Book your tickets Disney fans!
Shanghai Disneyland, which officially opened on Thursday, is Disney's first theme park venture in mainland China. This "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese" theme park is the sixth Disney park in the world, joining the likes of Hong Kong Disneyland, Paris, Tokyo, Orlando and the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Unfortunately, the grand opening which has been over ten years in the making, was marred by the tragic death of two-year-old Lane Graves at the Orlando resort on Tuesday and the horrific mass shooting at Pulse, a prominent LGBTQIA+ Orlando nightclub.
The magic begins
The $5.5 billion Shanghai Disneyland complex features five parks as well as an adjacent shopping center and two themed hotels that offer guests endless opportunities to get lost in the magic (and spend money). Disney lovers everywhere will be excited to check out some of the never-before-seen attractions! The Garden of Imagination is the first garden themed park, boasting places like the Chinese Zodiac Mural where guests can see beloved characters, like Tigger, portrayed as Zodiac animals. Another park, the Treasure Cove, is Disney's first wholly Pirate themed park, featuring Captain Jack Sparrow leading park goers on elaborate adventures involving mermaids and Krakens. But perhaps the most noticeable feature of Shanghai Disneyland is the 197 foot princess castle, the tallest storybook castle Disney has ever built. Arguably the most iconic of the Disney park attractions, this castle is surely going to be the sight of many future Disney proposals.
Economic promise
The opening of the park sparks a new era for the profitability of international Disney parks. In contrast to the less profitable Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo parks, analysts expect that Shanghai Disneyland should generate an expected $1.5 billion a year in revenue. According to an AP report on MSN.com, this is directly related to the location of the park, situated in one of China's most affluent regions with "300 million people living within three hours of the park by car or train." Although, according to the New York Times, Disney only controls a 43 percent share of the park, whereas the Shanghai Shendi Group, a Chinese state controlled consortium, owns the majority 57 percent, this represents a huge increase in expected profits from Disney's Asian market.
New era of friendship
At the opening ceremony, letters from President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping were read congratulating the "promise of our bilateral relationship" and "commitment to cross-cultural cooperation and our innovation mentality in the new era." This comes after a harsh negotiation process, which is evident in some of the features of the park. All of the live shows are subject to Chinese censorship laws and the majority partner, the Shanghai Shendi Group, has a large amount of input into management decisions, such as restaurant prices. But Disney has made steps to cater Shanghai Disneyland to Chinese tastes, hoping to avoid the cultural missteps surrounding the Hong Kong and Paris Disneyland openings. The restaurants will feature Asian dishes alongside favorites like the Mickey Mouse shaped pizza. And instead of Main Street USA, guests will enter on Mickey Avenue. These changes are promising, showing a commitment to understanding the needs of their new market. Shaun Rein, of China Market Research in Shanghai, has declared "It's going to be a huge success. Everybody in China who has a kid or a grandkid is going to want to go to Shanghai Disney."
