Universal Studios Japan Reopens After Three Month Hiatus
We’ve got some exciting news for our global Universal fans. Universal Studios in Japan reopened it’s doors yesterday to annual passholders that live in Osaka Prefecture according to a recent piece in Kyodo News. The theme park was shut down for three months due to the coronavirus epidemic.
According to reports, passholders were first required to register for a “soft opening” to gain access to the theme parks. This is the first step of a phased reopening which will eventually see admission expanded to include the general public.
General operations are expected to open on June 19th but admission will initially be limited to pass holders and residents of the six prefectures in the Kansai region. This includes Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama.
Here’s some incredible footage of the soft opening for passholders that happened this week:
As you can see from the footage above, the park opened just before 10 am and the crowds were definitely smaller than usual. One visitor told Kyoto News, “It is not as lively as usual with a small number of visitors, but it’s fun to ride attractions without the long wait.”
Similar to what we are seeing on this side of the pond, the theme parks are having to adjust to the COVID-19 world by implementing new strategies to keep guests safe. Visitors must wear a face mask and undergo body temperature checks to enter the park. Social distancing is also enforced while waiting for attractions.
Guests are also required to sit in every other row in theaters and on ride attractions as an extra precaution! However, fans are still showing up to enjoy their favorite rides. One 14-year-old pass holder said, “I was really looking forward to riding roller coasters.”
For now, Universal Studios is the first of the Japanese theme park to open. Disney is taking a more cautious approach with Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea. Oriental Land Co. who is the operator of the Disney parks has said that they are going to extend the closure of the parks due to concerns over the virus. The Disney parks also shut down on February 29th.
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with UniversalParksBlog for further news and updates!
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Source: Kyoto News
