After being closed for one month Tokyo Disneyland re-opens today at the joy of hundred of TDL fans. Disney fans lined up as early as 6:30 a.m., an hour and a half before Friday's reopening, hoping to be the first into the park.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and a host of other Disney characters surprised visitors as the gates opened at 8 a.m. A sort of Disney hysteria swept over the crowd as Mickey danced in front of visitors minutes before the official opening of the park.
"We were so excited, we were almost crying," Tokyo Disneyland visitor Mika Hasegawa said.
Many TV channels were they were to film TDL re-opening and you'll find below four reports filmed on different angles.
Hiroshi Suzuki, public relations manager for Oriental Land Co. -- the company that owns Tokyo Disneyland -- agreed. He said visitors were so elated when they saw Mickey and the other characters, he wished he could bring that kind of happiness to all people in Japan.
Other visitors to the park said they thought it was important to start getting out and spending money to get the economy running again. Erika Kanehira said she planned on visiting Tokyo Disneyland as often as she could and would also purchase merchandise to help the disaster area recover.
For every guest admitted to the park through May 14, Tokyo Disneyland will donate 300 yen (about $4) to the Japanese Red Cross. The park will also be operating under shortened business hours in order to save power.
Suzuki says the company hopes to get the park up and running on usual business hours as soon as possible. But most visitors are happy to have the park back at all.
Tomomi Takehashi said Disneyland was a place where people can come to laugh and smile -- and that may be exactly what the Japanese public needs right now.
However as you will see on this last video one TDL major attraction remains closed today, and it's Big Thunder Mountain which apparently needs to be more checked.
Anyway, just like all of you and for all TDL fans, i'm so happy that the park is open again!
Picture: copyright CNN
