California’s world-famous theme park, Disneyland, reopened to excited and emotional visitors on Friday after an unprecedented 13-month closure in what tourism officials hope is a sign of the state’s rebound from the pandemic.
The reopening came just four months after the nation’s most populous state was struggling to combat a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations that packed patients into outdoor tents and killed hundreds of people each day.
Some visitors cheered and screamed with happiness as they entered Disneyland, with a few visitors even seen crying with emotion.
‘Not having it for over a year was really kind of hard for us, and so it´s just really nice to be able to come back,’ said Jaki Montanez, 27, who drove 340 miles from Modesto and wore sequined Minnie Mouse ears for the occasion.
The park and neighboring Disney California Adventure will reopen with a capacity that is currently capped at 25 percent under state health rules. Reservations are required, hugs and handshakes with Mickey and other characters are off limits, and the famous parades and fireworks shows have been shelved to limit crowding.
Additionally, the two theme parks will only be open from 9am to 7pm for the time being.
The day began with Disney officials and park employees wearing face coverings gathered in the park’s town square for the morning flag-raising ceremony.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek thanked the colour guard for raising the flag daily throughout the 412-day closure and asked employees to ‘bring the magic back’ for visitors about to enter the park. Chairman Bob Iger was also present for the reopening.
‘We’re not just another place. We’re not just another theme park. We’re something special and we’re something special because of all of you, because you bring magic to the world,’ he said.
For now, the park is allowing only in-state visitors and operating at limited capacity.
The park now has hand sanitizing stations and signs reminding visitors to keep their distance and wear masks. Benches are marked as ‘designated dining areas’ where visitors can remove face coverings to eat.
