It was just a week ago that I was having some conversation with some of my poker friends about the possibility of the World Series of Poker being cancelled this summer. At the time the books were offering 12-1 odds on this happening, which still seemed like a waste of hard earned dollars. Personally, I chalked this up to another global virus scare and figured that this would all blow over quickly. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
The Disney Cruise line is not allowing new departures starting March 14th.
Now it seems as if the whole world is coming to a grinding halt, including my school district that’s shut down until the end of March. The cherry on top of all of this insanity, the place that almost never closes, Disney, has just announced that Disney parks and cruise line will be closing world wide!
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park Closes
Following many other organizations, Disney announced this morning that the Happiest Place on Earth would close on March 14, 2020 through the end of the month. The Hotels of Disneyland stayed open until Monday, March 16 so that guests had time to plan their departures. While there was no reported cases of COVID-19 within the resort the Disney corporation followed the Governor of California’s executive order and decided it was in the best interest of everyone and shut down. As the number of COVID-19 cases quickly rise in California this seemed to fall into the pattern of other closures. Here’s the full announcement:
While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 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. 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.
Walt Disney World Resorts, including the new Coronado Springs, are to remain open until further notice.
Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Paris and Disney Cruise Lines Closing
On the heels of the first announcement, Disney released the news that starting March 15 the last two parks, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will be closing their doors. In addition, the Disney Cruise Line is also suspending all new departures beginning on March 14. At both of these locations the resorts will remain open until further notice along with Disney Springs and Disney Village.
The official announcement reads:
Timeline:
For those keeping track of the closures. Here is a listing of all the parks worldwide and the dates they closed. As of now, Shanghai has not reopened the park, but has started offering limited services. Meanwhile, Hong Kong is suspending operations until further notice while Tokyo has committed to closing through the end of April.
- Shanghai Disneyland – Closed January 25, 2020
- Hong Kong Disneyland – Closed January 26, 2020
- Tokyo Disneyland – Closed February 29, 2020
- Disneyland Park – Closed starting March 14, 2020
- Disney California Adventure – Closed starting March 14, 2020
- Disney Cruise Line – Suspending all new departures starting March 14, 2020
- Walt Disney World Resort – Closed starting March 15, 2020
- Disneyland Paris – Closed starting March 15, 2020
The last of the Disney parks that were open, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris, closed on March 15.
Upshot
Overall, to have all of the Disney parks and cruise line closing around the world is unprecedented. Timing couldn’t be worse as people like myself are just getting into spring break season, typically the park’s busiest time of year. The upside is Disney, like my employer, is stepping up and paying for all of their employees time off. Although it’s still to early to tell, when do you think each of the parks will reopen?
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