Shanghai Disneyland is now officially the only Disney theme park in the world that is operating. And though the surprise announcement earlier this month about this park's imminent opening may have initially come as a shock, Shanghai Disney Resort has been preparing to once again welcome guests for weeks, and has put some interesting measures in place to help keep guests safe during their visit to the park and resort.
1. Characters now meet guests "from a distance"
Obviously characters are a big part of the Disney parks experience, and in an effort to keep guests engaged with their favorite princesses, Marvel Super Heroes, and more, Shanghai Disneyland has implemented a new policy where characters march through the park in little mini processions where guests can see them. However, Cast Members will be there to remind guests not to approach the characters.
In addition, characters have also been seen posing from stages throughout the park where guests can see and take pictures of them, but not interact directly with them. In front of these little stages guests are required to stand on small taped off squares which act as viewing "seats" which not only keep guests away from the characters but also away from each other as well.
This same "seats" guests management strategy is used during a trimmed-down version of Shanghai Disneyland’s daytime parade Mickey’s Storybook Express, which now features a much shorter route.
2. Capacity is EXTREMELY low
Tickets to Shanghai Disneyland's first reopening day sold out in moments, and though the park was technically "full" on its opening day, you'd never know it from walking around, as capacity was EXTREMELY limited, with wait times for attractions staying mainly between 5-10 minutes for the full operating day, and the majority of long queues standing fairly empty due to the low amount of guests in the park.
Comments
In terms of the mask - two things:
1. Cultural difference: there; many already wear mask and it is NOT appropriate to compare that stage to the United States where this is NOT a prototype.
2. Temperatures still haven't heated up (an environment not liked by coronaviruses anyway); the average temperature in May in Shanghai is 76 degrees Fahrenheit for this 8-day running period. They haven't met the high 90 degree to 100+ degree temps of a summer at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista where average temps June-August run MINIMUM 90-95 degrees; some 15-20 degrees warmer than what they are dealing with. A hotter temp would be a deterrent and could make masks a big issue...
In 2015, a study was carried out showing facial hand touches went from 3 per hour to 23 per hour with the wearing of a mask with medical students INSIDE; what do you think happens when a sweaty vacation-stretching mask is worn OUTSIDE in the heat of the Florida sun in the summer?
Masks will never work or be the norm in our country. The only people arguing in favor are those who have not only bought into the narrative but need something to make them feel safe. They could care less about cultural differences, temperature differences, studies proving against wearing face masks or just plain common sense.
As far as limiting attendance... the average cost to visit Shanghai Disneyland is around $62 (American) vs the average cost for WDW being around $100+. Shanghai Disneyland averages just under 12 million guests per year... WDW averages more than that across it's parks per month. Much, much easier to limit attendance when demand isn't very high and the price of tickets are 40-45% less.
These sites and others are simply doing nothing but attempting to compare apples to oranges. What may work in Shanghai should never be the norm or even considered in other parts of the world, especially at WDW. Fact of the matter is Disney could very easily open in phases - allowing Florida residents/annual passholders only at the start. This would keep in line with travel restrictions, and would keep attendance low - while at the same time provide a much needed extra "perk" or benefit AP's have been begging for for years. Then you open to domestic reservations... and eventually open up for good to international. You either keep the resorts closed or offer massive discounts to AP's... I know myself and many that would gladly pay for a staycation at a discounted rate.
But at the end of the day no masks, no pointless social distancing, no temperature checks - those are all acts that are proven pointless by scientific studies. You're not wearing a mask to protect others... you're doing it because it makes you feel good. Instead of constantly disagreeing, go do some research on your own as to why they're proven to do nothing. Temperature checks... your temperature can be high for a number of reasons and if you truly have a fever, a couple of OTC pills will mask a low-grade temp. And we haven't even gotten into the children aspect yet. Good luck forcing your children to wear a mask... there is simply no stretch of the imagination that could see that working out well.