Hong Kong's Disneyland set to reopen this week

Hong Kong's Disneyland set to reopen this week

The Magic Kingdom is set to reopen its gates in Hong Kong nearly five months after it was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fred Katayama reports.

Hong Kong's borders remain nearly fully closed, but the gates to the Magic Kingdom are set to reopen this week.

The Disneyland theme park will entertain a reduced number of visitors, who will have to subject themselves to temperature checks and don face masks.

Guests have to reserve their visit beforehand and make a health declaration upon doing so.

Inside the park, life on Main Street will be slightly different.

Social distancing rules will apply at lines for attractions, restaurants and other facilities.

The majority of shops and restaurants will operate with "controlled capacity." Kids will have to forgo close-up photo ops with Mickey and his menagerie.

And hand sanitizers will be available.

The new protocols go into effect Thursday.

The park, which is roughly half-owned by Disney, had been closed since late January due to the coronavirus outbreak.

But Hong Kong has reported only a handful of new cases recently, and many restrictions have been gradually lifted in the Chinese-ruled city.

The city's other theme park, Ocean Park, reopened on Saturday.

And just last month, Shanghai's Disneyland was back in business after a three-month closure.