food IS a theme park
By now, you’ve probably heard the big news about Shanghai Disneyland’s official reopening date.
Shanghai Disneyland
But you might be wondering where that leaves us here in the United States. Just how far away are our major theme parks from reopening?
The Walt Disney Company held an earnings call today to discuss the results of its second fiscal quarter of 2020.
Magic Kingdom
In addition to addressing the financial effects of the temporary closure, Disney’s CEO, Bob Chapek, made several key announcements. Shanghai Disneyland will be officially re-opening May 11th and we finally know some of the safety measures Disney parks will be implementing when they re-open. But let’s take a look at what the Walt Disney Company had to say about their current finances as they work towards re-opening!
It’s been another busy few weeks across the Walt Disney Company. News spanned far and wide throughout the company, from announcements about executive leaders at the very top to the latest in Disney+ content for us to enjoy in the coming weeks.
Bob Chapek at the Rise of the Resistance’s Dedication Ceremony
Let’s debrief on the latest Disney news that you may have missed while you were catching up on spring cleaning!
If you're looking for information related to the current closures and their effect on the Disney Parks, click here for all the up-to-date details and click here for answers to dozens of reader FAQs.
There have been some pretty telling comments recently that give us a glimpse into the state of The Walt Disney Company.
Bob Iger presenting a model of Shanghai Disneyland
Bob Iger has played a unique role within The Walt Disney Company amidst the current closures. Despite stepping down from his former position as Disney CEO on February 25th, Iger is still very much one of the faces of the Walt Disney Company right now. He has played an active part in steering the company through the current situation, and his comments paint a picture of Disney’s current — and future — state.
According to the official statement, Disney World is closed “until further notice.”
Walt Disney World
Big questions still remain about exactly when Disney World will reopen. But, while we’re waiting for some of the early signs that we may see a reopening soon, many are speculating on when that might be. So, of course, we wanted to know YOUR thoughts! Spoiler alert, the opinions were far from unanimous!
Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of the late Roy Disney, has been critical of The Walt Disney Company, even before the events surrounding our current situation began unfolding.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland
And while she’s already been openly expressing her opinions in regards to some of the tough decisions Disney has been forced to make, she posted a long thread of criticism on Twitter yesterday which has a LOT of people talking.
The recent temporary closures have dropped theme park attendance to zero, but even more analysts are now predicting there could be a very long road ahead for Disney World and Disneyland — even after parks reopen or a vaccine is ready.
Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival
Earlier this month we reported on analyst predictions that it could take a full 18-24 months for Disney parks to return to pre-2020 attendance and profitability. Now, with stocks falling and tens of thousands of Disney employees furloughed, analysts are reiterating that theory, and suggesting even more detailed ways that the Walt Disney Company — and its theme parks — could be affected long-term by the fall-out.
We’ve been hard at work scoping out all the latest news for you this week. Today we have all the details on what’s happening that affects the Disney Parks.
Cinderella Castle and Main Street USA in Disney World
Due to the current global situation, ALL Disney Parks will be closed until further notice. See all of our coverage HERE. But we still have a lot to share with you this week, so let’s jump right in… .
Toward the beginning of the current healthcare crisis, the NBA shut down its season and the Walt Disney Company shut down all of its theme parks in the interest of safety.
NBA Experience
Our readers are extremely interested in any news coming from the Walt Disney Company at this time, hoping for clues into when they may be able take their long-awaited Disney theme park vacations. Today, a quote from Bob Iger, Disney’s former CEO and current Executive Chairman, to the Board of Governors of the NBA may give some insight into Disney’s current priorities.
During this difficult time, we know that many of our readers want to be kept up to date on news and information that may speak to the Disney Parks closures. This is why you’ll see this type of content on our blog. But if you only come to our site from social media, this may be all you see. The majority of our content continues to focus on Disney vacations, restaurants, attractions, and, of course, food. Please head to our latest posts here to see what we’re writing about today!
When Disney World extended their closure, they announced it was effective “until further notice.“
Magic Kingdom
With all of the parks worldwide currently closed, Disney is facing an unprecedented situation. Disney hasn’t provided an estimated reopening date for any of the parks, which left us wondering…how will we know when Disney World is close to resuming operations? Here are the first signs we’re keeping an eye out for!
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