The tributes are to mark World Health Day (April 7), which celebrates nurses, doctors and healthcare teams - a particularly meaningful message amid the coronavirus crisis
Disney parks around the world are honoring medical workers for World Health Day amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
World Health Day - which is celebrated annually on April 7 - pays tribute to nurses, doctors and healthcare teams who work endlessly to keep us healthy, and it takes on an extra special meaning this year due to the current coronavirus crisis.
Despite being closed to visitors, parks from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida to Disneyland Paris in France, the world-famous theme parks are are "uniting across the globe with a message of thanks and appreciation to celebrate the brave healthcare providers who are helping so many,' a blog post from the company explains.
RELATED: Disney Parks Donates 150,000 Rain Ponchos to Hospitals and Medical Professionals Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
The celebration kicked off at Shanghai Disney Resort, where the Enchanted Storybook Castle at the park's center lit up with the words "thank you" written in various languages for medical professionals all over the world.
Walt Disney World lit up its iconic Cinderella Castle with a bright blue hue, as a beacon of hope and gratitude.
Magic Kingdom cast members created their own moment of thanks right on the middle of Main Street U.S.A. (see above), holding up signs showing their appreciation for those bravely battling COVID-19.
At Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, custodial cast members expressed their heartfelt gratitude at Paradise Gardens Park at Disney's California Adventure, writing out "thank you" in flower petals.
At Disneyland Paris, another floral arrangement was on display, with plantings spelling out "Merci" in front of the park's castle.
RELATED: Stuck on the Couch? Here's How to Take a Virtual 'Ride' On Your Favorite Disney Attractions
Currently, Disney has closed all of its attractions, hotels and stores in North America.
Disney's Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo parks were the first to close their gates due to the pandemic.. The Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai locations are closed indefinitely - though Disneyland Shanghai has begun to slowly reopen some parts of its resort.
Shanghai Disneyland announced in a statement to their website that they began to "partially resume operations on March 9," slowly rolling out "a limited number of shopping, dining, and recreational experiences" across the park, including Disneytown (a shopping and dining area), Wishing Star Park (a public park owned by the resort) and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. The actual theme park itself is not yet reopening.
Disney's other international destination, Disneyland Paris, remains closed until further notice as well.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLEis committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
