ANAHEIM, Calif. — After being closed for almost a year, Disneyland is set to reopen soon, but now company officials have announced a partial timeline of when guests will be welcomed back to the Happiest Place on Earth.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure will be opened with limited capacity by late April, but an exact reopening date has not yet been released, KABC reported.
He made the comments during an annual meeting of shareholders, CNN reported.
>>Related: Walt Disney World park passes sold out during spring break
State health officials said they will allow some outdoor activities to resume, with capacity restrictions in place, as early as April 1. That plan would include theme parks.
While the rules change on April 1, Chapek said the park can’t be opened that quickly as 10,000 laid-off cast members have to be rehired and retrained to be able to comply with the state’s new requirements.
Parks can open at 15% capacity when the county in which they are located enters the state’s red tier. There are guidelines concerning ride times, enclosures and capacity. Guests will be limited to California residents when the parks do reopen, KABC reported.
Capacity rates will be able to increase as the county, which for Disneyland is Orange County, moves from red to orange to yellow, The New York Times reported.
There will also be no indoor dining.
A limited-time and limited-capacity ticketed event called “A Touch of Disney” will be held at Disney’s California Adventure starting March 18. Visitors can buy food and merchandise but no rides are in operation. The Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment district has also been partially open over recent weeks.
Disneyland parks closed on March 14 while the hotels closed on March 16, CNN reported last year. The resort’s hotels, The Grand Californian, The Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier remain closed to traditional guests. The Disney Vacation Club area of The Grand Californian will reopen to members on May 2 as part of a phased reopening.
Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida closed on March 15, 2020, and remained closed until July. It has been operating at a reduced capacity.
>>Related: Carnival’s Princess Cruises extends sailing pause from 3 markets through June 30
Disney Cruise Line has yet to resume operations. Chapek said it could resume sailing in the fall, but with limited sailings, The New York Times reported.
More coronavirus pandemic coverage:
>> Coronavirus vaccines: CDC separates myths from facts
>> Coronavirus: Should we be wearing two masks when we go out in public?
>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?
>> Wash your masks: How to clean a cloth face covering
>> Fact check: Will masks lower the oxygen level, raise the carbon dioxide in your blood?
>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does
Cox Media Group
