The Disneyland castle in California. Photo: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
After a more than yearlong closure, Disneyland's two California theme parks will reopen their doors to the general public on April 30, Disney announced in a statement Wednesday.
Why it matters: As Axios' Sara Fischer previously noted, Disney said in February that it did not expect to reopen its California parks until the end of Q2 2021. The April 3o reopening reflects a growing confidence in safety due to dropping COVID-19 cases and increased vaccinations.
- The closure of the parks also resulted in profit losses for Disney. The gradual reopenings spell the road to recovery.
- CEO Bob Chapek said on CNBC the two parks will operate at only around 15% capacity at first.
Flashback: California's Department of Public Health announced earlier this month that amusement parks and sports centers could begin reopening April 1, albeit with safety protocols still in place.
Details: Theme park capacity will be limited to comply with government regulations and social distancing will still be enforced, according to the statement.
- Disney will implement a new park reservation system to manage attendance.
- The parks will only be open to California state residents.