Disneyland: State guidelines will ‘keep us shuttered for foreseeable future’
Disneyland has shot back at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening guidelines released today saying they are “arbitrary, “unworkable” and will keep the theme park “shuttered for the foreseeable future.”
The state of California finally released its reopening guidelines for Disneyland and other theme parks today, Oct. 20, requiring a reservation system, limiting capacity to 25% (including indoor dining and drinking establishments) requiring face coverings, social distancing and enhanced sanitary practices.
However, the biggest obstacle appears to be when the theme park would be allowed to reopen.
According to the guidelines, announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly during a press conference, Disneyland can operate under Tier 4 “Yellow” (minimal).
California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy has four designations for counties based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate. At a minimum, counties must remain in a tier for at least 3 weeks before moving forward.
The four tiers are:
- Tier 1 – Purple – Widespread
- Tier 2 – Red – Substantial
- Tier 3 – Orange – Moderate
- Tier 4 – Yellow – Minimal
Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock issued the following statement:
“We have proven that we can responsibly reopen, with science-based health and safety protocols strictly enforced at our theme park properties around the world. Nevertheless, the State of California continues to ignore this fact, instead mandating arbitrary guidelines that it knows are unworkable and that hold us to a standard vastly different from other reopened businesses and state-operated facilities. Togehter with our labor unions we want to get people back to work, but these State guidelines will keep us shuttered for the forseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work, leading to the inevitable closure of small family-owned businesses, and irreparable devasting the Anaheim/Southern California community.”
Disneyland has been closed since March.
Theme parks were originally sent to reopening in Stage 3 in California’s first plan, but that was changed to the new Blueprint plan.
