Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen on muted note without parade, contact with mascots not allowed
- Visitors to undergo temperature checks while restaurants and facilities will run at limited capacity
- Management still optimistic as hotel business was brisk while theme park remained close amid Covid-19 pandemic
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Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen after closing for almost five months amid pandemic
Tim Sypko, senior vice-president of operations at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, said halting operations for nearly five months was difficult. Still, management of the attraction on Lantau Island expressed optimism as there was demand for its hotel rooms during the park’s closure.
Sypko said the park would run at a “significantly lower capacity” but was tight-lipped over the exact figures.
“When you walk into the park on opening day, it’s going to feel a lot lighter than a typical day, significantly slower in terms of how busy it will be, and that’s intentional,” he said at a media preview on Wednesday.
He added that visitors would not be able to see the popular parade for now because the signature event, filled with colourful floats accompanied by dancers and mascots, usually attracted large crowds.
As we step through and understand more about behaviour and how we can help manage social distancing ... we’ll revisit that decision
“That’s not an offering that we’ll be providing on our first day. As we step through and understand more about behaviour and how we can help manage social distancing, and as we take our guidance from ... the government, we’ll revisit that decision,” he said.