Here's the announcement:
Shanghai Disney Resort today announced the development of a fourth themed resort hotel, located immediately adjacent to the entrance to Shanghai Disneyland, which upon completion will be a gateway for its guests to begin their magical Disney Park experience. The new development plan will also include new shopping and dining experiences, allowing resort guests to have extended Disney experiences in the retail, dining and entertainment district located just outside the theme park. These exciting new projects add to the expansion already underway at the resort, including the development of a third themed hotel on the south shore of Wishing Star Lake, a ninth themed land at Shanghai Disneyland and a major expansion of the park’s iconic Soaring Over the Horizon attraction.
The resort’s ongoing expansion and development efforts are fueled by growing demand from guests and fans from across China and around the world, as evidenced by Shanghai Disneyland’s latest milestone, welcoming its 100 millionth theme park guest since its Grand Opening.
“Guest experience is at the heart of everything we do. By blending creativity, innovation and storytelling, we continue to design and deliver new, unique experiences in true Disney style,” said Andrew Bolstein, President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “Our latest expansion plans stand as compelling testaments to this commitment. The new hotel will become another important touchpoint of our holistic resort offering, and with the additional shopping and dining experiences, we will provide our guests with a vibrant, comprehensive vacation experience with even more dynamic options.”
Continuous resort expansion to further enrich guest experience
The expansion will transform the area next to the Main Entrance of Shanghai Disneyland into Shanghai Disney Resort’s fourth themed hotel. Located just a few steps away from the theme park’s Main Entrance, the brand-new hotel will become the closest Disney hotel to the park, welcoming guests into a premium destination infused with Disney stories and imagination. It will feature unprecedented immersive storytelling experiences in a way that Disney uniquely brings to life.
As part of the expansion, a host of fresh and innovative shopping, dining and entertainment offerings will accompany the development of the fourth hotel, reinventing our guest experience with a new holistic resort experience. As one of the highlights of the expansion, a new Disney shopping destination, similar to the World of Disney Store that is located on the opposite side of the theme park’s Main Entrance, will immerse guests in Disney’s unique shopping experience, allowing guests to have access to the resort’s exclusive merchandise without entering the park.
The fourth hotel will be the latest addition to join Shanghai Disney Resort’s other three themed hotels, including Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, Toy Story Hotel, and the third hotel that is currently under construction, providing even more accommodation and leisure options when guests plan their Disney vacation at Shanghai Disney Resort.
The resort’s third themed hotel is currently under construction on the south side of Wishing Star Lake, adjacent to Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. This nine-floor deluxe hotel is currently undergoing interior fit-out and façade installation. Inspired by Shanghai’s unique architectural legacy, the hotel will be designed and decorated in the Art Nouveau style while incorporating the resort’s guiding principle of “authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese,” offering guests an immersive themed accommodation experience. When completed, the third themed hotel will feature rooms with extraordinary views of Shanghai Disneyland, and new recreational amenities and programs, including an outdoor pool and indoor pavilion pool.
Recognized for global popularity with 100 million guests in just over nine years
Shanghai Disney Resort has welcomed guests from near and far with its unique high-quality entertainment experiences, bringing happiness and smiles to guests around the world. Last week, the resort hit a major attendance milestone when its theme park welcomed its 100 millionth guest, an impressive record within only slightly over nine years of operations. With its continuous development in guest experiences, Shanghai Disney Resort has become a landmark tourism destination of the city, resonating with local guests as well as Disney fans worldwide.
The announcement of the expansion also comes amid Shanghai Disney Resort being internationally recognized as an iconic global tourism destination. According to the TEA Global Experience Index 2024 (“Index”) recently released by the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) on October 23, 2025, Shanghai Disneyland again ranked fifth in attendance among the “Top 25 Amusement/Theme Parks Worldwide”, and remained first in China in 2024, with a record-breaking annual attendance of 14.7 million. The Index further attributed China market’s growth to be “led by Shanghai Disneyland,” and stated that “the late 2023 opening of Zootopia land led to a major impact throughout 2024, with the land’s headline ride, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, … receiving high guest satisfaction scores.”
With increasing popularity and visitor demand, Shanghai Disney Resort has several major expansion and development projects underway, including its ninth themed land - a Spider-Man themed land - and the expansion of its iconic attraction, Soaring Over the Horizon, alongside the two new hotels. Additionally, a new residential community for frontline cast members is being built to further support them to create unforgettable memories for guests visiting Shanghai Disney Resort.
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