The two Disney theme parks in California will reopen on April 30, CEO Bob Chapek said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Alley.”
“We saw the enthusiasm, and the urge for people to return to our parks around the world,” Chapek told CNBC’s Julia Boorstin. “We’ve been working at Walt Disney World for about nine months, and there’s definitely no shortage of demand.”
“I think when people are vaccinated, they become a little more confident in the fact that they can travel, and, you know, stay Covid-free,” he added. ‘Consumers trust Disney to do the right thing, and we’re definitely proven we can [open] responsible, whether it is temperature control, masks, social distance, [or] improved hygiene around the parks. ‘
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa will reopen on April 29 with limited capacity in front of the parks. The Vacation Club Villa in the Grand Californian will reopen on May 2 and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and Disneyland Hotel will reopen later.
All theme parks in California have been closed over the past year due to Covid-related restrictions. While guidelines in other states, such as Florida, have allowed parks with limited capacity to reopen, California’s rules have closed theme parks large and small.
However, new state education allows amusement parks to reopen with 15% to 35% capacity from 1 April, depending on the prevalence of the virus in the community. Masks and other health measures are required. Chapek said the two parks would start at 15% to start.
California reports just under 2,900 new Covid-19 cases per day, based on a weekly average, down nearly 32% from a week ago, according to a CNBC data analysis by Johns Hopkins University has been set up. The number of new cases in Covid is declining as more people are vaccinated. With the increase in supply and access, about 2.4 million people are vaccinated daily in the US
Orange County, where Disneyland and California Adventure are located, sees four new businesses a day per 100,000 residents. At its peak, in mid-January, the province had 118 new cases per day per 100,000 people.
The strike last year led to Disney firing tens of thousands of workers and cutting a significant income for the media company. The parks, experiences and consumer products segment accounted for 37% of total revenue of $ 69.6 billion, or $ 26.2 billion, in 2019.
A year later, revenue shrank to $ 16.5 billion, or about 25% of total revenue of $ 65.4 billion.
Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said during the fiscal earnings call in the first quarter that the company was able to make a net incremental positive contribution to the parks that were open during the pandemic, despite lower attendance. capacity levels. This means that the revenue exceeded the variable costs associated with the opening, she explained.
As parks expand and reopen capacity, there will be some social distance and mask wear for the rest of the year.