âNot having it for over a year was really kind of hard for us, and so it s just really nice to be able to come back,â said Jaki Montanez, 27, who drove 340 miles (547 kilometres) from Modesto and wore sequined Minnie Mouse ears for the occasion. The day began with Disney officials and park employees wearing face coverings gathered in the park s town square for the morning flag-raising ceremony. Disney CEO Bob Chapek thanked the colour guard for raising the flag daily throughout the 412-day closure and asked employees to âbring the magic backâ for visitors about to enter the park. âWe re not just another place. We re not just another theme park. We re something special and we re something special because of all of you, because you bring magic to the world,â he said.
Disneyland reopens as California emerges from coronavirus depths
Associated Press
Updated on:Apr 30, 2021, 4:13pm EDT
Disneyland reopened to excited visitors Friday, marking a dramatic turnaround in a state that was so overwhelmed with coronavirus cases just four months ago that patients were being treated in gymnasiums and outdoor tents.
Visitors cheered and screamed with happiness as California’s world-famous theme park unlocked its gates after an unprecedented 13-month closure. Many had been gathered outside since the previous night.
“Not having it for over a year was really kind of hard for us, and so it’s just really nice to be able to come back,” said Jaki Montanez, 27, who drove 340 miles (547 kilometers) from Modesto and wore sequined Minnie Mouse ears for the occasion.
Guests walk down Main Street USA at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., April 30. Disneyland has reopened after a 13-month closure. The iconic theme park in Southern California that was closed under the state’s strict virus rules swung open its gates Friday and some visitors came in cheering and screaming with happiness. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Disneyland reopened Friday to cheering visitors donning sequined Minnie Mouse ears and snapping selfies, marking a dramatic turnaround in a state so overwhelmed with coronavirus cases just four months ago that patients were being treated in outdoor tents.
California’s world-famous theme park, which unlocked its gates after an unprecedented 13-month closure, is admitting only state residents and operating under a limited capacity for now.
Disneyland s Reopening Highlights a Pandemic Turnaround in Southern California After a 13-month closure, the Happiest Place on Earth is welcoming back visitors in a milestone moment for California in its fight against the pandemic.
Published April 30, 2021 •
Updated on April 30, 2021 at 10:54 am
NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Four months ago, America’s most populous state was struggling to combat a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations that packed patients into outdoor tents and killed hundreds of people each day. Disneyland visitors were at the park before dawn for its reopening. Video broadcast Friday April 30, 2021 on Today in LA. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get alerts for local breaking news and weather.