Will Disneyland close on weekdays when theme parks reopen? – Orange County Register
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The return of Hong Kong Disneyland after a second extended coronavirus closure comes with an unusual twist: The Disney park in the communist-controlled city will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the initial reopening stage.
Which raises the question: Could Disneyland or Disney California Adventure remain closed on select weekdays once the Anaheim theme parks reopen?
Disneyland, DCA and other California theme parks closed in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remain shuttered while they await guidelines for safely reopening from the state.
Hong Kong Disneyland re-reopens today, Sept. 25 after reclosing on July 15 — less than a month after its initial reopening following a nearly five-month coronavirus closure.
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Hong Kong Disneyland becomes the first Disney theme park to move away from a 7-day-a-week schedule upon returning from a coronavirus closure.
The move is not entirely surprising. Hong Kong Disneyland is the second least-attended Disney theme park in the world.
The park was struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world. A decrease in operating income at Disney’s international parks during the company’s first quarter was driven by Hong Kong Disneyland, where ongoing protests significantly affected theme park attendance and hotel bookings.
Hong Kong Disneyland was recently stripped of expansion rights to a 150-acre neighboring property that was intended for a second theme park.
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Disney has reduced operating hours at some of its reopened parks around the world as visitors have been slow to return.
The world’s least-attended Disney theme park is France’s Walt Disney Studios Park. The tandem park to Disneyland Paris will be open only five hours daily on select weekdays in October, November and December.
Walt Disney World’s rivals cut days and reduced hours after Florida allowed theme parks to reopen in mid-July. SeaWorld Orlando operated five days a week before moving to six and finally returning to seven days a week. Busch Garden Tampa closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays upon reopening and still remains shuttered on Wednesdays. Universal Orlando quietly reduced hours at its two Florida theme parks in late July.
Regional player Cedar Fair closed many of its reopened parks on select weekdays when crowds failed to materialize — even with reduced capacity limits. Ohio’s Cedar Point and Kings Island are now open weekends only. Herschend Family Entertainment’s Dollywood in Tennessee is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through October.
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What could all this mean for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure?
It’s highly unlikely Disneyland would ever remain closed on weekdays when the park reopens. Disneyland is the second most-attended theme park in the world. The original Disney theme park could likely be filled to a COVID-19 reduced capacity limit every day with annual passholders alone.
Disney California Adventure would be a more likely candidate for reduced hours or days. But that’s improbable as well — since DCA traditionally plays the role of overflow park when Disneyland is crowded.
But 2020 has been the most improbable of years. Anything could happen now that Disney has set the precedent of cutting days and reducing hours with Walt Disney Studios Park and Hong Kong Disneyland.
SEE ALSO: Will Knott’s Berry Farm drop reservations and cut days when theme park reopens?
The more likely candidates for reducing operating days are Disney’s California rivals. Hong Kong Disneyland, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa — all of which cut days from their daily schedules — attract more annual visitors than Knott’s Berry Farm, SeaWorld San Diego, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Legoland California and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
Knott’s, SeaWorld and Discovery Kingdom are already hosting limited time, reduced capacity events without rides on weekends only. It would not be surprising to see the smaller California theme parks ramp up their schedules slowly with reduced calendars to start once they return to full operation after the state issues reopening guidelines.
