Operators of unauthorized drones caught flying over the core part of the Shanghai International and Tourism Resorts Zone, which includes the Shanghai Disney Resort, could be fined up to 30,000 yuan ($4,518), the zone's management committee said yesterday.
Individual pilots will be fined 500 to 2,000 yuan and companies will face a penalty of up to 30,000 yuan, according to a new regulation publicized by the committee yesterday.
"The committee has found numerous unauthorized drones flying over the core area of the zone recently to take photos, which raises safety concerns," a committee official said.
The regulation is similar to one enforced during the World Expo 2010, she added.
All drones, helicopters, gliders, airships and hot-air balloons taking off, landing or flying over the the core area of the zone must receive approval from the authority in advance, according to the regulation.
Drone photography has become a popular activity over the zone and many aerial shots of Disneyland and the zone's other attractions have appeared on the Internet.
This activity has sparked public safety concerns because of the risk of the remote-controlled miniature aircraft crashing and injuring visitors on the ground.
In a popular video posted by a local drone pilot in April, a drone falls to the ground after its battery runs out inside the Disney resort.
In addition to banning drones, the regulation also prohibits ticket selling, begging, swimming, climbing onto structures and setting up stalls within the 7-square-kilometer zone in Pudong's Chuansha.
Authorities in the Pudong New Area have established an enforcement team comprising more than 100 officers.
