Shanghai Disney Resort

Shanghai Disney Resort

File:Shanghai Disney Resort logo.svg
Native name	simplified Chinese: 上海迪士尼度假区; traditional Chinese: 上海迪士尼度假區
Romanized name	pinyin: Shànghǎi Díshìní Dùjiàqū
Industry	Theme parks and resorts
Founded	June 16, 2016 (2016-06-16)
Headquarters	Pudong, Shanghai, China
Coordinates
Owner	Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (The Walt Disney Company) 43% Shanghai Shendi Group 57%
Website

The Shanghai Disney Resort is a theme resort under construction by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, planned to open on June 16, 2016. It is the first Disney park in mainland China and the second in Greater China, after Hong Kong Disneyland.

Phase 1 of the resort will feature a Disneyland-style park, Shanghai Disneyland, an entertainment district, two themed hotels, recreational facilities, a lake and associated parking and transportation hubs. Additional phases will see the development of two additional theme parks at the resort. The site will cover 390 hectares (963 acres) in Pudong, or approximately 3 times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland, at a cost of CN¥24.5 billion (US$3.7 billion) for the new theme park and an additional CN¥4.5 billion (US$0.7 billion) to build other aspects of the resort, totaling CN¥34 billion (US$5.5 billion). 43% of the resort is owned by Walt Disney and the remaining 57% by Shanghai Shendi Group, a joint venture of three companies owned by the Shanghai government. The resort was approved by the Chinese government on November 4, 2009.

History

China Eastern Airlines, the major airline based in Shanghai, painted one of its Airbus A330-300s in Shanghai Disney Resort livery

Negotiation for Shanghai Disney Resort began around 2001, and the park was first envisaged in the early 2000s. However, in order to help Hong Kong Disneyland grow, the Chinese national government deliberately slowed down the development of Shanghai Disney. The Hong Kong resort opened in 2005, two years after the SARS epidemic devastated Hong Kong's economy, and it was hoped that Hong Kong Disneyland would help the city's tourism industry recover.

On November 4, 2009, the Shanghai Municipal Government announced that the Shanghai Disney project had been approved by the national government, with an estimated total investment of CN¥24.4 billion. Land near the proposed production site increased in value dramatically after the announcement was made. In January 2011, a government official confirmed that Shanghai Disneyland would be 2–3 times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland and would eventually contain three theme parks.

On 7 April 2011, groundbreaking began at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort site.

On 28 April 2014, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced an extra US$800 million investment to add additional rides and entertainment by opening day, bringing the total budget to US$5.5 billion.

In February 2016, it was rumored that the resort was still behind schedule and over budget, causing the United States-based resorts (Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort) to make budget cuts. That same month, Disney announced that Hong Kong Disneyland Resort reported its first loss in four years, losing HK$148 million, and falling 9.3% in annual attendance, to 6.8 million visitors. Analysts attributed this to fewer mainland Chinese tourists visit, hurt by a combination of China’s slowdown, political unrest, and a weak yuan relative to the Hong Kong dollar, as well as the upcoming opening of the Shanghai Resort.

Construction

Major construction work started in April 8, 2011, targeting a 2016 spring opening. The resort is planned to cover an area of 4 km² (1.5 sq mi) and it is expected to cost CN¥25 billion (US$3.66 billion). The project is financed by several large Chinese state-owned enterprises in Shanghai forming a joint venture with the Walt Disney Company. The Oriental Land Company has not confirmed any connection to this venture with Disney on the Shanghai Disneyland project. "The first-phase of the project will be to the South of Huanglou Area, an area in Chuansha Town, the southeast suburbs of Shanghai's Pudong area; the second phase will extend further southwest," an urban developer from Shanghai stated. DeSimone Consulting Engineers were the structural engineers behind the construction work.

Attractions and features

Shanghai Disneyland

Like most other Disney Resorts around the world, Shanghai Disneyland Resort will feature a flagship park called Shanghai Disneyland. The park will be built in a style similar to Disney's other Magic Kingdom-style parks. It will contain numerous themed lands. One of the aims of this project is to combine Disney stories and their characters with attractions that are specifically designed for Chinese guests. An interactive castle called Enchanted Storybook Castle will be constructed at the center of the park that will offer performances. It will be the largest of all Disney castles. Other large-scale venues will also be created.

Hotels

The resort will also have two themed hotels. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel will have 420 rooms and offer a free water taxi service across the Wishing Star Lake to the theme park. The Toy Story Hotel, with 800 rooms, will also feature the Sunnyside Cafe, which is decorated with Chinese-style kites flown by Disney characters.

Disneytown

The Disneytown area features large venues for retail shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Management structure

The resort's management structure consists of three companies:

• Shanghai International Theme Park Company Limited – 43% owned by Disney, 57% owned by Shanghai Shendi Group – ownership company for theme parks within the resort
• Shanghai International Theme Park and Resort Management Company Limited – 70% owned by Disney, 30% owned by Shanghai Shendi Group – manages the resort as a whole as well as the project to develop it, on behalf of the ownership companies

Shanghai Shendi Group itself comprises three companies:

• Shanghai Lujiazui (Group) Company Limited
• Shanghai Radio, Film and Television Development Company Limited
• Jinjiang International Group Holding Company

External links

• Official Website