Disneyland had been closed for 412 days due to the coronavirus pandemic before reopening on Friday This begins our economic recovery and brings hope back to Anaheim, the mayor of Anaheim said
California Governor Gavin Newsom gave the go-ahead for theme parks to reopen at the beginning of April
Prior to the pandemic, Disneyland had never been closed for consecutive days in its long history
Friday began with Disney officials and park employees wearing face coverings gathered in the park s town square for the morning flag-raising ceremony
Certain restrictions are in place for parkgoers, including social distancing and the wearing of masks
Disneyland and neighboring Disney California Adventure swung open its gates to cheering visitors Friday after an unprecedented 13-month closure due to the pandemic. The park is operating at 25% capacity under state health rules.
For now, the park is allowing only in-state visitors and operating at limited capacity. The park now has hand sanitizing stations and signs reminding visitors to keep their distance and wear masks. Benches are marked as “designated dining areas” where visitors can remove face coverings to eat.
Many visitors had gathered outside Disneyland since the previous night.
“It has such a symbolic nature to really quantifying that we’re finally rolling out of COVID,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of the state tourism agency Visit California.
The news comes as California boasts the country s lowest rate of confirmed coronavirus infections and more than half of the population eligible for vaccination has received at least one dose. It s a dramatic turnaround from December, when hospitals across the state were running out of ICU beds and treating patients at overflow locations.
While California continues to “strongly discourage” anyone from visiting the state as tourists, the travel industry is banking on pent-up demand from its own 40 million residents for a comeback. An advertising campaign encourages Californians to travel within the state, mirroring a pitch made after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“We’re back to that playbook,” Beteta said. “It was very successful for us then, and we’re hoping it will be for us now.”
Disneyland is a major economic engine in California, drawing nearly 19 million in attendance the year before the coronavirus struck, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. It and other such attractions were shuttered in March 2020 as Newsom imposed the nation’s first statewide shutdown order.
âNot having it for over a year was really kind of hard for us, and so it s just really nice to be able to come back,â said Jaki Montanez, 27, who drove 340 miles (547 kilometres) from Modesto and wore sequined Minnie Mouse ears for the occasion. The day began with Disney officials and park employees wearing face coverings gathered in the park s town square for the morning flag-raising ceremony. Disney CEO Bob Chapek thanked the colour guard for raising the flag daily throughout the 412-day closure and asked employees to âbring the magic backâ for visitors about to enter the park. âWe re not just another place. We re not just another theme park. We re something special and we re something special because of all of you, because you bring magic to the world,â he said.