With the news today of the success of the Pfizer vaccine trails we have seen stocks, including Disney begin to uptick. The early data is showing over 90% success rate at fighting back the virus that has caused the ongoing pandemic and devastated companies such as Disney.
The Walt Disney Company has had to close all of its theme parks, open, and then made to re-close some as the virus continues to grow in numbers globally. One big question is Disneyland, which has remained closed due to California’s strict guidelines and restrictions.
Disney Cruise Line has struggled, and even though new guidelines were provided by the CDC for the cruise line industry Disney found them to be impossible to implement and cancelled of the remaining 2020 sailings.
Let’s take a look at what this positive early data from Pfizer could mean for the Walt Disney Company.
Disneyland
The reopening of Disneyland has become a difficult task for The Walt Disney Company. While Disney World in Florida has reopened with no COVID-19 outbreaks linked to the theme park it seems that that is not enough to prove to Governor Gavin Newsom of California that Disneyland could reopen safely.
Newsom has given statements specifically saying that people should not be wondering when their businesses could reopen, but rather, “When will a COVID-19 vaccine be widely available?” Newsom has also stated that:
“Look, I understand the prevailing winds where people are pushing optimism because we’re desperate for it and we’re all longing for a ‘When is this thing over?’ question to be answered. When can I get this vaccine? When can I get my kids back to school? When can I go back to work? When can I reopen my doors, my business?
“Most of us are aligned with science and with this sober reality that we are going to be in 2021 working our way, slogging our way through the distribution of these millions and millions of these doses of vaccine.”
Disney Cruise Line
Things have been just as tricky during the coronavirus pandemic for Disney Cruise Line. All 2020 sailings have been cancelled, but a vaccine that would be over 90% effective in fighting off the virus could mean a big bounce back for DCL.
The CDC has this warning on their website for potential cruise vacationers:
CDC recommends that all people defer travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide. That’s because the risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships is high. People with an increased risk of serious illness should especially defer travel on cruise ships, including river cruises. CDC has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for cruise ship travel.
The availability of a vaccine could make cruising safe again, and potentially cruise lines such as Disney could even make proof of coronavirus vaccination mandated for all those wishing to sail with them. The CDC does not currently have a mandate for cruise lines to require passengers and crew to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to sail. However, if they did, it could open up cruises out of the States to be able to enter foreign ports again.
Currently, the guidelines for the cruise industry set by the CDC require cruise ship operators to “collect specimens” from crew to have them tested for COVID-19, and “must contact the CDC at least 7 days prior to collection specimens and conducting testing,” as well as having onboard coronavirus testing capabilities for travelers and crew.
When Will a COVID-19 Vaccine Be Available?
Hopefully, as trails are continuing not only for Pfizer but also for other coronavirus vaccines we could have an answer in a few months as too when one would become widely available. But until they all pass rigorous testing and approvals, we will not have a definite answer.
It seems for the stock market that just the glimmer of hope for a helpful vaccine is all it needed to revitalize Disney stocks. And that is a really good sign for fans that analysts see the testing results as a positive swing in Disney’s favor.
As Disney fans ourselves, we would love to see Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line resume operations as normally as possible, putting Cast Members back to work and us back to our favorite places. Most importantly, we want to see Disney reopening those attractions as safely as possible.
So, what do you think? Are you excited about the Pfizer vaccine test data? Do you see a Disney Cruise or Disneyland vacation in your future? Let us know in the comments!
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