You have likely heard about the recent Disney and Universal closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, at least until the end of March 2020. Here’s what it means for you.
Disney and Universal Closures
On March 12, 2020, The Walt Disney Company officially announced the temporary closures of their United States theme parks. This decision was made in hopes that it would prevent any further spread of COVID-19. There have been no documented cases of COVID-19 at either of the US Disney Parks. However, The Walt Disney Company has still decided to shut down for a few weeks as a precaution. The closures will become effective starting on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort are supposed to reopen on April 1, 2020, unless otherwise specified as the story and knowledge of the outbreak evolves. This is not an exact date at the moment. Since the announcement only said “until the end of the month, this is our assumption.
Later that same day, Universal Studios executives announced something similar. Universal Studios parks on both the east and west coast are closing for two weeks. Executives claim they made this decision for the same reason Disney did, only as a precaution. The parks will be closed beginning on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Universal Studios parks plan to reopen on March 28, 2020, unless otherwise specified as the story and knowledge of the outbreak evolves. We will continue to update as news arrives.
What It Means For You
Besides the obvious–no Disney or Universal vacations for the next couple of weeks–there are a few more things you should be aware of:
- Yes, you can get a refund on your cancelled trip, in this situation only. If you were planning to visit a Disney Park or a Universal Park in the next couple of weeks, but now this trip is off the table, you may contact the respective companies for refunds. You can also ask them any other questions about rescheduling your trip, but that would probably be decided on more of a case-by-case basis. So we cannot say for sure what your unique situation will look like. To contact The Walt Disney Travel Company–you can call: (407)-939-5277. To contact Universal Studios–you can call: (407)-224-4233. You may also visit their respective websites for further information.
- Disney Springs, Disney Resort Hotels, Downtown Disney, and Universal Resort Hotels will remain open until further notice. If you still find yourself in need of a place to stay during this time, you can keep your reservation. Unless otherwise specified at a later date.
- There are other parks nearby that may still be open. If you are just dying for a theme park experience, you can still have just that. For example, all Cedar Fair Entertainment theme parks will remain open until further notice. In fact, CEO Richard Zimmerman sent out a mass email explaining the new, thorough, and frequent cleaning and sanitization procedures that will be done at every park. This is the other approach to the safety and health of guests that Cedar Fair has chosen to do instead of closure, at least for now. As of the time of writing this, all SeaWorld parks are open and operational during normal business hours as well as Six Flags parks.
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