The reboot of Disney's Japanese resort — commonly cited as the company's most profitable theme park worldwide — follows the recent reopening of the Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland.
The Walt Disney Co.'s theme parks business will take another big step towards the resumption of normal business next week, as the Tokyo Disney Resort reopens its gates after four months of closure in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Oriental Land Co., the local operator of the Tokyo Disney Resort, said Tuesday that it plans to begin welcoming guests back to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea on July 1.
The company plans to limit daily attendance to 15,000 people for the time being. To prevent visitors from congregating around the park gates, tickets will be sold online only, beginning June 25, and each guest will be assigned a set time for entry. Visitors will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken upon admittance. Several attractions and live shows will remain closed.
The Tokyo Disney Resort is regularly cited as Disney's most profitable theme park worldwide. The recent four-month hiatus is the longest break the Tokyo resort has taken since it opened as the Burbank, Calif.-based entertainment giant's first offshore theme park in 1983.
The Shanghai Disney Resort became The Walt Disney Co.'s first major theme park to resume business in early May, with attendance limited to 24,000 guests per day, well below its pre-outbreak capacity. Hong Kong Disneyland followed suit last week. Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida, is scheduled to begin a similar phased reopening on July 11.
The Japanese government lifted its state of emergency declaration on May 25. Much of the country's consumer sector is now back online, including restaurants, bars, sports venues and cinemas. As of Tuesday, Japan had confirmed 17,856 coronavirus infections and 955 deaths. In recent days, new confirmed infections in Tokyo have hovered between 30 and 50 cases.
