for all the family. From vertiginous rides to firework displays, and of course the chance to meet classic characters, a trip to a Disney Park makes memories that last a lifetime.
Who can go
Entry to each Disney Park is dependent on local travel restrictions. That means locations in the United States are only open to foreign visitors from outside the European Schengen Area, UK, Ireland, China, Iran and Brazil, while its Paris location -- when it reopens -- will be subject to France's entry rules, which prevent most non-EU nationals from coming into the country.
Only locals and returning citizens can access its Tokyo and Hong Kong parks, while its Shanghai resort can only be accessed by locals or those who meet China's strict entry requirements, including two negative test results taken within 48 hours of departures.
When it reopens, Disneyland Resort will only be open to California residents until further notice.
All guests will need to obtain an advance reservation for entry through a new reservations system coming soon.
What are the restrictions?
All Disney Parks require guests to wear masks, and some parks' mask requirements are more stringent than others. For instance, Walt Disney World, Florida, mandates face coverings for everyone 2 or older, including people who have been vaccinated.
Every park has reduced capacity, and guests must take a temperature check on entry and observe social distancing at all times.
What's the Covid situation?
Exact numbers of cases linked to Disney Parks are unclear.
What can visitors expect?
Disney World, Florida, canceled its parade and fireworks indefinitely in a bid to keep guests safely apart.
Older interactive games, such as the hands-on scavenger hunt game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, have been closed.
Capacity has also been cut, with numbers further limited in restaurants and in queues to prevent overcrowding.
Despite this, guests can still dine in at their favorite restaurants and enjoy the rides, though character meet-and-greets have been replaced by socially distanced character processions.
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On October 1, 1971, Florida's Walt Disney World first opened its gates. To mark the milestone, Walt Disney World Resort says it's launching "The World's Most Magical Celebration" starting October 1, 2021. And the party will last for 18 months.
Repeat visits to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure haven't been possible since the theme parks closed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. And now, the parks' annual pass program is officially coming to an end. Disney Parks announced January 13 that it will cancel annual passes and replace them with a new program.
Meanwhile, also in the US, Disneyland's Jungle Cruise is getting a 21st century makeover after years of criticism. And officials announced that Disneyland Resort in Anaheim will soon be the first "super" Covid-19 vaccination site in Orange County, California.
Walt Disney World reopened in July, but it hasn't all been good news in the Disney world -- the company has laid off 28,000 employees in the US because of the pandemic, and profits from its parks in China might drop by $280 million.
