Disney Reopens Hong Kong Theme Park, Remains Silent On Shanghai Properties' Status

Walt Disney Co DIS reopened its Hong Kong theme park that was closed for three months following a COVID-19 resurgence in the region, but the status of its Shanghai properties is still uncertain.

What Happened: According to the Inside the Magic blog, Hong Kong Disneyland was closed on Jan. 7 for what was supposed to be a two-week period following a new wave of COVID intensity. But the closure was extended into a third week before being shuttered indefinitely.

The park reopened yesterday in a festive extravaganza titled “The Magic is Back” that included a parade featuring the Disney costumed characters and the park’s Brand Ambassadors Lily Chan and Tony Dick.

Hong Kong Disneyland will operate on a five-day-a-week schedule, with the venue closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The park will maintain capacity control levels as required by Hong Kong government regulations and guests will need to make reservations with valid tickets prior to their arrival at the site.

What Didn’t Happen: While the Hong Kong park reopens, the state of the Shanghai Disney resorts remain in limbo as China’s largest city continues to struggle with a COVID resurgence that resulted in restrictive lockdowns and the near-total suspension of business and industrial operations.

The company has three Shanghai-based properties — Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown and the Wishing Star park — that were closed on March 21 for what was originally announced as a temporary basis due to the pandemic in the area.

The company has not provided any updates on when the properties might resume operations. The Disney Parks Blog has made no mention of Shanghai since an article published three days before the closings and the website for the properties posted a statement that said, “There is currently no confirmed date for re-opening of our operations. We will continue to monitor the pandemic situation and in consultation with local authorities update our guests as soon as we have more information.”

Photo: Niall Kennedy / Flickr Creative Commons