Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California closed on the morning of March 14, 2020 for the longest closure in Disneyland history. Keep reading for more information about this historic, continued closure.
Disneyland CLOSED Quick Info
When Disneyland information first came out regarding the closure, many people were in a panic. I gathered all the quick info and what you needed to know now right here.
- Disneyland extended closure now closed until further notice. Not date given.
- Here’s what to do if you need to cancel your vacation here. Please visit this article for more information.
- Disneyland tickets have new, extended expiration dates. See the how long you can use your Disneyland ticket.
- Unused tickets can indeed be used after the expiration date. Plus, expiration dates have been extended on some tickets. Read more here.
- If you have a partially used ticket or are an Annual Passholder, read this.
- Disneyland is in constant contact with health and government officials, they will reopen as soon as it’s safe to do so
- Many hotels, including my ticket partner Get Away Today are loosening their cancellation and change policies, please contact your original booking method. They are in touch with the most immediately effected customers as a first priority.
Disneyland California CLOSED Official Statement
Disneyland Resort released this statement:
While there have been no reported cases of CV at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California’s executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month.
The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open (Update: Most of Downtown Disney has closed or is under modified hours). We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will continue to pay cast members during this time.
Disneyland Resort will work with guests who wish to change or cancel their visits, and will provide refunds to those who have hotel bookings during this closure period. We anticipate heavy call volume over the next several days and appreciate guests’ patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries.
Please contact The Walt Disney Travel Company for questions and cancellations at (714) 520-5050. Find the entire statement here.
How many times has Disneyland closed?
Disneyland has closed opened in 1955 and has only closed three times: 1963, 2001 and 2020. Here’s a breakdown of each of those closure events:
- Disneyland closed for one day on November 23, 1963 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
- Disneyland closed for one day on September 11, 2001 following the terrorist attacks on multiple U.S. sites, including the World Trade Center in New York City.
- Disneyland closed for ?? days on March 14, 2020 due to a global pandemic.
When will Disneyland Reopen?
Disneyland Resort has begun reopening with Downtown Disney. All reopening updates will be published here.
Disneyland Resort CLOSED My Statement
Here’s the truth. I drafted this article on March 11, 2020 wondering if I would ever publish it. It’s one of those eerie “If you’re reading this then . . .” phrases you hear in the movies. But today our temporary ending is “then Disneyland is closed due to health concerns.”
A couple weeks ago I didn’t imagine I would have to draft an article like this. It’s insane. I told everyone everything I knew, closure wasn’t a concern for Disneyland Resort at this time; business as usual.
There’s nothing “usual” about things now. I knew things were getting heated when I spent most of my last Disneyland Resort visit formulating official statements with the co-founders of Disneyland with Kids.
We as Americans hate to see our lives change, it’s what brings us back to Disneyland again and again, the sense of safety and familiarity. The Walt Disney Company has been around 1923 and has been through a lot both internally and externally.
Disneyland Plans to Rebook or Not?
Many of you might be wondering if you should rebook for Walt Disney World now or delay your travel. A wait and see approach is what many people are doing. Now is the perfect time to research for upcoming events at Disneyland Resort, especially if you’re delaying your travel a bit:
- Avengers Campus expected arrival shortly after reopening
- Halloween Time hits Disneyland this fall, will we get Oogie Boogie Bash back?
- Christmas at Disneyland Resort
Disney Parks Reopen Around the World
There’s a lot of speculation surrounding the reopening of Disneyland Resort. Part of it is kinda fun to dig into what’s happening at other parks to see if we can make some assumptions.
I definitely have my assumptions based on things we can observe at other parks. But I also try to remember that each of these parks around the world are not only part of the Walt Disney Company, but operate under various governments. Keep those things in mind as we look around the world for answers.
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World has announced reopening in a phased approach with select parks beginning July 11th.
- Walt Disney head of parks Josh D’Amaro has been appointed to the Governor of Florida’s reopening task force
- May 20, 2020 Disney Springs third party locations open (similar to Disneyland’s Downtown Disney)
- May 27, 2020 Disney Springs Disney owned locations open
Shanghai Disney Resort
Shanghai Disney Resort was the first park around the world to resume operations after closures.
Here’s a recap of what happened there with direct links to official park pages for the most up to date information.
- January 25, 2020 Shanghai Disney Resort closure began
- March 9, 2020 Shanghai Disney Resort phased reopening began
- March 9, 2020 Shanghai Disney Resort Disneytown (similar to Downtown Disney) reopens
- March 9, 2020 Shanghai Disney Resort Wishing Star Park reopens
- March 9, 2020 Shanghai Disneyland Hotel reopens
- March 14, 2020Shanghai Disney Resort character dining Lumiere’s Kitchen reopens
- May 11, 2020 Shanghai Disney theme park reopens
Listening to the call with Disney live, here’s a few things you should know about the reopening of Shanghai Disney. For reopening they will do so with “advanced reservations, masks, temperature screening and contact tracing systems” as announced by Disney CEO Bob Chapek during the Q2 Disney company quarterly call. You can listen to the replay here.
To further clarify, later in the call Bob Chapek mentioned masks will be for guests and cast members with the exclusion of face characters who will be at a distance. He also said Shanghai will have something similar to dated tickets to keep attendance levels at bay, and did mention it’s not necessarily what they will be doing in the U.S. parks. Again, click the link above and hear it right from the source.
Shanghai government asks Disney to reduce attendance to 30% and Disney will work their way up to 30%, they won’t jump right into 30%.
Shanghai Disney also notes new policies and procedures in place since reopening:
“The resort will provide an extensive range of measures, designed to ensure a safe and healthy experience for all guests, Cast Members and Disneytown tenant employees, including strict and comprehensive approaches on sanitization, disinfection and cleanliness. In accordance with relevant regulations, every guest entering Shanghai Disney Resort will be required to undergo temperature screening procedures and present their Shanghai QR Code.”
“Only guests with a green Shanghai QR Code will be allowed to enter the resort. Guests must wear a mask during their entire visit (except when dining), and will also be reminded to maintain respectful social distances at all times while in stores, queues and restaurants.”
The Shanghai QR Code mentioned above is not a Disney feature or policy. It is a color coded system issued by the Chinese government (see NYTimes article explaining the details).
View all the latest information from Shanghai Disney Resort here.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
Here is the official website of Hong Kong Disneyland with most up to date information.
- January 26, 2020 Hong Kong Disneyland closure began
- Inspiration Hong Kong Disneyland Lake Recreation Centre remains open
Hong Kong Disneyland closure announcement:
“As a precautionary measure in line with preventive efforts taking place across Hong Kong, we are temporarily closing Hong Kong Disneyland Park out of consideration for the health and safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”
“We are in close contact with health authorities and the government about the situation and will announce a reopening date once they determine it is advisable. Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre remains open as usual.”
Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort has been the most forthcoming (date-wise) about reopening. Here’s what’s happening there with direct links to official park pages for the most up to date information.
- February 27, 2020 Tokyo Disney Resort closure began
- April 20, 2020 Tokyo Disney Resort first planned to reopen, but was extended
- May 15, 2020 Tokyo Disney reopening date to be determined and announced
Good News from Disneyland
I love a bit of good news, especially during this time of doom and gloom. I’ve gathered some good news coming out of Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim area for you to enjoy.
Disney Executive Chairman, Bob Iger named to California’s reopening task force by California Governor Newsom. I was watching the Governor’s daily briefing when he brought on Bob Iger to speak, his remarks were cut short due to technical glitches but I am still very pleased to see Bob Iger is part of a major task force to keep things safely moving toward the future for the state of California.
I don’t know about you but I am ready for a sense of familiarity to return. As soon as our health isn’t in jeopardy, I will be returning to Disneyland as soon as possible. Please, share your thoughts in the comments below. While we can’t connect in person at Disneyland, I want to hear from you here.
