‘Signal of hope’: Disneyland reopening welcomed by fans, cast members

California residents are welcomed back to Disneyland amid lessening COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Orange County’s orange, “moderate” tier. JACK CLENDENING, Staff Photographer

Jack Cohenour was glued to his seat at 7:30 a.m. April 15, glancing over to his computer every 30 minutes. For nine hours, he kept himself busy with class, did a few yoga stretches and completed a puzzle, anxiously awaiting his turn to purchase tickets to his home away from home: Disneyland.

“I'm just excited to go back to that feeling of nostalgia and be reminded of some of the happiest times of my life,” he said.

Cohenour, a freshman creative producing major at Chapman, will finally be attending Disneyland this summer, after the park lifted its 412-day closure on April 30. Disneyland and other California theme parks have been closed since March 2020, but were permitted to reopen April 1. The 65-year-old theme park has only been closed following select tragedies in the past, such as the 1963 assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and Sept. 11, 2001.

Disneyland has adopted a variety of COVID-19 precautions to ensure the safety of visitors, including a new required reservation system in order to buy tickets. Park attendance is limited to 25% capacity, guests and cast members must wear masks, parades and firework shows have been canceled to prevent crowding, hand-washing stations and designated eating areas have been set up and physical distancing is encouraged within queues and rides.

However, the gradual park reopening is only available to current California residents, who must provide proof of California residency upon visiting.

Andrew Noymer, an associate professor of Population Health and Disease Prevention at the University of California, Irvine, told The Panther he believes now is an appropriate time to reopen Disneyland.

“Everything that we have learned about the virus … does support reopening, particularly keeping in mind that vaccination rates are increasing,” Noymer said. “In the future, we may have a resurgence and things may need to close down again, which is all the more reason things should be allowed to open now while it’s safe.”

Cohenour said he felt comfortable placing a Disneyland reservation, considering he would have received both doses of the vaccine by the time he attends.

“I don't think I would have been comfortable going earlier,” Conhenour said. “I've been to Downtown Disney frequently, and I see how seriously they're taking the safety measures … Especially also because they've obviously reopened every other (international Disneyland) location.”

Caitlyn Oh, a sophomore psychology major and Disneyland cast member who works in merchandise at the World of Disney, is looking forward to working again after being laid off twice by the company during the pandemic. 

“Many people were affected (by the pandemic) and I think with Disney reopening, it's a great way for people to have that emotional connection be sparked up again,” Oh said. 

Oh told The Panther that Disney provides cast members with extra safety protocol, like a company-issued mask, and optional measures, like safety glasses or a face shield, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Within her own merchandise specialty, Oh said Disneyland created a new position dedicated to wiping and cleaning counters, plexiglass and cash registers for both the employees and guests’ safety.

Kaylee Snow, a junior communication studies and theatre technology double major, once worked as a cast member and is the president of Club 55, Chapman University’s Disneyland club. She’s elated at the reopening and told The Panther that the announcement comes as a relief for cast members who may have been struggling financially during the pandemic.

“I don't think Disney would reopen unless they felt that they were able to have safety precautions to keep everyone safe,” Snow said. “When you work for Disney, safety is the top key.”

Disneyland will be launching a new annual pass program before the end of this year after canceling its original passholder program last January, though details for its replacement have yet to be released.

“For us, (going to Disneyland) is a celebration of everything we've accomplished this past year, adapting to college in the middle of a pandemic,” Cohenour said. “It's definitely that signal of hope that I think I really needed right now.”