Tokyo Disney park reopens with infection-prevention measures

Tokyo Disney Resort welcomed visitors on July 1 for the first time in four months after being closed due to the coronavirus, with fans practicing social distancing as they returned to see Mickey Mouse and other beloved characters.

Visitors in facemasks lined up on floor marks and clapped as the gates of the Magic Kingdom reopened. They were encouraged to clean their hands, pay without cash and avoid screaming while enjoying one of Japan's largest theme parks.

The resort will operate at a 50 percent capacity for the foreseeable future, while parades and shows remain suspended.

But the new norm did not dampen the enthusiasm of Disney lovers like university student Momoka Mitsui.

"I'm over the moon just to be able to get inside Disneyland," says the 18-year-old, who visited the park with a friend. Both wore facemasks and matching Mickey Mouse headbands.

Tokyo, which has seen the highest number of coronavirus cases in Japan, allowed amusement parks to reopen in mid-June－later than those in some other regions－after the government lifted the national state of emergency in late May.