There was a lot of news happening in the Disney universe yesterday thanks largely in part to an earnings call detailing the company’s profitability during its second quarter.
And while many Disney big wigs including former CEO Bob Iger, current CEO Bob Chapek, and CFO Christine McCarthy spoke on the current financial status of the Walt Disney Company, you might be wondering how any of this information pertains to Disney’s theme parks.
During the earnings call yesterday, Chapek made it clear Disney wasn’t ready to start talking about any dates specifically when it comes to reopening the U.S. Disney parks, but that doesn’t mean traction isn’t building in other parts of the world.
In fact, Chapek broke the news that one of Disney’s overseas theme parks would be reopening soon.
Current Status of Shanghai Disneyland
Bob Chapek officially announced Shanghai Disneyland will reopen May 11th. We had an inkling this news was coming since we’d seen the park partially reopen its hotel and Disneytown on March 9th.
Read more about Shanghai Disneyland’s plans for reopening here!
And so it seems Shanghai Disneyland, which was the first Disney park to close in late January, will also be the first to reopen with a reservation system in place as well as other safety protocols including limited capacity.
In recent days, Disney had begun simulating health screenings and implementing social distancing measures as well as conducting tests of the park’s nighttime fireworks spectacular. We’ll be looking for similar events occurring in and around the five other remaining Disney parks to point towards a possible reopening date being released.
Read more about the safety precautions Shanghai Disneyland will be implementing upon reopening here!
Current Status of Hong Kong Disneyland
So far, Hong Kong Disneyland is still “closed until further notice,” which is a phrase you’re probably quite used to hearing these days. Hong Kong Disneyland shuttered its doors on January 26th, a day after Shanghai Disneyland announced its temporary closure.
Recently, we noticed a character meal at Enchanted Rose Garden had resumed at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. The Hong Kong Disneyland hotels are available for future bookings and Hong Kong’s Inspiration Lake Recreation Center is also open and is operating as usual. So far, there haven’t been any further signs surrounding this park’s tentative reopening plan.
Current Status of Disneyland Paris
Right now, Disneyland Paris also remains closed until further notice. Paris’ Disney parks closed around the same time as the U.S. theme parks, and also extended its temporary closure around the same time Disney World and Disneyland announced their decision to remain closed.
Today, Disneyland Paris announced the delay in the opening of their Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel. The originally announced opening date was June 15, 2020, but the website now states that the timeline for the opening has been impacted. Disneyland Paris also shared that they “do not have a new opening date to announce right now.”
On top of this, Disneyland Paris has also extended its cancellation offering through July 14th. This date was previously listed as June 30th on the park’s website.
Current Status of Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland remains closed at this time and its website still states an update will be coming in mid-May. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently extended the state of emergency order he issued for Japan back in March. The extension of this stay at home order and the restrictions it carries will likely impede on the reopening plans for Tokyo Disneyland for the time being.
Like Disneyland Paris, no parts of Tokyo Disneyland are currently operating. Japan’s Prime Minister has stated he might consider lifting restrictions sooner if the number of cases declined and medical resources weren’t as stretched thin as they are currently.
Current Status of Disney World and Disneyland
And for now, no Disney theme park locations including stores, restaurants, or other applicable businesses are currently operating in the United States. But we do have reason to believe that some dining locations and shops will be opening in Disney Springs and Downtown Disney prior to the parks reopening.
As mentioned in the earnings call yesterday and in a memo released by Disney Parks from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel, we can expect the reopening of Disney World and Disneyland to be a phased, gradual process with stores and restaurants being likely to resume before theme parks start operating again.
Read more about the guidelines and protocols Disney is discussing for reopening U.S. theme parks, including virtual queues, health screenings, and capacity caps here!
As for Disney Cruise Line, we should expect to see sailings be one of the final experiences to reopen.
We’ll continue to check on the status of each Disney theme park and let you know when any of them update their status so stay tuned!
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Ron Gray says
I see no mention of when possibly Disney will open Fort Wilderness for campers to begin there stay. We have reservations for mid July, will that work???’
Ken says
It all sounds good but I hope that work crews are continuing to work behind the scenes during this shut down to improve and move forward on the existing projects. Just because the gates are closed to guests does not mean that construction work shouldn’t continue.
Jim LaGrone says
What will be the status of annual pass holders? Will the ti me period on the current pass be extended? Will refunds be available?
CeCe says
I see your point Ken, however I am not sure about Florida but where I live, all construction has pretty much stopped except for emergency services only (ie. Hole in a roof, burst water pipe etc). It is usually not possible for construction workers to socially distance on a job site when working together. Many of my hospitalized COVID patients worked in some form of labor work (construction, landscaping, electrical etc.) and it spread like wild fire. I don’t belive that there is any construction going on right now in Disney, but I could be wrong. It’s nice to think that they are still employed and able to continue working without having to work around guests in the parks, but most likely they are not. Maybe DFB has some info?