ANAHEIM, Calif. — With the news of the delayed reopening of the Disney theme parks hitting the ears of fans Wednesday night, some took to social media to react after learning the news that their Mickey ears would have to remain tucked away.
The reopening of Disney theme parks and resort hotels, initially scheduled for July 17, was put on hold and the new reopening date will not be issued until after July 4, according to a news release by the company. The decision was based on California’s health and safety guidelines to keep the cast members and guests safe from contracting COVID-19 because of the high guest and cast member density.
Many fans were sad about the announcement, but in agreement that the theme parks’ initial reopening was premature.
"This is for the best for both castmembers & guests,” said Twitter user A Life in the Parks.
Another Twitter user thanked the company for thinking of its employees' health.
“It’s sad the park reopening will be delayed, but thank you so much for prioritizing the health and safety over anything.”
Other fans expressed their sorrow over the continued closure a little more visually. One user used a gif of crying Stitch under pouring rain.
A common concern for frequent Disney-goers was regarding their annual passport expiration date or potential refund, since they have been unable to attend the parks since it closed on March 14. Disney parks have only closed a handful of times, with the last time being after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Disneyland announced that annual passport expiration dates will be adjusted accordingly when the parks reopen. According to the Disneyland website, if guests would rather cancel their annual passport for a partial refund, they can contact the annual passport member services, but a “heavy call volume” should be expected.
On Twitter, some Disney fans called for Florida’s Walt Disney World to take a similar action as California Disney parks. The Florida parks are still scheduled for a phased reopening on July 11, according to the Walt Disney World website.
Despite the overall positive reactions about Disneyland’s continued closure, some people were disappointed about the parks remaining empty because it meant cast members would still be out of work. In its recent announcement, Disney expressed their attempts to get cast members back to work as soon as it is safe in light of their discussion with the Master Service Council.
"The signed agreement details plans that include enhanced safety protocols that will allow us to responsibly reopen, and get thousands of our cast members back to work," the announcement read.
In the end, if the thought of not feeling the Disney magic in the foreseeable future is too much to bear, the Downtown Disney District is set to reopen on July 9 with health and safety precautions in place, including limited parking and temperature screenings upon entrance.