Downtown Disney Moving Forward With Reopening As Coronavirus Cases In California Spike
As cases of the novel coronavirus reach record highs in California, Disney is moving forward with reopening Downtown Disney, People reported on Wednesday. The dining and retail sector of California’s Disneyland theme park will open restaurants with outdoor seating only in order to comply with Gov. Newsom’s new order to shut down indoor dining because of the spike in cases throughout the state. Newsom’s latest order forces restaurants, bars, and entertainment establishments to close down their indoor operations.
Disneyland announced that Downtown Disney will reopen on July 9, as they had previously planned. According to People, both Disney-owned and -operated businesses and third party-owned businesses in Downtown Disney will be reopening on that date. Disneyland had planned to offer indoor seating at the restaurants in Downtown Disney but have updated their plans based on Gov. Newsom’s order.
Per the Disneyland website, Downtown Disney has made significant changes to its operations in order to ensure the safety of their guests. Handwashing and hand sanitizing stations have been added throughout the area. All businesses will be required to space out their lines to comply with social distancing guidelines, and all restaurants must space their tables to accommodate social distancing. Downtown Disney will only be offering limited parking as well. Guests will be required to have their temperatures taken before entering the district and will be required to wear face masks.
Downtown Disney is also suggesting that guests forgo using cash at their stores and restaurants. The website states that guests should use debit cards, credit cards, or mobile wallet applications whenever possible to limit the amount of contact between guests and employees.
Additionally, the Disneyland website stated that Cast Members — the name Disney gives all of their employees — will be constantly strolling through Downtown Disney to ensure that guests are complying with the new safety measures. Cast Members will also be available to answer questions about the new safety measures and help guests acclimate to the new Downtown Disney experience.
Though Disney is moving forward with opening Downtown Disney, the company announced last week that they will be postponing the opening of the Disneyland Resort. The resort and Disney California Adventure Park had been set to open on July 17, but the company chose to postpone both openings because they had not received guidance from the state about reopening theme parks. Disney did not give a new target date for reopening either Disneyland Resort or Disney California Adventure Park but said they would announce a date as soon as they had more information from the state.
