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Update: 3/11/20
The Tokyo Disney Resort will remain closed past March 15 and won’t reopen until early April. According to Kyotonews.net, the extended closure comes at the request of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who asked that “organizers of sports and cultural events” to continue the cancelation or postponement of their activities for another ten days.
Here is the official statement on Tokyo Disney Resort’s website:
As a precautionary measure in line with prevention efforts taking place across Japan and in response to the recommendations of appropriate authorities, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea will remain closed through early April out of consideration for the health and safety of our guests and cast members. We remain in close contact with related government agencies about the situation and will provide updates as the situation changes.
Please note that the Grand Opening of the new area in Tokyo Disneyland scheduled for April 15, 2020 is postponed to mid-May 2020 or beyond.
Updated: 2/27/20 10:25 p.m. EST:
Disney and the Oriental Land Company have made the decision to close the two theme parks at Tokyo Disney Resort — Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea — through March 15.
The Oriental Land Company said in a statement:
“Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have decided to proceed with an extraordinary closure from Saturday February 29, 2020, through Sunday March 15.”
A spokesperson also said:
“Currently, we plan to reopen on March 16. But we’ll decide when to open by looking at the situation and developments. We’ll also consult (official) agencies concerned.”
A statement has not yet been shared on the Tokyo Disney Resort website, and The Walt Disney Company has not yet issued a statement publicly regrading the park’s closure.
Updated: 2/25/20 9:10 a.m. EST:
A statement posted on Tokyo Disney Resort’s website — as well as on signs at the park entrances — asks guests to avoid visiting the park if they are not feeling well. Here is the official wording:
Guests feeling unwell due to possible cold symptoms are requested to refrain from visiting the Parks.
Tokyo Disney Resort made this update on February 21, 2020, and it now currently in effect.
Updated: 2/14/20 2:05 p.m. EST:
According to the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong Disneyland leased the government a 60-hectare plot of land for quarantine facilities. The lot, currently vacant, was set aside for planned park expansion, and the quarantine facilities will be used in Hong Kong’s efforts to contain the outbreak of the virus on their archipelago as well as properly return the 2,200 residents still stranded in Hubei province and the 330 residents quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Yokohama, Japan.
Hong Kong Disneyland, obviously, remains closed along with Shanghai Disney Resort. One must also wonder if the government will make any attempt to refuse to give the 60-hectares of land back to Hong Kong Disneyland once this crisis is over. The Hong Kong Government has previously made a rather aggressive effort to reclaim Disney’s land for affordable housing projects which was personally led by Secretary of Transport and Housing, Frank Chan.
Original Story:
The Coronavirus continues to spread in and outside of Mainland China. Neighboring countries such as Japan and Hong Kong are facing growing numbers of infected people. The World Health Organization declared the disease outbreak a “global emergency.”
How are the Disney parks continuing to be affected? We have the answers for you here in the latest edition of Disney in Plain English.
Three Disney theme parks are located in Asia: Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort. Each park is taking its own measures of precautions to prevent the coronavirus from spreading.
Here are the latest updates:
Tokyo Disneyland Suspends Character Meet n’ Greets
As of January 28, 2020, all Cast Members at Tokyo Disney will now wear facemasks as a precaution against the Coronavirus. Now, reports are coming in that suggests that Tokyo Disney is suspending all meet n’ greets for face characters. That includes all of the princess meet n’ greets. The suspension makes sense. Just think about a child running up to give Cinderella or Ariel a hug and the princesses are wearing the same real-world facemask.
Tokyo Disneyland is the only Disney Resort in Asia still open to guests. They recently posted the following statement on their website:
To Our Guests
Tokyo Disney Resort requests the cooperation of all our Guests in helping to prevent contagion and stop the spread of the new coronavirus by following the points below.
▪When using the restrooms in the Parks, please wash your hands and use the supplied disinfectant.
▪If you feel unwell or your physical condition worsens, please contact the nearest Cast Member.Starting January 28 Cast Members will be wearing face masks.
Disneyland Hong Kong Remains Closed, Begins Closing Hotel Restaurants
Disneyland Hong Kong has been closed since January 26, 2020, but the hotel continued to remain open to guests caught in the middle of the closure. Now, the resort is taking further steps by closing the hotel restaurants as of February 1, 2020. There is no word yet on when normal park operations will resume.
Disneyland Hong Kong posted a statement on its website explaining that all purchased tickets are valid for six months after purchase, attempting to assure future guests that they can hold on to their tickets until this outbreak is over. However, if the six months pass, Disneyland Hong Kong will provide a refund.
Here’s the official statement:
As a precautionary measure in line with prevention efforts taking place across Hong Kong, we are temporarily closing Hong Kong Disneyland Park starting from January 26, 2020 out of consideration for the health and safety of our Guests and Cast Members. The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open. We are in close contact with health authorities and the government about the situation and will announce a reopening date once they determine it is advisable.
The Standard Park Ticket is valid for six months from the purchase date. If needed, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort will assist in the refund for Guests who have purchased tickets for admission to Hong Kong Disneyland park or have booked a resort hotel. For additional details, please click here or email to guest@hongkongdisneyland.com.
There is no word yet on how this closure may affect the expansion plans for Hong Kong Disneyland, which is promised to include a Frozen-themed land and a brand new castle.
Shanghai Disney Resort Remains Closed
Shanghai Disney Resort is the only Disney resort in Mainland China. It ceased operations on January 25, 2020, and has continued to remain closed until further notice.
Here is the official statement on Shanghai Disney Resort’s website:
As a precautionary measure in line with prevention efforts taking place across China, we are temporarily closing Shanghai Disneyland park out of consideration for the health and safety of our guests and Cast Members. We are in close contact with health officials and the local government about the situation and will announce a reopening date once they determine it is advisable. In the interim, we will be providing refunds to guests who have booked tickets to the park or rooms at our resort hotels.
Shanghai Disney Resort will assist in the refund for guests who have purchased tickets for admission to Shanghai Disneyland, have booked a resort hotel, or have booked tickets for Beauty and the Beast Mandarin Production through the original ticket purchase channel.
There is no word yet on how the park closure is affecting the construction scheduled of Shanghai Disney’s planned Zootopia land.
Have faith. This, too, shall pass.
The reported number of Mainland Chinese infected with the Coronavirus is close to breaking 10,000. The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 travel advisory for China. The number of infected people in Hong Kong and Japan is significantly smaller but is still showing signs of growth.
Our suggestion: don’t freak out. Keep your distance, take all suggested precautions, and have faith. This outbreak will soon be stopped. People will get better. The parks will reopen. The Walt Disney Company will bounce back.