Originally published at: After being closed for 13 months, Disneyland reopened today, but only California residents will be allowed to visit | Boing Boing
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If the dream is being ground central for disease outbreaks, they’ve already achieved it (looking at you measles…).
This is such a bad idea on so many fronts.
Ok, only Ca residents? Hmm… if you look at micro maps of covid distribution in the state, we’ve got hotspots and places that look absolutely not bad at all.
Now, if you gather people indiscriminately from both areas, then send everyone home again…
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They might as well include Nevada, Utah, and Arizona
Vegas and Phoenix are closer than San Francisco, and Salt Lake is closer than Crescent City
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It’s not about proximity. All three of those states currently have a higher case rate (as percentage of population) than California does. In fact, on a per-person level, California is currently the lowest case rate of any state other than Hawaii.
Reopening certainly isn’t risk-free but it’s probably a lot less risky to walk around a theme park outdoors than it is to sit inside a movie theater or eat indoors at a restaurant, which is currently allowed in almost every other state.
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25% capacity at Disneyland would be amazing!
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For any would-be Disneyland visitors, just be aware that with the required social distancing 25% capacity doesn’t feel like 25%- people are so spaced out that the ride queues extend far longer than usual, wrapping all through open areas of the park. But at least they move faster so the wait times aren’t as insane as they might appear to be.
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That should be quite a queue for “Rise of the Resistance”, which is one of the longest (albeit the most engaging) lines I’ve ever been on in the park. I wonder how that ride will operate as intended in these pandemic circumstances.
At this point in time and with current vaccination rates, Disneyland should have re-opened at 50% or 75% capacity only to California residents with proof of a full vaccine. They’d have plenty of takers, especially with the local discount on tickets.
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They make use of the boarding groups for the “virtual queue” and carefully meter how many people they allow into the queue building at any given time. If your group hasn’t been called yet you don’t get to get in line. And I think they skip the majority of the interior queue entirely, although they do still have the mission briefing, and the other important stuff.
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You can certainly make that argument, but my point was that it’s hard to make that argument that while also being ok with people going into movie theaters or indoor restaurants in locations that have much higher case rates. Masked, outdoor activities with physical distancing really are an order of magnitude safer than many of the other activities currently allowed in California and throughout the country.
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Even with the boarding group system it was still a particularly long line in the Before Times. Disney being Disney, they make the wait interesting and engaging, but if the line flows past the waiting area it’s going to be tricky.
Without giving away any spoilers, the experience itself is enhanced by a kind of “small, tight group” dynamic amongst the participants that I’m not sure will translate well to social distancing.
If you look at some of the ride POV videos that have been posted in recent days, I think the experience works well enough, under the circumstances. The Millennium Falcon ride may be a bit different though. My understanding is that each party rides in their own separate cockpit rather than try to fill all 6 seats with guests as they have in the past. So if you’re a single rider then you’ll be flying the thing solo (sorry) which is quite a different experience than when you’ve got 5 other people all screaming at each other to mash the buttons faster.
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That was my experience. My first run-through on Smuggler’s Run last February was toward the end of the day when demand was low. I was paired with only one other solo (double sorry) rider. It was fine, but much better the second time with my friend when there were six of us in the cockpit with all stations manned and everyone yelling instructions.
As glad as I am to see the parks re-opening, it’s those things that have me advising friends and family to hold off going until later in the summer.
Dad joke:
“Why is Han’s last name ‘Solo’ anyway? That dude is always with Chewbacca. His name should be ‘Duo.’”
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Wait, spaced-out queues at Disneyland?
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And none of those pesky kids to ruin it!
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