Disneyland blasts state’s guidance as theme park to remain closed amid coronavirus

Disneyland is likely to be closed for several more weeks, following long-awaited pandemic guidance released Tuesday by the state of California.

Theme parks are allowed to reopen only when the county in which they are located is outside the red tier of the state’s four-tier opening system.

Because of the outbreak in Orange County, where Disneyland is based, it could be weeks or months before the coronavirus criteria is met.

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Disney blasted the latest guidance as arbitrary and had already blamed state restrictions for the layoffs of thousands of its workers.

A statement from Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock said, “We have proven that we can responsibly reopen, with science-based health and safety protocols strictly enforced at our theme park properties around the world. Nevertheless, the State of California continues to ignore this fact, instead mandating arbitrary guidelines that it knows are unworkable and that hold us to a standard vastly different from other reopened businesses and state-operated facilities. Together with our labor unions we want to get people back to work, but these State guidelines will keep us shuttered for the foreseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work, leading to the inevitable closure of small family-owned businesses, and irreparably devastating the Anaheim/Southern California community.”

The entertainment giant reopened its theme parks in Florida in July and says its COVID-19 prevention protocols are working well there.

Prior to the extended closure, the original Disney theme park had only closed for JFK’s assassination and the Sept. 11 terror attacks.