Disneyland Urges California Governor to Reopen Theme Parks

By Dana Cruz First Posted: Sep 23, 2020 04:29 AM EDT

Disneyland executives are demanding California Governor Gavin Newsom to allow the state's theme parks to reopen.

Phased Reopening of the Downtown Disney District

(Photo : by Derek Lee/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images) In this handout photo provided by Disneyland Resort, a variety of shopping and dining experiences will begin reopening at the Downtown Disney District on July 9, 2020 in Anaheim, California.

California theme parks have been closed or only partially open for six months. For Disneyland, failure to reopen could have some devastating impacts, said Fox 11.

In a virtual press conference, Disney parks chairman Josh D'Amaro demanded to reopen and said they have health precautions in place.

They wanted to discuss with state officials the operations of their California theme parks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are ready, and more importantly... it is time," said D'Amaro.

In an announcement, Newsom said theme parks in the state would be given reopening guidelines "very, very shortly," reported the Orange County Register. However, there was no timeline given for the release of the guidelines.

The Call to Reopen

Disney is not the only company to call on the governor. Some industry associations and city leaders have also called on Newsom to reopen theme parks.

"We need guidelines that are fair and equitable," said D'Amaro as he stood alone in Disneyland after removing his face covering.

D'Amaro said government officials should treat theme parks like other industries.

"I encourage you to treat theme parks like you would other sectors," he noted. D'Amaro also asked the state to let them open its doors once more in a safe manner.

California Adventure's vice president Patrick Finnegan also echoed D'Amaro's statement. He said guidelines were needed for the attractions to reopen safely.

Once they are allowed to reopen, Disney officials would add various safety measures, said a Los Angeles Times report. Some of the plans include adding hand-washing stations and attendance by reservation only. There were also suggestions to have staff tasked in face-covering enforcement and temperature checks.

The parks will also expand mobile food ordering and put stickers on the ground to remind park-goers to keep their distance from each other.

"We are offering technology solutions that make it easier for our guests to minimize contact and maintain physical distancing," said D'Amaro.

Loss of Jobs amid COVID-19

Some mayors, business owners, and the tourism industry are also urging Newsom to adopt guidelines for theme parks. The state has an economy that relies heavily on tourism.

With the closure of theme parks, it gave a heavy blow to many local businesses. Nearly 80,000 regional jobs are dependent on whether or not Disneyland and other Disney parks open, said D'Amaro.

"The longer we wait, the more devastating the impact will be for Orange County," he said.

The company also pointed out that Walt Disney World in Orlando had successfully reopened its doors to park-goers in July.

Other than that, they also said some notable reopenings abroad. There were successful theme park reopenings in France, Japan, and China.

No COVID-19 outbreaks were reported in other California theme parks like Universal, SeaWorld, Six Flags, and others, said the state health agencies and theme park officials.

Differences in Disney Parks

Some differences have to be noted about the parks in Florida and Anaheim.

Since 2013, the Florida theme park has been offering a Magic Band to guests. It is an electronic wristband that can be used in place for tickets.

The Magic Band can also be used to buy items without coming in contact with a stork worker. It can also be used to open hotel rooms. It offers less contact between people.

The band was not offered in Anaheim. However, Anaheim launched a virtual queuing system last year. They used it for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge expansion in their park.

Disney representatives said the system could be expanded to other attractions in their park. They will do it to limit the capacity of rides and encourage physical distancing among guests.