Disneyland closes as California bans gatherings

Disneyland in Anaheim will join the entertainment giant's Asian parks in closing due to coronavirus. Photo: AP

Disneyland will close its doors beginning on Saturday after California called for large gatherings to be canceled to slow the spread of coronavirus, the resort said on Thursday.



The giant 40-hectare attraction in Anaheim is the second-most visited theme park in the world, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each day, but will remain shut at least until the end of March.



"After carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California's executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure," a statement said. No cases of the virus had been reported at the resort, it added.



Disney will monitor the situation, and on-site hotels will remain open until Monday to give guests time to leave.



California Governor Gavin Newsom said Disney had "made the right call in the interest of public health and agreed to shut down their California parks."



"Expect more announcements like this shortly," he added.



The move follows a string of high-profile closures and cancellations in California including the Coachella music festival and several major sporting events.



Disney-themed parks in Asia, including Hong Kong's park, have also closed due to the virus. Its Shanghai resort partially reopened this month after closing in late January.



Disneyland in California drew nearly 19 million visitors in 2018. It was recently expanded with a major new "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" attraction. (AFP)