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Credit: CA Governor's Office YouTube/DisneyIf you’ve been following The Walt Disney Company’s struggle to reopen Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks — Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park — you know that the COVID-19 vaccination has played a major role.
Related: Disneyland vs. California: A Timeline of Confusing Events
Previously, Governor Gavin Newsom indicated that large theme parks in the state — including Disneyland Resort — may not be able to fully reopen until an effective COVID-19 vaccination is widely available.
Recently, the state of California acquired doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, potentially paving the way for Disneyland to finally reopen its gates. At a press conference yesterday, Governor Newsom was questioned about whether or not Disneyland workers would be eligible to get the vaccine sooner than people in certain other professions.
The reporter who asked specifically asked if Disney Cast Members could obtain a vaccine, under California’s tiered vaccination system, sooner “than teachers.” It is worth noting this is a somewhat odd example and neither The Walt Disney Company nor Orange County — where Anaheim and Disneyland Resort are located — has indicated they would prefer for Cast Members to be vaccinated before essential employees in any industry, including education.
Nonetheless, Governor Newsom’s answer was:
“The bottom line is: the state sets the tone, the state sets the tenor, the state lays out the prioritization for the distribution of the vaccines.”
At this time, coronavirus vaccines in California are being distributed to “Tier 1” individuals, who primarily work on the front-lines of the pandemic in healthcare.
Related: OpEd: Want Disneyland to Reopen? It All Depends on You
Once vaccinations do become available to Disney Cast Members, it could improve the chances of Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks being able to reopen.
Secretary of California Health & Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly stated that the state is still working to determine “what the priority groups are” and that if any counties deviate tremendously from state recommendations, “we have the tools to address it.”
It is important to note that Governor Newsom’s office has not yet clarified if vaccine distribution will have any impact on the Blueprint For a Safer Economy reopening plan or the state’s theme park reopening guidelines. For example, at this time it is still assumed that Orange County will have to be moved to the yellow tier before Disneyland and Disney California Adventure can begin operating at 25% capacity, as that is what the reopening guidelines have indicated.
You can view Governor Newsom’s entire press conference, in which vaccinations are addressed, below:
At this time, Guests can visit the Downtown Disney District and the partially reopened Buena Vista Street area of Disney California Adventure — while adhering to all current regional stay-at-home order protocols, including dining off-site only.
What are your thoughts?