Mickey Mouse is back and so is Goofy too. But who are those guys in suits lined up along the route to the Magic Castle? Executives and chefs, clerical workers and technicians, the backstage cast to Tokyo Disneyland stepped out from behind the curtains briefly to greet guests as the popular attraction reopened its gates Friday.
Mickey Mouse is back and so is Goofy too. But who are those guys in suits lined up along the route to the Magic Castle? Executives and chefs, clerical workers and technicians, the backstage cast to Tokyo Disneyland stepped out from behind the curtains briefly to greet guests as the popular attraction reopened its gates Friday.
"We apologize sincerely to our guests for the confusion and worry caused by our closing," read a statement in Japanese issued by Oriental Land Co., the park's owners. "We will continue to do our best to provide dreams and peace of mind to all our visitors."
The theme park drew praise for its orderly response to the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, when it accommodated thousands of guests stranded by stalled trains. The next day it closed indefinitely, due to liquefaction of the land it is built on along with the recent rolling power outages. About 1,455 hectares, or three-quarters of Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, which hosts Tokyo Disneyland, underwent some level of liquefaction, according to the city's urban environment section. Sections of the parking lot buckled and sprang water.
Fans wondered when and in what form the park might reopen. On Friday the park seemed almost mundane -- but in its magical way -- much to the relief of regular visitors.
"I almost cried when I stepped into here and saw that it's running as it's always been," says Kenta Maeda, who was saving a spot along the parade route for a group of friends. The 43-year-old businessman says he's visited the park about 60 times a year. "Here I'm in a different world where I can watch a parade and forget unpleasant things. Today I'm here for reassurance. After all that's been going on Disneyland is back, and so am I."
In fact, the recent magnitude-9 quake might make him a more frequent guest. Judging by news broadcasts and YouTube videos, he says, Disneyland seems one of the safest places to be when another big one hits.
Americans Ross and Tina Vivona, a couple from Chicago who got married in Disneyland in California, came to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.
"We're not worried about the radiation, the water, or the aftershocks. We felt some, but they're not an issue.We were just hoping that Disneyland would open when we got here, even for half a day," says Ross.
Disneyland's closing time has been moved up to 6 p.m. (from 10 p.m. normally) to conserve electricity. Next door Tokyo DisneySea remains closed, although all work to reopen is done, according to Oriental Land.
On Friday at Disneyland, lines started forming before the 8 a.m. opening, but by 10 a.m. most gates had no waits.
"A friend of ours said we should feel lucky, because there won't be many screaming kids today," says Ross. "But like the cherry blossom viewing we've seen here. There are less people so there's less excitement. The benefit is that you don't have to wait in so long lines," he adds, but what's Disneyland without them?