Happening at the Happiest Place on Earth: Disneyland’s 1‑Day Stay‑Open‑Than‑On Party
It’s a Thursday for some people, a Wednesday for others, and an almost-sleep‑over for Disneyland enthusiasts—because Disneyland Hong Kong will be closed for the entire day on Wednesday, 17 Nov to give staff a chance to get those pesky Covid‑19 tests taken.
Why the pause?
- One infected visitor slipped through the gates over the weekend and sparked the “check‑your‑mask‑again” alarm.
- The park’s owner—a mixing pot of the local government and a tiny share of Walt Disney’s decent piece—those big and little arms, says it’s all “an abundance of caution.”
- Anyone who “trod” the park from 11 am to 6 pm on 14 Nov will also get tested on Thursday, to keep the odds low.
Hong Kong’s “no‑pie‑in‑the‑sky” Covid strategy
While the city has barely seen a handful of Covid cases in recent months, it’s been tightening up the filters—think quarantine, patient discharge rules, and a thick layer of travel restrictions on par with Beijing.
- It’s the opposite of the world’s trend: “Let’s live with the virus” vs. “Let’s keep the virus in a damp, black box on a luggage cart.”
- The city hopes stricter rules will convince China, the primary growth engine, to open the border gradually.
- At Shanghai Disneyland last month, guests inside had to quench their thirst for freedom by taking fans for a health check at the exit.
The business‑side drama
International business organizations keep waving their flags that high restrictions could cause talent and investment to flee to softer places like Singapore.
- The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong recently announced a resignation—because why fight a 10‑mile long hug and still have to quarantine.
- Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan’s CEO, landed in Hong Kong Monday and was “exempt” from the quarantine rule for executives. Still, he says it makes keeping staff a huge puzzle.
In short, Disney, Hong Kong, and the entire fun‑fair universe expect a quick unmask, a test, and a hopeful return—so next weekend you’ll be able to skip the queue again and eat that churro without a second look at the reading of a mask and a wavy line? Fingers crossed.
