Latest in Theme Parks

Walt Disney World Resort executives on Wednesday unveiled a phased plan to reopen its Magic Kingdom and Disney Animal Kingdom on Saturday, July 11 and Epcott and Disney Hollywood Studios on Wednesday, July 15. Jim MacPhee, Senior Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort unveiled the timeline at a virtual…

Universal Orlando is looking to start a phased reopenign on June 5, according to plans presented Thursday to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force. The plan must be approved by Orange County and state officials. The goal is to reopen to employees for testing on June 1-2. On June 2-3, the park would open to…

Disney Springs, the shopping and retail complex adjacent to Walt Disney World in Orlando, began a phased reopening Wednesday with 44 of its 190 locations including retail stores and restaurants ready for business. The park declined to share attendance numbers but fans took to Twitter with relief as locales flung open…

Universal Orlando announced Tuesday that select CityWalk venues are opening on May 14 from 4–10 pm daily and that its team and all of guests should follow recommended CDC guidelines. The park is still closed. CityWalk, adjacent to the still-shuttered theme park, offers a Universal Studios Store and other…

Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the company will boost attendance by 5,000 guests week at the Shanghai park which reopened today at 30% capacity with strict social distancing. “We are going to be very prudent and disciplined and then we are going to ramp up and increase. Right now, it's a government cap so the plan is…

It’s clear there will be major changes at Central Florida’s major theme parks, including Disney World and Universal Orlando, when they begin to reopen as coronavirus restrictions ease. The Orange County Economic Task Force issued some preliminary guidelines Tuesday as the state considers a phased approach to reopening…

S&P Global Thursday lowered Walt Disney's credit rating to A- (still at the higher end of investment grade) as the company’s theme parks and film and TV studios remain closed by social distancing orders and it’s unclear when they will be allowed to reopen. The actual hit to operating performance so far will be…

Disney’s stock dipped more than 3% in early trading Monday after two analysts issued downgrades on its shares. The latest setback followed reports of the company’s expanded cutbacks due to COVID-19. The Financial Times reported over the weekend that 100,000 employees, mostly in theme parks, would be furloughed, a move…

2ND UPDATE, 5:23 PM: Disney said tonight that it also will close its Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort “in an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our guests and employees.” Here is the company’s latest statement spurred by concerns over the spread of the coronavirus: In an…

First it was Disneyland and now another Southland theme park is putting up a “Closed” sign for the month of March because of the coronavirus. “The health and safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority,” said a spokesperson for Universal Studios Hollywood this afternoon. “Out of an abundance of…

Walt Disney will closed its California theme parks Thursday after the state of California mandated banning large gatherings and coronavirus fears sweep the nation. “While there have been no reported cases of Covid-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California’s…

Media shares and markets opened higher Tuesday after a sickening plunge the day before saw the DJIA’s worst point loss ever and a rare circuit breaker temporarily halt trading. Walt Disney joined the rally, up more than 3% in mid-morning, shrugging off a report that the conglom’s domestic parks will likely need to…