Disneyland Paris welcomes back guests to its two parks, Disney’s Newport Bay Club hotel and the Disney Village shopping and entertainment district today, with an array of health and safety measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, in line with guidance from the French government and health authorities.

As excited guests poured through the gates on the first day the resort has been open since March 15, these are the major changes…

1. You must book ahead

Now quarantine measures between the UK and France have been lifted, you might be tempted to head to Disneyland Paris via the next available ferry or plane (direct Eurostar services resume in August). However, a new online ticket reservation system limits crowd capacity each day, in line with social distancing guidelines. You need to be in possession of a valid dated ticket to be allowed through the gates.

2. Masks are compulsory

Visitors aged 11 and older, and all cast members, must wear face coverings “at all times, except when eating”, so that smouldering selfie pout you’ve been perfecting in lockdown will have to remain hidden for the foreseeable future. If you lose your covering while screaming with delight on one of the attractions, shops in Disney Village are selling disposal blue masks.

3. Keep your distance

Bilingual stickers on the ground, which would stretch more than 20km placed end to end, enforce physical distancing of at least one metre between guests in queues, restaurants, ride vehicles and other facilities. On opening day, even the most excitable young visitors were happy to keep their distance as indicated by the decals.

4. Keeping clean is easy

There shouldn’t be a mucky paw in sight, with more than 2,000 hand sanitiser and hand-washing stations introduced throughout the resort, especially at the entrances and exits of attractions, restaurants, shops and theatres. When the resort is fully open, more than 50,000 litres of hand sanitiser will be distributed each month.

5. There are sneeze guards for your protection

Around 3km of Plexiglass has been installed in queues and key locations for protection, most notably at shop tills and hotel front desks, where the new additions are lovingly referred to as sneeze guards. One adorably sniffly resident of the Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs dark ride might consider that a personal slight.

6. There’s no quick queue Fastpass options

Patience is a virtue in the two parks, where some of the most popular rides can command long wait times at peak intervals. To aid queue management for the reopening, single rider queues and the fiercely competitive Fastpass service, which allows guests to pre-book a timed slot for eight must-ride attractions, have been suspended.

7. There are fewer seats available on some of the rides

The configuration of attractions has been adapted for physical distancing between families or groups. Some rides – like the two-seater Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast – are already designed with plenty of space between visitors, but the loading of roller coasters, including Big Thunder Mountain and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Peril, now requires a few empty seats. Be prepared to whoop and scream twice as loud through your mandatory face mask.

8. No fireworks or procession

In accordance with guidance from French authorities, daily experiences that are likely to draw big crowds have been temporarily suspended, including the Disney Stars On Parade procession of colourful floats, and the night-time fireworks and light projection spectacular – Disney Illuminations – at the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

9. Take away is the new norm

Restaurants have reduced seating capacity as part of the social distancing guidelines, so take away options are being promoted to encourage guests to eat al fresco around the parks. Buffet restaurants have adopted an all-you-can-eat table service offering, where waiting staff collect pre-prepared plates from the counter and deliver them to your table.

10. Selfie Spots replace meet and greets

Getting a warm hug from a favourite character or trading withering glances with a classic villain at one of the many meet and greets is – alas – no longer possible, because of social distancing guidelines. Thankfully, Disneyland Paris has introduced ‘Selfie Spots’ where visitors are encouraged to take pictures on their own devices with colourful figures from the Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel universes.

11. You can still have a photo with Tink

If you’ve ever wanted to have Tinker Bell nestled in the palm of your hand, the new ‘magic shot’ feature for Photopass customers promises to sprinkle pixie dust over snapshots. For the first time at the Paris parks, Disney photographers positioned at key locations might ask guests to strike a specific pose or gesture, and when the image is delivered electronically, a beloved character has magically materialised in the scene.