California’s Orange County Opens Retail, Disney Mall May Be Next

(Bloomberg) --

California’s Orange County got approval from the state to open restaurants and shopping malls, setting the stage for wider reopening of the region’s tourism economy.

The county, home to Walt Disney Co.’s Disneyland and Cedar Fair’s Knott’s Berry Farm theme parks, is one of the most visited destinations in the country. Restaurants can open for dining in, as long as guests make reservations. Shopping malls can reopen with stores offering delivery and curbside pickup, according to a statement from the county.

Disney has been reopening its resorts in stages and last week opened its Disney Springs mall in Orlando, Florida. The company hasn’t announced a date to open its similar Downtown Disney shopping and dining area in Anaheim, California, or for its other locations in Florida.

It’s still just the second phase of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s four-phase reopening plan.

Don Wagner, a supervisor in Orange County, said through a spokesperson that he believes theme parks would fall under the fourth phase, but that he intends to push the governor to reopen them soon.

Disneyland is the second-most visited theme park in the world, attracting about 18.7 million guests in 2018. Disney’s theme-park division generated 45% of the company’s operating profit last year. Its domestic theme parks have been shuttered since March due to the coronavirus.

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