Shanghai Disneyland reopens with anti-virus controls

SHANGHAI (AP) — Visitors in face masks streamed into Shanghai Disneyland as the theme park reopened Monday in a high-profile step toward reviving global tourism that was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

The House of Mouse’s experience in Shanghai, the first of its parks to reopen, foreshadows hurdles leisure industries might face as they reopen. Disney is limiting visitor numbers, requiring masks and checking for the virus's telltale fever.

China, where the pandemic began in December, was the first country to reopen factories and other businesses after declaring the disease under control in March even as infections rise and controls are tightened in some other countries.

“We hope that today’s reopening serves as a beacon of light across the globe, providing hope and inspiration to everyone,” the president of Shanghai Disney Resort, Joe Schott, told reporters.

Tourism was hit especially hard by controls imposed around the world that shut down airline and cruise ship travel, theme parks and cinemas. Disney’s latest quarterly profit fell 91% and the company said virus-related costs cut pretax profit by $1.4 billion.

Shanghai Disneyland and Disney’s park in Hong Kong closed Jan. 25 as China isolated cities with 60 million people to try to contain the outbreak. Tokyo Disneyland closed the following month and parks in the United States and Europe in March.

China has allowed shops and offices to reopen but is keeping cinemas, bars, karaoke parlors and other businesses closed.

Disney guests, some wearing Mickey Mouse ears, and children dressed as movie characters were checked Monday for fever at the park gate and walked down nearly empty lanes as employees waved to them. The company’s signature tune, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” played over...