Coronavirus: Hong Kong Disneyland reopens to fans eager for rides, socially distanced selfies with iconic characters
- Small but eager crowd of about 100 guests heads down Main Street at 10.15am as park opens gates shuttered more than two months by pandemic
- The resort, which saw its option to purchase an adjoining site expire on Thursday, will be open five days a week to start
About 100 guests rushed into the park as it opened at around 10.15am, with many making a beeline to take pictures in front of the Castle of Magical Dreams – still partially under wraps as it undergoes an upgrade – or snap selfies with their favourite Disney characters while observing social distancing.
Shelby Lai, four, and her mother Olivia Ng, 40, arrived at the resort by about 9.30am.
The little girl, dressed in a T-shirt featuring Minnie Mouse, said she hoped to ride the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction, as she had seen Minnie riding it previously.
“I want to tell Minnie ‘I miss you!’,” she said.
Annual pass holder Ng said they typically visited the amusement hub once a month in pre-coronavirus days. But as the pandemic intensified, she could only bring her daughter to the city parks near their home.
“She once asked me if she could not go to small parks any more,” Ng, who works in the aviation industry, said.
“Hong Kong Disneyland is small and caters to young children more,” she said.
Hong Kong Disneyland’s option on next-door site will not be renewed
The theme park will remain the smallest among the world’s six Disneylands for the foreseeable future after its option to purchase an adjacent site expired on Thursday.
The government cited current economic conditions in deciding against renewing the option, which would have allowed the joint venture that owns the resort to scoop up a 60-hectare plot in neighbouring Penny’s Bay for future expansion.
The government, which owns 53 per cent of Disneyland operator Hongkong International Theme Parks, said the resort should instead focus on existing internal expansion plans.
The Walt Disney Company, which owns the rest of the joint venture, expressed disappointment in the decision, but sources had told the Post it could not commit to building on the site in the near future.
Some visitors on Friday said they wished the park could be expanded.
Student Yoyo Lee, 14, who came to the reopening with three other friends, said it was a pity the business had lost the option.
“I wouldn’t say the park now is not fun. But if it gets bigger, it’s better,” she said.
She added she hoped Hong Kong Disneyland would introduce other attractions, such as a Toy Story-themed ride she had enjoyed at Tokyo Disneyland.
Mandarin teacher Lucy Liu, 35, said her daughter had frequently asked her when the park would be reopening.
Hong Kong Disneyland to reopen this week with Covid-19 social-distancing curbs
Dressed as a princess, her daughter was among those taking photos in front of what was once known as Sleeping Beauty Castle. A source said the park would strive to launch the revamped attraction before Christmas if the park was able to remain open, and that the castle would be used for promotional events surrounding the resort’s 15th anniversary.
The source said Disneyland hoped the park could keep running and then it could use the redesigned attraction to promote its planned anniversary events.
During this initial stage of reopening, Hong Kong Disneyland will be open five days a week, remaining closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the exception of public holidays and special occasions designated by the resort.
The park must run at no more than half capacity, and all visitors must book ahead online and make a health declaration. Wearing masks is compulsory.
Hong Kong Disneyland first closed on January 26, resumed business on June 18, then shut again in mid-July. Its only rival in the city, Ocean Park, reopened last Friday.
