Here’s Why Disneyland Still Isn’t Allowed to Reopen

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why disneyland still can't reopen

Credit: ITM Monique R.

The Disneyland Resort has now been closed for seven months amid the ongoing pandemic. Now with news of Disney California Adventure offering a small opening for retail and dining, Guests are still wondering why both parks still can’t reopen.

matterhorn at Disneyland
Credit: ITM Monique R.

With the phased reopening and success of the Downtown Disney District, Guests have claimed that they feel very safe visiting the resort. So much so, that Guests have even reached out to California’s governor to express their feelings of safety at the district.

The governor has even sent out his task force to check on major theme parks and their health and safety measures before releasing the newest reopening guidelines. California’s chief medical officer laid out these new guidelines claiming that these larger theme parks face a higher risk of exposure versus smaller parks.

dca to reopen for retail and dining
Credit: ITM Monique R.

The new guidelines were met with backlash from the Disneyland Resort and surrounding businesses that are currently suffering from the closure. Even Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock weighed in saying:

“We will not stop working until we reopen Disneyland Resort so we can bring our Cast back to work, get the local economy moving and share the magic and joy of Disney once again.”

What exactly will it take for the Disneyland Resort to fully reopen again?

Well, first, Orange County will have to reach the Yellow Tier. Meaning the county will have to be placed in the least restrictive tier. This also means operating at a 25% capacity, minimal to no COVID-19 cases, mandatory face masks, and complying with other health and safety mandates.

big thunder at Disneyland
Credit: ITM Monique R.

What else can help?

  • Crowd Control: Health officials are concerned with the large mixing between different households with and without masks. Also the mixing of groups between theme parks is a big concern. Operating at a limited capacity and offering plenty of social distancing opportunities can help.
  • Socially Distanced Queues: The concern here is the ability to maintain social distancing in all areas, especially queues. Walt Disney World has seen great success with this by providing plexi-glass separators, floor markers, and signage to encourage social distancing
  • High-Risk Contact: Health officials are worried about Disneyland being a high-touch environment and how that could possibly spread of the virus. However, with enough Cast Members available to clean and sanitize high-touch surfaces, contactless point of sale systems, and plenty of hand sanitization stations, this can be minimized.
  • Indoor Attractions: Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood both have a decent amount of indoor attractions. With the closing of indoor shows like Frozen: Live at the Hyperion and implementing lots of virtual queues, this will limit the amount of individuals within the indoor spacing of these attractions.
  • Long Distance and Extended Visits: There is a lot of concern around national and international travel and visitors’ extended stays. This can be monitored by the requirement of park reservations. Also, hotels on property will allow for control on the visitors’ stay as far as health, safety, and length of visit.

With the success of Walt Disney World and other major theme parks in the nation’s ability to reopen in a safe manner, Disney believes that the Disneyland Resort should be able to follow suit. Should everything go smoothly with the reopening of Burns Vista Street at DCA, and should Orange County continue to have fewer COVID-19 cases, then perhaps Disneyland and DCA can reopen sooner rather than later.

Related: ‘Best-Case Scenario’: When Can Disneyland Reopen?

Do you think that Disneyland can reopen safely soon? Let us know in the comments!

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