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Disney Parks announced Thursday night that Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris Resort and the Disney Cruise Line will all close amid the spread of the coronavirus.
What’s going on?
- Disney Parks announced that Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris will close on Sunday, March 15, through the end of the month.
- The Disney Cruise Line will end departures after Saturday, March 14, until April.
- Walt Disney Co. will pay all cast members during closure.
What about hotels?
- Hotels at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris will stay open for now.
- Retail and dining services at those locations — like Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris — will stay open, too.
What about Disneyland?
- Disney Parks announced Thursday afternoon that it would close Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, which I wrote about for the Deseret News. Those parks will close March 14 through the end of the month.
- Disneyland Resort will stay open until March 15 so guests can make travel arrangements.
Pressure from social media
- Disney faced a tremendous amount of pressure on social media after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a ban on large gatherings on Thursday afternoon.
- Employees expressed concern about working at Disneyland when the COVID-19 disease was spreading throughout the United States, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
- One cast member told The Verge: “We have heard very little from management about the response to COVID-19. I haven’t heard a single word about other parks closing, almost like it is a dirty secret. I’ve seen a lot of companies talking about extended sick leaves, working from home and working with insurance to ensure free testing, but nothing of the sort from Disney other than ‘wash your hands.’”