Tokyo Disneyland Closure Extended to Mid-May

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

While the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation initially looked favorable in Japan, things have taken a turn for the worse. On the evening of April 7th, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency through May 6th for 7 Japanese prefectures. These include Chiba, the home of Tokyo Disney Resort, as well as Tokyo, Osaka, and others. As such, the Oriental Land Company has announced that the Tokyo Disney Resort closure will be extended though at least mid-May, to an undetermined date.

The opening of the vast New Fantasyland expansion is now also set for an unknown date to be determined later.

This closure applies to both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The Ikspiari shopping mall adjacent to Tokyo Disney Resort will also be closed during this time.

Guests with unused tickets dated or expiring between February 29th-May 31st, 2020 can have their ticket changed to an open-dated ticket expiring March 31st, 2021. Guests with Annual Passports will have the expiration date extended. Details will be released later.

Events scheduled to end during the closure, including Fantasmic!, Very Very Minnie, and Pixar Playtime were not extended. Ariel’s Greeting Grotto, Lilo’s Luau and Fun, and other offerings set to close March 31st also were not extended. However, souvenir food items and event merchandise will be sold for a short period after re-opening. Details will be announced later. No word on how this will affect the planned Disney Easter event that was set to begin March 27th at Tokyo DisneySea.

The Disney Resort Line is scheduled to continue limited operations as announced last week. The Disney Hotels closed on April 1st.

While we’re very disappointed to see this development, it’s for the best. The safety of Guests and Cast Members is the highest priority, and it’s critical that the COVID-19 situation gets closer to under control. No Disney parks are currently operating across the world.

Walt Disney World Closed “Until Further Notice”

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

We’re sorry to report Disney fans… but Disney has announced they will be extending their park closures due to COVID-19 / Coronavirus concerns. This doesn’t come as much of a shock as state-wide shut downs and government quarantine requests continue. It is however painful for us Disney fans that can’t wait to step foot in our favorite parks once again! Here are the details below as shared by Disney:

This notice was shared via Disney Parks News, an official Disney Twitter feed:

Also, according to the Walt Disney World website:

“The safety and well-being of our Guests and employees remains The Walt Disney Company’s top priority. As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice.” You can click here if you have questions on how to cancel your vacation.

As we wait for the joyful day when we can once again stroll down Main Street U.S.A., take flight on Soarin’, and Rise against the Resistance, we do wish all our fellow Disney friends stay well and stay safe!

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa Will Close Beginning March 25th Due To Coronavirus

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

The Disney Vacation Club Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Alert was updated yesterday (March 21, 2020) to now include the closure of the stunning Hawaiian Disney Resort and Spa, Aulani. See the details below as shared in the DVC Travel Alert:

Disney Vacation Club continues to make timely decisions, based on guidance of health agencies and our medical teams, and adjust its COVID-19 precautionary measures for the safety of its Members, Guests and Cast Members.

In line with state guidance, in an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our Guests and Cast Members, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa will close beginning at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 24, through Tuesday, March 31. This will give Disney Vacation Club Members and Guests the time to make necessary travel arrangements or book alternative accommodations.

Disney temporarily closed its Resort hotels at Walt Disney World Resort, including all Disney Vacation Club properties, as well as Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, effective Friday, March 20, through the end of the month.

The beautiful Aulani has 351 hotel rooms and 481 Disney Vacation Club timeshare villas. Reservations for guests who had booked hotel rooms from March 24-31 will automatically be canceled, according to the advisory. Change and cancellation fees will be waived through June 30.

See details here via the DVC Travel Alert webpage.

Walt Disney World Projected To Stay Closed Through Mid-April

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

We’re currently on day 5 of life in the post-Walt Disney World closure era, and we’re already turning to obscure Disney Channel movies to keep us entertained in the meantime. Whether you’re stuck working from home or among the brave service workers that are bringing us medical care, food, and other necessities during these trying times, you’re probably already daydreaming about your next Disney trip. When Disney Parks announced it was closing both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, the projected reopening date was April 1, leaving parks closed through the remainder of March. However, new CDC guidelines and significant financial losses for the company may further delay reopenings on both coasts.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, analysts are warning that Walt Disney World theme parks could be closed well into mid-April. With losses of $25 million during the 18-day closure period over in Disneyland Resort alone, an extended closure could cost the overall company over $1.4 billion dollars in revenue over the next two financial quarters:

Research firm MoffettNathanson published an analyst note Tuesday that gives a grim overview of how the coronavirus pandemic will hurt the Walt Disney Company. Disney did not immediately respond to comment Wednesday.

“We expect the closure to extend for another two weeks into April as the country scrambles to get this virus contained,” the analyst note said of Disney.

Meanwhile, Disney stock, which traded last year at more than $150 per share at one point, has fallen steeply. It’s currently trading at about $85 per share, down 8%.

“Putting it all together, despite the fall in Disney’s stock price to date, we think the combination of COVID-19 impacts and an ensuing recession will cause unprecedented pain here,” the note said. “Making matters worse, Disney has taken on a more than average amount of debt to acquire Fox and has entered a period of lower cash flow generation due to their pivot into” streaming services.

The main entrance to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Photo courtesy, Walt Disney World)

As a reminder, the latest CDC guidelines recommend against public gatherings of over 50 people for the next 8 weeks, which could very well extend the closure past April. Between that, financial constraints, and the recently-initiated mass exodus of all current Disney College Program participants, it’s likely that Walt Disney World is in for a far long closure than previously expected. Just keep calm and keep streaming Disney+, everyone…

We’ll be keeping our eyes on developments here in Florida and in California, as well as in Paris, and Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong regarding the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on Disney Parks operations and beyond.

Disneyland Closure To Cause $400 Million Loss For California

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Every year, guests flock to Anaheim to experience the little park that started it all: Disneyland. But with Disneyland Resort now closed due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that is currently sweeping the nation, things have gotten pretty quiet throughout Anaheim, if not all of Southern California. In a fascinating new article by the OC Register, analysis of the Coronavirus pandemic’s financial domino effect on SoCal reveals just how much of an impact the closure of the Happiest Place on Earth is having on the community.

According to the OC Register, the closure of Disneyland due to COVID-19 could have a $400 million impact on the Southern California economy due to reduced visitor traffic to nearby hotels and restaurants. Reduced traffic also means lower tax revenues, making the economic outlook for Anaheim even more daunting:

A study by Cal State Fullerton’s Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting found that the Disneyland resort added $8.5 billion to the Southern California economy and generated more than $500 million in state and local taxes in 2018.

Breaking down the findings of the study by day and calculating the financial impact of the 18-day closure of Disneyland provides some guideposts for what the shuttering of the Happiest Place on Earth could have on the surrounding community.

The closure of Disneyland will mean a big financial hit for the theme park, Anaheim and Southern California, said Cal State Fullerton economics professor Anil Puri, the director of the Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting.

“The effect has gone beyond Disneyland,” Puri said. “There’s no question it’s a substantial hit to the city budget, to Disney and the people that work at Disney. Restaurants and hotels in the area will suffer also.”

It’s difficult to estimate the precise financial impact of the Disneyland closure on the broader Southern California economy at this time, Puri said. It remains unknown how much Disneyland’s spending and revenues will be reduced or what theme park operations will shut down during the closure, Puri said.

Image result for disneyland

Based on an 18-day closure alone, Southern California could be looking at a financial loss of over $400 million, or $23 million a day, according to the study. On average, Disneyland visitors spend $2.5 billion annually on off-site hotels, restaurants, and other businesses, or roughly $6.9 million a day. Disneyland Resort itself generated $510 million in state and tax revenue in 2018 alone, or about $1.4 million a day: $25 million during the 18-day closure period. And then there’s the on-property Disneyland Hotels and the “Good Neighbor” third-party hotels, which generated $177 million in hotel taxes in 2018, or an approximate of $8.8 million during the closure.

Add it all up, and you have a massive financial loss for the Southern California economy, which includes Disneyland Resort and all of its neighboring hotels, restaurants, and even its competitors. Worst of all, the latest CDC guidelines recommend against public gatherings of over 50 people for the next 8 weeks, which could very well extend the closure past April, so these projections could increase with a prolonged closure.

With everyone cooped up at home and unable to travel, tourist economies are taking a huge hit right now. Despite recent price increases, guests may be looking at big discount promotions soon, or even more price jumps, depending on how Disneyland decides on mitigating this massive loss.