Attractions news…
Disney Springs reopens; Ocean Park Hong Kong’s future remains uncertain; Dream Island offers free tickets to doctors; Six Flags drive-through safari; Legoland Billund reopening; Universal Orlando reopening; Village Roadshow takeover; Puy du Fou reopening; OTP at RWG delayed; Guangzhou Chimelong Water Park reopening; CDC guidelines for water parks; Van Gogh immersive drive-in art experience; National WWII Museum reopening; Italy reopens museums; UNESCO issues museums warning; Shanghai Planetarium on track; Chester Zoo prepares to reopen.
Read the news in 5 minutes
Theme parks
Disney shared additional information for visitors about the phased reopening of Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. The attraction welcomed guests on May 20 amid the outbreak of COVID-19.
Ocean Park Hong Kong’s future remains uncertain. Lawmakers failed to agree on a government bailout plan to inject HK$5.4 billion into the theme park. They blamed the government for failing to devise a credible rescue plan.
Dream Island is thanking the doctors and medical workers of the region for their contributions in the fight against coronavirus with free tickets to the theme park in Moscow, Russia.
Six Flags Great Adventure has announced plans to open its safari adventure as a drive-through experience, offering visitors a look at its 1,200 exotic animals from the safety of their own cars.
Legoland Billund Resort has got the green light to reopen with safety measures in Denmark on June 8. However, the attraction has postponed the opening of Lego Movie World to 2021.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asked theme parks to submit reopening plans, providing information on how they’ll protect staff and visitors from coronavirus.
Universal Orlando was then confirmed as the first major theme park to submit to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.
The task force later unanimously voted to approve the phased reopening plan for Universal Orlando, which is now set to reopen to the public on June 5.
The Walt Disney Company has appointed Josh D’Amaro as chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Rebecca Campbell has also been named chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and International.
Village Roadshow Limited has agreed to takeover talks with private equity firm BGH Capital. Apex Parks Group LLC is being taken over by Cerberus Capital Management LP for $45 million.
Puy du Fou has announced plans to reopen to visitors on June 11. It will remain open until November 1, and will implement various health and safety measures, in accordance with government guidelines.
Genting Malaysia Bhd has delayed the opening of its outdoor theme park (OTP) at Resorts World Genting (RWG) by more than 12 months to Q4 2021. It also reported a net loss of nearly MYR418 million (US$96 million) for Q1 2020.
Water parks
Guangzhou Chimelong Water Park confirmed it will reopen for summer on May 29. The water attraction has also teased an upgrade, and will launch special fares before June 15.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for operating water parks, public pools, hot tubs and water playgrounds during the outbreak of COVID-19.
Museums
The Shanghai Astronomy Museum, also known as Shanghai Planetarium, has completed testing of the lighting systems for its main building and landscape. It is on track to open in 2021.
The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit announced the world’s first immersive drive-in art experience in Toronto. Gogh By Car is an innovative solution to welcoming guests amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The National WWII Museum is set to reopen on Memorial Day (May 25). The attraction will operate at 25 percent of its total capacity. It will also implement new safety measures.
Italy is reopening its museums as lockdown measures ease in the country. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence is providing free gadgets that vibrate when guests get too close to each other, to ensure social distancing.
UNESCO and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) released details of two studies looking at how museums are affected by coronavirus. UNESCO warned that nearly 13 percent of global museums may never reopen.
Zoos and aquariums
Chester Zoo is preparing to reopen safely and has installed an array of physical safety measures. The attraction, which hopes to reopen soon, will heavily limit visitor numbers and will implement social distancing.
blooloop V-Expo
Registration is open for blooloop V-Expo, the world’s first online conference and exhibition for the global visitor attractions industry.
Accessible on desktop, tablet and mobile, blooloop V-Expo will feature world-class speakers, exhibitor halls and great digital networking opportunities. The event will take place during the week commencing 12 October 2020.
