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.