Credit: Disney While Disneyland Resort’s theme parks remained closed for over a year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the State of California and Governor Gavin Newsom searched for ways to lower the number of positive COVID-19 cases that were surging throughout the state.
Disneyland was unable to reopen its theme parks and only operated Downtown Disney Resort (and by extension, Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure Park for a short while) due to the theme park reopening guidelines that were in place as part of Governor Newsom’s Blueprint For a Safer Economy. With some Disneyland parking lots going unused, Disney offered the Toy Story parking lot to be used as a massive super vaccination center for residents and workers within Orange County.
Related: Disneyland Uses PSA to Show Commitment to Health and Safety
This was not only great for the state but also Disneyland as well, considering the faster Orange County lowered its COVID-19 case numbers, the faster Disneyland Resort would be able to welcome back Guests. However, as Disneyland is set to reopen its gates on April 30, the vaccination center will come to a close. According to the OC Health Care Agency:
As of April 30, 2021, the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) Disneyland Drive-Thru Super Point-of-Dispensing (POD) site in Anaheim will close.
The super P.O.D. is currently located in the Toy Story parking lot in Disneyland and has been responsible for over vaccinating thousands upon thousands of individuals over the past few months.
Related: California Acquires Pfizer Vaccine, Paving the Way for Disneyland’s Reopening
Disneyland has been quite supportive of being able to provide the space for quite some time now. Disney Parks News (@DisneyParksNews) released a statement alongside a map of the testing site:
“Disneyland Resort is proud to help support Orange County and the City of Anaheim with the use of our parking lot, and we are grateful for all of their efforts to combat COVID-19 after a year in which so many in our community have faced unprecedented hardship and uncertainty, there is now reason for optimism with the administration of a vaccine.” – Dr. Pamela Hymel, Chief Medical Officer, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
“Disneyland Resort is proud to help support Orange County and the City of Anaheim with the use of our parking lot, and we are grateful for all of their efforts to combat COVID-19…" https://t.co/w0FsRM1hJ2 pic.twitter.com/lqAPRxXCtT
— Disney Parks News (@DisneyParksNews) January 13, 2021
Although it was not said that Disneyland’s reopening is the reason the super P.O.D. will close, considering it closes on the theme parks’ reopening day, it seems that space will be needed once again. Disney has said that the Toy Story parking lot will not be open for Guests on April 30 — instead, those visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure can park in the Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals parking structure. Even if the Toy Story lot is not used, the vaccination center brings in heavy traffic which could cause issues for Guests driving to the Disneyland Resort.
Stay tuned to Inside the Magic for the latest Disney Parks news.