Disneyland Paris Is The Latest Theme Park Slated To Begin A Phased Reopening In July

Even though we're seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases in some states across the US, many businesses are still reopening in an attempt to get the economy back on track. Whether it's a good idea or not, that not only includes the forthcoming return of movie theaters, but also the reopening of theme parks.

Following in the footsteps of the reopened Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as the forthcoming reopening of both Disneyland and Disney World, this summer will also see Disneyland Paris reopening starting on July 15. 

Disneyland Paris' reopening will include the primary Disneyland Park, the neighboring Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney's Newport Bay Club Hotel, and Disney Village. All will be following similar social distancing, cleaning, and capacity guidelines established by the opening of Disney theme parks around the rest of the world. This includes advance ticket reservations, the shuttering of the FastPass system for rides, face mask requirements for guests aged 11 years and older, and adhering to all the guidelines established by the French government and health officials.

Much like the rest of Disney's theme parks, some attractions won't be reopening with the parks, such as the Disney Stars on Parade and Disney Illuminations night time spectacular. The same can be said for the playgrounds in the parks. Meanwhile, The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands and Jungle Book Jive entertainment spectaculars won't be returning immediately, but are expected to come back later in the summer.

The usual meet-and-greets between guests and characters will also be temporarily suspended, though characters will still be appearing throughout the park "in new ways." At Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland, characters appeared on balconies and on stages at a distance, so we can probably expect the same from Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris president Natacha Rafalski said in a statement:

"All of us at Disneyland Paris are excited to be on the path to reopening over the next few weeks. Making magic means even more as we reflect on the resilience of our cast members and community, the enthusiasm of our guests and fans, and the positive momentum of many re-openings in the tourism industry across Europe."

The entire country of France was hit hard by the pandemic initially, but in recent weeks, new cases have declined significantly, even as businesses start to reopen. They're doing infinitely better than much of the United States. In fact, the entire country has fewer new cases daily than many of the states in the US, mostly because they're being smarter about how they're reopening.

Following the reopening of Disneyland Paris, the theme park will also have several hotels reopning in the weeks following, starting with Hotel Cheyenne on July 20, continuing with Hotel Santa Fe on August 3, and ending with the Disneyland Hotel on September 7. As for The Sequoia Lodge Hotel and Davy Crocket Ranch, it's unclear when those will reopen, but it won't be this summer.

We'll keep you posted as more theme park reopening details become available. You can find out more over at the official Disneyland Paris website.