The gates of Disneyland are opening again Friday to welcome customers for the first time since the resort was closed at the start of the global pandemic. Only California residents will be allowed to visit, and daily crowd sizes will be limited due to safety protocols.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park reopened at 8 a.m. local time with the first guests cheering, clapping and waving as they came through the gates. Disney cast members lined Main Street USA and returned the applause and cheers. “Welcome back, everyone,” they said in greeting, many with their phones up, recording guests’ return. Health guidelines will require guests to go through a temperature screening before entering the park and to wear face masks. They’ll also need to remain 6 feet apart from other groups. People who visit together will be limited to no more than three households. Other measures to reduce the chance of viral transmission include cashless transactions and enhanced cleaning practices, the Walt Disney Co. said. Disney fans will need a reservation specific to the park and day they visit – a tool that the resort said will help it manage capacity.
The theme parks are obligated to limit visitors to a maximum of 25% capacity, according to state guidelines issued last month. Disneyland is in Orange County, which like much of California is currently designated as having “moderate” risk for the coronavirus. Walt Disney had tentatively planned to reopen Disneyland in July, but California officials quashed that idea. The state did not approve theme parks’ reopening, citing concerns of additional spread of the coronavirus.
