Disneyland will reopen to the general public — or, at least California residents — in the next few days, but there are questions about whether the park is safe to attend amid the coronavirus pandemic. So how do experts feel?
Is Disneyland safe?
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor in the UCSF Health Division of Infectious Diseases, recently told SF Gate that the park is relatively safe for most people.
- “Given the social distancing and especially the mask mandates, people will be generally safe,” he said. “The burden of COVID-19 in the state is very low right now, so chances of transmission events happening is low.”
Chin-Hong said the constant COVID-19 tests for cast members help stop cases from spreading throughout the park. Some of the other measures that Disney has added — like temperature checks — don’t really help too much.
- “Temperature checks and enhanced cleaning are nice, but less important from a disease transmission perspective,” he said.
Disneyland is currently only open to California residents, too, in order to keep people safe and away from the virus.
Changes to Disneyland COVID-19 rules
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” plan could allow for people outside of California to visit events and theme parks like Disneyland, according to the OC Register. Disneyland would need to change its own rules to make it happen.
The California Attractions and Parks Association, which represents California theme parks like Disneyland, said the California theme parks might change their rules, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
- “This addendum now allows fully vaccinated persons from out of state to visit or attend activities or events that were previously restricted to in-state visitors,” the CAPA said in a statement, according to the OC Register. “As vaccinations become more widespread and state guidance evolves, individual parks may update their own responsible reopening plans in accordance with state and local public health regulations.”