With theme parks in California closed for the foreseeable future (as we reported last week), analyses are showing the major impact it’s having on the Southern California economy. The shuttering of Disneyland alone has cost the SoCal economy $3 billion already and will cost another $2 billion through March 2021, according to a Cal State Fullerton estimate reported by The Orange County Register.
The theme park industry is in a heated battle with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently issued strict criteria for allowing them to reopen – likely not until next spring or summer.
The $5 billion estimate takes into account previous estimates of the park’s $8.5 billion impact on the region – accounting for the extended closure and job losses as a result of it. The university estimates the loss of 46,000 Disneyland and related jobs (including 28,000 already lost through September).