Disneyland Paris 2021 Reopening Delayed
Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney Studios Park, and resort hotels have postponed their 2021 reopening dates (again). This follows France’s announcement of a nationwide curfew and increased lockdowns in Europe. This post shares dates, details, and what to expect. (Updated March 12, 2021.)
The second closure of Disneyland Paris followed France’s second shutdown prior to the holiday season. The new measures will mean people have to stay in their homes except to buy essential goods, seek medical attention, or use their daily one-hour allocation of exercise.
Following a few weeks of that, France began to ease its strict restrictions, allowing non-essential shops to reopen. Other higher risk activities and businesses like ski resorts and theme parks have yet to have reopening dates established under France’s reopening plan. However, with new variants France has reintroduced a curfew and another lockdown is likely to follow…
Disneyland Paris has updated its website with an extension of the closure. This indicates that due to prevailing conditions and travel restrictions across Europe, Disneyland Paris will not reopen on April 2, 2021 as initially planned. Disney is optimistic that the parks will be able to reopen soon, and will share updates when possible. Please check back on the website for regular updates.
If you have a booking with Disneyland Paris, you will have flexibility to modify your arrival date or cancel your reservation without fees up until the last moment before your planned arrival. Disneyland Paris truly appreciates your continued understanding and cannot wait to welcome you again. For more information about temporary adjustments to booking and cancellation policies, see this page on DisneylandParis.com.
Given the current context, plans continue to evolve, and updates will be shared as soon as it is possible. As we previously pointed out, April 2, 2021 was simply the target date, and whether that was achievable depended upon Europe’s case numbers, vaccine distribution, and France’s reopening plans.
Case numbers have plateaued, but there’s a rising proportion of more transmissible variants, which has led to an increased number of people hospitalized in the ICU. If that trend continues on its current trajectory, hospitals could face a critical shortage of capacity by late March 2021.
Accordingly, France has imposed local weekend lockdowns, on top of a national 6 p.m. curfew, in northern and southern parts of the country. France’s government has so far resisted such measures for greater Paris, but is contemplating further measures–and will not be easing restrictions as previously planned.
France has been slower to vaccinate than the United Kingdom. Thus far, 4.54 million people, or 8.7% of the adult population in France have received a first vaccine and 2.16 million had also received a second shot, for a total of nearly 6.71 million injections. France aims to vaccinate 10 million people by mid-April, 20 million by mid-May and 30 million by Summer 2021.
At that point, the plan is for the hotels of Disneyland Paris to reopen in phases, beginning with the Disney’s Newport Bay Club Hotel and Disney’s Santa Fe returning simultaneous with the two parks. Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne and Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch will then reopen on July 1, 2021 and Disney’s Sequoia Lodge on October 23, 2021.
The Disneyland Hotel will remain closed until further notice, with a rumored top to bottom refurbishment in its future that will keep it closed several years. Along those lines, there is no grand opening date yet set for Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel. It’s unclear how much work remains to be done on that multi-year reimagining, which was originally slated to be finished by last summer.
This closure extension announcement comes as countries across the world tightened restrictions to fight a resurgence and more transmissible new strains. This is already occurring throughout the European Union and in the United Kingdom, as there’s a race to expand vaccine distribution to get ahead of another potential surge.
Renaud Piarroux, an epidemiologist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, said of the new curfew in France: “we will have to make big efforts like the English and even the Germans. I think it’s best to toughen things up now rather than later. We have to anticipate. I think a new lockdown is inevitable.”
(What follows is prior details about the second closure from when it began…)
The plan for Disneyland Paris tracks with what the French government has announced about the second lockdown. President Emmanuel Macron said the drastic measure was necessary to curb a second wave that has been deadlier than expected. In an address to the nation Wednesday night, Macron noted that cases are “spreading across France at a speed that even the most pessimistic did not predict.”
“As elsewhere in Europe, we are overwhelmed by a second wave that will probably be more difficult and deadly than the first,” Macron said during his televised address. “If we do nothing, within a few months we would have at least 400,000 additional deaths.”
France’s intended scenario is rather to have this lockdown period of one month, with the measures reassessed every two weeks thereafter. The government will look at the different types of markers and then to exit this through curfews and other less restrictive means that could continue thereafter.
For its part, Disneyland Paris has taken the lockdown in stride, likely erring on the side of caution in closing through April 2021. By accounts we’ve seen, attendance was relatively low over the summer and fall, which is corroborated by the fact that hotel closures and reopening delays had already occurred prior to this.
Despite that, it had appeared up until now that the reopening of Disneyland Paris had gone relatively smoothly with fan praise for the seasonal entertainment, upkeep, and horticulture. There were even some reports that the dining was better than normal (a low bar). From afar, it certainly looked like Disneyland Paris was going a great job post-reopening.
The aforementioned ‘temporary adjustments’ page on DisneylandParis.com covers everything to know if you have a visit booked. Essentially, refunds will automatically be given for those with dated tickets and shuttle reservations.
Those with vacation reservations are able to cancel or rebook at the current available rate for arrivals in Spring 2021 after the parks reopen. Alternatively, guests can rebook and take advantage of the Summer 2021 “Free Dine” offer by booking arrivals April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021.
This is now the second Disney theme park complex to re-close, followed by Hong Kong Disneyland when a second wave was experienced there over the late summer. There’s also the fact that the opening date of Disneyland was cancelled when California experienced its own summer surge.
This might lead some to wonder what Florida’s future holds, and whether Walt Disney World re-closing is a possibility. One common thread throughout this has been that bold predictions never age well. It seems that every leader who has proclaimed their own success, superiority, or victory in reopening has had their own words come back to haunt them.
You might recall when Florida Entered Phase 3 and Fully Reopened. During a press conference, Governor Ron DeSantis stated that Florida would not shutdown again, and issued an executive order removing capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants, stores, theme parks, and more. That roughly coincided with schools going back into session, as well.
I’m obviously no expert on any of this, but I’m cautiously optimistic about Florida and Walt Disney World’s future prospects. Unlike many places, Florida experienced its surge over the summer. Additionally, with Florida’s weather getting nicer during the fall and winter months, the state should benefit from more people opting outdoors—the reverse of what’s happening in the Midwest, Northeast, Europe, and other places where cases are now spiking.
Now, this is not to say that multi-state family gatherings couldn’t pose serious problems going forward. However, it is somewhat reassuring that despite schools going back in session and most rules relaxed, Florida has only experienced a mild uptick.
Ultimately, no one can know for certain what will happen with the operating status of Walt Disney World. If a worst case scenario plays out, Florida could backtrack and shutdown again, despite statements to the contrary. Even absent that, Walt Disney World could choose to close the parks and resorts.
While I personally have a tough time envisioning that happening given what has already happened and the forward-looking weather forecast, I’ve learned better than to make confident predictions about any of this. If I were planning a trip right now, I’d still err on the side of caution and make sure my cancellation/modification policies were flexible.
For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Want to see more photos or read about Disneyland Paris in agonizing detail? Check out our Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary Trip Report or our Disneyland Paris 25th Anniversary Trip Recap!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your take on the announcement that Disneyland Paris will stay closed until April 2021? Concerned that a similar scenario will play out with Walt Disney World, or do you agree with our assessment that Florida benefits from already having had a summer surge and now nicer weather on the horizon? Any other thoughts about this news, its ramifications for Disneyland Paris, France as a whole, or even Europe? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
What date is the park reopen on in 2021
We are AP in DLP, and have not been notified of the closure extension. Thank you for keeping us posted !
Bonjour from Paris !
Not under lockdown yet… We have to respect a curfew at 6pm. The schools and stores remain open for now. We will see how things evolve in the next couple of days
We were hoping to visit in summer 2022 to celebrate a graduation. Any chance that the Frozen and/or Star Wars lands could get done by then? The reality is that we probably won’t be able to afford the airfare, looking at today’s prices, but just wondering when the parks will have the great new lands that will really make a trip worthwhile. I haven’t heard any construction updates for anything except the Marvel hotel.
I believe the Frozen/Star Wars lands were planned to open in 2023 and 2024 respectively. But those were the pre-covid plans….
The announcement about Disney Paris does not surprise me. My cousin lives in Paris and she said that they are basically still on lock down. They can only leave their homes for essential errands and need to be back home by 8 PM. Also only one person per household can go on these errands. It’s a pretty bad scene over there.
I’ll be the unpopular opinion here. I love Disney Parks, but worrying about entertainment during a global pandemic when cases are rising rapidly is not my priority. Yes, I feel bad about the economic impact on castmembers and everyone who works in the tourism and travel industry. But from a strictly consumer standpoint I think it’s absurd how angry and entitled some people get because they can’t go play in the parks. This is a global health emergency and I don’t think it’s too much to ask that we all do our part to keep each other safe. This will pass and we will get back to the things we love.
Our Christmas Disneyland CA trip is officially a no-go ☹ï¸. We received an email from our hotel saying they are not scheduled to reopen until possibly March 2021 and that date could also change. Get Away Today also reached out about our tickets and communicated that we have through 2021 to use at the rate paid or can apply to new tickets after the expiration date. The Go City Los Angeles pass won’t refund even though I submitted request on their website within 30 days of purchase. Not sure if financially we will be able to make this trip in the future since my employer is removing bonuses starting next year. Bummer.
if that’s the case, & totally unusable, I’d see if you could get a refund thru your credit card
That photo at the Eiffel Tower! I hope that is hanging in your home somewhere!
Let’s all not forget that Disney Corporate just put all it’s attention (and funding) toward on-line media and streaming. Now through 2022 I think it is a safe bet you will see little attention paid to ANY of the parks!
That’s an AWESOME shot of Mont Saint Michel.
Thanks! Here are more of my Mont Saint Michel photos: https://www.travelcaffeine.com/mont-saint-michel-tips-info-photos/
Thanks! Those are really cool. Was there last year, amazing place,
I concur! But I really love that sunset/night shot of the castle with reflected red on the clouds. Bet you were wishing for the water to calm for reflections!
I think it’s going to depend less on numbers and more on the election results as to if Disney World is open all of 2020 and 2021. We didn’t have a national strategy to begin with and one candidate wants a national strategy the other favoring the governors calling the shots. I’m saying this as intentionally bland and bipartisan as possible, please everyone else commenting below this keep it this way.
I think we may be looking at federal rules superseding state guidelines. In which case Florida won’t be the Wild West anymore. We can expect things like positivity thresholds, national mask mandate, capacity limits etc.
I find it interesting that a different national strategy is interpreted as no national strategy. Seems to me the states having their own rules is more about the governors’ desires for control than no plan. Likewise, governor mandates are sometimes superceded by mayor mandates. Everybody wants control, nobody wants to submit. It all feels very backwards to me.
The situation is that the Federal Gov’t can’t make a national face mask law. It does fall to the states. That’s why Biden originally said he’d make a national face mask mandate but then a day or so later walked it back a bit saying that he couldn’t actually do that but he would strongly encourage states to do so.
He could try challenging it in the courts.
Of course congress makes the laws and they could make it so.
I have no dog in this fight. I wear a mask and I live in a state that requires a mask at all times. Luckily for me, once I put a mask on I usually forget it’s even there. My wife uses a 3d face bracket and that helps her.
That’s why we are a republic and not a democracy. The states can make their own rules other than the few items covered by the Federal Govt in the Constitution. Billings MT is not NYC. Nome, AK is not Los Angeles. Marco Island, FL is not Chicago.
Susan and Deb, absolutely correct. We’ve seen far too much government overstepping its bounds this year. Let’s wear our masks in public and wash our hands frequently, and get back to work.
We had to cancel our WDW trip that was scheduled for November because Florida is now back on our Do Not Travel list. Hopefully by Nov 2021 things will be far better off than they are now
Why is Florida back on your Do Not Travel list?
Following for reply…
PA DOH keeps FL on a list of states that it suggests you should quarantine for 14 days after visiting. It’s a bummer. The list changes from time to time and I keep hoping FL gets dropped.
I live in PA. It’s a recommended quarantine. Not mandatory.
Tom good point that Florida is the opposite of much of the country with fall weather bringing more people OUTDOORS because it is not oppressively hot unlike the midwest and the north where fall brings people INDOORS Perhaps this will allow WDW to stay open if case numbers remain on the lower side Hopefully if numbers skyrocket the Governor will pay attention to this, but perhaps he will not have to deal with that due to the different weather pattern
Sad to hear Europe is on the upswing but this was to be expected. Fall/Winter is flu season. I agree partly with your assessment but I don’t think Florida’s summer surge affects whether there’ll be another one this winter.
I’ve never thought the virus was going away. From what I understand it will be with us for decades if not centuries like all the flu strains that return every year including the one that cased so much havoc 100 years ago. Unlike then science now provides us with many tools to fight back and we learn more with each day. After Nov 3rd at least we’ll be done with the politicization which will help us all. I do believe a vaccine will be approved in Dec but more importantly than that right now there are good therapeutics that we didn’t have a few months ago.
I have always felt we should not be afraid we should be cautious. Masks, washing hands very important but I never hear anyone mention taking care of your immune system. Supplements, eating well and getting plenty of sleep. And be smart. I’m not certain that shutting down countries helps but what is important is for individuals to shut down accordingly. In other words, if you have serious health complications don’t take any risks.
Do I think the Paris closure will affect our WDW? No. Do I think it could close? Yes but doubtful. We are supposed to leave in 5 weeks for WDW and I think it will happen but that’s today. Tomorrow could bring news that makes us change our minds.
Mickey1928-
“…but I never hear anyone mention taking care of your immune system.”
An extremely important point that gets little mention, even by the experts. We do hear some about the comorbidities (i.e. other simultaneously existing health conditions) but little, if any, regarding how we can / should support our own immune system health.
Saw an article earlier today that the vaccine may only be effective for three months. Seems unlikely that there is a panacea in our future.
Immune system support coupled with best practices (emerging therapies & what we’ve learned from other countries & ) seems like a hopeful way forward at this time.
France’s 350 cases per 100,000 is a weekly total. It’s daily average would be 50 cases per day, still quite a bit higher than Florida’s 19 cases per day.
I’ll clarify that in the post–thanks for pointing it out.
Has there been any talk or rumors about disneyworld closing at all? Alot of us have bookings in November and December and I was just wondering if you had heard anything?
Gov DeSantis has said that Florida will not shut down again. Now if the Californians running Disney want to shut it down and lose the only money they have coming in….
Disney should have built that resort in Sweden.
It was lovely visiting DLP last month and getting what I sort of guessed would be one last taste of the magic. Notwithstanding what rules are in place, being indoors for substantial periods is probably not viable right now given the current numbers, and nor is being outdoors during Jan and early Feb when the weather is freezing and the parks are usually almost deserted.
Lockdowns accomplish very little. Thank goodness the Governor of Florida knows this.
Ugh, the hits just keep on coming. It’s more terrible news for everyone that makes their living from the Disney Parks. I don’t know enough about Disney’s corporate structure but I’d imagine closing another park, and the drag that has on the company’s profitability doesn’t serve anyone well.
I’d bet some Bitcoin I don’t have that Florida does not shut down again, even if things continue to get worse.
I would agree with you, on WDW not closing again. The governor doesn’t really believe in the virus, despite having such a high number of at-risk people living in the state (the elderly), and our case numbers are on the rise again.
Just keep in mind the governor may not always be calling the shots. Things could change.
Jennifer: Gov DeSantis has procedures set up for those at risk, like in nursing homes. Those don’t need to apply to every citizen of Florida. What matters is deaths and hospitalization, not cases. More people live in Florida than NY and fewer elderly have died of covid in Florida. Deaths are way down since July.
Susan: It will take a lot more than a change in government to stop letting the states run their states the way they want to. That’s why we are a constitutional republic and not a democracy.