Disney Postpones The Reopening Of Disneyland And Disney California Adventure

As cases of novel coronavirus spike in several places throughout the U.S., Disney announced on Wednesday that they would be delaying the phased reopening of Disneyland and Disney Adventure California, CNN reported. Disney said in a statement released Wednesday that California had not yet given guidelines for reopening theme parks, and they were not expecting to receive guidelines from the state until after the Fourth of July weekend.

The theme parks located in Anaheim, California, were set to reopen on July 17, but with guidelines from the state still forthcoming, Disney indicated it wouldn’t have enough time to reach that target date, according to CNN.

“Given the time required for us to bring thousands of cast members back to work and restart our business, we have no choice but to delay the reopening of our theme parks and resort hotels until we receive approval from government officials,” the company announced in a statement.

However, a lack of guidance from the state isn’t the only obstacle to reopening the theme parks. CNN reported that Disney has also faced significant pushback from the unions that represent the theme parks’ employees. A Change.org petition asking Disney to delay the theme parks’ reopenings until workers felt they would be safe returning to work currently has over 50,000 signatures.

According to CNN, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will not be able to open until Disney reaches an agreement with the unions. The company has said that it is in communication with the unions, and progress is being made. According to the company, agreements have been reached with 20 union affiliates.

The statement Disney released on Wednesday did not give a new target date for the reopening.

“Once we have a clearer understanding of when guidelines will be released, we expect to be able to communicate a reopening date,” the statement said.

Though the reopening of Disney’s California attractions is currently on hold, Disney attractions in other places are already open or proceeding with their reopenings. Disney Springs — the outdoor promenade including restaurants, shopping, and entertainment venues located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida — was the first Disney attraction to reopen. Walt Disney World is set to reopen next month and is rolling out a new park pass system to ensure visitor safety.

According to CNN, both California and Florida — where the Disney resorts are located — have seen recent spikes in positive cases of the novel coronavirus. California recently reported its highest single-day increase in cases ever.