Disneyland has restarted what is described as essential work at its Disleyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks in Anaheim in preparation for their reopening after the COVID-19 shutdowns.
This work includes a $200,000 renovation of the Frontierland entrance designed to improve pedestrian traffic flow, the Orange County Register reports, quoting Dineyland officials.
Disneyland had applied for a building permit before the pandemic to replace a pair of 15-foot-tall faux wooden gates and a 16-foot-long marquee as well as widening an existing bridge at the Frontierland entrance, permit records show.
The parks were to have reopened on July 17, but these reopenings have been delayed indefinitely as COVID-19 re-emerges in California. The scheduled reopening for Downtown Disney outdoor shopping mall was to be July 9.
Despite the uncertain reopenings, construction work that had been stalled has resumed on the theme park sites.
The OC Register reports that crews have restarted work on the brick pavers around the Disneyland hub at the Frontierland entrance and along the parade route east of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The curb lowering work around the park’s central hub is part of the continuing Project Stardust initiative that has widened walkways, shrunk planters and reduced curbing throughout the park, the newspaper reports.
“Project Stardust — a mash-up of Star Wars and Pixie Dust — takes a comprehensive park-wide look at operations, infrastructure and crowd management with an eye toward improving efficiency, traffic flow and access,” the published report says. “Previous Project Stardust work lowered curbs around the park’s hub and at points along Main Street U.S.A. to make it easier for visitors to navigate strollers and wheelchairs.”
Disney construction crews resumed limited essential work in early May on the Avengers Campus themed land at Disney California Adventure and the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway dark ride at Disneyland while the Anaheim theme parks remained closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disneyland was in the midst of refurbishment projects on the Haunted Mansion, Snow White’s Scary Adventures and King Arthur Carrousel when the park closed on March 14, the published report said.
“A pair of Downtown Disney refurbishment projects were also underway at the Sanuk sandal store and one of the Starbucks coffee shops prior to the coronavirus closure of the outdoor shopping mall.”
