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Universal Studios Japan Reopening This Month, Tokyo Disneyland And DisneySea Not Ready Yet

Universal Studios Japan Reopening
By Ethan Anderton/

As the weeks go on, more businesses are preparing to reopen as the spread of coronavirus has slowed down in some parts of the world. This time it's Japan that has lifted their state of emergency declaration, which allows theme parks to open back up. Universal Studios Japan will be taking advantage of the reduced restrictions by beginning a phased reopening starting on June 8, but the manner in which it's opening is a little different than you might expect. Meanwhile, Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea aren't ready to open their doors just yet. Get all the details below.

First up, Universal Studios Japan announced their reopening plans in a series of tweets, including this video:

Translated, the tweet says Universal Studios Disneyland will resume normal operations on June 19. But before that, there will be a soft open lasting from June 8 through June 14 for residents of Osaka with an annual pass. Then from June 15 through June 18, anyone in Osaka will be able to enter the park. And finally, starting on June 19, the park will also be open for people in Kansai who have an annual pass.

Much like the reopening of Shanghai Disneyland and the upcoming reopening of Florida's Walt Disney World, pre-registration is required, there will be a temperature checkpoint for admission, guests will be required to wear masks at all times, and social distancing rules will be in place all over the park.

However, not everything in the park will be open. Playland in Universal Wonderland will be closed, which includes Snoopy's Great Race, a bunch of Sesame Street attractions, and the water garden. Plus, the Shrek 4D Adventure and Sesame Street 4D Movie Magic will remain closed too. The Universal Spectacle Night Parade: Best of Hollywood will not be resuming either. Restaurants will also have reduced hours, some may be closed on weekdays, and photo services will be limited. If you plan on going to Universal Studios Japan anytime soon, make sure you plan accordingly.

Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea

Tokyo Disneyland

Even though Universal Studios Japan is reopening soon, their competitors at Disneyland and DisneySea will be staying closed for the time being. It sounds like they're being much more cautious, even with the state of emergency restrictions being lifted. An official statement from the park said (via Blog Mickey):

"Although the government's state of emergency declaration regarding the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has been lifted, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea will temporarily remain closed.

The reopening of the parks will be determined when external and internal conditions have been readied, including the phased easing of closure requests from the government and local municipalities, as well as preparations for Park operations. The reopening date will be announced once it has been decided.

Additionally, the opening date for the Tokyo Disneyland major expansion area will be determined once the situation can be gauged after reopening both parks."

At least they're not being hasty with their reopening plans, and they're taking the time to ensure it's safe for people to return. The last thing they need is a resurgence of coronavirus that could shut businesses down again, which is exactly what many are worried about in the United States. We'll see how that goes when theme parks start to reopen here in July.

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