Disneyland, Universal and other California theme parks can reopen April 1

[JoshF]

https://www.ocregister.com/2021/03/...her-california-theme-parks-can-reopen-april-1

 

[amyg1975]

Such wonderful news! I wonder what it means for Touch of Disney now?

 

[JoshF]

It's only to California residents at first

 

[JoshF]

California theme parks can reopen April 1 under updated guidelines from the state’s health department following a year of coronavirus closures that cost the parks billions and forced them to shed tens of thousands of jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new California theme park guidelines and opening date are part of a “refresh” of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-tier Blueprint for a Safer Economy.
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California theme parks have been closed since March 2020 under COVID-19 health and safety reopening guidelines issued by the state. Many parks have partially reopened for special events and food festivals without rides.
The Newsom administration’s “Blueprint Refresh” allows Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California and other California theme parks to reopen as early as April 1 once the counties they are located in reach the red/substantial tier 2 risk status.
Starting on April 1, California theme parks can reopen at 15% capacity in the red/substantial tier 2. Capacity levels will shift in the orange/moderate tier 3 and yellow/minimal tier 4.
Theme park attendance will be limited to California residents. Updated guidelines will be worked out over the next couple of weeks in partnership with theme parks.
“We appreciate the administration’s willingness to work with the state’s theme parks on the finer details of the plan so parks can responsibly reopen soon, putting people safely back to work and reinvigorating local economies,” California Attractions and Parks Association executive director Erin Guerrero said in a statement.
Most California counties with major theme parks still remain in the most-restrictive purple/widespread tier 1 risk level — including Orange (Disneyland and Knott’s), Los Angeles County (Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain), San Diego (SeaWorld and Legoland) and Solano (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom).
Orange and Los Angeles counties are expected to move into the red/substantial tier 2 next week — meaning Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s, Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain could reopen on April 1.
Santa Clara County — home to California’s Great America — is currently in the red/substantial tier 2 risk level. The Santa Clara amusement park has already set a reopening date of May 22.
Under the revised theme park guidelines, capacity limits will be placed on indoor rides and attractions.
The move is an abrupt about-face from the “slow, stubborn and stringent” approach to reopening California theme parks taken by the Newsom administration last fall.
In October, California officials issued separate reopening guidelines for smaller and larger theme parks in the state — with small parks allowed to reopen in the orange/moderate tier 3 while large parks could return in yellow/minimal tier 4. Attendance capacity was set at 25% in both tiers.
The California Attractions and Parks Association said the initial guidelines issued in October would keep the state’s large theme parks “closed Indefinitely.”
The “Blueprint Refresh” no longer makes a distinction between large and small California theme parks.

 

[closetmickey]

Thankful for steps in the right direction but 15% capacity is ridiculous

 

[mom2rtk]

April 1st. That 15% capacity is an April Fool's Day joke, right?

Honestly, that's so ridiculous that I wouldn't blame them for selling all that capacity as a special event at a ridiculous cost.

 

[closetmickey]

April 1st. That 15% capacity is an April Fool's Day joke, right?

Honestly, that's so ridiculous that I wouldn't blame them for selling all that capacity as a special event at a ridiculous cost.

Especially without any current AP holders...

 

[mom2rtk]

Anyone wanna bet they sell it at that capacity as half day tickets so they can double up?

 

[DLgal]

Anyone wanna bet they sell it at that capacity as half day tickets so they can double up?

Either that or they just wait a few more weeks until Orange tier. We will be there soon at the rate we are going.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Ahhh what a roller coaster.

 

[StarGirl11]

Such wonderful news! I wonder what it means for Touch of Disney now?

yeah I’m curious about this. While it doesn’t impact me since I won’t be back until July and hopefully the CA only restriction will have been lifted by then. I know I saw people in FB groups talking about coming to town for this. So this ought to make things interesting.

 

[DLgal]

yeah I’m curious about this. While it doesn’t impact me since I won’t be back until July and hopefully the CA only restriction will have been lifted by then. I know I saw people in FB groups talking about coming to town for this. So this ought to make things interesting.

I wonder if they would keep that going at DCA while opening Disneyland park?

 

[ScubaCat]

WDW reopened around 15%, if that even. My Peter Pan walk-on with a stay-on double ride at 2:30pm tells me it was 15% IF THAT even!

 

[StarGirl11]

I wonder if they would keep that going at DCA while opening Disneyland park?

That seems the most probable to me. Keep the hard ticket events to DCA and make an extra buck while waiting to be cleared to do out of state sales. Keep both sides somewhat happy until the rest of the restrictions lift.

 

[jkips]

Being there when it’s only 15% capacity could be real nice. As in once-in-a lifetime less crowded nice

 

[DLgal]

WDW reopened around 15%, if that even. My Peter Pan walk-on with a stay-on double ride at 2:30pm tells me it was 15% IF THAT even!

It reopened at 25%. They said it officially.

 

[ScubaCat]

Being there when it’s only 15% capacity could be real nice. As in once-in-a lifetime less crowded nice

If you have a chance, I highly recommend it. I was apprehensive flying to Florida early August, but I'll never get that chance again to experience such low crowds. Even with a lot of things closed, it was like being back in the 80's off-season again.

 

[StarGirl11]

Being there when it’s only 15% capacity could be real nice. As in once-in-a lifetime less crowded nice

I didn’t get to do the 15 percent crowd at WDW. But I did get to do NYE at 30 percent and it was so nice. You can get so much done with limited capacity.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I mean, it will take awhile to actually get the parks open. I imagine they’d want to actually hit red first and certainly might want to wait until Orange capacity (whatever that is) is ensured. I also assume they wouldn’t have sold through April 19 if they thought they could get the parks back up before then. They need to get cast back and trained, figure out tickets/memberships/whatever, etc. So I’d still think maybe end of April/early May would be the soonest to actually open?

 

[ScubaCat]

It reopened at 25%. They said it officially.

*capacity*, but they didn't fill that up all the days the first few weeks. Not even close, really, especially during the week other than DHS.