https://apple.news/AtmdwjUAWQc-vx9fwXZCkgA
State senators and assembly members requesting guidelines.
the walls are closing in! lol
Article here:
CA State Legislators Ask Governor Newsom To Allow Disneyland To Reopen
A large group of California state senators and assemblymembers sent a letter to Governor
Gavin Newsom on Monday requesting that Newsom issue guidelines for parks such as Disneyland,
Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry Farm to reopen.
This comes one week after Newsom promised he would issue such guidelines “very soon.”
From the letter:
Many indoor facilities are already operating safely at reduced capacities, with face covering and physical distancing requirements, and with heightened hygiene practices. Logic would suggest that since theme parks are controlled venues operating predominantly outdoors, that they too could reopen with similar health and safety protocols.
Josh D’Amaro, the new chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
last Tuesday begged California officials to let
Disneyland reopen and to “treat
theme parks the way you treat other sectors.”
Movie theaters and theme parks are among the entertainment businesses hardest hit by COVID. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said at an investor conference last week that Universal theme parks are currently 70% of the media giant’s COVID problem. The Orlando and Osaka parks are operating at 25% of pre-pandemic attendance and Universal Studios – like Disneyland – has yet to open.
Monday’s letter was signed by state legislators Tom Daly, Bob Archuleta, Kansen Chu, Tom Umberg, Chad Mayes, Sabrina Cervantes, Blanca Rubio, Patrick O’Donnell, Heath Flora, Adrin Nazarian, Phillip Chen, Pat Bates, Ling Ling Chang, Christy Smith, Cathleen Galgiani, John Moorlach, Tim Grayson and Richard Bloom.
The letter makes a similar argument to D’Amaro’s, noting that Newsom has issued reopening guidance for virtually every business sector to comply with, but:
Theme Parks have not been addressed in this Blueprint – they have no path forward, no guidance documents for the state’s expectations related to reopening, and no sense of timing to share with their anxious employees and guests. Counties are already beginning to move through tiers and yet none know when this large sector within their communities will be allowed to reopen.
Wrote D’Amaro last week: “To our California government officials, particularly at the state level, I encourage you to treat theme parks like you would other sectors and help us reopen. We need guidelines that are fair and equitable so we can better understand our future and chart a path toward reopening,” said D’Amaro, who took the top parks job in May.
To that end, the California Attractions and Parks Association, which represents parks and attractions in the state, issued what it called its own comprehensive plan for reopening on Monday.
In terms of physical distancing, the CAPA document maintains that parks are “in the business of moving people,” and that “guests are generally kept in motion.” It also notes that most activities at California amusement parks take place outside, which is in keeping with Newsom’s stated best practices for businesses. The document argues that amusement parks have opened in 43 states and, unlike bars and restaurants, the data do not show parks contributing to coronavirus spread.
The legislators’ letter maintains that theme parks closed down voluntarily six months ago and have been working diligently to create “comprehensive plans that include capacity reductions, thorough health and
safety protocols, and park-wide modifications to support these efforts.”
The letter echoes one of Newsom’s mantras, which is that data should guide decisionmaking.
Legislators contend that, “Data seems to point to a path for responsible reopening of theme parks. Doing so will not only provide safe, outdoor activities for families but also put people back to work and generate much needed income for our local governments.”
Jobs were also near the front of D’Amaro’s mind last week when he observed, “The longer we wait, the more devastating the impact will be to the Orange County and Anaheim communities and to the tens of thousands of people who rely on us for employment. With the right guidelines and our years of operations experience, I am confident that we can restart and get people back to work.”
“We’re ready,” maintained D’Amaro. “And more importantly, it’s time.”
, but what are people's thoughts on taking a kindergartener out of school for an entire week? My son's 6th birthday is just after our tickets expire. He would think he'd died and gone to heaven to get an early birthday present in 
The poor kid has been through a lot the last two years. Our March 2020 trip was intended as a family reward for perseverance and time to reconnect after a particularly difficult 2019... if only we knew what was lying ahead. And he didn't even cry when I told him we couldn't go, but patted my shoulder and told me it was okay and we could go "when coronavirus is over". Since then, he's been through quarantine, the functional loss of his beloved grandparents (my dad is high, high, high risk), masks/distance/no playdates, and starting big kid school on a computer. He's a champ. I want to give him Disneyland 
