Disneyland gets a pass on restrictions in place for events with large gatherings to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The theme park, which hosts an average of 50,000 visitors per day in Anaheim, California, was exempted from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide restriction on events with more than 250 guests. The Democrat said amusement parks, including Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood, would not be included in the group size restrictions “because of the complexity of their unique circumstances.”
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Casinos and movie theaters were also exempted from the large group restrictions. Newsom noted that he spoke to Disney’s chief executive Bob Iger on Wednesday to address the situation. Pamela Hymel, chief medical officer for Disney Parks, said the parks have sanitation procedures in place to mitigate the spread of the disease.
“As part of our commitment to the health and well-being of our cast, guests, and the larger community, we are carefully monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation and are in regular contact with health agencies for information and guidance,” Hymel said Tuesday. “Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are welcoming guests as usual, and we continue to implement preventive measures in line with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies.”
A spokesman for Universal Studios, Tom Schroder, offered a similar response, telling the Hollywood Reporter: “We are in frequent contact with health officials, our own health experts, and others in our industry, and we are closely monitoring the situation. We are communicating with our team members and reinforcing our best-practice health and hygiene procedures. We are also educating them on basic preventive measures.”
He added: “In addition, we are reviewing and enhancing our already aggressive cleaning protocols. And for the comfort and convenience of our guests, we are increasing the number of hand sanitizer units in our parks. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and be ready to act as needed.”
Disney Parks in China, Hong Kong, and Tokyo were all closed because of coronavirus. The company released a FAQ sheet about the illness outlining how the parks were managing the outbreak in the United States. The company has not announced the intention to close or limit exhibits at Disneyland or Disney World in Florida.
Newsom implemented the large group policy on Wednesday after the total number of infected people in the state surpassed 175. The Democratic governor commended the Trump administration for its responsiveness to the outbreak in his state.
UPDATE: Disney announced that it would be closing Disneyland on Friday due to the coronavirus. The decison is only the fourth time the park has closed in its history. The previous closures followed the Sept. 11 attacks, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the Northridge earthquake.
“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, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month,” the park said.
“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,” the park added. “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.”
The park will work to refund visitors whose trips will be canceled because of the changes. Disney has not made any announcements regarding its Disney World park in Florida.
