Disneyland Reopens After California Lockdown Measures Lifted : NPR

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

There have been only a few occasions in historical past that Disneyland has closed. It closed to mourn JFK when he was assassinated. It closed after the Northridge earthquake in California and closed for the climate a few occasions, additionally 9/11. However over the a long time, that was it.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Till final March, when it shut down for over a yr. It reopens to the general public for the primary time once more at the moment.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

MARTIN: That is the sound of the well-known Disneyland prepare pulling into the Foremost Road station on a preview day for workers this week. The workers had been all masked and standing socially distanced on the sidewalk, clapping because the gates lastly reopened.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Wow. They’re all clapping for us.

ROBERT LAIRD: I can not wait to only be there and really feel it and take heed to the music and odor the churros.

INSKEEP: Robert Laird hosts a Disneyland fan web site known as DAPS MAGIC. Again in 2020, when he heard the park was about to shut, he paid a last go to.

LAIRD: The entire day was simply type of gray and drizzly. They usually did this excellent factor the place they introduced out a bunch of characters proper by the doorway. After which a bunch of forged members, managers, executives had been there. And everyone simply waving goodbye as folks walked out. You noticed the streams of individuals simply strolling out. That is the second I consider after I consider Disneyland closing.

MARTIN: They anticipated it to reopen a few weeks later. However that did not occur. Disney laid off over 30,000 staff at its U.S. parks final yr. That features over 11,000 staff at Disneyland and Disney California Journey. Many workers members are reportedly nonetheless ready to get again to their jobs.

INSKEEP: OK. Disney World, which is in Orlando, Fla., did reopen final July, which is why my little brother has been in a position to go. However California’s lockdown measures stored Disneyland in Anaheim closed.

LAIRD: I can bear in mind the day it closed considering it is simply going to be a few weeks. And that is going to be odd. And now it is 14 months later. And people couple of weeks appear to be a lifetime in the past.

INSKEEP: Laird will probably be on the park this morning, brilliant and early, a number of hours earlier than it reopens.

LAIRD: And I believe there’ll probably - I do not know if it’s going to be for me. However I assure, in our household, there will probably be tears at some degree. And, you understand, I can truly really feel my coronary heart dashing up as I am simply serious about it (laughter).

MARTIN: Park capability is capped at 25%. Tickets are reserved for California residents for now. In the meantime, the remainder of the nation goes to have to attend to get again to the happiest place on Earth.

(SOUNDBITE OF DISNEYLAND PARK’S “MAIN STREET USA”)

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