Just days after Universal Studios closed in Beijing, Shanghai Disneyland has closed, as officials in China order more lockdowns in response to the continued spread of Covid-19.
Unlike the closure at Universal, visitors were inside the park when Shanghai Disneyland closed shortly before noon today. That prompted a rush to the park gates as guests tried to leave before a lockdown went into effect. They did not make it, though, and thousands of park guests will have to remain inside the park until they can provide a required negative Covid test in order to leave, according to social media posts from the local government.
Shanghai Disneyland continued to operate attractions and open shops and restaurants while guests awaited test results, according to local news reports.
Granted, no one who tests positive is going to get to spend their quarantine riding Pirates of the Caribbean and TRON Lightcycle Power Run. They're going to get sent wherever the government is sending Civid-positive patients these days. Otherwise, you might have some over-enthusiastic Disney fans pulling out Sharpies to draw that second line on their Covid tests to get five-plus free extra days at Disney.
C'mon, you know someone would try that, right?
The closure comes just two days after Shanghai Disney announced that it would close some attractions and operate others at reduced capacity in compliance with new Covid rules. The closure applies to Shanghai Disneyland park, as well as the Disneytown shopping and dining district and Wishing Star Park.
"We will notify guests as soon as we have a confirmed date to resume operations," Shanghai Disneyland said in a notice posted on its website. "We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide refund or exchanges for all guests impacted during this period."
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Ouch for the folks stuck there, one would think a bit more advance warning so they wouldn't be trapped in the park.
Although if nothing else, the "Westworld" style jokes being cracked on forums are fun.