Global Disney Parks and Resorts Opening Status: May 1st

I realize that we’re all feeling stressed about life due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As Disney Vacation Club fans, we also hate the idea that the parks aren’t open right now. It feels like the universe is piling on by taking away one of our most beloved hobbies.

Well, I have a bit of good news. Disney theme parks around the world haven’t reopened yet, but activity has begun to ramp up on the various campuses.

Starting today, DVC Resale Market will track all activities at Disney parks around the world. This information should present an accurate picture of how close parks are to returning to normal operations.

Disney Parks and Resorts Status:

The chart posted above demonstrates the operational status of all six Disney parks. I’m also including explanatory sections for each park for those of you who desire additional information.

What’s Open at Shanghai Disneyland

Out of the six Disney parks on the planet, Shanghai Disneyland is the closest to returning. While many observers question the accuracy of the numbers, China is only reporting a handful of new infections daily.

As I type this, they’ve confirmed four new cases today, and it’s already tomorrow in Shanghai. The city, which claims a population of 24.3 million, has reported less than 400 total coronavirus sufferers. So, Shanghai officials are confident that a COVID-19 outbreak is unlikely.

Schools in Shanghai reopened on April 27^th. With school in session, most observers expect Disney to reopen over the next few weeks, possibly as soon as next week.

At this point, park strategists feel like they’re ready to return and are testing several aspects of operations. Several social media users happened to catch a fireworks demonstration on April 29^th. Others have posted pictures of the social distancing line queue setups at some park locations.

Disney fans should expect to get their first dose of good news from Shanghai, hopefully in a matter of days.

Even now, the chart reveals that the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is back in operation. Its restaurant, Lumiere’s Kitchen, is open, too. In fact, Disney is already doing character meals again! Oh, and Disneytown, the park’s equivalent to Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, has returned.

What’s Open at Hong Kong Disneyland

The situation isn’t as rosy at Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong’s total number of reported cases is higher than Shanghai’s but still quite low. Hong Kong has confirmed 1,038, only two of which have happened over the past seven days.

With only two infections in a week, you might expect Hong Kong Disneyland to return soon. Unfortunately, Hong Kong tourism has suffered so much due to civil unrest that the discussion isn’t cut and dried.

Photo Courtesy of DisneyTouristBlog.com

The South China Morning Post believes that the entirety of China will compete for tourism dollars that Hong Kong has historically dominated. To combat this, Tourism Hong Kong organized a web conference yesterday to discuss the precipitous nature of the city’s travel revenue right now.

Still, Disney fans did receive good news this week. Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel started hosting a character meal at Enchanted Garden Restaurant on April 30^th.

That’s a strong sign that the management team isn’t worried about COVID-19 concerns. The Hong Kong government is using some previously undeclared space on the Disney campus to quarantine COVID-19 patients, though. So, nobody’s delusional about the dangers here.

Hong Kong Disneyland could feasibly return soon, too. Due to all the other concerns in the city, the topic isn’t getting discussed much, though.

Something I should mention is that Fantawild, a Chinese theme park akin to Six Flags, has already reopened more than 15 of its parks. So, the Chinese government is okay with theme parks operating during the pandemic.

What’s Open at Tokyo Disneyland

Japan avoided the brunt of the first wave of coronavirus. Then, it received a secondary outbreak long after China’s status had improved. The country spiked from 2,178 cases at the start of April to roughly 14,000 today.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe understandably declared a state of emergency for the entire country that won’t expire until May 6^th. At that point, we’ll know more about the status of Tokyo Disneyland.

Photo Courtesy of DisneyTouristBlog.com

For now, the only place open on the campus is the shopping district, Ikspiari. And the only businesses in operation there are essential ones. A pharmacy, a grocery store, and a dentist remain in business. Everything else is closed.

We’re still a week away from learning what’s in store for Tokyo Disneyland. That’s not good news for anybody, as the park and its sibling, Tokyo DisneySea, are two of the four most popular theme parks in the world.

What’s Open at Disneyland Paris, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World

I’m grouping them together because the news is the same at all Disney theme parks in the Western Hemisphere. They’re all closed right now.

More importantly, each one is working under a stay-at-home order on either the state or federal level. France won’t let any business operate until May 11^th. In the United States, California and Florida are both in Phase One of organized re-openings.

California recently published guidelines for its phases that would suggest Disneyland will remain closed for a while. However, theme parks could receive exemptions, presuming that coronavirus cases dissipate.

At Walt Disney World, the task force for the reopening of Florida suggests that theme parks could operate during Phase Two of the plan. That’s a significant announcement in that Governor Ron DeSantis indicated Phase Two is weeks, not months, away. Yes, Magic Kingdom’s return may happen sooner than feared.

During Phase One, restaurants and stores can operate at 25 percent capacity indoors. Feasibly, this policy change could mean that some Disney Springs businesses return soon.

Realistically, all of the information presented here demonstrates that the situation has undeniably improved from how it appeared a few weeks ago.