Though local leaders in both California and Florida are currently discussing when (and under what conditions) Disney theme parks can reopen in the United States, it is beginning to looks like the first Disney park in the world to reopen will be Shanghai Disneyland. Though the Shanghai Disneyland theme park remains closed, right now several parts of the larger resort have opened, including Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Lumiere’s Kitchen (which is a Character Dining location). In addition, the Disney Car and Coach Park and the Disneytown Parking Lot have also reopened.
And now that is looks like these early phase openings have gone well, it looks like preparations are underway to open the Shanghai Disneyland park in the very near future. However, the park will operate VERY differently when it reopens.
An imminent reopening
Though we don’t know exactly when the Shanghai Disneyland theme park will open its gates, it looks like a reopening could be imminent, as Shanghai Disney Resort Cast Members and a few select guests have been testing some new social distancing measures over the past few days. These new measures are fairly varied but are in line with some of the ideas proposed by both Disney and Universal Parks.
Keeping social distancing in tact with space in queues and staggered seating
Right now, all guests must wear a mask during their entire visit to the parts of the resort that are open (except when dining), and it is expected that this practice will continue as the theme park reopens. In addition, the resort will be enforcing social distancing by taping spacers to the floor in queues that will separate parties from each other while they are waiting for attractions.
In addition, seating on rides will be such that every other seat will be empty so that guests will be able to maintain social distance while experiencing attractions. Indoor theaters will operate, but again, seating will be staggered so that guests are not too close to one another.
Health checks and screenings to continue
Though the social distancing measures are new, it seems likely that Shanghai Disneyland will continue to screen guests who want to enter the park using an app called Alipay, which assigns each user a color code (green, yellow or red) that indicates their health status. Every guest entering Shanghai Disney Resort will be required to present their Shanghai QR Code upon entry, and only guests with a green Shanghai QR Code will be allowed to visit the resort.In addition to the health history screenings, touchless temperature checks are also expected to continue, and any guest with a reading that does not fall in the accepted range will not be able enter the resort.
Right now it looks like Shanghai Disney Resort could be something of a test case for theme park reopenings, as this type of restricted entry and phased reopening may serve as a model for other Disney theme parks around the world if it ends up being successful. While Shanghai Disney Resort may have fewer parks than Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, we may see a similar phased rollout with retail locations like Disney Springs and Downtown Disney reopening first, followed by hotels, and then eventually theme parks, all while keeping implementing light social distancing practices.
As always, while this situation is evolving, all theme park fans should check out the CDC’s official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.
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