FIVE THINGS ABOUT DISNEY IN SHANGHAI

1 TEST CASE WITH MICKEY

The reopening of Disneyland in Shanghai on Monday is one of the largest test cases yet of whether mass gatherings can take place safely amid the virus pandemic. New cases in the country where the pathogen first emerged have dwindled, and China has reported no deaths since April 14, according to the National

Health Commission.

2 ‘HAND SANITIZERS’ GALORE

As the gates reopened, Walt Disney Co.’s hit song “A Whole

New World” played in the background. And it was a very different world for guests required to stay 6 feet (2 metres) apart in lines, wear masks and climb aboard rides half-empty to provide the space needed to prevent possible spread of the coronavirus. “Staff are making

an effort to keep people at a distance from each other,” said Zhu Hui, a 33-year-old housewife who was visiting the park. “You see hand sanitizers everywhere and not many people.”

3 MANDATORY MASKS

Before even entering the grounds, visitors had to pass through body temperature checks and show that their health status has been confirmed using a smartphone app for tracking infected persons. Masks were mandatory, despite

the muggy 23C weather.

4 LIMITED ACCESS

Staff limited access to the Shanghai park on Monday to a fifth of normal capacity,

below the governmentmandated 30%, during the initial reopening phase. Tickets for May 11 sold out in minutes, a sign consumers are prepared to spend and mingle in public as China cautiously moves

beyond the virus.

5 SHORTER LINEUPS

Thanks to the smaller attendance, the wait times for rides were relatively short. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction, for example, had a maximum of five minutes standing in line mid-morning, according to an app that tracks waits at the park. The longest line for a ride at the time was 20 minutes, according to the app. On a typical spring day under normal conditions, visitors might wait more than one hour for the most popular

attractions.