Shanghai Disneyland welcomes back visitors
SHANGHAI: After 101 days, Shanghai residents can once again enter the happiest place on Earth. But it’s not simple or easy.
The thousands of people queuing to get into what is one of The Walt Disney Co’s most lucrative theme parks had to produce a negative Covid-19 test taken with the past three days, even the youngest guests.
That result had to be reflected on their digital health apps, which were carefully scanned by Disney staff as they entered. Everyone was masked in the 89 degree heat, in line with China’s nationwide mandate.
Still, the magic of Disney was a welcome relief for guests at the resort in Shanghai, which emerged from a lockdown of its 25 million residents earlier this month following its worst Covid-19 outbreak of the pandemic.
The stringent measures including the closing of Disney in March worked, allowing the financial hub to get back to zero new daily cases earlier this week and leaving locals eager for adventure.
“I’ve been missing Disney in the past three months when it was closed, so I rushed here today,” said one annual pass holder, a high school student with the surname of Chen. “Everyone had a hard time during the lockdown. I think we are good to resume dine-in and open up as long as we keep a distance among each other.”
The lengths visitors have to go through and the somewhat sparse crowds underscore how out-of-step China is with the rest of the world, where a trip to a Disney park in the United States or even Europe feels like a return to pre-pandemic days.
The experience at Shanghai Disneyland diverges sharply from the company’s other operations around the world, particularly at the flagship venues in Florida and California, where virus control measures are few and far between and visitors crowd tightly together to watch the hallmark parades. Vaccinations and negative test results aren’t required, and Disney dropped mask requirements in February.
Meanwhile in Shanghai, it was the second reopening for the 963acre theme park, which also closed in January 2020 after the virus first started circulating.
Groups of diehard fans converged during the reopening of the Shanghai park, a joint venture between Disney and Shanghai Shendi Group, a local state-run consortium that owns 57 percent of the operation. One group of 28 young people gathered together, joyfully celebrating their return.
“We are home!” the crew shouted, holding aloft their plush Disney toys. “The last time we were here was the day before it was closed.”