Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen on June 18 after coronavirus shutdown

The family-friendly theme park has been closed for five months

Visitors walk down Main Street, USA, at Hong Kong Disneyland, before the coronavirus pandemic. Unsplash

Jun 15, 2020

Hong Kong's Disneyland theme park said on Monday it will reopen on Thursday, June 18 to a reduced number of visitors and with enhanced health measures after the Covid-19 outbreak forced it to close in late January.

The Chinese-ruled city has reported only a handful of new cases recently, with its total so far standing at 1,110 infections and 4 deaths.

The majority of the park's shopping and dining locations will restart operations with "controlled capacity," while social distancing measures will be implemented in queues, restaurants and other facilities. Hotel services will also resume gradually.

A gate is locked shut at Walt Disney Co.'s Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. The outlook for the Hong Kong economy in 2020 is “subject to high uncertainties” including the global economic recovery, U.S.-China trade relations, the ongoing protests and the progression of the viral outbreak, the government said in a release. Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg — A gate is seen locked shut at Walt Disney Co's Disneyland Resort in Hong Kong on April 2, 2020. The park has been closed since late January. Bloomberg

Disinfection will be carried out more frequently and hand sanitisers will be made available for visitors, who will be required to go through temperature screening, wear a face mask and sign a health declaration.

A visitor dressed as a Disney character takes a selfie while wearing a protective face mask at Shanghai Disney Resort as the Shanghai Disneyland theme park reopens following a shutdown due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A whole new world: 14 photos of Shanghai Disneyland on reopening day

Disney World makes plans for a phased reopening in July

Broadway cancels 'Frozen': The musical will not reopen in New York

Hong Kong's Disneyland resort is owned by a joint venture, Hongkong International Theme Parks Ltd, of which the local government owns 53 per cent and Walt Disney Co holds the rest.

Ocean Park, the city's other theme park, reopened on Saturday after lawmakers approved a HK$5.4 billion (Dh2.6b) bailout plan last month to keep it running for another year.

While many restrictions related to the coronavirus have been gradually lifted, Hong Kong's borders remain almost fully closed and group gatherings are limited to eight people.

Hong Kong's is not the first Disney park to announce its reopening. Shanghai's Disneyland re-opened in May and in the US, Walt Disney World has announced plans to start a phased reopening beginning in mid July.

Disney hopes to reopen Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, pending approval from the governor of Florida, on July 11 and Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.

When the Disney parks reopen, all guests and employees will be required to wear masks and undergo mandatory temperature checks. All parades, fireworks displays and other activities that create crowds will be temporarily suspended. The resort will also encourage contactless transactions and increase the number of sanitising stations available.