Universal theme parks, hotels will be closed for extra 3 weeks. Disney may soon follow
Universal Orlando Resort announced Tuesday it would extend the closure of its theme parks and hotels by about three weeks.
Universal said both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood would remain closed until April 19, a statement said. The theme parks — Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay — originally closed on March 16. Universal hotels closed on March 20.
The planned reopen date was March 31, but the company moved it back as a response “to current conditions and make the health and safety of team members and guests our top priority,” Universal said in a statement.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announced plans to sign a stay-at-home executive order on Tuesday. The order will go into effect at 11 p.m. Thursday and will continue for two weeks.
As of Tuesday morning, 1,412 positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by Florida’s Department of Health.
The extension will affect all Universal theme parks, hotels and CityWalk.
The Walt Disney Company and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment did not immediately respond to comment on whether they would extend their closures, set for the end of March.
While it is unclear if Disney World will extend its closure, because all Orange County workers will have to stay home due to the executive order, Orlando Theme Park News reported they obtained an email that shows what direction the theme park will take.
Disney sent an email to its Florida-based cast members that advised them of the Orange County stay-at-home order and to follow it, Orlando Theme Park News said on Twitter.
With workers being told to stay home until April 9 to comply with the law, this is a strong indicator Disney will soon announce extending its closure as it will have no employees to man its four theme parks, two water parks and more than a dozen resort hotels.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 6:06 PM.
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