Now that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has lifted Japan’s nationwide state of emergency, several businesses including Japanese theme parks are making reopening preparations.
Minnie & Mickey ice pops in Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea have been closed since February and while they haven’t announced an official reopening date yet, Tokyo Disney Resort’s shopping district (the equivalent to Disney World’s Disney Springs) has announced they’ll be reopening June 1st.
Today we have a bit more news about Tokyo theme parks we think you’ll want to hear!
To help guide some of its theme parks with reopening procedures, East Japan and West Japan Theme Park Associations has drafted a document called, “Guidelines to Prevent the Spread of Infection of the Novel Coronavirus.” This organization has an agreement with Universal Japan as well as Oriental Land Company which helps manage Tokyo Disneyland.
Tokyo Disneyland Waffle Co.
The list of recommended safety protocols and health screening measures includes several suggested policies (many of which we’ve heard before such as social distancing, enhanced sanitation, temperature screenings, etc.), but there are definitely a few new ideas in the mix as well — some of which haven’t encountered before.
Tokyo Disneyland Curry popcorn
One of these new safety protocols seems to include asking theme park guests not to scream or shout on rides. In fact, any form of speaking excitedly or loudly exclaiming joy in enclosed areas such as shows or indoor attractions may be frowned upon.
Tokyo Disneyland Mochi
The rest of the new recommended safety guidelines seem pretty normal including the frequent sanitization of 3D glasses and other interactive tools, along with rental items such as wheelchairs and strollers.
Guests will be encouraged to use cashless payment options at restaurants and shops while the parks will be monitoring whether or not they can conduct large shows or parades safely. Since it will be difficult for performers to wear masks during shows, they will be kept at a distance of six feet at all times from guests should Tokyo Disneyland feel its stage shows can resume.
Tea Cup Vending Machines in Tokyo Disney
Note at this time, these are merely suggested guidelines issued by East Japan and West Japan Theme Park Associations and haven’t been officially released by Tokyo Disneyland. We’ll continue to follow this story and provide you with additional details as more information is announced.
What do you think about guests being asked not to scream or cheer at Japan’s theme parks? Let us know in the comments below.