Disneyland could be closed for a good long while, according to new theme park reopening guidelines set forth by the State of California today.
Of course Disney isn’t happy about this, and neither is the mayor of Anaheim.
Disneyland President Ken Potrock put the State of California on blast in a recent tweet.
— Disney Parks News (@DisneyParksNews) October 20, 2020
The statement reads…
We have proven that we can responsibly reopen, with science-based health and safety protocols strictly enforced at our theme park properties around the world.
Nevertheless, the State of California continues to ignore this fact, instead mandating arbitrary guidelines that it knows are unworkable and that hold us to a standard vastly different from other reopened businesses and state-operated facilities.
Together with our labor unions we want to get people back to work, but these State guidelines will keep us shuttered for the foreseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work, leading to the inevitable closure of small family-owned businesses, and irreparably devastating the Anaheim/Southern California community.
Mayor of Anaheim, Harry Sidhu, echoed the sentiment, citing the economic ramifications of keeping theme parks in Southern California closed indefinitely.
His statement reads…
These guidelines fail working families and small businesses.
As painful as this is, Disney and the City of Anaheim will survive. But too many Anaheim hotels, stores and restaurants will not survive another year of this.
Many are family businesses.
The jobs they provide support to other families. We can safely and responsibly open our theme parks and convention center soon. The unions of the Disneyland Resort agree and not support the reopening of the theme parks in Tier 3 – not Tier 4, which would wipe out jobs in our city and destroy lives.
It’s estimated that Anaheim is losing millions of dollars per day at the Disneyland Resort and surrounding businesses. California’s economy has been ravaged by strict COVID-19 shutdowns, with many businesses choosing to leave the state entirely.
Would Disney ever pull out of California? It’s highly unlikely, but they might want to carefully consider which political party they bankroll.
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