When California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Orange County’s plan to resume indoor dining in restaurants and shopping inside malls on May 23 as part of the later phase of the state’s COVID-19 Stage 2 reopening plan it was only a matter of time before Disney would announce plans for the Downtown Disney District. Today we found out that the Downtown Disney District will reopen, with new guidelines for safety, on July 9th. Downtown Disney has officially been closed since March 17th, just 4 days after Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Disney also a reopening plan proposal which includes Disneyland opening on July 17th.
Restaurants and eateries in the Downtown Disney District include: Marcelines Confecitonery, Asian Street Eats, Uva Bar, Catal, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Tortilla Jo’s, Splitsville Luxury Lanes, Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes, Ballast Point Brewing Co., Salt & Straw, Earl of Sandwich, Jamba, and Sprinkles. Shops include: World of Disney, Disney Home, Disney Dress Shop, Sugar Boo, The Lego Store, and several others.
Disney Springs in Florida reopened in a limited capacity on May 20th followed a week later by a complete reopening with new health and safety guidelines in place for guests (including mandatory mask wearing and temperature checks on guests). The official Disneyland website added a Covid-19 warning which states “An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.” Disneyland can reopen during Stage 3 of Governor Newsom’s four stage road map for reopening the state’s economy, according to state officials.