Hello everyone and welcome to a quick update blog on the Disney Parks. It's been a while since I've done an update on the ongoing status of the parks and at this point there is some stuff to talk about. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some signs of hope in a time where more and more people are struggling to find some positives in these very strange and frankly depressing times.
Disneyland Shanghai
Lets start with the best news shall we? Disneyland Shanghai reopened to guests two days ago (May 11th, 2020). While the park is now open, it is far from operating at a normal schedule or capacity. The park is currently accepting 24,000 people a day. Sounds like a good number, but in reality it is under a third of what the park normally accepts and is actually less than the limit that the Chinese government put on the park. Disney further limited the capacity in order to allow its employees to have an easier time enforcing new park procedures. These new procedures include temperature scanning of guests entering the park, queue line social distancing, and social distancing measures for parties by the castle. Currently, there are taped boxes on the ground in various areas of the park designed for parties to stand in. The next box is located six feet away for the next party. With the park operating at such a low capacity, it is easy for park employees to help guests maintain that ever so important distance.
Other new procedures include limited ride capacity, wearing face masks, and distanced character experiences. Again, with the limited capacity all of these procedures are much easier to maintain. For example, despite limited capacity, Tron Light Cycle Power Run has had around a ten minute wait time. That ride is normally over an hour wait every day. Both guests and cast members are required to wear masks at this time and there are mask disposal bins all over the park to assist in keeping the park clean. Currently there are no parades, no stage shows and no fireworks, however there is a nighttime castle show that is currently running nightly.
The bottom line though is that the park is open. There is hope. Both parades and fireworks are being tested and rehearsed, so one would suspect that before too long these would be returning to the park as well. As time rolls on and there is no significant spike in COVID-19 cases, I expect the park to slowly creep closer to a state of semi-normalcy. Will it ever be the same, that is certainly a topic for hot debate, but the fact of the matter is that for the first time in way too long, a Disney park is open!
Walt Disney World Resort
The Disney Springs area of the Walt Disney World Resort will be opening on May 20th. That being said, not all the stores and restaurants are reopening at one time. Much like pretty much everything else, this reopening is going to take place in phases. Some locations are opening March 20th. Disney owned shops and restaurants will begin to reopen on May 27th. Much like Disneyland Shanghai, temp scans for guests will be required as well as face masks. Plexiglass dividers will also separate guests from cashiers (which has become a pretty common sight around here anyway). Once again, this is a sign of life and the start of a move back to a more normal Walt Disney World.
Currently there is no reopening date for the theme parks, but more and more rumors and reports have been coming out hinting that a return date may not be too far off. Until anything is official though I'm not going to talk about it here to avoid creating false hope and hype or on the opposite end of the scale, more disappointment. If you would like to keep up with all of these reports, please check out Walt Disney World News Today
Disneyland Paris
While there is still no reopening date, Disneyland Paris has reportedly been given guidance that would allow them to reopen sometime in mid July. Again, as of now there is no reopening date set, but it is encouraging that a time frame now exists for the park.
Hong Kong Disneyland
While the park has no reopening date, the Hong Kong Disneyland hotels are all now accepting reservations for as early as next week. With the hotels reopening one would think that an announcement on the park opening will come soon.
The Rest
As of now there is no further news on any of the Disney Parks reopening that I feel is worth touching on here. Disneyland California and California Adventure have no reopening date, though rumors of new park procedures such as guests and cast members wearing masks and social distancing measures are abound. Again, no date exists for the park to reopen. Tokyo Disneyland and Disney's Tokyo Sea remain closed indefinitely as Japan has extended its national emergency.
Six Flags Great Adventure
As of now, the park has no reopening date. That being said it has been confirmed that upon reopening guests will need to reserve a spot in the park online prior to getting to the park. This is being done as a part of the ongoing efforts around the country to allow for as much social distancing as possible. I've seen rumors that masks will also be required though I find it hard to imagine guests riding El Toro or Nitro with face masks on.
So that is where things stand as of now. The bottom line of this blog is that there is hope. We have one Disney Park open and several others well on their way to reopening. In a time where everything can seem so bleak it is so encouraging to see some positive things popping up as we all try to move forward. Thank you all as always for reading and stay tuned for the next blog coming real soon!
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