The Disneyland Resort theme parks have been closed for almost a year now. California reopening guidelines are very strict. The city of Anaheim is now supporting a bill to speed up Disneyland’s reopening.
Right now, California counties need to reach the lowest level the least restrictive COVID-19 tier in order for larger theme parks to reopen. Orange County, where Disneyland resides, has been in the most restrictive tier since November.
Related – California theme parks are Ready To Reopen Responsibly
On Tuesday, the Anaheim City Council voted 6-1 to support a state assembly bill that would alter the reopening guidelines for theme parks. The bill would allow large theme parks to reopen in the moderate tier instead of the minimal one.
The safe reopening of Disney parks is essential for the city’s economic recovery according to mayor Harry Sidhu. The reopening of Disneyland would allow thousands of people to return to work and small businesses near the park could rebound sooner.
“Nobody is saying we want to reopen Disneyland today,” Sidhu said. “This legislation does not seek to change the tiers. It only expresses that large theme parks with the bigger footprints and significantly greater resources to establish safety protocols should be able to open in the same tier as the small parks.”
Disneyland has been ready to open for months now and can reopen safely and responsibly.
“It’ll help us get our people back to work. Our residents or workers in the resort district have been hit very, very hard by the pandemic. I believe we can open responsibly, responsibly and safely, while also protecting the health which is most important of our staff and guests,” Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Faessel said.
If the bill passes and Disneyland is able to reopen in the moderate tier, it could still be early April before the parks open. Until then, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney are open for select shopping and dining experiences.
