The “Happiest Place on Earth” is getting ready to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. After closing its doors March 14, Disneyland Resorts announced Wednesday that it is planning to open the park gates on July 17.
As part of the phased reopening, Downtown Disney District will begin reopening July 9. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park will then plan to reopen July 17. Pending state and local government approvals, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel plan to reopen July 23.
To make guests comfortable and safe, Disneyland Resort will open with enhanced safety and health measures, as well as limited park capacity and a reservation system put in place. Once reopened, parades and nighttime spectaculars will be put on hold and return at a later date. Though character meet-and-greets will be temporarily unavailable, “characters will be in the parks in new ways to entertain and delight guests.”
When the Anaheim, California, park closed in March, it marked the fourth time in history that Disneyland had closed. The first was in 1963 for a national day of mourning after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the second was in 1994 after the Northridge earthquake, and the third was after the 9/11 attacks.
Meanwhile, as coronavirus restrictions and social distancing guidelines start to relax across the country, Walt Disney World also shared its plans for a “phased reopening” of some of its Florida parks, beginning July 11.
