Traveling to Disney Parks during COVID-19: What you need to know before you go
If you’re planning to travel to one of the Disney Parks & Resorts around the world, here’s what you’ll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The basics
At the moment, the Disney Parks in Hong Kong, Paris and Los Angeles are closed because of the pandemic.
Some parks began to tentatively reopen over the summer, although restrictions are in place, with rules varying depending on each park’s location.
In Florida, most of Disney World’s parks are open, and Blizzard Beach water park is due reopen on March 7.
No reopening date has been set for Typhoon Lagoon, however.
Disneyland Paris was originally scheduled to reopen on February 13. However, the park recently announced it is moving its reopening date to April 2 “due to the prevailing conditions in Europe.”
Though Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are open, a visitor cap is reportedly in place until at least March 7, with each park allowing 5,000 visitors per day, excluding those who have already bought advance tickets.
What’s on offer
The original and, some might say, best, theme parks, Disney’s resorts remain a magical experience for all the family. From vertiginous rides to firework displays, and of course the chance to meet classic characters, a trip to a Disney Park makes memories that last a lifetime.
Who can go
Entry to each Disney Park is dependent on local travel restrictions. That means locations in the United States are only open to foreign visitors from outside the European Schengen Area, UK, Ireland, China, Iran and Brazil, while its Paris location — when it reopens — will be subject to France’s entry rules, which prevent most non-EU nationals from coming into the country.
Only locals and returning citizens can access its Tokyo and (currently closed) Hong Kong parks, while its Shanghai resort can only be accessed by locals or those who meet China’s strict entry requirements, including two negative test results taken within 48 hours of departures.
What are the restrictions?
All Disney Parks require guests to wear masks, and some parks’ mask requirements are more stringent than others. For instance, Walt Disney World, Florida, mandates face coverings for everyone two or older, including people who have been vaccinated.
Every park has reduced capacity, and guests must take a temperature check on entry and observe social distancing at all times.
What’s the COVID situation?
Exact numbers of cases linked to Disney Parks are unclear.
What can visitors expect?
Disney World, Florida, canceled its parade and fireworks indefinitely in a bid to keep guests safely apart. Parades are also suspended.
Disney also said there will be no Super Bowl victory parade down the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street U.S.A. in 2021 because of the pandemic.
Older interactive games, such as the hands-on scavenger hunt game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, have been closed.
Capacity has also been cut, with numbers further limited in restaurants and in queues to prevent overcrowding.
Despite this, guests can still dine in at their favorite restaurants and enjoy the rides, though character meet-and-greets have been replaced by socially distanced character processions.
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Our latest coverage
Repeat visits to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure haven’t been possible since the theme parks closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, the parks’ annual pass program is officially coming to an end. Disney Parks announced January 13 that it will cancel annual passes and replace them with a new program.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise is getting a 21st century makeover after years of criticism. And officials announced that Disneyland Resort in Anaheim will soon be the first “super” COVID-19 vaccination site in Orange County, California.
Walt Disney World reopened in July, but it hasn’t all been good news in the Disney world — the company has laid off 28,000 employees in the US because of the pandemic, and profits from its parks in China might drop by $280 million.
