Disney’s Hollywood Studios Opening
With the popularity of Disney’s new ride, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios, still high, Disney has decided to extend the early opening time of 7 am through February 3, 2020. This marks the second time the early opening time has been extended. The likely reason for the extension is that guests are still arriving early to pick up their boarding passes for the Rise of the Resistance when the park opens. The early opening also means the park is open for more hours during the day, giving more park goers the opportunity to ride.
Disney Closes Asian Parks Over Coronavirus Concerns
The coronavirus that is spreading through Asia right now is having its impact on Disney, which announced they are closing Shanghai Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland as a preventative measure. The flu-like virus has yet to have widespread impact on the United States, but recently the disease has been found in Southern California. Scientists have discovered that airborne transmission is possible, which, combined with the relatively long incubation period means guests could be walking around without visible symptoms but still be contagious. Public places like Disney theme parks make a good environment for the infection to spread. Disney has a history of being a site of disease outbreaks, like the measles outbreaks.