Shanghai Disney Resort Discussion Thread

Hey everybody!

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at Shanghai Disneyland, this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion.

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

--Robb

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2009

January 9th, 2009 - Shanghai Disneyland discussion resurfaces SEE BELOW!

November 4th, 2009 - Project gets preliminary government approval

Nov. 14th, 2009 - 5,000 families to be relocated to make room for park

Dec. 15th, 2009 - Disney close to a final agreement with Shanghai

2010

Feb. 4th, 2010 - Shanghai officials question park's potential success

Feb. 10th, 2010 - China to spend US$23 billion on infrastructure improvements around the park

Mar. 4th, 2010 - Disney gets final approval

Mar. 10th, 2010 - Park construction expexted to take 5 - 6 years

April 17th, 2010 - Disney to get approved land in July

May 30th, 2010 - Disneyland Shanghai project ahead of schedule

June 18th, 2010 - Disneyland project spotlights forced evictions

June 23rd, 2010 - Oriental Land Company may be involved with the park

July 6th, 2010 - Disney could start construction as early as November

2011

April 7th, 2011 - Construction to start April 8th, 2011

April 8th, 2011 - Shanghai Disneyland officially announced!

August 10th, 2011 - New Storybook Castle details released!

December 30th, 2011 - Attraction construction begins this Spring!

2012

April 10th, 2012 - Shanghai Disneyland secures 12.9 billian yuan loan

December 8th, 2012 - Metro line extension planned for Shanghai Disneyland

December 19th, 2012 - Recruitment begins for Shanghai Disneyland projects

2013

May 26th, 2013 - Construction on Storybook Castle begins!

December 5th, 2013 - 'Garden of the Twelve Friends' park hub announced!

2014

January 31st, 2014 - Hotel topped out & China Eastern Airlines partnership

February 25th, 2014 - Tron Coaster Construction Photos

March 18th, 2014 - 'Treasure Cove' Pirates of the Caribbean land unveiled!

April 28th, 2014 - Disney investing $800 million more in Shanghai Disney!

June 14th, 2014 - Permanent Broadway production of The Lion King announced for Shanghai Disneyland Resort!

August 4th, 2014 - Phillipe Gas named GM of Shanghai Disneyland

November14th, 2014 - Two Themed Hotels, Disneytown announced for SDR!

2015

February 3rd, 2015 - Shanghai Disney Resort construction update!

2016

January 13th, 2016 - June 12th announced as opening date

March 8th, 2016 - 100 days from grand opening, new pictures released

November 10th, 2016 - Ground breaking for Toy Story Land (2018)

2018

January 11th, 2018 - Rex and Trixie figures installed in Toy Story Land!

February 22nd, 2018 - New Toy Story Land preview photos & video!

2019

January 23rd, 2019 - Zootopia themed land coming to Shanghai Disneyland!

2020

October 19th, 2020 - SoReal Virtual Reality experience coming to DisneyTown

2023

September 5th, 2023 - New Zootopia land and attraction details!

October 24th, 2023 - Zootopia land opening on December 20th, 2023!

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Original Post:

Business Week just posted the following:

Quote

The Walt Disney Co. said Friday that it was going to submit a plan to build a new theme park in China in a joint venture with the Shanghai government.

 

The family entertainment giant released a statement confirming its plans at about the same time as The Wall Street Journal released a story on its Web site that said Disney was working with Shanghai to build a $3.59 billion park to open as early as 2014.

 

A Disney spokesman declined to comment on the Journal story.

 

"Discussions have been ongoing about the feasibility of a theme park project in China," said Leslie Goodman, a spokeswoman for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, in the statement.

 

"As part of this lengthy process, we worked on a joint application report with the Shanghai government which will be submitted to the central government for review. No deal has been signed, no project has been approved."

 

The first phase of the project, on about 1.5 square kilometers near Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, would include a theme park, plus a hotel and shopping development and would be built over six years, the paper said.

It's very odd they would plan to open a park two years after the world is going to end.

^

Disney is finally making a new resort! I can't wait to see what comes out!

As long as they don't use the bite size castle I'm happy!

It's very odd they would plan to open a park two years after the world is going to end.

It keeps costs down.

I just don't understand the point in building another Disney Parks resort in China when Hong Kong Disneyland has struggled in its attendance and has the public demanding more attractions. Wouldn't it make more sense to beef up Hong Kong Disneyland and give it some unique, one-of-a-kind attractions that no other Disney Park has to offer to make it a must-see destination?

I realize that Shanghai has a huge population and is really the center of commerce for China, but is it really in Disney's best interest to get involved in building a sixth resort in a time of economic struggle such as this?

^One point that was stressed over and over to us by our Chinese guides on the TPR China trip last year was that the Chinese people do not travel far from home very often, and in fact it is very difficult for them to travel both financially and politically. Having a Disney Park in Shanghai opens up nearly a billion Chinese customers that can get there MUCH more easily than they can get to Hong Kong.

In fact on our recent trip to Hong Kong we were actually surprised at how many Brits and Aussies were in the park compared to Chinese people.

Disney is finally making a new resort! I can't wait to see what comes out!

Finally? HK Disneyland opened on 05. That is only a little over 3 years ago.

^HKDL was only just the park and the hotel(s), but this new park sounds like it will be like DLR without California Adventure.(park, hotel, retail) The retail won't make it a resort, but with a price tag more than double HKDL ( something like 1.5 billion I believe), this should be more like the other Disney properties.

This is great news for China, and with a price tag of over three billion dollars, it should be a lot more complete than HKDL. One thing I disliked about HKDL was that many of the classic Disney attractions were missing, so hopefully this new park will be more complete.

From the official Disney blog

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REACHES ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE

ON SHANGHAI THEME PARK PROJECT

 

The Walt Disney Company today announced that the Project Application Report (PAR) for a Disney theme park in the Pudong district of Shanghai has received approval from the relevant authorities of the central government of China.

 

“China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for The Walt Disney Company in mainland China,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

 

The PAR approval will enable Disney and its Shanghai partners to move forward toward a final agreement to build and operate the park and begin preliminary development work. Upon completion of the final agreement, the project’s initial phase would include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region and other amenities consistent with Disney’s destination resorts worldwide.

 

Shanghai, China

There's no other details at the time, unfortunately. Let the crazy speculation begin!

Shanghai Disneyland Gets Government Go-Ahead

Time.com

By LING WOO LIU / HONG KONG Ling Woo Liu / Hong Kong – Wed Nov 4, 10:00 am ET

Up until now, Disney's foray into China has been anything but magical. Its Hong Kong theme park, opened in 2005, has had a bumpy ride due to early missteps and competition - in its first year, attendance fell 400,000 short of an initial 5.6 million target. The following year, the number of visitors dropped to four million. To add insult to injury, the company in 2007 discovered an amusement park near Beijing that was filled with knockoff Disney characters.

But you don't throw in the towel in a market with 1.3 billion potential customers. After more than a decade of negotiations, Disney has received clearance to begin construction on its second Disneyland in China, this one in Shanghai. China's top planning agency Tuesday approved plans to build the new theme park, which will join existing parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong. (See a brief history of Disney teen stars.)

Disney officials wouldn't say when the park will open or how much it will cost. The company stated in a press release that the Shanghai park will include "characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region," but a spokesperson declined to elaborate on what types of rides or attractions might be on offer. The Shanghai government has already reserved an estimated 1,000 acres near Shanghai's international airport in the city's Pudong district.

Some speculate that the Chinese government's sudden announcement that Disney could go ahead may be timed to precede U.S. President Barack Obama's first visit to China Nov. 15-18, which includes a stop in Shanghai. "It's a huge investment," says Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. "By allowing this now it gives face to Obama and really shows that China and the U.S. need to work together to get out of this financial malaise."

Although theme parks made up less than a third of Disney's total revenue of $38 billion last year, Shanghai Disneyland still figures to be a key addition to the business because it will boost the company's visibility in one of the world's fastest-growing markets. Due to government rules aimed at protecting the public from what are perceived to be unwelcome foreign cultural influences, awareness of the Disney brand in China lags that of the rest of the world. Unlike in the U.S., where Disney operates a 24-hour TV channel and radio station, the company's presence in China is limited to a dozen hours of programming a week on local stations, five Disney-branded English language schools in Shanghai, and sales of Disney merchandise. In the last two years, Disney has also produced two children's films for the mainland, The Magic Gourd and Trail of the Panda. China limits the number of foreign films that are allowed to screen in theaters to 20 a year.

The approval for park construction comes amid China's ongoing efforts to develop its tourism sector, which is expected to increase by 3% this year. As disposable income in the country grows, amusement parks - by some estimates as many as 2,000 - have proliferated throughout the country, but the quality of the attractions is uneven. Earlier this year, a sex-themed park in the central Chinese city of Chongqing called "Love Land" was torn down before it could open to the public. Shanghai, however, could be on the verge of a tourism boom. The city will host the World Expo starting in May 2010.

Since mainland Chinese make up a third of visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland, some fear that the Shanghai park will siphon tourists away from the former British colony, which is part of China but has its own semi-autonomous government (mainland tourists must obtain visas to visit Hong Kong). Since opening four years ago, Hong Kong Disneyland has underperformed due to its small size - at 300 acres, it's the smallest of all Disney parks - as well as high ticket prices and competition from a nimble competitor called Ocean Park. (Read "The Fifth Happiest Place on Earth.")

Disney also has made several market miscalculations. Analysts say the company, trying not to make the same mistakes it did at its Paris resort by failing to tailor the Disney formula to local tastes, may have gone overboard in its efforts to adapt the Hong Kong venue to Chinese customers. For example, the park's restaurants originally planned to serve shark's fin soup, a Chinese delicacy, until environmentalists protested. But the biggest knock against Hong Kong Disneyland - of which the Hong Kong government owns 57% - is a lack of attractions. In July, Disney and the government moved to remedy that problem by announcing that three new attractions would be added over the next five years.

Disney officials dismissed concerns that a new park in Shanghai will steal Hong Kong customers. "We see that Hong Kong Disneyland and the Shanghai park as complementary," said an official in an e-mail. "We believe the Greater China market is large enough to support multiple parks."

Further expansion in Asia may be a good bet. Last year, roughly a quarter of Disney's revenues came from overseas operations. Asia contributed just 5%, but leisure-industry experts are bullish about the region's potential. Last year, eight of the world's top 20 amusement parks (by number of visitors) were in Asia, according to a report by the Burbank, Calif.-based Themed Entertainment Association. The buzz in Shanghai is already tangible. "Chinese consumers have a lot of love for Disney," says Rein. "They're more excited about Disneyland than the Expo."

I merged these two together. This looks exciting

What really caught my eye in the article is what was torn down:

Earlier this year, a sex-themed park in the central Chinese city of Chongqing called "Love Land" was torn down before it could open to the public. Shanghai, however, could be on the verge of a tourism boom.

A TPR trip to this park would have had the BEST trip report. Mmmmm the rides at this park would have been great and just think what the prizes could have been with the games. The food... the uniforms for the staff, the 4D movies, etc. I hate when innovation is stifled like this.

Wow this is so amazing! Disney is doing so much and spending a TON of $$$$!!!!

What really caught my eye in the article is what was torn down:

 

Earlier this year, a sex-themed park in the central Chinese city of Chongqing called "Love Land" was torn down before it could open to the public. Shanghai, however, could be on the verge of a tourism boom.

 

A TPR trip to this park would have had the BEST trip report. Mmmmm the rides at this park would have been great and just think what the prizes could have been with the games. The food... the uniforms for the staff, the 4D movies, etc. I hate when innovation is stifled like this.

Hmm... I wonder if they have an "18+" admission policy. Oh nevermind, it's China I don't think they really regulate things like that.

Anyways, Shanghai Disneyland sounds really cool. Hopefully it will be done by the next time I visit my family in Shanghai, which I don't know when yet.

Disney and the Chinese Government is buying a lot of land and moving close to 5,000 families to create this new park.

November 13, 2009

 

More than 5,000 families in China are expected to be ordered to relocate to make way for Disney's newest theme park.

 

"My husband and I are very worried," Jin Xinmei told Bloomsburg News. Jin, a 72-year-old retired farmer, was recently notified by the government that she would have to relocate from their native village so Disney could build their newest theme park. "We don't want to move because our meager income is not enough for us to live in the city, where everything costs more."

 

Jin was not told how much she will be paid for her 323-square-foot home, including the backyard where she grows Chinese cabbage, potatoes and strawberries in an effort to save money.

 

“We understand that the local government is offering resettlement packages to local residents,” Disney spokeswoman Alannah Hall-Smith told Bloomsburg News in an email. “The local government is also offering other forms of assistance to local residents, and Disney and our Chinese partners will strive to support these local efforts.”

 

The relocation efforts are expected to cost just over $954 million dollars, according to the state media.

 

The $3.6 billion park, which was green-lighted by the Chinese government earlier this month, is scheduled to open in 2014.

 

tinyurl.com/disney5000

I can't help but think that if the people can not afford to live in the city that they will not be able to buy tickets to visit the park and that this could be a repeat of Disney Hong Kong problems all over again.

I think the mouse is stretching himself too far

^ While I agree somewhat they are stretching itself a little thin. However, the bigger problem I see is trying to convince China that the Disney characters mean something. It is hard enough to get kids today to care about Mickey Mouse with all the other entertainment options in a country where he is an icon.

With that said, I am excited for the park. Even if the park were to bust, there could be great ideas moved to the other parks worldwide.

Mulan ride please.

Mulan ride please.

I actually want that too! It would fit since it's in China and all.

Really? They are forcing families to move to build a park? It reminds me of cutting down forests to make room for a new house and squirrels have to relocate. *sigh* This makes me not like Disney now.

Although I hope this park gets some awesome unique rides.

^I don't think it's really 'Disney' forcing the people to move. And I can't imagine why you would decide you hate Disney now.

Do you know anything about China? Their government? Or the people?

Trust me, it's not Disney bulldozing small children's homes.

Although this does sound a bit harsh, Shanghai Disney must now be the envy of nearly every park in the world. How many parks get to take care of their problems with neighbors by forcing them to move?

Don't like the noise from the rides? OK, we'll just bulldoze your house!

^It's Alton Towers' wet dream.

However, the bigger problem I see is trying to convince China that the Disney characters mean something. It is hard enough to get kids today to care about Mickey Mouse with all the other entertainment options in a country where he is an icon.

When I was in China a year ago, at an outdoor mall in Ningbo, there were THREE Disney stores. Kid's Disney, Disney Sport, and an Adult Disney. The adult store even had lingerie with Mickey on it. Mickey was an icon there, most everyone knew who he was.

I don't think getting the Chinese to care about the characters will be a big hurdle for Disney. They've learned a lot since HKDL, but I think there are other bigger cultural issues that will present challenges.

--Kirk

Really, another park in Asia isn't necessary . I'm pretty sure HKDL and TDL already suffice, so a park in Australia, South Africa, another US State, or possibly Mexico would be cool. I do know that the economic state and demographics of a couple of these aren't strong enough to support the entertainment that Disney has to offer.

^ Remember, though, China has an incredibly large population that can support a Disney park---or two---on the mainland. I wouldn't be surprised to someday see Disneyland Beijing.

Eric

However, the bigger problem I see is trying to convince China that the Disney characters mean something. It is hard enough to get kids today to care about Mickey Mouse with all the other entertainment options in a country where he is an icon.

 

When I was in China a year ago, at an outdoor mall in Ningbo, there were THREE Disney stores. Kid's Disney, Disney Sport, and an Adult Disney. The adult store even had lingerie with Mickey on it.

They aren't real stores. They are Chinese knock-offs. It's very hard to tell the difference sometimes, but we also went into quite a few of these "Disney Stores" at a few outdoor malls around China.

The merch inside is not officially licensed. None of it is. It's all very good quality, and may very well be made at the exact same place as the official stuff, but it's not a real Disney store.

--Robb