David Koenig explains the April 30th reopening date for Disneyland and the need for patience in reopening the Disneyland Resort — and for precautions following a recent incident.
Disneyland’s Reopening Timeline
Here’s the official announcement:
I’m hearing two distinctly different reactions to Disney’s decision to reopen Disneyland and DCA on April 30th, depending on whether the person is a (Legacy) Annual Passholder or a cast member:
- APs want to know what’s taking Disney so long since the Governor has given the OK to open as early as April 1.
- Cast members, on the other hand, consider the end of April to be overly optimistic. They fear the parks may not be “show ready” until May.
For Disney to meet their timeline over the next six weeks, they will have to do all the following and more…
1. 10,000 Cast members need to be recalled to work. Every one of them must be retrained in their position, to refresh their skills and, in many cases, to ensure safety. Remember, no matter how many decades they’ve worked in Disneyland, they haven’t been performing their duties in over a year.
2. Cast members must also be taught the new COVID guidelines. Facilities won’t look quite the same when they reopen and all will run a little differently.
3. The attractions, some of which have been mothballed for the last 12 months, must slowly begin cycling again to ensure safety and reliability. CAL-OSHA must recertify all of them. And once the parks finally do reopen, expect frequent breakdowns, as if Disneyland were unveiling a park full of new rides.
4. The parks—especially Disneyland—reportedly require near-sterilization. “Up until now, the resort has been in a controlled decline, much of it from lack of use,” said one insider. “The plants are not watered as much, and the stores and restaurants, as well as inside the attractions are dry, dusty and dirty. We have not seen much maintenance going on until the announcement of the parks reopening in late April.”
5. As Dusty Sage alluded to in his recent Disneyland Update articles, the farther out Disneyland sets its reopening date, the better the chance Orange County will move into a less restrictive color-coded tier that would permit the parks to profitably operate more facilities at 25% guest capacity instead of a very restrictive 15% guest capacity.
Orange County is currently in the Red Tier, but could be in the Orange Tier by Disneyland’s targeted “Late April” reopening date. These are the state restrictions on theme parks by tier:
So, be patient. Know that no one’s more anxious to get the gates back open than Disney. It will be worth the wait.
Chop, Chop
The initial influx of Food and Beverage cast members, will represent nearly a quarter of the total to return to work. Most of them will be called back in four weekly waves. They reflect the parks’ planned reopening timetable (last week of April) and the diminished number of positions required to serve smaller crowds.
According to a letter sent to Disneyland’s food service union members yesterday:
RECALL UPDATE
We met with Disney today and are pleased to announce that a large scale recall is to begin for furloughed members. These recalls are for coverage of DCA operations and DL opening. We have no date on when DL will reopen.
For this large scale recall notifications will begin as early as this week. In total 2287 furloughed cast are expected to be brought back to work. Members will be brought back to work on the weeks of April 4th, April 11th, April 18th, and April 25th.
For QSR 1812 members are expected to be brought over these weeks. With positions to be filled for Bar H/H, Busser, Boudin Baker, Cashier, Dinner Cook, Food Prep, Food Service Worker, Order Cook, Pastry Baker, Steward, and Specialty Beverage premium positions. Plus leads, trainers, and supports as needed.
In Vending 114 members are expected to be brought back over these weeks. With positions to be filled for Cashier, Inventory Controller, Stocker/Steward and Food Prep. Plus leads, trainers, and supports as needed.
In Club 33 only 7 positions are expected to be filled for Food Service Worker, Receiver Assistant, and Receiver. Plus leads as necessary.
In Table Service 307 members are expected to be brought back to work over these weeks. Positions to be filled are Bar H/H, Bartender, Bushelp, Dinner Cook, Food Prep, Food Service Worker, Order Cook, Steward, and Waithelp. Plus leads, trainers, and supports as needed.
The situation is very fluid and numbers are likely to change. As we become aware of changes we will keep everyone informed. We do not know what locations will be reopening yet.
In solidarity,
Chris Duarte
Workers United Local 50 President
Be Careful Out There!
On a related note, the sharp decrease in foot traffic has also allowed the neighborhood around the park to become more run-down. And since there are currently no cast member shuttles serving the Manchester Cast Member Lot (formerly the Pumbaa Lot), cast members must walk to and from the parks’ employee entrances (Harbor Pointe and Hollywood Gate).
“A concern that has been brought up by cast members who walk to their cars after dark is the increasing aggressiveness of the local transients,” said one source. “The transients have been following some, saying rude things to others, and there have been some close calls where they have threatened cast members.”
Last week, on Monday March 8, just after 8:00 p.m., an adult male transient began “acting bizarrely” and harassing people near the East Shuttle Area (the Harbor bus drop-off roundabout), followed them across the street, and physically attacked the group, which included a Disneyland security guard.
According to Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Shane Carringer, “Police responded, and the subject was detained near the Tropicana motel. He was cited for assault and released.”
Sgt. Carringer said the victims suffered physical pain, but did not sustain any lasting injuries.
Employees say the scariest part of their night-time walk is when they turn off Harbor Boulevard and make their way down the narrow asphalt walkway that runs alongside the Grand Legacy Hotel toward the Pumbaa Parking Lot. Although stronger lighting has been installed, there are shrubs that can serve as shadowy hiding places.
This is just reason #1,000 to get the resort back open and give the whole area the attention it requires.
Let’s Hear From You
Are you happy to wait a bit longer for Disneyland’s return, or do you wish they’d open at 15% capacity earlier? Since Disney is making all Cast Members walk long distances to get to work (Shuttles are suspended due to Covid safety concerns), should they provide enhanced security along the walking routes? What are you missing most about Disneyland? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Ready to visit a partially reopened Disney California Adventure this week for A Touch of Disney? We’ve got a guide for you that has been updated with photos and information from this week’s Cast Member preview:
Your Guide To Disney California Adventure’s New Food Event “A Touch of Disney”