I’m not crying, you’re crying! Insiders, the news we have all been hoping and praying for the past year has finally come. Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and other SoCal theme parks can FINALLY reopen April 1!
The new California theme park guidelines and opening date are part of a “refresh” of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-tier Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California are allowed to reopen as early as April 1 (at 15% capacity) once the counties they are located in reach the red tier 2 risk status.
ABC 7 News was one of the first news outlets to share this overwhelmingly exciting news:
ANAHEIM, Calif. — California will allow certain outdoor activities to resume with capacity restrictions, including the reopening of theme parks, on April 1, health officials announced Friday.
Theme parks may open at 15% capacity when their respective counties enter the state’s red tier designation, Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California Health and Human Services, said during a conference call update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The catch here is, no indoor dining or rides that take place indoors can open and theme parks will only be initially open to Southern California residents. With the parks being closed since March 2020, this is still extremely great news and brings us one magical step closer towards some sense of normalcy!
Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock also issued a statement shortly after the announcement was made:
“We are encouraged that theme parks now have a path toward reopening this spring, getting thousands of people back to work and greatly helping neighboring businesses and our entire community. With responsible Disney safety protocols already implemented around the world, we can’t wait to welcome our guests back and look forward to sharing an opening date soon.”
ABC 7 News also states that the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents many of the employees at the Disneyland Resort, also applauded the announcement today:
“Our Disney cast members are heartened by this good news today that the Disney parks will be reopening in a month,” Andrea Zinder, president of UFCW Local 324, said in a statement. “They have been furloughed or out of a job for a year now and are excited to go back to work to provide Californians with a bit more magic in their lives. Our priority will be to continue to work closely with the Governor and Disney to ensure our members are kept safe from COVID-19 infections on the job as the parks reopen.”
I don’t know about you all, but I am “to infinity and beyond” excited about this news and am already picturing myself walking through the gates that have been shut for almost a year now!
What’s the first thing you plan to do next time you go to Disneyland and Universal?!
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