Disney, Universal Say California Parks Are Ready To Reopen
ANAHEIM (CBSLA) -- Every day the rides and main attractions at theme parks remain closed in California.
Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, said it's not just the parks that lose, but the people around them.
"Not just thousands. Not just tens of thousands. But really, when you talk about these operations, hundreds of thousands of jobs are connected to these operations," he said at a roundtable on Wednesday, where executives from Disney, Universal, and Seaworld met to show Gov. Newsom that they are ready to reopen on a limited basis.
Parks in Florida got the green light to reopen with new safety guidelines months ago and have been operating ever since. Online reservations, social distancing, and masks are some of the new requirements at Florida theme parks.
Now that Orange County is off the state's COVID-19 watch list, Disney and Seaworld are hoping to begin operations again soon.
"I have a personal feeling that by maybe early October Disney may be able to resume some operations in the theme parks," said Dusty Sage, Disney super fan and founder of the blog MiceChat
Universal Hollywood and Knott's Berry Farm are already open for dining and shopping. On Friday, Seaworld will follow suit. Disneyland remains the only theme park in Southern California to remain completely closed.
Sage said he fears that if Disney stays closed too long, some businesses may never come back.
"If they're not back up to full speed pretty quick, this recession is just going to push more and more people out of their homes," he said. "Once you have no home, the last thing on your mind is going to be going to a theme park."
Some guests said they wouldn't mind new and stricter guidelines, just to see Disneyland open again.
"I think they could open if they did it right," said one guest, who CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Stacey Butler spoke to. "They would have to open it and take reservations."
