Today marks the 100th day a Disney theme park has been closed in response to the global health emergency that rocked the planet; driving Disney to eventually close all of its theme parks and resorts. All Disney theme parks and resorts around the globe remain closed, but there are signs of life at a few.
Shanghai Disney Resort, the first to close, has now been closed for 100 days. Disneyland in Anaheim, CA has been closed for 50 days. Walt Disney World was the last to close and it has been shuttered for 48 days.
It’s important to note that no theme parks are open, but some of the other locations at two resorts have opened in limited capacity. No official reopening dates have been announced for any theme parks, but there are signs of life at a few of Disney’s vacation destinations.
Shanghai Disney Resort at 100 Days
The Shanghai Disney Resort, was the first to close and it is also the first of Disney’s resorts to open a few areas. DisneyTown, its shopping and dining district, has been open for a weeks, so has a park like area where locals like to come and walk. DisneyTown has been celebrating the Spring Festival with some decorations.
Cast members and guests are wearing masks and there are security guards wandering around DisneyTown to offer hand sanitizer and take guest temperatures. The theme park remains closed, but there are signs of life inside the gates too.
There were reports on social media of some testing going on in the park including how to fill theatre while maintaining physical distancing and fireworks testing. In front of the park, there are photos online showing a long snaking queue with arrows and line on the ground in front of the park as they prepare for reopening.
Hong Kong Disneyland
The second to close was Hong Kong Disneyland, which closed just one day after Shanghai Disney. There have also been rumors that Hong Kong Disneyland was looking at reopening soon. We don’t have any official date, but we do know that some character dining at the hotel has resumed, at least as a test.
In the last few days retail locations at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel have also reopened. The park has been seen setting up queue areas at admissions with arrows and lines on the ground to help enforce physical distancing.
With Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland being the first to close, it makes sense that Disney would use them as testing grounds to see what will work in its other resort destinations around the globe.
Tokyo Disney Resort
The third big Disney resort to close was Tokyo Disneyland. The park has delayed its reopening many times as the virus continues to spread across Japan. Now it looks like they’re waiting until at least mid-May before they make another assessment as to when a reopening might happen.
Disneyland Resort
The original Disney theme park in Anaheim, CA remains closed. While the state of California has reopened some parks and beaches as long as physical distancing was maintained, some locations were closed again as people weren’t observing proper physical distancing guidelines. The Governor has previously said he would be surprised if large sporting events and theme parks would be reopen before August or September.
Disneyland Paris Resort
Disneyland Paris closed on the same day as the original Disneyland. The prime minister of France recently announced that it was unlikely that large gatherings would be allowed to resume before September. That would appear to keep Disneyland Paris closed until at least then.
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World was the last Disney resort around the globe to close to guests. The Governor of Florida recently said the state can open phase one of reopening as of tomorrow May 4. This would include dining and retail locations, such as at Disney Springs, could open at 25% capacity.
So far the only official response to this plan from Disney was to send out a push alert via the My Disney Experience App and on their website reminding guests that the entire resort including Disney Springs remains closed until further notice.
We await official word from Disney officials as to any further reopening of its theme parks and resorts. It does look like there are signs of life returning to Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland. Both parks are working close with local officials to determine how they might reopen and what it might mean for guest and cast member safety.
It’s an important test to see how guests will react to any new health and safety guidelines inside the theme parks and the confined spaces of attractions, shows, stores, and restaurants. We’ll be keep a close eye on the results of those experiments.
Timeline:
Shanghai Disney Resort closed Jan 25, 2020 – 100 days
Hong Kong Disneyland closed Jan 26, 2020 – 99 days
Tokyo Disney Resort closed Feb 29, 2020 – 65 days
Disneyland Resort closed March 14, 2020 – 50 days
Disneyland Paris closed March 14, 2020 – 50 days
Walt Disney World closed March 16, 2020 – 48 days