Josh D’Amaro is itching to reopen the Happiest Place on Earth.
D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and the former president of Disneyland, told the Dow Report on Tuesday that the company is ready to reopen the Disneyland Resort, which includes Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, in Anaheim as soon as California health officials allow it.
“The reality is I don’t have an opening date for Disneyland right now,” D’Amaro said. “In fact, we don’t have any California guidelines for opening. And as soon as those dates and those guidelines are set, I can tell you we’re ready.”
A Spectrum News 1 email message to the California Health and Human Services Agency, which will oversee the reopening of theme parks across the state, was not returned as of press time.
D’Amaro’s statement comes a day after Disney sent a notice to its furloughed Disneyland and Walt Disney World employees to brace for an extended furlough as the coronavirus pandemic continues. A few days ago, Orange County, Calif. was removed from the state's coronavirus watch list that monitors the number of virus cases in the county.
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure have been closed since mid-March because of the initial coronavirus outbreak and mandatory state shutdown of nonessential businesses to prevent the spread of the virus. The closure of the Anaheim theme parks, which bring in more than 20 million visitors annually to the area, has crippled local businesses and hotels that rely on tourists. D’Amaro said he understands the importance of reopening Disneyland not just for the employees but to boost the local economy.
“Needless to say, we’re eager to get the engine going again,” D’Amaro said. “I want to get cast members back to work as quickly as I can.”
The extended furlough notice was sent to a majority of Disneyland Resort’s 30,000 employees and employees at Walt Disney World in Florida.
“Due to business circumstances that were not reasonably foreseeable at the time and given the unprecedented and ongoing nature of the pandemic and its impact on our businesses, we regret to inform you that we now reasonably expect your furlough could extend beyond six months from your initial furlough date,” according to the Disney email obtained by Spectrum News 1. “We wish we had been able to provide you with more notice, and we have acted as quickly as we could, given the rapidly changing situation.”
The coronavirus pandemic and force closures of its theme parks, which are an integral part of the company, have significantly hurt Disney's finances. In its most recent earnings call, Disney reported losing nearly $5 billion so far this year.
But as coronavirus cases around the world dwindle, Disney has reopened some of its theme parks with fewer guests, limited operating hours, and enhanced health screening and cleaning.
Disney has reopened Shanghai Disneyland in May; Walt Disney World in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan in July; and Hong Kong Disneyland in mid-June before having to close it again a month later due to a spike in coronavirus cases in that city. While the Disneyland theme parks remain closed, Disney has reopened its Downtown Disney District outdoor retail strip in Anaheim.
Disney had announced that Disneyland would reopen on its 65th anniversary on July 17 but had to double back on the statement since the state had yet released reopening guidelines for theme parks, and a few unions balked on Disney’s safety plans to bring employees back to work safely. Disney has said it needs the state’s approval and its guidance on bringing employees safely back to work.
On the Dow Report, D’Amaro said guests who have visited the reopened Disney parks accept the enhanced safety measures. Disney has also increased its reliance on technology to manage park capacity and provide a contactless experience for guests.
“Guests have been very, very accepting of the new protocols that we’ve put in place and that’s given us confidence in opening our other theme parks around the world,” D’Amaro said.
In a follow-up, a Disneyland spokesman told Spectrum News 1 that Disney is still awaiting guidance from California and that the state has given no timetable as to when those guidelines would be released. Disney, the spokesman said, continues to negotiate with other union leaders on new enhanced safety protocols for workers. So far, Disney has agreements with 20 unions.
One positive indicator for the reopening of Disneyland is that Orange County was removed from the state’s coronavirus watchlist on Saturday. If the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward in the next couple of weeks, this could allow for the resumption of more schools reopening to in-person learning and reopening of businesses. As of Wednesday, Orange County recorded a total of 46,642 coronavirus cases and 912 deaths. Anaheim has 8,006 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, the second-most in the county behind Santa Ana.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would announce new guidelines for reopening some businesses later this week
When asked when he thinks things will go back to normal, D’Amaro said he is not sure but believes this experience will make everyone stronger.
“I know that might be hard to believe right now, but I believe we’re going to come out stronger than when we went in," D'Amaro said. "And when the Disney guests are ready to come back and visit our theme parks and go on our cruise ships or on our adventures, we’re going to be ready.”