“Authentically Disney, Distinctively Chinese” from the words by Chairman and CEO Bob Iger of The Walt Disney Company is the motto for Disney’s newest park that has ever been done in the past 5 years from developing and concepting this scale and size of a park. Shanghai Disneyland just opened up this past Thursday and the things I’ve been reading and seeing on social media have so far been great for Disney’s sixth park in China. The one question however though stirring through everyone’s minds from what I’ve been reading about is how culturally accurate Shanghai Disneyland is for the locals based on the motto?

Personally for me I have to say yes even though I haven’t visited the park that, it is all custom tailored and suitable for the Chinese locals from the food, the architectural design from the shows and attractions, the character interactions and much more. Since tickets are sold out for the next 4 months until September for this almost 1,000 acre park and theme park experts are predicting that more then 30 million visitors are to visit Disney’s $5.5 billion park towards Shanghai in it’s first run of operation.

 

With the local market and growth of Chinese tourism of $600 billion and international visitors that come within the Shanghai area, Disney is in run of it’s money. Competitors with other popular Chinese attractions and specifically the Dalian Wanda Group Co who has been in the business of attractions a lot more longer before Disney invested there dollars on the mainland of China. Wanda Group has plans for opening more attractions scattered across the country of China and soon enough, more theme park companies like Six Flags for example will invest there dollars down the line in the later years. This also could be in the market for competition with the other Asian Disney Parks for Hong Kong and Tokyo Disneyland since Shanghai Disneyland is the 3rd addition in Asia for there visitors and locals. So to be fair Disney is in the scope of the competition even though the brand is familiar towards some Chinese locals and some aren’t aware of what a Disney park is or who even Mickey Mouse or Goofy is.

Recently Disney announced that there pouring more money into towards the park for an expansion for a future date later this year, even though Shanghai Disneyland hasn’t had it’s first week yet of operation. “When we open, we will continue with the construction to expand what is on the opening-day menu and we are already discussing what to do next year,” said by Bob Iger. Work has begun for this expansion but no conclusive or exact details of what this expansion what it will be.

Aerial View Concept Art Shot When Shanghai Disneyland Was Announced. (Source: © Disney)

In this day and age it isn’t common we get a brand new Disney park every so often because, it takes many years for planning and finding the location and place of where to put one. Just end on a side note that, if Walt Disney were still alive today and what he would think of Shanghai Disneyland in China, you’re question is good as mine “Beats Me?!’. From what one man started in 1955 now towards in 2016 we don’t know how Walt would of felt for his company and how far in advance it has come since he found it.

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company next towards The Storytellers Statue in Shanghai Disneyland (Source: © Disney and The Happiest Blog on Earth)

For all of other Disney theme park magical news and themed entertainment keep it here and checking back at SkywalkingAdventure.com. Congratulations towards the staff, cast members, and Imagineers who put there heart and souls in towards this crazy dream project into a reality!

 Fun Facts About Shanghai Disneyland From The Disney D23 Summer 2016 Issue:

-950,000 gallons of water are in the Treasure Cove Lagoon.

-1,200 number of seats in the Walt Disney Grand Theatre, which will host the premiere of the Mandarin-language version of The Lion King.

-260,000 number of square feet of rockwork in Adventure Isle.

-Nearly 2 miles and 100 acres of the size around the Wishing Star Lake.

-12,000 approximate number of trees throughout Shanghai Disney Resort.

-7,000 approximate number of merchandise items available on opening date.

-Shanghai Disneyland has approximately 400,000 square meters of themed surfaces, 80,000 themed plaster, 70,000 in themed concrete. Not also including 200,000 in themed paint and 50,000 in rockwork.

-270,000 number of square feet of themed paint for Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure.

-800 number of rooms at Toy Story Hotel and 420 number of rooms at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel.

-The Enchanted Storybook Castle stands at 200 feet tall in Shanghai Disneyland, while Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World stands approximately 189 feet tall.

-10,000 approximate number of cast members were selected for opening day of the park.