Disney's initial tweets about trying to keep their parks open amid the Coronavirus outbreak had people on the Internet upset. Public reaction and outcry was so swift that the Disney Parks in California, both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure have both been closed for just the fourth time ever. As Coronavirus builds across the nation and the world, more and more public events are facing the realities of cancellations and delays. Even as concerns swell around the financial markets, public safety has to come first at these times.
It's been a wild week as the entertainment world has had to adjust to the realities of the Coronavirus. Movies have been pushed to other dates, premieres have been shuffled, and conventions have taken a backseat to public safety. Things are going to be weird for a second, but that's just facts right now. Disney is doing the right thing after getting a gentle push from their fans. The company has since released a statement about closing the parks, which you can read below:
"While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California's executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month. The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open. We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will. Continue to pay cast members during this time.
"Disneyland Resort will work with guests who wish to change or cancel their visits, and will provide refunds to those who have hotel bookings during this closure period. We anticipate heavy call volume over the next several days and appreciate guests' patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries.
"Please contact The Walt Disney Travel Company for questions and cancellations at 714-520-5050."
Disney is expected to open the gates of the park again on April 1st, but that will be subject to changes as officials continue to monitor the situation. Walt Disney World in Florida remains an entirely different matter, although a statement could be coming along later this week to determine what's going on with that.
Check out some of the responses below:
So....what's gonna happen?
Some work to be done for sure