Mike Morrison, a sixteen-year employee of the Anaheim California Disneyland Resort, misses the bustle that normally comes with one of the world’s most popular theme parks. Disneyland closed down almost a year ago, on March 14, 2020. Morrison expressed that there is an eerie sense of silence as he walks through the park.
Disneyland has taken a large financial hit in the past quarter of $2.6 billion in the midst of a standoff with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Political pressure to re-open businesses by organizers on Democrats aimed at kicking off a recall election. Organizers plan to collect 1.49 million signatures before the March 17 deadline.
Mayor Harry Sidhu reports that 9 to 12 percent of unemployment has profoundly affected the region since the theme parks’ closing. Sidhu says:
Anaheim faces a $115 million budget deficit from lost revenue from hotel stays and visitor spending.
California Assembly Member Sharon Quirk-Silva and Suzette Valladares put into motion legislation for speeding up business re-openings. For re-openings, Orange County would have to move into the moderate risk tier rather than the minimal tier. Mayor Sidhu has endorsed the bill, but Disneyland has not commented.
California Adventure will be expanding its shopping and dining in March, returning over 1,000 union workers to work. SoCal theme parks are pushing to re-open but are receiving pushback from the state.
Disney’s Walt Disney World’s Florida location re-opened July 11, 2020, and has placed CDC protocols in place to ensure a safe and healthy experience. They enforce temperature screening, social distancing, new cleaning procedures, and the wearing of face masks as a park mandate.
Mayor Sidhu said:
We need a clear path forward for the phased reopening of our theme parks, convention center and sports venues, We can continue our progress against coronavirus as we work on safe and gradual economic recovery of our city.
Written by Omari Jahi
Sources:
The Hollywood Reporter: Disneyland v. Gov. Newsom: When Will the Standoff Over Reopening End? Ryan Parker
The Orange County Register: Disneyland to manage crowds with upcoming changes to annual pass program, Disney CEO says, BRADY MACDONALD
Deseret News: What’s next for Disneyland? We learned a little more this week, Herb Scribner.
Feature Image by Tomás Del Coro Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Bernard Spragg’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
