More park reopening news!

Recently, Walt Disney World, along with other parks and resorts in Florida, have submitted their plans for reopening to the Florida government, which approved of them rather quickly: https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/walt-disney-world-presents-proposal-to-reopen-parks-beginning-july-11th/.

The plan now is that the Magic and Animal Kingdoms will reopen on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios four days later:

Things are really starting to move in the right direction!

In other news, I have also heard that the Disney resorts in Japan and France are starting their processes of reopening as well, with Ikspiari in Tokyo reopening on June 1 and Villages Nature in Paris on June 22.

Now, if only we can hear what they have to say about Disneyland in California (which will likely start with Downtown Disney)...

MouseCon 2019 cosplay gallery

In November 2019, I went once more to MouseCon (probably the last I will be able to attend in a long time if the COVID-19 situation doesn't pan out by November, which I doubt), held once again in Concord, CA. I went cosplaying as Mickey Mouse, with a small Pluto doll for a prop when I posed for pictures. As always, there were booths, galleries, other cosplayers, and guest celebrities. This year, they included Linda Larkin (the voice of Jasmine in Aladdin, whom I saw at a presentation on the film at D23), Mary Gibbs (the voice of Boo in Monsters, Inc.), and former Mouseketeer Sharon Baird (who would later appear in several Sid and Marty Krofft shows).

I tried to enter this year's costume contest, but I went in too late, so I simply watched, which was too bad, as I was one of the few cosplayers who was not in the show. In any case, here now are some shots of other cosplayers I got from this year's MouseCon:

Here are some pics of the aforementioned celebrities' booths, including Sharon...

...and Mary:

Finally, here are some pics of me posing with these celebrities:

I really love that second image of me with Linda Larkin and Mary Gibbs. For good measure, here is one last picture of Larkin and Gibbs, but without me:

Anyway, assuming when this whole COVID-19 situation ends (preferably without having to wear masks or anything), I will definitely be back to MouseCon when it can be held again. Hopefully, it will be this November, but I have no idea.

The parks are starting to reopen!

Ever since the closures of the Disney parks in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, I have not posted on this blog as I was in mourning, not just for the parks' closures, but also for the future of the company as a whole, whose stock has taken a huge hit over the last fiscal quarter and could very well take an even bigger hit over the next one.

But now, great (or at least hopeful) news! And hopefully, the kind of news that will nudge Disney away from the brink. As the world slowly reopens after the pandemic shut it down, things are slowly returning to normal. That includes Disney parks. On May 11, Shanghai Disneyland will reopen:

The process of reopening the parks will involve social distancing measures. Go here for more information on Shanghai's reopening: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/its-time-for-magic-shanghai-disneyland-begins-phased-reopening-on-may-11/.

Indeed, the reopening of Shanghai should also provide a test of sorts for reopening the other parks worldwide. As we speak, Walt Disney World is also starting to slowly reopen, starting with a phased reopening of Disney Springs on May 20:

However, when and how the rest of the parks will reopen remains to be seen. In the case of the U.S. parks, the processes could be different, since they are in different states with protocols not entirely the same.

In California, there is a four-phase process of reopening, although it's debatable whether Disneyland falls under Phase 3 (I believe Legoland has been considering reopening under that phase) or, more likely, the ultimate Phase 4, which covers large-scale gathering places (such as concerts and sporting events), which is what Disneyland really is. It also requires a therapeutic treatment being in place. While the FDA has approved of some drugs that should help with the virus, it's unclear as to whether or not they are therapeutic.

In any case, chances are there will be huge social distance measures in place at both resorts, similar, if not identical, to Shanghai. It will be interesting to be sure.

UPDATE: Hong Kong Disneyland, too, is supposedly scheduled to reopen sometime later this month.