Will Disneyland USA suffer? ALL Of Disney's Theme Parks Now Closed - Reopening Dates Unknown

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

And for those not from the Sooner State, the population of Nebraska is currently 1.9 Million. Less than 2 Million.

Nebraska is the Cornhusker State. Oklahoma is the Sooner State.

 

[TP2000]

Nebraska is the Cornhusker State. Oklahoma is the Sooner State.

Aw, heck! You are so right, and I don't know what I was thinking. My apologies to the good people of both states.

Imagine if we treated the news of the 18,000 people who have already died of flu related illnesses this season in the US so far like this, we'd all be living like the boy in the bubble.

I must say that at this point the media reaction to this is laughable. As if the media needed another example showing how sensational and biased calm and rational they are, along comes the Coronavirus.

The examples of why they shouldn't close Disneyland for Coronavirus are plenty, like...

Last year in the United States 4,000 Americans died due to accidental drowning and boating accidents, so why the heck do the Canoes still run at Disneyland???

Last year in the United States 35,000 Americans died due to automobile accidents and another 2.5 Million Americans were seriously injured in those accidents, so why does Disneyland maintain 25,000 parking spaces and encourage Americans to drive to Disneyland risking death and dismemberment???

Last year in the United States 360,000 Americans died due to clogged arteries, so why does Disneyland openly sell stuff like this without any guilt or shame???

 

[TP2000]

Meanwhile, if you turn off cable news...

Tomorrow is the day several blogs issue their weekly photo updates on Disneyland, and they cover the multiple construction sites around the parks. I wonder if there's been any visible proof that Mickey's Railway construction is being wound down and put into mothballs?

The Spiderman ride and Marvel Land seem to be barreling towards a summer completion and grand opening, assuming the park is still open this summer and we aren't all gasping for breath in our sick rooms, of course.

But Mickey's Railway? Avengers E Ticket? Perhaps we'll soon have photographic evidence one way or another?

 

[TP2000]

I was at a dinner party last night where this topic came up, and the general consensus among the sophisticated yet quite older crowd at the party was that this Coronavirus thing was wildly overblown but kind of funny to watch play out.

And today I was piecing together a couple of possible Fall 2020 vacation itineraries to take advantage of the reduced travel costs on major airlines due to this current panic. You should see how much fares have dropped on Swiss Air and Japan Airlines! And my Bonvoy.com reservation options are getting cheaper by the day!

I was piecing together a possible Zurich-Tokyo thing for the fall (Talk about competing themes on one trip, fondue and sushi!), and this thought came to me...

Tokyo Disneyland Resort is now closed due to Coronavirus, through at least March 15th. They announced the Tokyo closure on Friday, February 28th when there were 8 known deaths across Japan due to Coronavirus related symptoms. There are already two known deaths in the USA due to Cornavirus symptoms as of this late Sunday evening. So once the American death toll reaches 8 deaths, should Disneyland USA and Walt Disney World shut down???

What do you think is the number of Americans that will need to die due to Coronavirus related symptoms before Disneyland and WDW should be closed immediately and indefinitely until the lurking danger has passed?
8 deaths like in Japan? 50 American deaths? 100 American deaths? 1,000 American deaths? 10,000 American deaths?

As a reminder, an average of 35,000 Americans die each year due to Flu related symptoms. And every year during the Flu season no one wipes down those handlebars at Mr. Toad's Wild Ride before you get in that car and the CM working at that little console tells you to pull down on the handlebar and... Your off to hell and infectious diseases!

 

[Phroobar]

I was at a dinner party last night where this topic came up, and the general consensus among the sophisticated yet quite older crowd at the party was that this Coronavirus thing was wildly overblown but kind of funny to watch play out.

And today I was piecing together a couple of possible Fall 2020 vacation itineraries to take advantage of the reduced travel costs on major airlines due to this current panic. You should see how much fares have dropped on Swiss Air and Japan Airlines! And my Bonvoy.com reservation options are getting cheaper by the day!

I was piecing together a possible Zurich-Tokyo thing for the fall (Talk about competing themes on one trip, fondue and sushi!), and this thought came to me...

Tokyo Disneyland Resort is now closed due to Coronavirus, through at least March 15th. They announced the Tokyo closure on Friday, February 28th when there were 8 known deaths across Japan due to Coronavirus related symptoms. There are already two known deaths in the USA due to Cornavirus symptoms as of this late Sunday evening. So once the American death toll reaches 8 deaths, should Disneyland USA and Walt Disney World shut down???

What do you think is the number of Americans that will need to die due to Coronavirus related symptoms before Disneyland and WDW should be closed immediately and indefinitely until the lurking danger has passed?
8 deaths like in Japan? 50 American deaths? 100 American deaths? 1,000 American deaths? 10,000 American deaths?

As a reminder, an average of 35,000 Americans die each year due to Flu related symptoms. And every year during the Flu season no one wipes down those handlebars at Mr. Toad's Wild Ride before you get in that car and the CM working at that little console tells you to pull down on the handlebar and... Your off to hell and infectious diseases!

This could be Chapak's way of thinning the AP herd, literally.

 

[TP2000]

Six known deaths now in the US due to Cornavirus complications.

Using the more conservative Japanese math, once we get to 22 deaths in the US Disneyland and WDW should be shut down.

Although, Shanghai Disneyland announced it was closing on January 25th, when there had been 60 deaths in China. Using the Chinese math on that country of 1.3 Billion, the death rate per capita was 25% lower than Japan's when they closed Tokyo Disneyland at 8 Japanese deaths.

So if Burbank bases the decision on when to close Disneyland and WDW using the rough Chinese math of 1 death per 20 Million citizens, they should be closing the parks once 16 Americans die due to Coronavirus related symptoms.

Unless Burbank decides to use different math here in America than it did in Japan and China. Or perhaps Burbank had no choice and was forced to close those parks due to different government edicts? The first park to close was in a Communist country (China), the second was in a traditionally Capitalist democracy moving quickly towards Communism (Hong Kong), and the third was in a strong Capitalist democracy (Japan, with huge thanks to General MacArthur and the US taxpayers from 1945 to 1952).

 

[truecoat]

Six known deaths now in the US due to Cornavirus complications.

Using the more conservative Japanese math, once we get to 22 deaths in the US Disneyland and WDW should be shut down.

Although, Shanghai Disneyland announced it was closing on January 25th, when there had been 60 deaths in China. Using the Chinese math on that country of 1.3 Billion, the death rate per capita was 25% lower than Japan's when they closed Tokyo Disneyland at 8 Japanese deaths.

So if Burbank bases the decision on when to close Disneyland and WDW using the rough Chinese math of 1 death per 20 Million citizens, they should be closing the parks once 16 Americans die due to Coronavirus related symptoms.

Unless Burbank decides to use different math here in America than it did in Japan and China. Or perhaps Burbank had no choice and was forced to close those parks due to different government edicts? The first park to close was in a Communist country (China), the second was in a traditionally Capitalist democracy moving quickly towards Communism (Hong Kong), and the third was in a strong Capitalist democracy (Japan, with huge thanks to General MacArthur and the US taxpayers from 1945 to 1952).

Although the death count is low, the hospital space is being taxed and might be the reason for the closures.

 

[TP2000]

Although the death count is low, the hospital space is being taxed and might be the reason for the closures.

Very true. But this phenomenon is mostly driven by an American media who is tracking death rates, and is often acting as though every instance of Coronavirus contraction is a death sentence for that stricken victim.

There are likely several factors that play into the decision, but for those casually watching the news only 30 minutes per day or checking in on Social Media, it's the breathless headlines on new deaths that seem to drive the narrative on this.

I will be interested to see if once the USA gets to several dozen deaths, which will likely happen later this week, if Burbank will use the same math and decision making equations for the American parks that they used (or were forced to use) for the Chinese and Tokyo parks.

In related news, after last weeks panicky sell-off, I jumped in on two stocks I'd been watching over the weekend. With the Dow up 1,300 points today, I might be treating myself to a dry aged Tomahawk steak soon.

 

[TP2000]

I keep forgetting about Disneyland Paris. Four deaths in France so far due to Coronavirus, as of today. France has a population of 66 Million.

That's one death for every 16 Million Frenchmen. That's a much higher rate of deaths per capita than China had when they closed Shanghai Disneyland, and is roughly on par with Japan's death rate when they closed Tokyo Disneyland.

Is it possible that Disneyland Paris would close before WDW and Disneyland USA? The math would seem to point that way.

 

[RobWDW1971]

Very true. But this phenomenon is mostly driven by an American media who is tracking death rates, and is often acting as though every instance of Coronavirus contraction is a death sentence for that stricken victim.

There are likely several factors that play into the decision, but for those casually watching the news only 30 minutes per day or checking in on Social Media, it's the breathless headlines on new deaths that seem to drive the narrative on this.

I will be interested to see if once the USA gets to several dozen deaths, which will likely happen later this week, if Burbank will use the same math and decision making equations for the American parks that they used (or were forced to use) for the Chinese and Tokyo parks.

In related news, after last weeks panicky sell-off, I jumped in on two stocks I'd been watching over the weekend. With the Dow up 1,300 points today, I might be treating myself to a dry aged Tomahawk steak soon.

In 2009, the Swine Flu killed 12,500 Americans - can't remember a single person freaking out at a Disney park. We are in odd, hysterical times.

 

[Lilofan]

In 2009, the Swine Flu killed 12,500 Americans - can't remember a single person freaking out at a Disney park. We are in odd, hysterical times.

I still had a flip phone in 2009 and social media seems like a foreign language. If social media was around in 2009 it would have been a different story.

 

[TP2000]

In 2009, the Swine Flu killed 12,500 Americans - can't remember a single person freaking out at a Disney park.
We are in odd, hysterical times.

We certainly are! I admit I am becoming flippant and snarky in my old age, but this entire thing has just been so entertaining to watch play out, especially in the American media as I am a news junkie. Truly fascinating.

I can't think of a single analogy for anything even closely resembling this level of panic and hysteria. Not 9/11, not Y2K preparations in 1999, not the crashing economy in '08, not even the gas crisis of '73. It's truly bizarre, but so entertaining to watch.

I remember in the mid afternoon of Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, I finally just turned off the TV and drove down to Ralph's Fresh Fare to pick up some groceries in stunned silence. The store was open and a few Villa Park housewives I recognized were there. The store was eerily quiet as we were all in shock, but I realized then "We are going to be okay. We will pull through this!". But the reports of panic buying this weekend at Costco and supermarkets is something else entirely.

I fully blame the American media industry for this. They are not helping and they should be ashamed of themselves. Sadly, it's become very apparent in recent years that they have no shame.

 

[RobWDW1971]

I keep forgetting about Disneyland Paris. Four deaths in France so far due to Coronavirus, as of today. France has a population of 66 Million.

That's one death for every 16 Million Frenchmen. That's a much higher rate of deaths per capita than China had when they closed Shanghai Disneyland, and is roughly on par with Japan's death rate when they closed Tokyo Disneyland.

Is it possible that Disneyland Paris would close before WDW and Disneyland USA? The math would seem to point that way.

WHO last week said they do not recommend cancelling mass gatherings to simply play it safe - "that is absolutely something we do not recommend".

But hey, what do they know, somebody eating their avacado toast on gluten-free organic bread said they were scared so.....

 

[brettf22]

I can't think of a single analogy for anything even closely resembling this level of panic and hysteria.

The closest thing I can remember was the anthrax attacks/scare. Maybe on a smaller scale and more prevalent in the DC area. But a similar feeling. People buying masks, only touching their mail with rubber gloves, etc. The building I worked in at the time was evacuated one day because somebody found a "white powdery substance" ... on a roll of toilet paper. You know, a place where sometimes there is small paper dust residue from the manufacturing process. Hazmat called, people wearing masks or refusing to come back in to work the next day. A lot of the same hysteria.

 

[TP2000]

Fun factoid:

The Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968-69 killed 34,000 Americans during that flu season, when the population of the United States was only 200 Million.

The population of the US is now 330 Million. The Hong Kong Flu outbreak of 1968-69, adjusted for population inflation, would be the equivalent of 57,000 Americans dying this year due to a flu or virus, or roughly 1,000 Americans dying every week for a year due to that one specific flu virus.

Disneyland remained open and fully operational during the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968-69. In fact, Disneyland set an all-time high attendance record of 82,516 guests in one day in August, 1969 after the opening of the Haunted Mansion.

During the height of the pandemic in March, 1969, after tens of thousands of Americans had already died from the Hong Kong Flu, Disneyland was still actively encouraging people to come visit the park. On March 23rd they held a Love Bug Day where people could decorate their Volkswagen Beetles in the Disneyland parking lot, and then drive them down Main Street USA and up to Small World Mall in a Love Bug Parade, with the winner awarded a brand new 1969 Volkswagen from fabulous B List celebrity Dean Jones as the grand prize. Wash your hands, kids!

 

[shambolicdefending]

In fact, Disneyland set an all-time high attendance record of 82,516 guests in one day in August, 1969 after the opening of the Haunted Mansion.

How early did one have to arrive to try and get into a Haunted Mansion boarding group that summer?

 

[SoCalMort]

How early did one have to arrive to try and get into a Haunted Mansion boarding group that summer?

I'm not sure but word is people were dying to get in.







.......see what I did there?

 

[RobWDW1971]

Fun factoid:

The Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968-69 killed 34,000 Americans during that flu season, when the population of the United States was only 200 Million.

The population of the US is now 330 Million. The Hong Kong Flu outbreak of 1968-69, adjusted for population inflation, would be the equivalent of 57,000 Americans dying this year due to a flu or virus, or roughly 1,000 Americans dying every week for a year due to that one specific flu virus.

Disneyland remained open and fully operational during the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968-69. In fact, Disneyland set an all-time high attendance record of 82,516 guests in one day in August, 1969 after the opening of the Haunted Mansion.

During the height of the pandemic in March, 1969, after tens of thousands of Americans had already died from the Hong Kong Flu, Disneyland was still actively encouraging people to come visit the park. On March 23rd they held a Love Bug Day where people could decorate their Volkswagen Beetles in the Disneyland parking lot, and then drive them down Main Street USA and up to Small World Mall in a Love Bug Parade, with the winner awarded a brand new 1969 Volkswagen from fabulous B List celebrity Dean Jones as the grand prize. Wash your hands, kids!

In the 2017-2018 flu season, over 60,000 people in the US died from flu related illness with over 4,000 dying in one week in February. Guess we didn't have social media and 24/7 news in Feb 2018.

This is madness.

 

[chadwpalm]

I still had a flip phone in 2009 and social media seems like a foreign language. If social media was around in 2009 it would have been a different story.

2009 also wasn't a Presidential election year. There are a lot of politics driving the so-called "hysteria".

 

[RobWDW1971]

2009 also wasn't a Presidential election year. There are a lot of politics driving the so-called "hysteria".

In France, Italy, Japan, etc? The reaction is hyperventilating all over the world.