California theme parks that open in the spring may work some indoor walks but they must queue outdoor visitors and require all park and staff to have a front cover, but only when eating and drinking, in accordance with released public health regulations.
The Department of Public Health state guidelines for theme park spaces were released less than a week before the state’s April 1 reopening date for theme parks under revised COVID-19 rules. Parks that open Thursday will be limited to more than 15% of maximum capacity until coronavirus cases fall in the county that is home to the parks.
In Southern California, only Six Magic Mountain Flags in Valencia announced plans Thursday. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park is scheduled to open on April 30. Universal Studios Hollywood plans to open in late April and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park plans to open sometime in May.
A coalition of theme park operators has been pushing Gov. Gavin Newsom for months to release detailed guidance to help parks plan which routes they can reopen after Thursday and what health and safety guidelines need to be implemented.
Spokesperson for Assn California Attractions and Parks. could not be reached for reference Saturday.
Guidance published on Friday includes:
- Parks are required to create a weekly coronavirus testing program for employees
- Staff and guests must wear a face mask at all times except when eating and drinking
- Actors who cannot wear a mask in the park must stay at least six feet away from everyone else
- Only state visitors are allowed and visiting groups are not allowed to include members of more than three families.
- Inbound tours are limited to no more than 15 minutes
- Queues must be outside and guests from different families must stand six feet apart
- Guests from the same home must board bicycles together; guests from different families should be at least six feet apart in the trails
- Places must be closed if a high number of cyclists lose a face mask during the journey
- Cyclists who lose cover during a ride must be offered a front cover
- Eating and drinking is only permitted in designated areas, not in queues.
The guide that allows indoor tours to reopen marks good news for Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood, where many of the most popular tours carry visitors into indoor structures. with 3-D visual effects and animatronics. That includes a Harry Potter tour and a Forbidden Tour at Universal Studios and Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.
But a handful of other indoor tours last longer than 15 minutes, in violation of new state regulations, including Disneyland’s “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” which runs for 18 minutes , according to Touringplans.com, a website that collects theme park data. The tour, which carries parkers to battle with the evil First Order, opened in January 2020, just two months before the nationwide theme parks closed in March.