Disneyland Resort Hotels including Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel are no longer accepting new resort reservations until July according to the Orange County Register.
Before this announcement, Disneyland Resort Hotels were accepting reservations beginning June 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The news now pushes any new resort reservations back until July.
On top of new resort reservations being pushed back until July, dining reservations and bookable merchandise experiences at the Disneyland resort are also unavailable until the Anaheim parks set a reopening date.
Just earlier today, Disneyland and Walt Disney World have begun cancelling resort hotel reservations for the week of May 24th – May 31st.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure closed on March 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remain closed until further notice. No reopen day has been announced. We are however thankful to see a reopen date of May 11th announced for Disneyland Shanghai. We eagerly await the safe reopening of Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.
We have some exciting news today as we learn that Shanghai Disney Resort is scheduled to reopen on Monday, May 11! Shanghai Disney Resort closed in late January as the COVID-19 pandemic hit China hard. After several months, we are excited to see a reopen date. There will be a controlled capacity and detailed operations as you’ll find below.
Shanghai Disneyland theme park will officially reopen to the public on May 11, 2020. The initial park reopening will demonstrate a deliberate approach, drawing on the experience from the successful reopening of Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel in early March, and implement enhanced health and safety measures.
During this initial reopening phase, the park will institute new measures and procedures, including opening with limited attendance and required advanced ticketing and reservations, accommodating social distancing in queues, restaurants, ride vehicles and other facilities throughout the park, and implementing increased frequency of sanitization and disinfection.
Ticket sales will be available via the resort’s official online channels and official travel partners’ channels beginning on May 8 at 8:00 a.m., with a limited number of tickets available each day during the initial reopening. Guests are required to purchase dated admission tickets prior to their arrival, and Annual Pass holders must make a reservation for their visit date and time through the resort’s official online channels before their visit to the park. During this “Advanced Reservation Period,” General Admission tickets for Shanghai Disneyland will not be accepted.
Please read the press release for detailed operation measures and ticketing information below:
Shanghai, May 6, 2020 – Shanghai Disney Resort today announced that the Shanghai Disneyland theme park will officially reopen to the public on May 11, 2020. The initial park reopening will demonstrate a deliberate approach, drawing on the experience from the successful reopening of Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel in early March, and implement enhanced health and safety measures.
During this initial reopening phase, the park will institute new measures and procedures, including opening with limited attendance and required advanced ticketing and reservations, accommodating social distancing in queues, restaurants, ride vehicles and other facilities throughout the park, and implementing increased frequency of sanitization and disinfection.
Ticket sales will be available via the resort’s official online channels and official travel partners’ channels beginning on May 8 at 8:00 a.m., with a limited number of tickets available each day during the initial reopening.
On May 11, the majority of Shanghai Disneyland’s attractions, rides, some shows and shopping and dining locations will resume operations, with controlled attendance. Some interactive attractions and experiences, such as children play areas, and theater shows will remain closed. Guests can check the availability of attractions and entertainment through the resort’s official website and app.
To accommodate social distancing, parades and nighttime spectaculars will also return at a later date. During the initial reopening phase, a special Disney character procession, Mickey and Friends Express, will take place several times daily, and the Enchanted Storybook Castle will come to life with light and music at dusk each day with Evening Magical Moments. Beloved Disney characters will appear in the park in a new way, as they make appearances in each of the themed lands, greeting and welcoming everyone back to Shanghai Disneyland. Close interaction and close-up photos with characters will be suspended during the initial phase of reopening.
The frequency of sanitization measures will be increased in order to augment the standards of cleanliness already in place throughout the park, and hand sanitizers will be available at attractions, restaurant and stores.
The resort looks forward to recognizing and celebrating medical professionals who helped make our reopening possible at an appropriate time in the near future.
***
Based on the additional measures and procedures, we ask for guest understanding of and compliance with the following requirements when Shanghai Disneyland reopens:*
Purchase dated admission tickets for Shanghai Disneyland prior to their arrival, as on-site sales will not be available. Annual Pass holders must make a reservation for their visit date and time through Shanghai Disney Resort’s official online channels before their visit to the park. During this “Advanced Reservation Period,” General Admission tickets for Shanghai Disneyland will not be accepted;**
Provide basic personal information for each guest visiting the park, including name, phone number, ID type and ID number via Shanghai Disney Resort’s official online channels after purchasing a ticket and prior to arriving at the resort. A Shanghai Disneyland Reservation QR Code will be provided after the successful submission of the required identification information, and guests will be required to present the code before entering the theme park;
Register for the Health QR Code prior to their arrival, which will be required to be presented upon entering any location at Shanghai Disney Resort. Only guests with a green Health QR Code will be allowed to enter the resort;
Be prepared to present a China government ID card, or valid travel document, for each guest at the park turnstiles (photos or printed copies will not be accepted);
Undergo temperature screening procedures upon arrival; and
Wear an approved mask during the entire visit to the resort except when dining.
*These measures will continue to be reviewed as the situation warrants, and may be further adjusted.
**The validity period of a Shanghai Disneyland Annual Pass will be extended for the number of lost days falling between the park’s closure date of January 25, 2020 and the end of the “Advanced Reservation Period.” A Shanghai Disneyland Annual Pass that expired before January 25, 2020 or that was purchased after the end of the “Advanced Reservation Period” will not be extended. The same extension policy will apply to the validity period for General Admission tickets for Shanghai Disneyland. The detailed extension policy, including block-out days, will be communicated with Pass and ticket holders separately.
When will the parks reopen? That’s the #1 question these days! We do know Shanghai Disneyland is scheduled to reopen on May 11. You can view all of those details here. We have yet, however, to receive an official reopen date for Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The exciting news is we have received an official statement from Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pamela Hymel.
The official statement from Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pamela Hymel is as follow:
Dear Guests,
As you may have heard at Disney’s Q2 FY20 Earnings Results Webcast, our CEO Bob Chapek announced that Shanghai Disney Resort will begin the phased reopening of Shanghai Disneyland on May 11 – an encouraging sign for Disney parks and retail locations all over the world. After so much time at home, I know many of you are eager to enjoy the magic of a Disney parks visit, and we can’t wait to welcome you back.
I’m fortunate to work with Disney’s extraordinarily talented team of health and safety experts who are some of the most experienced in the industry. Together, with our colleagues in operations, and local health and government authorities, we’re evaluating several new and enhanced safety measures to do our part towards helping us stay well while we work, stay, and play at a Disney resort and a Disney store. I’m also working closely with the US Travel Association on a set of guidelines the travel industry may tailor to their individual businesses to help demonstrate that safety of travelers is a top focus.
To that end, I want to share an update with you about our plans and considerations as we prepare for the reopening of our parks, resorts and stores. At Disney, we’re exploring:
Phased reopening: We’re looking at all of our locations and how best to begin the reopening process, including a gradual reopening and/or partial reopening of certain locations. For example, the opening of retail and dining locations prior to the opening of our theme parks.
Physical distancing and capacity measures: As you can imagine, managing guest density in queues, restaurants, hotels, ride vehicles and other facilities throughout the park and across the resort is a major focus, as we implement physical distancing guidelines based on guidance from health authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and appropriate government agencies. This will likely include implementation of guest capacity measures to comply with state and federal guidelines. We’re also exploring ways to use technology to aid us in these efforts, like with our Play Disney Parks App and through virtual queues at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Cleanliness and sanitization: We’re planning increased cleaning and disinfection, determining where that should take place (for example, in high-traffic areas), and the cleaning products and processes we’ll use.
Screening and prevention support: We’ll follow guidance from the government and the medical community regarding enhanced screening procedures and prevention measures, including those related to personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face coverings. Some measures, like adding hand sanitizers and hand washing stations across our resorts, have already been implemented.
Cast training: We’re further emphasizing our strong culture of health and safety amongst our cast members, and will continue to provide new training and reinforcement as we get closer to reopening.
These are just a few examples of the many areas we are developing plans for, so please keep an eye on our online channels, where we’ll provide more details as we confirm and begin to implement our plans. Given the constantly changing global health environment, these practices may evolve as we consider the latest guidance, but we will share more information with you as we look towards reopening.
In the meantime, our focus remains on the health and safety of the entire Disney community – including the wellbeing of the Cast Members who are caring for and securing our parks and resorts during the closure. We have already implemented a number of enhanced health and safety measures, such as increasing the frequency of cleaning and disinfection in work areas, adjusting practices to promote physical distancing, and providing Cast with access to necessary PPE, including face coverings. We continue to learn from these experiences and will carry these lessons into reopening and beyond.
Finally, I want to recognize the medical professionals working to bring care and comfort in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. We will continue to do what we can to help support the medical community and our local communities during this time.
We’re looking forward to welcoming all of you back to our Disney parks, resorts and stores. Until we are together once again, we wish you and your families health, hope, and happiness.
Thank you,
Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pamela Hymel
While there has been much curiosity, speculation, and excitement on when and how Walt Disney World will reopen, one thing is for sure… we are all eagerly awaiting more announcements! We will be the first to say we have absolutely no idea when Walt Disney World will reopen and won’t announce a reopen date until we learn so from the Mouse himself! We have learned some interesting news however when logging into the My Disney Experience App.
Currently, in the My Disney Experience App, it looks as though guests with a valid park ticket (including Annual Passholders AND Regular Ticket Holders) can select FastPasses 30-days in advance beginning in June. For example, as of today, we can book FastPasses for June 2. This goes for guests with or without a Disney Resort room reservation.
What does this mean for a reopen date? We truly aren’t sure! All we know right now is what the My Disney Experience App is allowing us to do.
The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force met once again early today to discuss further parameters for each business sector, including a brief conversation on how to move forward with theme parks and large public facilities with Mayor Demings.
The Mayor had previously commented on how Disney’s closure was responsibly done, given that no outbreaks have been traced back to Walt Disney World. After conversations with Thomas Mazloum, Vice President of Walt Disney World Resort & Transportation, Chuck Whittall, President of Unicorp, proposed an all-encompassing statement for theme park reopenings:
“Based on the conversation with Thomas, the best way to approach businesses which may very well include Amway, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Disney, Universal, and Seaworld, is to put out something like this,” said Whittall in the call before providing the following statement:
“Theme parks and other venues of that magnitude shall each develop their own specific and unique set of guidelines following the CDC recommendations and using best practices that will protect the life, health, and safety of their employees and guests. They will be permitted to open at their own discretion with their internally determined level of safe capacities throughout the various phases.”
It is Whittall’s belief that ultimate reopening decisions should be put in the hands of the theme parks as opposed to the task force “trying to write specific guidelines for them.”
“Ultimately, they’re going to be judged by the marketplace. If guests feel safe, they’ll show up. If they don’t, they’re not,” said Whittall in his remarks to the Mayor. He also emphasized the effects of social media on any potential reopenings, claiming that the parks will be “judged” heavily based on what people see and talk about on social media.
Mayor Demings agreed with his statement given the large scope and impact these theme parks have on the county overall:
“When you look at those large theme parks, they’re like cities unto themselves. And so nothing should be done in the way of our recommendations should appear to be punitive towards them, because as a corporation… if they can see small business units [re]open and they have something similar, i.e. restaurants and shops that they can open… why wouldn’t they be allowed to open?”
The Mayor stressed the importance of not lumping these large entities as all one major conglomerate. However, the final statement to be issued by the county still needs to be punched up, according to the Mayor’s recommendations:
“I know they will follow those guidelines because of their corporate responsibility, and potential liability, and exposure… so the language that you’re offering I believe is good language… The bright minds on the call need to kick it around a bit to ensure there aren’t any unintended consequences.”
To that end, the Mayor also stated that these large facilities could be ready to go “with short notice” once restrictions are lifted, given their capacity to establish social distancing.
