Nrthwnd Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 ^ Chris, is there any chance you're going to be able to get near the ShDL site, for a look see? Or isn't there enough time (or transport resources) in your schedule? Just me being curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COASTER FREAK 11 Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 (edited) I am actually going to the site (not on property) to take a look! We have a friend who currently is there working on the project, so hes going to drive us around the site. Nothing more then what we see here. But I will at least have updated pics from outside the park. Edited May 12, 2015 by COASTER FREAK 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 ^ (Thanks in advance!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Castle topped off today. The golden piece with peony flower on top looks great! Photo from Shanghai Disneyland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COASTER FREAK 11 Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 WOW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 ^ What he said. It really is a beautiful piece to top the castle there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Looks fantastic! Very excited to see the final result! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 A very minor revelation...but Wolfgang Puck announced plans to include a "Wolfgang Puck's Bar & Grill" at the resort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardyloo! Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 That castle looks HUGE, bet it's not only the tallest castle but probably the biggest (widest) as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
window Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 This is a pretty amazing / terrifying post about the rumoured politics and position of Shanghai Disneyland - http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/a-spirited-perfect-ten.894588/page-877#post-6723999 If it is to be believed it looks like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is seizing control of the entire resort. Iger and Staggs blocked from attending the construction site, then being held at their hotel, no Disney characters allowed at the opening of the Shanghai Disney Store and the resort not being marketed to guests outside of China?! It will be interesting to see how this develops.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Here's a dumb question - are Chinese theme parks legally allowed to discriminate and straight-up prevent visitors from outside of China from being admitted? I'm not sure what to think here, honestly. Another dumb question - is it even worth it for Disney to still be involved in this thing at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 It's like they don't even want Disney to go well because they are the boss. I hate this about our government! Disney goes well=more tax, even a 5-year-old can get that right? Just when you think your government has passed the whole communist crazy intense and conservative phase, here it comes. It's no worth dealing with these crap, Disney deserves much better than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COASTER FREAK 11 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Don't believe everything you read on the internet, thats all I'll say. Anyways, this video popped up today and I think its the best footage we have seen so far! It clearly shows lots of attractions, some not announced yet (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) and some other cool stuff. The "Tomorrowland" section is looking particularly cool too with what seems to be an elevated spiraly walk way? Also, the pad for Dumbo and his queue has been poured. There another round cement pad near it which could indicate another unannounced attraction? Who knows, lol. Enjoy the video! [youtu_be] [/youtu_be] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 This is a pretty amazing / terrifying post about the rumoured politics and position of Shanghai Disneyland - http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/a-spirited-perfect-ten.894588/page-877#post-6723999 If it is to be believed it looks like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is seizing control of the entire resort. Iger and Staggs blocked from attending the construction site, then being held at their hotel, no Disney characters allowed at the opening of the Shanghai Disney Store and the resort not being marketed to guests outside of China?! It will be interesting to see how this develops.... I'm not buying that at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 ^^ Great overview video of the area! And it looks (looked?) like there is so much more to be done, down there. I'm hoping they are still able to keep up with a 2016 opening..... "politics aside". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Some may find this an interesting read http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-09/shanghai-disneyland-is-customized-for-the-chinese-family Rethinking Disneyland for the Chinese Family The Shanghai park is designed with extended families—and even line jumpers—in mind Updated on July 9, 2015 — 6:11 PM EDT As any parent who’s hauled awe-struck kids through a Disney park in the U.S. knows, the stars of the show are the ever-present Mickey, Minnie, and the fairy tale princesses (think Cinderella, Ariel, and Elsa) that Walt Disney transformed into a perpetual profit machine. But visitors to Shanghai Disneyland, set to open next spring, will be wowed by a new cast member in a starring role: Chinese culture. Whether it’s the giant glass peony blossom representing nobility and good fortune at the center of a fairy-bedecked fountain, the “lucky” cloud patterns painted on some spires of the massive castle dwarfing the park, or the traditional dim sum restaurant in the Disneytown night life area, every detail will exhibit a heavy dose of mainland history and customs. “We’re building something that’s authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese,” Disney Chairman Robert Iger says. “It definitely will be Disneyland in China, but we’ll obviously be respectful of the Chinese culture and relatable to the people of China.” In May the company opened the world’s largest Disney Store in Shanghai, the mainland’s most affluent metropolis. But the $5.5 billion resort Disney is building in partnership with Shanghai’s local government—within a three-hour drive of more than 330 million potential visitors—is a far bigger bet on China’s rising middle class. It’s also the entertainment giant’s largest foreign investment ever. Despite Disney’s longtime success in theme parks, risks remain. Since the 1980s, many Chinese real estate developers have added entertainment components to their projects, so there are plenty of rivals for mainlanders’ leisure-time dollars. The number of Chinese amusement parks, including water parks and other destinations with rides, is expected to reach 850 this year, up 40 percent since 2006, according to consultant IBISWorld. Comcast’s Universal Studios is building a theme park in Beijing, and DreamWorks Animation is opening a film studio and entertainment complex in Shanghai. Attractions operated by local competitors, such as Songcheng Park in Hangzhou and Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Hengqin, rank among the most attended in the world, according to consulting firm Aecom. “They [Disney] have to be on top of their game,” says Dennis Speigel, a theme park consultant from Cincinnati who’s worked in China. “It better be sized correctly, it better be finished properly, because the Chinese are so into technology and social media, now they know what’s going on.” China’s one-child policy and a desire by extended families to travel together often mean there are as many as four adults for every kid in the parks, says Craig Hanna, chief creative officer for Thinkwell Group, a theme park designer based in Los Angeles, which has done work in China. So operators need to design plenty of seating, restaurants, viewing areas, and open space where older family members can camp out while others go on rides, Hanna says. Chinese companies don’t typically offer paid vacation time, so park attendance tends to surge around a handful of national holidays, according to Tony Sze, senior counselor of the Chimelong Group, one of China’s largest park operators. To reduce the waits at rides during peak times, the company schedules parades and street performances to draw customers elsewhere in its parks, he says. Disney has been adding games, videos, and robots to distract Shanghai customers while they wait. Another challenge is the Chinese propensity for line-cutting, detailed in a 2010 article in InPark Magazine, published by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions. The article described tactics such as “constant walking,” moving forward while pretending there’s no line, or using a kid as an “advance man” to snake through the queue, bypassing the waiting throngs. The article recommended enclosed lines that narrow to single file so people can’t jump ahead. Disney’s largest castle. Source: Disney “Rather than pull people away and say ‘I’m sorry, you can’t do that,’ you make it impossible,” says John Rust, senior creative director at Rethink Leisure & Entertainment, another California-based theme park designer. The Shanghai Disney Resort will feature 11 acres of gardens at its center, with benches and areas for strolling. Playing to Iger’s mandate to focus on Chinese culture, the Garden of the Twelve Friends will blend Chinese zodiac symbols with Disney characters. Remy, from the Pixar film Ratatouille, represents the Year of the Rat. The lambs from Mary Poppins do the same for the Year of the Sheep. The Chinese like large-scale visuals, Hanna says. And Disney will satisfy that with Shanghai’s Enchanted Storybook Castle, the tallest and largest such structure at any Disney park. Chinese parkgoers also expect live entertainment. Outside the Shanghai park will be Disneytown, a shopping plaza with no entry fee that will serve as a kind of overflow area and include a theater with the first Mandarin-language live production of The Lion King. Disney has learned from past mistakes. Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 to French criticism of the lack of wine on its menus; Shanghai will have plenty of local food at various prices. The 310-acre Hong Kong Disneyland was dinged at its debut as too small; Shanghai will be three times the size. And the Paris park, with seven on-site hotels with a total 5,765 rooms, suffered from a lodging glut; Shanghai will open with two Disney-run hotels totaling 1,220 rooms. “They’ve definitely learned some lessons,” says Lee Cockerell, who supervised food offerings at the hotels at Disneyland Paris when it opened. “Understand the culture, respect the culture, and make sure the guests are going to get what they expect.” The bottom line: The $5.5 billion Shanghai Disneyland is customized for China, where adult visitors may outnumber kids 4 to 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Yes! Single file lines!!! That would work perfectly for China, especially that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COASTER FREAK 11 Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I wonder how the stock market crash yesterday will now effect the park... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Interesting article. I look forward to see which Disney park in the future I dread going to the most...this one or Paris! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Every time I read an article quoting Dennis Spiegel I always wonder who the heck he is. I'm pretty sure all he does it get quoted by media outlets now. That being said...definitely curious to see how the park turns out. Chinese parks certainly aren't known for their operation or having the best clientele... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 That being said...definitely curious to see how the park turns out. Chinese parks certainly aren't known for their operation or having the best clientele... That's because probably only Chimelong group is putting tourist attractions at their first priority. All the other ones are using amusement park as a selling point for their otherwise worthless real estates. Park guests are indeed not the best, but still usually better than I expected other than the horrible umbrella issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBrylczyk Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 As horrible as I know crowds will be at this place, I'm kinda sorta looking forward to being there and telling all of the line cutters that there's no way in hell they're getting past me. Kinda like my time at SFOT. It's a wonderful feeling when you shame some idiot into walking to the back of the line where they belong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Every time I read an article quoting Dennis Spiegel I always wonder who the heck he is. And you never took the time to look it up? late 60s) Assistant Park Manager, Coney Island Cincinatti early 70s) Assistant General Manager, Kings Island 1974 - 1980) General Manager, Kings Dominion 1980 - 1981) Vice President of Operations, Taft Broadcasting Company (which built and owned the Kings parks) 1983 - present) President of International Theme Park Services (his own consulting company) present) Board of Directors, IAAPA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I looked it up. Still can't figure out why he keeps getting quoted. Robb & Elissa could provide much better/honest commentary. His company website looks like it hasn't changed since 1990 & the majority of the projects listed on there seem like they were from the 90's as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 ^I agree. A lot of these 'analysts' and 'experts' they get have no real clue of what's going on in the industry and how it's moving forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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