Yes, it’s finally open: 6 things you need to know about the new Shanghai Disneyland
The theme park resort, which has cost US$5.5 billion, was approved by the city government in 2009 and construction work began in April 2011
Shanghai Disneyland, which officially opens to the public today, is part of the Shanghai Disney Resort that features a theme park and two themed hotels covering an area of about 4 square kilometres in the town of Chuansha in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area.
The new resort is Walt Disney company’s sixth worldwide. There are two other resorts in the United States – Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida – Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan, Disneyland Paris in France and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Construction of the Shanghai resort started in April 2011.
Opening day lines at Shanghai Disney:
1. Who owns and runs it?
The Shanghai Disneyland Resort is 57 per cent owned by the Shanghai municipal government, with the rest owned by Disney, the US media and entertainment giant.
The company has a 70 per cent stake in the resort’s management company, with the city government owning 30 per cent.
2. What are the major attractions?
Apart from the largest Disney castle anywhere the world, the US$5.5 billion park’s big draws include the company’s first Pirates of the Caribbean-themed land and longest parade route of any of the six theme parks.
3. How much will a tour cost?
A daily ticket to the theme park will cost 499 yuan (HK$590) during peak times, such as holidays and weekends, and 370 yuan on other days.
A family of three wanting to spend a weekend at the resort – two days of touring its attractions with one night’s stay at one of its hotels – will have to pay at least 7,000 yuan.
4. How many people are expected to visit the resort every year?
The park is expected to receive about 15 million visitors a year. The major target is the 330 million people living in the Yangtze River Delta, which lies within a three-hour drive of the park.
5. How is it important?
Disney’s sixth theme park is the company’s third in Asia, after Tokyo and Hong Kong.
It is the latest world-class mega project for Shanghai, and part of the city’s quest to be counted among the world’s great metropolises.
The theme park is expected to boost the city’s gross domestic product by 0.8 per cent directly, and to double that total once visitors’ ancillary spending is factored in.
6. Why has the theme park been controversial?
There have been doubts raised about its profitability and also criticism because it is a Western cultural implant into the mainland.
Some critics have predicted that the park would not post a profit in the first 20 years due to high prices and bad weather, but others have said it will recoup its investment in about 12 years, based on its projected visitor numbers and estimates of their spending.
Disney has previously been accused of force-feeding homogenised culture to international markets. Similar concerns were shared in China.
Some observers have warned that the mainland’s younger generation will grow up lacking memories of Chinese cultural symbols if they are exposed only to Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
