Photo/Illutration Disney characters welcome park visitors while maintaining a safe distance on June 29 at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture. (Tsubasa Setoguchi)

No touchy-feely behavior of any kind. No hugging Mickey Mouse or any of the other theme park mascot characters.

That's the new approach that Tokyo Disneyland operator Oriental Land will implement for health and safety measures upon reopening the theme park on July 1.

The parks, which have been closed for about four months to prevent the spread of COVID-19, are set to reopen as the number of infections in the capital is again climbing.

Visitors to both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, will be asked to check their body temperatures at the entrance and requested to wear face masks as well, the operator said on June 29 as it demonstrated new measures to the media. 

Parades and shows will remain canceled, in principle. The operator said it hopes to hold a limited number of parades after monitoring the situation.

To prevent visitors from crowding and getting too close to each other, stickers to instruct people to maintain a safe distance apart have been posted along the parade routes.

Mickey Mouse and his gang will appear on a float but will not mingle with park visitors. No dancers will be part of the parade.

Visitors will be barred from touching characters but can view them from a distance, the operator said.

Tickets will not be sold at the gates. People who want to visit the theme parks must make advance reservations to do so.

The operator will limit the number of visitors to less than half of normal capacity but will reassess the situation later to consider allowing more.

“We will see how our new operation works and gradually increase the number of visitors allowed,” an Oriental Land representative said.







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