Disneyland’s Wild Reopening Ride
The still-ongoing saga of Disneyland’s reopening has been a wild ride beyond even the deepest fantasies of Mr. Toad. The State of California and Disney have been locked in a bitter and dramatic standoff, that only seems to intensify as time goes on. We haven’t reported on every twist and turn in our When Will Disneyland Reopen? post, but thought we’d bring you up to speed on the major plot points with a timeline here. (Scroll to “The Last Month-ish” or “The Last Week” depending upon your familiarity with the series of events.)
For those who have not been following the saga, it truly is a wild ride, so buckle up. Disney announced Official Reopening Dates & Details for Disneyland Resort back over the summer. Among other things, that plan indicated that Disneyland & Disney California Adventure would reopen on July 17 and two of the hotels would debut on July 23. Obviously, that never happened, or you wouldn’t be reading this story.
California subsequently saw a spike in new cases, causing Governor Newsom to pause reopening plans. Consequently, Disneyland Indefinitely Delayed Reopening Plans and in that announcement issued a passive-aggressive dig, blaming the State of California for not approving its plans, while praising local unions with whom Disney had previously been butting heads. In retrospect, that statement precipitated much of the stalemate between the parties, which has only accelerated in the months since…
With outdoor dining and shopping being among the exceptions to California’s reopening “pause,” Downtown Disney did reopen as planned. Restaurants resumed outdoor seating and physical distancing and retail locations instituted a mobile wait list system to manage the number of guests shopping.
Even operating as a shadow of its normal self (which honestly isn’t that impressive at 100%), Downtown Disney saw–and continues to see–a ton of pent-up demand that undoubtedly foreshadows that Disneyland and Disney California Adventure will face. On some weekends, parking at Downtown Disney has filled to capacity—although that’s deceptive given that only a small surface parking lot is open. (We have full details about all of this in our Guide to Downtown Disney at Disneyland.)
Seeing no end in sight to the closure, other theme parks got creative and adapted to the circumstances. Knott’s Berry Farm reopened without rides for a series of incredibly popular foodie events, with more scheduled for this month. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo reopened the animal-only Marine World Experience with reduced capacity.
However, by late summer the trajectory of cases in Southern California began trending downward, even taking into account a minor blip resulting from Labor Day. (The Los Angeles Times has a good tracker.) The statewide positivity rate began consistently decreasing, as did new cases, and positivity rates. These developments meant the state could “unpause” its reopening plans.
The Last Month-ish
At the end of August, Governor Newsom unveiled California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy. The new system placed each county into four color-coded tiers – purple, red, orange and yellow – based on positivity rates and cases per 100,000 residents in their communities. (Full details here.)
By early September, Orange County had been upgraded to the red tier of the state’s red tier, allowing more businesses to reopen and at higher capacities. That allowed a variety of businesses, including museums, zoos, aquariums, and restaurants to resume their indoor operations at 25% capacity. Outdoor operations were previously allowed. (Full details here.)
However, as California had not included guidelines for theme parks (each business sector has its own rules based on its inherent risk levels) the recurring question in Governor Newsom’s press conferences became, “when will Disneyland and other theme parks be able to open?”
Variants of that question were asked repeatedly, and in response, Governor Newsom gave variants of “we’re working on it” and “soon” as answers. He additionally indicated that he had been meeting with theme park industry leaders, and that progress was being made and guidelines for theme park reopening would be released.
Nothing had happened by mid-September, at which point groups began publicly appealing to Governor Newsom, likely at the behest of Disney.
Multiple trade organizations representing amusement & theme parks, unions that represent employees working in the parks, state and local politicians, and other interested parties began pleading with California to issue reopening guidelines for theme parks.
Following this barrage of third party pushes, Disneyland President Ken Potrock issued a statement of his own, saying that Disney was “disappointed with the state’s lack of progress in providing the industry with guidance and clarity on reopening.” Adding that Disney has proven the company “can operate responsibly, with strict health and safety protocols” at properties around the world, including Anaheim’s Downtown Disney.
Potrock went on to state that tens of thousands of people’s livelihoods depend on Disneyland’s ability to operate and that Disney stands ready and willing to accelerate discussions with the Governor and his team to make ‘real progress’ toward reopening and getting people back to work.
A few days later, Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu delivered two emphatic pleas for Governor Newsom to release reopening guidelines. At a Reopen OC Now press conference, he decried the state’s delay: “It’s a disaster right here! All the businesses are closed. How long are you going to keep us closed? Give us the guidelines!”
As a subsequent Anaheim City Council meeting, Sidhu said, “our city faces a $100 million deficit,” which he attributes to Disneyland being closed since March. Sidhu argued that the decision should be that of the Orange County Health Care Agency, and that Walt Disney World’s successful reopening proves that Disney will implement and responsibly enforce safe reopening rules.
Sidhu went on to clarify: “This is not reopening Disneyland for Disney’s sake…it’s for hundreds of small businesses, tens of thousands of jobs. That is why I’m personally inviting Governor Newsom, who I have praised since day one of this crisis, to come to Anaheim.”
Then on last Monday, several state lawmakers sent a letter to Governor Newsom requesting that he issue reopening guidelines for theme parks.
In response, Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s top health official, said: “We’re working hard to get that out in a responsible way as soon as possible. We’re working with those industries to put out something that’s thoughtful…to ensure those activities are done responsibly.”
This standoff reached its crescendo exactly one week ago…
The Last Week
On Tuesday, the Walt Disney Company announced that it would be laying off 28,000 Cast Members at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. In a press release, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products attributed the layoffs to the prolonged economic uncertainty and to emerge as a more effective and efficient operation when things return to normal.
In the opening lines of that layoff press release, the Walt Disney Company also stated that the layoffs were “exacerbated in California by the State’s unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen.” As Disney’s layoffs of 28,000 employees made international news–and that line with it–this only further heightened tensions between Disney and California.
The following night, rumors started swirling that Governor Newsom was imminently going to release guidelines for theme parks to reopen. This quickly gained a lot of traction, as there were specific details that seemed plausible and consistent with the other reopening guidelines (25% cap on attendance, face masks required, etc.) plus a restriction that admission be limited to guests residing in a 120 mile radius of each theme park.
The mileage restriction itself was controversial among theme park fans, as well as hospitality industry associations and trade groups. That’s particularly true for those in Anaheim, where there has been an explosion of hotel development since Cars Land opened ~8 years ago. It should go without saying, but local Annual Passholders and day guests aren’t booking hotel rooms. However, the worst was yet to come.
What that leak did not include was a tier requirement for the aforementioned guidelines. It was widely assumed to be the red tier, as that would match other businesses at that risk level. After all, theme parks have characteristics of museums, aquariums, restaurants, and stores. Red thus makes sense for those limitations, albeit with the more stringent mileage requirement tacked on.
However, as more information trickled out, it became clear that the draft guidelines were not for the red tier. They were for the yellow tier, which reflects a “minimal” risk level and allows most businesses to fully reopen with modifications. (There is no green tier–yellow is lowest.) Essentially, that’s where Florida is right now in terms of its reopening status despite California’s objectively-superior numbers.
As this became clear last Thursday, representatives from the governor’s office and California Department of Public Health indicated that theme park guidelines had been established and would be unveiled at the following afternoon’s press conference. In response, the California Attractions and Parks Association released a statement urging California not to finalize a draft of the reopening guidance that the association saw earlier that day.
Later that same afternoon, a Disney spokesperson told the Sacramento Bee that Walt Disney Company chairman Bob Iger had quit Governor Newsom’s economic recovery task force. While Disney would not say why or precisely when Iger left the task force, it was pretty obvious given the timing.
The following day, rather than issuing the stringent theme park guidelines, Governor Newsom agreed to delay. California’s Health Director Dr. Mark Ghaly said: “Given the size and operational complexities of these unique sectors, we are seeking additional input from health, workforce and business stakeholders to finalize this important framework — all leading with science and safety.”
Governor Newsom has held press conferences since, and even been questioned about reopening dates for theme parks and Disneyland specifically. He’s thus far avoided answering those questions. Additionally, Dr. Ghaly stated that there’s “no promise of a specific date” for new reopening guidelines.
Finally, just today the Orange County Health Care Agency has recommended the state allow Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Knott’s Berry Farm to reopen once Orange County moves into the moderate tier of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy guidelines.
As noted above, Orange County is presently in the substantial tier. If current downward trends hold, Orange County could be moved into the moderate tier by October 20, 2020.
That pretty much catches us up to where things presently stand. It’s difficult for us to view this objectively and at arm’s length. Assuming for the sake of argument that the 120 mile radius limitation is in the final rules (which we think would be devastating for Anaheim’s hospitality businesses outside of Disney), we’d effectively be precluded from visiting. Without that self-interest to bias our judgment, we still found the draft guidelines to be overly burdensome and frankly, a bit arbitrary and capricious.
If using California’s stated “risk of activity” perspective, there is little difference between Disneyland and an indoor museum (for once, Disneyland is basically a museum!). To the contrary, much more of Disneyland operates outdoors or in ventilated settings where the likelihood of transmission is lower. The highest risk activity at Disneyland whenever the parks do reopen will be indoor dining, which is already allowed in standalone restaurants throughout Orange County.
Moreover, Disney has demonstrated the efficacy of its safety measures–and commitment to them–in literally every other park the company has already reopened around the globe. It thus seems a bit extreme and perhaps punitive to not allow theme parks to reopen until counties reach the yellow tier. Given the onerous requirements of the minimal risk level, it’s quite plausible that Disneyland will not reopen until 2021 if the draft guidelines end up being what’s implemented by the State of California.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you think Disneyland Resort will reopen in time for the Christmas season, or is Spring 2021 the more likely/best case at this point? Do you agree with Disney or the State of California–or can you empathize with both sides? Think the mileage restriction will be in the final draft? What’s your predicted timeframe for reopening? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I appreciate your well written article as well as your thoughtful comments.
Newsom’s actions are one of two things. He’s either ignorant/stupid, or has bad intentions. Amusement parks across the country, and particularly WDW, have proven they can be open and not affect coronavirus rates. The people who want to be out will be out. The Irvine Spectrum Center was a madhouse this weekend… it was *so* crowded. At least let people go to Disneyland where so many more precautions are taken.
And then of course this massive economy problem… Newsom’s actions are hurting WAY more people then he’s helping with his overreach of power.
Regarding that UC Berkeley poll, who were the 7,200 people polled? (I read the article in the LA Times about it). And as far as polls go, it’s hard to believe any poll results after almost all the polls in 2016 said there was no way Trump could win.
Of the range of options, I think “ignorant to the operational realities/safety efforts of theme parks” is the most likely.
Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, but I don’t buy the ‘ill intentions’ angle, whether it be for DeSantis, Newsom, or any governor in between. At the state level, the buck stops with the governor. Regardless of how they might spin things, voters will end up giving them credit for success and blame for failure. They will be the ones held to account for the economic aftermath of the current public health crisis, and both Newsom and DeSantis are in office until 2023. It’s also likely that both have political aspirations beyond their current positions that will be aided or jeopardized by their decisions now. Finally, both are intelligent and rational actors.
In the bigger (non-theme parks) picture, I’d ultimately chalk it up the disparate approaches to a difference of perspective. The decisions facing every business and political leader at this juncture are a range of least-bad options. There’s really not much winning, just “less losing.”
I am definitely pro Newsom, but I am very disappointed with his indecision or lack of with regards to Disneyland. I guess there are other priorities at the moment in his view, which is understandable with the fires and such. I just hope that soon the park will open and people will return to work safely. But anyway thank you Tom and Sarah for your daily Disney information. I appreciate it as a huge Disney fan!
Shame on the Governor’s office of California. Disney should sue the state of California; This is an unconstitutional CLEAR overreach of power.
Gray Davis was removed for a lot less malfeasance than Gavin Newsom commits each day, before breakfast.
I feel sorry for all the people Newsom so callously prevents from earning a living. May he soon be unemployed.
In last week’s UC Berkeley poll, 64% of likely California voters approved of Newsom’s performance as governor. His numbers were highest on the public health crisis and worst on homelessness and high housing costs. By contrast, Davis bottomed out at 24% approval before the recall.
Ultimately, California voters will decide. Much could certainly change–especially the longer this drags on and the more economic effects are felt.
Polls are a ludicrous instrument for measuring anything, and approval polls, in particular, are the last refuge of political scoundrels.
Another industry that is suffering terribly…….my father owns a banquet hall in Los Angeles and this pandemic has proved to be devastating. They are most likely not going to be allowed to reopen until at LEAST January as there is really no way to social distance at a wedding or quinceanera. And if capacity guidelines are put in place he is still in big trouble. Who is going to pay $10K for a banquet hall that holds 200 people and only invite 50. And those 50 people must be spread all over the room away from one another. Alcohol and dancing will likely not be allowed. It’s a nightmare. He was approved for one of those small business pandemic loans of $30K but his rent alone is $12K per month. With 0 income, this is impossible to sustain. AND…..once he gets the green light to reopen…..people don’t plan these events in a few weeks. Folks book 6 months to 2 years out. It will take many many moths for the money to start really rolling in again. It’s very concerning. Caterers, florists, DJ’s, bands, photographers, dress shops and dress makers are all suffering as well. The wedding and quinceanera business is a big one and several of the vendors my father has worked with for 40 years have gone under completely. My kids are set to one day inherit and run his company (he’s been training my daughter to take over for years) and it’s not looking good. Her degree is in hospitality in preperation for this. So this will affect future generations as well.
My heart goes out to people like you and your family. Disney, with its billions of cash on hand and additional resources, will survive this. However, what happens to all of these small businesses and the families that run them? Stories like yours–the reality for so many–are absolutely devastating.
I don’t know what the answer is to all of this, but the course we’re on feels unsustainable.
Thank you Tom. It’s just killing him. To watch everything he built just spiraling down is extremely difficult. Especially for my daughter. She has put her entire future into this.
This, Exactly this. When businesses are being openly told by the state that capacity limits and other markers may NEVER return to normal, how do you keep paying your rent? Choose to sign a new lease? Build a new location that could never be profitable? The nationwide businesses can leverage other locations’ profitability, but this is going to shutter many smaller businesses.
Julie, my heart breaks for you, your dad, your daughter and your family. Newsom is playing a dangerous game with people’s lives and livelihoods – yes they will survive the virus, but will suffer poverty, bankruptcy, depression. They will lose their jobs, businesses and homes, and have no hope of finding new employment. I hope that, for your sake, the governor realizes he is killing far more people from despair and hopelessness than covid ever could.
Thank you so much for all the kind words. Yes, Turner……..the financial devastation I think will be worse than the virus itself in the long run. Look at Sweden….they coasted through this beautifully. Why isn’t the rest of the world taking notes? Maybe I’m wrong and there will be a crazy second wave or something but it just seems that this is being taken too far. I understand why the shutdown initially happened but now……it’s time.
It’s been 7 years since our last visit to Disneyland, and we were scheduled to go in November, thanks to your Black Friday Special posts last year. We have been so excited about the trip since we booked, and counting down to our son’s first trip to Disneyland. We are DVC members and have WDW AP’s…. we were actually at WDW a couple weeks before it closed in March. We have since had to cancel a few trips to WDW due to closure but never thought our November trip would be in jeopardy…. well we finally gave up hope about a month ago and cancelled the Disneyland trip and booked WDW instead. Following your posts about how things are going in FL and at WDW in particular, made the decision a little easier, but it still stings that we will miss out on the Disneyland trip we’ve been looking forward to. My heart breaks for all the cast members and other locals who are out of work due to the shutdown and hope that a resolution can be agreed upon soon.
With the data so bad on positive tests, they should base opening on hospitalizations and deaths instead of cases. Even that data is not great, but it appears to be better than just positive cases.
Agreed, although I’d add positivity rate as well as unused hospital capacity. Hopefully Florida does not return to a point where the latter is an issue, but that definitely becomes the most important one if there’s a pronounced second wave.
Glad I don’t live in my birth state anymore. This situation is only the tip of the ice berg. Leaders there have been running the state on theories that are out of touch with realities for a while now. I’m sure a huge chunk of Californians are in uhaul trucks right now on their way out. Sad about Disneyland.
I’m boogled by CA, my home state. The governor and other public officials think we are staying at home. We are not. Almost all of our schools are closed. I’ve been to southern CA twice in the past 3 months. People are out and about. Last week, we thoroughly enjoyed tiny Downtown Disney for the World of Disney, the atmosphere of guests wandering around in Disney gear and ears, and the mega expensive food and treats! Downtown Disney took our temperature before we entered and did a good job with social distance and mask requirements compared to La Jolla Shores, Coronado Beach, and the San Diego Waterfront. There was no temperature check or social distancing in those San Diego County places. Masks were worn by about 80%. I felt safer in Downtown Disney than in crowded public places in San Diego County.
I’m part of a Disney forum where we’ve been talking since February about the pandemic. This morning, I learned that PA’s positivity rate is 5% and its schools have been open. I’ve given up following CA’s COVID-19 data. But I was curious. It was challenging trying to find CA’s positivity rate. I found Los Angeles County’s data on its website. LA has the highest number of cases in CA. But its positivity rate has been below 5% since August! It is currently hovering around 3%! Wow! That means that CA’s positivity rate is probably below 3%. Meanwhile, people and businesses are suffering from mandated businesses closures and limited openings. It’s all fine and dandy when you can work at home and use Zoom. But many people can’t. If businesses can’t open, some people don’t work. It’s not just the tourism and travel industries (many hotels near Disneyland are closed). What about the businesses near offices? Dry cleaners? Office wear shops? Cosmetics? Does the governor and public officials live in ivory towers? Then, you have parents of school aged children and younger who are trying to work from home and manage their children’s remote learning. Some parents have had to reduce hours to do this. Is there some ground between FL’s and CA’s approaches?
Per the LA Times tracker, the statewide rate is 2.6% – https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-coronavirus-cases-tracking-outbreak/
Thanks, Tom. So interesting that the LA Times has that information and not the state…
As a California native who now lives in a neighboring state, I am perplexed over the singling out of the theme park industry in CA. These parks have the money and experience to become the safest places to voluntarily be right now, and a track record from other states that shows the government how they would execute their plans.
I was talking recently with another former Californian and we agreed that about the only good thing California has to offer any more is the weather and the beach — they’ve sucked the fun and liveability out of everything else. If it weren’t for OC family (and hopefully Disneyland), I wouldn’t visit.
There are literally dozens of theme parks all over the country that have been open for as many as four consecutive months, hosting what is now tens of thousands of guests, with zero outbreaks and zero reported cases. There is no longer any argument for theme parks staying closed.
Based on my recent visit to WDW, I would argue that they are better closed than operating the way they are.
Maybe CA is doing Disney a favor.
There’s a reason that Tesla and other large companies are leaving California. Too bad Disney couldn’t move DL to another state. Feel bad for all those people out there. Good luck to all. Hope the state has enough resources to support all of these people that they are hurting. Think of this, people want to go to work and earn a living and the government wont let them. Be carful November 3rd!
Why did Iger leave the panel? It seems he’d be needed now more than ever? Maybe he’ll be replaced by a lawyer….
Agree 100%
I think it’s crazy and illuminating that both parks are located at both ends of the covid response spectrum, but if anything it shows how a happy medium is preferable to the knee jerk overly cautious or overly unrestricted response that a lot of arguments call for. I do think WDW’s success is due to the company’s own careful progression since they’ve done more than the state has required, and it might not have been this successful (in terms of no outbreaks) if WDW had just done everything Florida would let it do or moved forward at a quicker pace. But because of that WDW is closer to that happy medium that seems to be the best response.
Agreed. Personally, I think it’s very telling that WDW reopened at exactly the peak of Florida’s cases, and rather than adding to that, the stats numbers dropped precipitously thereafter.
It’s also worth noting that thus far, zero outbreaks–in Florida or the world–have been traced to theme parks. Some might argue that’s unremarkable given that there’s little contact tracing, but I think we’d have a pretty good idea by now because cases would’ve spiked in local communities where workers live. That has not happened anywhere.
This is a ridiculous statement. Now I am a huuuuuuggge Disneyland fan and have been a passholder for over 10 years and would like to be there now more than ever, but to imply, or in your case, outwardly state that erring on the side of caution vs opening the park warrants the term “totalitarian” is legitimately baffling, disappointing and flat out irresponsible. How in the world could News on benefit from these stringent measures? Seriously, ask yourself. This is a monumentally freaky time and his decision to make opening of parks difficult is vastly unpopular which only hurts his re-election chances. His only benefit there is doing the best he can to keep his constituents safe from themselves and covid free. There is no way he personally benefits from the massive downturn in the economy, the jobs lost and closing California’s greatest happy place.
Nothing that any individual does happens in a vacuum so having the “freedom” to choose to go to the parks and put yourself at high risk of contracting the virus doesn’t only affect you the individual. Sure you might get it and be fine, but also you might give it to your mom and she…might be less fine, and maybe that is a risk you are willing to take to ride Rise of the Resistance (and honestly…I just might myself) BUT I’m weak and would probably go when I know I shouldn’t, and I can only imagine that is exactly the type of thing Newsom is trying avoid. So please, spare the totalitarianism b.s. He has nothing to gain from this and everything to lose, he is just trying to keep his state safe not cripple the economy for… Some reason that no rational person could find beneficial.
California politics vs. Florida. Disneyland vs. Disney World is a pretty good illustration for anyone who doesn’t understand big, totalitarian government as opposed to personal freedom (not saying Florida is perfect but they have an obviously different approach). Covid or not, people have to live life.
To each their own, but I think that characterization is a tad extreme.
In my view, there is a rather large swath of middle ground between the approaches of California and Florida. I don’t envy any leaders of the decisions they have to make right now, but I wouldn’t give either state–which rank #1 & #3 in terms of cases–high marks on how they’ve handled this.
By contrast, I think there are several states (with leaders of both parties) who have done well–or at least as well as could be expected given the circumstances.
Maybe heavy handed would be a bit milder than totalitarian but the comparison stands.
Tom, that is not extreme at all. It is right on the money. Newsome is out of his mind. People have to live life. It baffles me how one man has the power to control millions of people in his home state as if he knows what is best for every one. Give me a break. That isn’t just California but many other states as well. Newsome just happens to be one of the worst. How does he have the right to tell people whether or not they can earn a living!
I can tell from reading your previous articles we fall on completely opposite sides of the covid spectrum but regardless my responses and how each of us feel I love your blog and would love to actually run into at wdw one day to say hello. I’ll be back in July of 21 if they have finally dropped the masks! Already have my dvc room booked with my fingers crossed!
Agree with you. Truly baffled by Newsom here … don’t have anything nice to say about that so will stop there. After postponing our Disneyland trip every month since May, we finally gave up and scheduled a Disney World trip in November. We have Disneyland annual passes and live driving distance (but outside 120 miles) to Disneyland so the thought of paying for flights & park tickets is not great, but we were just tired of getting our hopes up about California. Of course – the real losers here are people who live and work (or no longer work) in Orange County.
I’d be somewhat surprised if the 120 mile radius makes the final cut. That isn’t such a big deal for Universal or even Knott’s, but it’s different with Disneyland/Anaheim.
Anaheim hotels probably employ as many people as Disneyland, and with the Convention Center doing zero business right now, tourism to Disneyland is needed to keep those hotels–and their employees–afloat.
Totally agree Elisa. We are passholders in CA also (Bay Area) and keep rescheduled also. Like you we have just booked WDW for January. Newsome is playing games and its huting so many financially, mentally and emotionally. Many Disney fans are now heading to Florida to get their fix. You would think he’d want to prevent additional travel! It’s so crazy.
Maggie, if you haven’t been to Tokyo, if you can navigate a city like Portland or Washington D.C. (or London or Paris for a place with better public transit), Tokyo is gigantic and can be overwhelming, but it’s incredibly well organized and is highly accessible to those who can read English. International flights are moving from Narita an hour out in the country to convenient Haneda. Lots and lots of signage in the transit systems. I’ve gotten used to going past Disney (and a big Ikea store nearby), still haven’t visited, but I think on the next trip, yes.
I navigated from New Jersey through New York city on public transit so I’m reasonably confident in doing Tokyo, but having the comparison helps! I know a marginal amount of Japanese but it seems like there’s enough English to get by which is nice. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you, Tom, for giving this helpful summary of these events. I wasn’t aware of the rift until I read about Iger’s departure from the task force. From an outsider’s POV, I still think it would be beneficial to Disney to have someone operating from the inside, but that’s why I am myself and not Iger! I truly hope they can get this solved because not opening until 2021 would be devastating–if it can get any more devastating.
I really wonder what did it for Iger. Perhaps he viewed it as a conflict of interest? Maybe he doesn’t want to be involved in the dispute, especially as he’s on his way out at Disney and (potentially) on his way in to California politics? Or it could just be the simplest explanation–frustration with the stringent rules that target theme parks.
I hope not to be too political in this post, but I really do not see what Governor Newsom stands to gain with his behavior other than alienating one of the country’s most-beloved companies and further destroying the state’s economy. I think if it were possible, Disney would seriously consider leaving the state of California altogether.
As it stands, I don’t have any hope that DLR will reopen until about three months after a vaccine is released.
“Governor Newsom…further destroying the state’s economy.” Bingo. It’s intentional. Still guessing Disneyland will begin to reopen around December.
The reopening mess surprises me. I flew from Orange County, Fla. to Orange County, Ca. in late August for a quick visit to Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula. Arriving Sunday evening, I got to spot the big outflow of weekend vehicles; the place was still busy Monday and Tuesday, with at least a thousand kids participating in the city’s Junior Lifeguard program (an impressive sight, with everyone wearing standard red and equipped with pro swim fins). The huge more or less outdoor shopping mall on the mainland was open. The mass use of masks and other precautions made it clear that an epidemic was underway, but the differences to Orlando? Not much. The cool morning fog made outdoors wonderful.
As best I could tell (didn’t look at numbers in the local media), the community was doing OK. If that shopping center and Downtown Disney, not so far away are open, why not Disneyland?
I’m a person who’s probably on the further end of paranoid in regards to this pandemic, and even I felt like it was worth a trip to Disney World in Florida with safety rules in place. I really am boggled by this, as after reading your blog since my first trip was cancelled in March I’ve had a hankering to visit other parks (Tokyo looks promising, in a future world without a virus). Disney Land is one I at least have a chance of making it to without needing to leave the country, so I would love it if the state could get a reasonable plan in place and take my money already. I wouldn’t go to an indoor museum right now but I’d definitely visit outdoor theme parks somewhere warm as we move into winter!