Right now, despite having a very general blueprint for reopening its theme parks, the only Disney park with a firm reopening date is Shanghai Disneyland, which will be welcoming guests once again on May 11. And while that is great news for the company (which has lost over a billion dollars so far due to the COVID-19 Pandemic), it looks like it might be a long time before we’re able to visit any other parks, as official “best case” opening targets have been pushed back at almost every other Disney park and resort, including the following:
Walt Disney World – June 1
Earlier this week during Disney’s official earnings call, executives declined to say how Walt Disney World could open in the near future, and insinuated that they would not be opening the park at rock bottom guest levels because it would not be profitable for them to do so. However, despite this, Walt Disney World has the soonest “best case” opening date, and has only officially cancelled Walt Disney World vacations booked through the end of this month, May 31, 2020.
And while there is some time between now and that June 1 potential reopening date, we’d guess that talks are going on right now as to whether that date is feasible with current social distancing guidelines and the need to maximize profits for the resort.
Disneyland Resort – July 1
This week Disneyland resort stopped accepting hotel or dining reservations for any guests before July 1, 2020. This isn’t exactly surprising, as California Governor Gavin Newsom has set out some very strict social distancing guidelines for the state, which effectively bans large gatherings (like those you would see at a theme park) until there is a reliable treatment or vaccine for COVID-19. And while we’re sure Disney could lobby the local government to grant them a special exception down the road, it looks like the resort won’t be even trying to reopen until at least eight weeks from now.
Disneyland Paris – July 15
Right now Disneyland Paris has the latest “best case scenario” reopening date, as all reservations for onsite hotels, dining, and other experiences have all been cancelled from now through July 14, 2020.
In addition to the park closure, the resort has announced that the Marvel Season of Super Heroes (who was originally slated to run from March 28 through June 7, 2020) and the Disneyland Paris Princess Run (which was scheduled from May 8-10, 2020) will no longer take place. In addition Disneyland Paris Pride (Originally scheduled for June 6, 2020) and Electroland (Which was set for July 3-5, 2020) will be postponed until June 12, 2021 and July 2-4, 2021, respectively.
Hong Kong Disneyland – TBA
Though Shanghai Disneyland will be opening its theme park gates in just a few days, we have heard almost no updates from Hong Kong Disneyland, which still has operating hotels and dining locations, but has not yet provided an update on its theme park. Many have wondered if Disney may keep this theme park closed a little longer in an effort to save money. Unfortunately, Hong Kong Disneyland is the least-attended theme park in Disney’s portfolio, and with attendance restrictions in place, this location may not be profitable if it reopens with even lower attendance. Still, some reports have indicated that some testing of social distancing measures are happening inside the theme park, so perhaps we will get an update soon.
As always, while this situation is evolving, all theme park fans should check out the CDC’s official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.
Theme Park Tourist COVID-19 Complete Coverage: Disney Releases Statement Outlining Reopening Plans in the United States I Shanghai Disneyland Officially Reopening May 11 I Select Disney Springs and CityWalk Establishments Quietly Prepare for Reopening I SeaWorld Taking New Measures to Stay Afloat During Closure I Six Flags Hopes to Welcome Guests in a Few Weeks With New Reopening Plan I Universal’s Epic Universe Officially Delayed Another Year (At Least) I Initial Government Guidelines for Reopening Theme Parks Released
