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Expert grades Shanghai Disneyland’s reopening an 'A'

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Updated  May 13, 2020 5:13am EDT
Theme Parks
FOX 35 Orlando

Evaluating Shanghai Disneyland’s reopening

Analysts say the reopening of Shanghai Disneyland on Monday went as smoothly as to be expected. There was limited capacity and added measures were put in place to improve safety. Disney will be allowing 5,000 additional park guests each day this week.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Shanghai Disneyland wrapped up its second day of business on Tuesday after reopening.  Disney is testing out operating procedures that could be used in Orlando.

So, how did Shanghai do?  FOX 35 News had an expert weigh in.

“I’d definitely give them an ‘A’,” said Robert Niles, editor at ThemeParkInsider.com. “They pulled it off. They got the park reopened. They had procedures in place that helped people to feel safe,” Niles said.

Niles says Monday was more of a dress rehearsal.  The park is limited to 30 percent capacity, but the first day was limited by Disney even further.

“They are building up to that by admitting 5,000 extra people a day. They didn’t tell us how many were there on the opening day, but it’s gotta be down under 5-10,000,” Niles said.

Niles says he believes changes will have to happen as more people are allowed through the gate.

“When you’ve got 25-30,000 people in the park, you are going to have cues. So if you don’t have the physical space to put them in where they can stay 6 feet apart - remember some of these side-by-side cues - even if you’re 6 feet apart from the person in front of you, you aren’t from the person on each side,” Niles said.

Distancing will get harder with every additional guest in the park.

“It might be an ‘A’ for the first day, but this is a semester-long course and they’ve just started it,” Niles said.

But it appeared to go off without a hitch, perhaps thanks to the slow ramp-up.

“I think it definitely shows the go-slow approach is the correct one to take and I would expect to see something similar when Disney World reopens, whenever that might be,” Niles said.

As far as the guest response to the changes, Niles says people seemed satisfied with the experience.

“I think a lot of people were just really thrilled to be back in the park and, frankly, a lot of people were thrilled to be able to walk onto pirates or Soarin without any cues,” Niles said. “The short wait times make up for the hassles of the masks and the social distancing, and maybe not having the parades and shows the same way as before.”