Disneyland, originally planning to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic on July 17, has delayed the reopening “pending government approvals,” Disney said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The State of California has now indicated that it will not issue theme park reopening guidelines until sometime after July 4,” it said. “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. Once we have a clearer understanding of when guidelines will be released, we expect to be able to communicate a reopening date.”
Shopping and retail area Downtown Disney, however, will still reopeon on July 9 as previously announced.
The move comes as some unions have raised concerns over workers returning to Disneyland — especially given the rise of COVID-19 cases in California — and Disney said in the announcement that it’s in negotiations with union affiliates on getting its employees back to work with “enhanced safety protocols that will allow us to responsibly reopen.”
Disney shut down all its parks in respond to the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March. Shanghai Disneyland reopened last month with strict new safety procedures, including a mandate for both guests and Disney employees to wear face masks, temperature checkpoints and limited capacity on attractions. Hong Kong Disneyland Park also reopened on June 18 to similar safety measures.
It’s currently planning to reopen its Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Fla., on July 11.
Source: variety.com
