On Thursday, Disney announced it’s closing Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida, as well as its Disneyland resort in Los Angeles. The company also said that it will suspend all new departures with the Disney Cruise Line starting Saturday through the end of the month.
Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando and Los Angeles have also announced plans to temporarily close.
Meanwhile, St. Patrick’s Day parades in Boston, Philadelphia and New Orleans have been canceled and Chicago has postponed its parade indefinitely. More parade cancellations are likely.
Around the world, closures and cancellations have become an everyday occurrence.
In Ireland, the city of Dublin announced plans to cancel its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on Monday. Concerns surrounding the number and proximity of people also led to the cancellation of Cork’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
For the most up-to-date information on the status of an attraction or event, check the institution’s or event’s main web page.
Theme parks
In addition to its parks in California and Florida, Disney also announced on Thursday it’s closing its Disneyland Paris Resort.
If you have travel plans centered around visiting a theme park or resort area, check with the park for the latest information on operations.
Attractions, museums and cultural venues
These include the Arlington National Cemetery, which announced that it will close to visitors on Friday, while The Smithsonian Institution said all of its museums and the National Zoo will close Saturday.
Museums and archaeological sites are closed in Italy during the countrywide lockdown. These restrictions will be in place until at least April 3, according to government officials.
The National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea are among the country’s national institutions closed until further notice.
In Berlin, Germany, state theaters, operas and concert halls will be closed from March 11 until April, 19, Berlin’s culture senator Klaus Lederer said in a online statement. Private large theaters are advised to follow suit, he says.
Events
St. Patrick’s Day parades have been canceled in Dublin and Cork, Ireland, and in multiple cities in the United States, including Boston and New Orleans.
One of the world’s largest marathons, the Tokyo Marathon, went off with a major hitch on March 1. An extremely limited field of elite runners was allowed to run the race as planned. Others were left scrambling to make different arrangements.
Following suit, in accordance with the French government’s order that all public gatherings of more than 5,000 people be canceled, Paris canceled its March 1 half marathon.
Rome’s marathon, scheduled for March 29, has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.
In Thailand, several official Songkran (Thai New Year) festivals, due to take place in mid-April, have been canceled. The monthly full-moon parties that take place on Thailand’s Koh Phangan island have also been canceled until further notice.
Several musical artists have canceled tour dates in Asia, including BTS and Green Day.