Disney Parks has announced that Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida are shutting down temporarily to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
On Thursday, less than two hours after California Governor Gavin Newsom held a press conference in which he outlined the new guidance to cancel or postpone gatherings of 250 people, Disney Parks released a statement saying that it would close Disneyland Resort’s Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park starting Saturday, March 14th through the end of the month. To give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements, the hotels at Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16th. Downtown Disney, meanwhile, will remain open.
By Thursday evening, Disney Parks announced that Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Paris Resort would also stop operations by Sunday, March 15th, and remain closed through the end of the month. However, hotels and retail and dining complexes at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice.
The Disney Cruise Line is also suspending all new departures beginning Saturday through the end of March.
Cast members who will be affected by the closure will still get paid during the entire shutdown period. Meanwhile, other Disney employees who are able to work from home are being asked to do so.
Though Disneyland and Disney World are expected to open again on April 1st, this is subject to change as health officials continue to monitor the situation.
As of writing, 11 Disney theme parks across North America, Europe, and Asia have already been closed due to the coronavirus.