The Walt Disney Co. has announced that Shanghai Disneyland will be the first of its parks to reopen, but don’t expect any more to come rushing back.
During its second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced that the coronavirus pandemic had impacted its Parks, Experiences and Products to the tune of around $1B. The overall impact to the company is estimated to be $1.4B.
Part of this impact came from the closure of all Disney parks globally. It now appears the company is ready to try out a “cautious, sensible approach” to reopening the parks beginning with Shanghai Disneyland. It was the first of the parks to close at the end of Jan. of this year.
The current plans call for Shanghai Disneyland to reopen on May 11 but with several new steps including limited and pulsed attendance involving a reservation system. There will also be controlled guest density that adheres to social distancing in ride queues. There will also be temperature checks.
Shanghai Disney was the first to close in Jan., followed by Tokyo in February, and March saw the closures of the U.S. parks and Disneyland Paris.
When the other parks may come back online is a mystery for now, but going by the measure of Shanghai Disneyland, it’s going to be some time still.
