Photo courtesy Disney Parks Blog Monday, May 11, 2020 is now an historic day for Disney fans, because it is the day that the park at Shanghai Disneyland reopened! It closed back in January. This is the first time that any Disney park on the planet has welcomed guests since March 15. It was a joyous celebration. I spent a good part of the day looking for information that was shared by people who were there. Here are some of the highlights.
People in Shanghai seemed to willingly obey social distancing. Cast Members were on hand to remind people where to stand. Face masks were required for guests and Cast Members. The masks could be removed to eat. They could also be taken off to take a quick selfie, as long as no one else was near.
Photo courtesy Disney Parks Blog There were no character meet and greets, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t any characters. They were still out and about, but they stayed a safe distance away. Characters, including face characters, are the only ones who aren’t wearing masks. Parades and fireworks were canceled for the time being.
Photo courtesy Disney Parks Blog Temperatures were checked upon entrance. This was much easier than it sounds. Individual temperatures were not checked. Guests walked through a tent upon entering, and temperatures were scanned then. I full well expect to see something similar once things open again here in Florida.
There have been a lot of questions here about buffets and character meals. I read a report about Lumiere’s Kitchen, which is located in Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. The buffet was still set up, but there were Cast Members there to serve the food, so guests never touched the utensils. That’s a character meal, and there were characters on hand. They just did not go to the tables, they stood a safe distance away.
Photo courtesy Disney Parks Blog Shanghai Disneyland is obviously quite a bit smaller than Walt Disney World. There is only one park and one hotel. Still, seeing how things were handled was encouraging. Shanghai Disneyland is doing its part to keep guests safe, it’s up to those who visit to do the rest.
The video below will put a smile on your face. You’ll get a glimpse of things in Shanghai. It also features Disney Ambassadors from the various Disney Parks across the planet as they welcome guests and Cast Members back to Shanghai Disneyland.