A little bit of Disneyland is better than no Disneyland at all

There will soon be a new way to enjoy a theme park visit to Walt disneyof (NYSE: DIS) original station, and while far from ideal, it will have to do for now. Disneyland President Ken Potrock announced Monday that Disney California Adventure will expand its outdoor dining and indoor shopping options in mid-March for a limited time experience. He made the announcement as the Golden State theme park celebrated its 20th anniversary. A similar event is said to be in the works for the adjacent Disneyland Park.

It won’t be just another day at the park. The rides will be closed. The only indoor experiences available will be select stores with greedy guest registers hidden away. However, for a media giant that prides itself on monetizing nostalgia, it’s a smart thing to do within the limits of what it can currently achieve in the state of California.

It’s been a long year

Aiming for a start in mid-March for the new experience is probably not a coincidence. It was March 14 of last year when Disneyland and Disney California Adventure last opened as full theme parks. The latter started opening its doors for indoor shopping and outdoor dining in November of last year, but this was quickly stopped as the number of COVID-19 cases began to rise. while on vacation in California. With cases falling and vaccination rates rising, he may as well try again – and this time around, a premium experience that will be offered multiple days during the week.

There’s no information on the actual dates and prices, but it’s fair to say that it will likely sell for even Disney’s premium price. There is pent-up demand in Southern California to return to its iconic theme parks and popular regional entertainment attractions. With Disney canceling its annual Disneyland pass program last month, everyone will be paying the retail price for the experience.

Partial reopening of Disney California Adventure will see company bring about 1,000 employees back to work, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That’s a far cry from the tens of thousands of cast members on its reels in its pre-pandemic state, but it’s all about baby steps right now.

The good news is expected to continue after next month’s one-off event, as long as efforts to defeat the pandemic are successful. A legislative effort is already underway to speed up the reopening of state theme parks.

We may have more details on the limited reopening of closed attractions in California when Disney releases its quarterly results Thursday afternoon. The media spokesperson is likely to talk more about its thriving Disney + streaming platform than its theme parks, but it’s fair to predict that an analyst will bring up the reopening of its original resort if that doesn’t. not part of the remarks prepared by the House of Souris. It’s a small step – a step of the mouse, if you will – but it’s a step in the right direction to get one of Disney’s biggest revenue and operating revenue generators back behind the wheel.