Corona: Disney’s tourism business grinds to a halt

Disney has closed the Walt Disney World, its flagship theme park resort in Orlando, Florida, because of the corona virus pandemic. The company also announced the closure of Disneyland Paris and the suspension of all new departures with the Disney Cruise Line.

The company also said it was closing the Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The virus, which has spread worldwide, has now shuttered the gates of all eleven Disney theme parks across North America, Europe and Asia.

“In an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of our theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Paris Resort, beginning at the close of business on Sunday, March 15, through the end of the month,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

Shortly after Disney announced the closure of its Florida parks, Universal Orlando Resort announced it too would temporarily close its theme parks starting at the close of business on March 15.

The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is the world’s most-visited theme park, with more than 20 million visitors in 2018. Disney derived more than $26 billion in sales at its Parks, Experiences and Products division in the 2019 financial year, representing 37% of the company’s overall revenue.