Shanghai Disneyland set to reopen park from Monday
SHANGHAI Disneyland will reopen to the public on May 11, becoming the company’s first theme park in the world to resume business.
This follows the reopening of Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel in March. The resort was forced to suspend the operation of the theme park in late January following the novel coronavirus outbreak.
During the initial phase, the park will operate with limited attendance, require advanced ticketing and reservations, and ensure social distancing in queues, restaurants, ride vehicles and other facilities. Also, it will increase the frequency of sanitization and disinfection.
The city government has asked Disney to cap attendance at 30 percent of the capacity, or roughly 24,000 people, Disney’s Chief Executive Bob Chapek said. Disney will restart operations “far below” that number for a few weeks while it adjusts to new safeguards including social distancing, masks and temperature screenings, he said.
Tickets will be sold via the resort’s official online channels and official travel partners beginning at 8am tomorrow, with a limited number available each day during the initial reopening.
The majority of Shanghai Disneyland’s attractions, rides, some shows and shopping and dining locations will resume operations from May 11, with controlled attendance.
Some interactive attractions and experiences, such as children’s play areas, and theater shows will remain closed. Parades and nighttime spectaculars will also return at a later date.
However, a special Disney character procession, Mickey and Friends Express, will take place several times daily, and the Enchanted Storybook Castle will come to life with light and music at dusk each day with Evening Magical Moments.
Disney characters will appear in the park in a new way, as they make appearances in each of the themed lands, greeting and welcoming everyone back to Shanghai Disneyland. Close interaction and close-up photos with characters will be suspended.
Guests can check the availability of attractions and entertainment through the resort’s official website and app.
Walt Disney Co estimated on Tuesday that global measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic cut profits by US$1.4 billion, US$1 billion of that from its shuttered theme parks. The media-entertainment giant said its profit plunged 91 percent to US$475 million in the period ending March 28.
Just three months ago, Disney was boasting about a record year for its movie studio and a strong start to the company’s dive into the streaming media wars.
In late January, the coronavirus started battering businesses across Disney’s global portfolio when the company shuttered Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland. By mid-March, all of the company’s theme parks were closed, movie theaters went dark, and television and film production were put on hold.