Disney to reopen California parks a year after COVID closed them

Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park, which closed their gates on March 14 last year, are among the last of the company’s properties to welcome back customers.

Walt Disney Co. plans to reopen its two California theme parks on April 30, more than a year after it shut them down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, which closed their gates on March 14 last year, are among the last of the company’s properties to welcome back customers. While Disney’s Paris resort is still shuttered, the four theme parks in Florida have been open since July. Prolonged closings in California became a contentious issue between park operators and Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who kept the properties shuttered long after those in other states reopened. Owners, local officials and related businesses have been lobbying to reopen for months, arguing theme parks haven’t been a significant source of Covid-19 outbreaks.