After months of closure while the rest of the world continues forward, Shanghai Disney is allowed by the ruling communist party to reopen with a slick, new ad.
Propaganda from the Chinese government is allegedly high with the reopening of Shanghai Disney. A slick, new marketing video for the resort accompanied the first day back for the park after about four-months of closure along with draconian lockdowns that shuttered most of Shanghai. Despite the marketing and the headlines out of state-run news sources, Channel News Asia out of Singapore reports that only more than a thousand guests returned to the resort on its first day. Because of the nature of the communist party’s control in China, we cannot be sure how many of those guests attended of their own private desires versus how many were there in an attempt to create a government-preferred narrative.
From Channel News Asia:
Before its March closure, the park had enforced COVID-19 measures required by the authorities, such as face masks and regular disinfection.
After the re-opening, it requires guests to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours, in line with rules for public areas in Shanghai and other cities.
The park has also said it will limit capacity, but gave no details, adding that some attractions, such as Marvel Universe, will stay closed.
Shanghai Disneyland is a joint venture with Chinese state-owned Shendi Group, which holds a 57 per cent stake.
The government crisis in Shanghai was so drastic during a two-month period that hunger-driven riots broke out throughout the city.
Food riots in Pudong Shanghai. Crazy crisis management. People are starving in one of the richest city of the world. #shanghai #covid19 #ZeroCovid pic.twitter.com/ZOX7skwCWZ
— Being (@tofoli) April 4, 2022
Articles on That Park Place have previously speculated that The Walt Disney Company may seek a way to divest their remaining interest in the China Disney Parks should the country act more aggressively against Taiwan or against the west.
During 2020, rumors swirled that Disney had sought a plan to divest their interests from China in regards to their parks. That’s no surprise: companies often prepare plans for detrimental situations they need to have ready. But a source for this site reports that those plans may be back in the minds of Disney executives. Consider that even in their most recent quarterly earnings report, Disney management admitted the huge hit they were taking from Chinese parks being closed, as well as dismissed the harm they’re taking when movie after movie is rejected by Chinese censors. So it should be of little shock that Disney would look for a way to sell much of their interest in the Chinese parks to the Shendi Group while maintaining some sort of licensing agreement. It would likely need to be approved by the Chinese government, but it’s far better to begin working in that direction now rather than waiting until a missile hits Taiwan and war (or even World War III) has begun.
— WDW Pro, That Park Place
For now, however, it seems Mickey Mouse will continue to be dressed in traditional Chinese clothing while city skylines are shown in the background on Chinese state media.
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