Al Lutz Miceage: Shanghai Gears Up Fiscal 2011

[TP2000]

Al Lutz has a note up, and quite frankly I had figured Shanghai was shelved indefinitely because it had gone so quiet on the news front. Here's what Al Lutz has to say on the Miceage front page this morning, which sheds some light on things...

"Editor's Note 9/20: Wondering what happened to that big Shanghai Disneyland project? While the economy and Beijing's tricky politics slowed it down the past two years, it's about to kick into high gear when Disney's 2011 fiscal year starts on Monday, Oct. 4th. The Shanghai Disneyland team gets a lot bigger on that day with plenty of salaried folks from Anaheim and Glendale being formally transferred to the Shanghai project payroll, and the start of construction in Shanghai shouldn't be far behind them. You can expect more media announcements later this year, but the real work begins on October 4th. - Al Lutz"

Very interesting. Good to know this project is still happening, and that formal announcements from Disney will be forthcoming once those Cast Members move over to the project. I wonder if they'll start wearing Shanghai Disneyland nametags around their Anaheim and Glendale offices?

 

[DVCOwner]

I read in one of the China newspapers on line that site construction work would start in November. The government is already building access roads and a subway to the area has already opened.

 

[DVCOwner]

The Shanghai prohect continues to press on as can be seen in the article below.

September 20 -- Shanghai Pudong Road and Bridge Construction (600284) won two road construction projects worth a total of 1.04 billion yuan, reports 163.com. The project to construct is worth 446 million yuan while the project to construct is worth 590 million yuan. The two roads are among the seven roads which are part of the Shanghai Disneyland project. Shanghai Puxing Investment and Development, a subsidiary of <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Pudong Road</st1:address></st1:Street> and Bridge Construction, will undertake the project over the next two years.<o></o>

 

[DVCOwner]

Not real big news - but things still seem to be moving on.

Screamscape has just posted the following: Sources tell us that Shanghai Disneyland may hold an official groundbreaking event sometime before the end of the year if all goes well.

 

[TP2000]

Why do I always get the impression that the Screamscape "sources" for Disney news is simply waiting a week or two after Al Lutz posts something, and then just rewording the Al Lutz info a bit for Screamscape readers? :lol:

But seriously, that happens all the time on Screamscape concerning Disney news. It's quite obvious.

 

[fractal]

Just saw on Bloomberg that they will break ground in November.

 

[DVCOwner]

Many of the papers in China are now saying that major construction will be starting in November. Wonder when we will here something from Disney?

 

[DVCOwner]

See below - Note that this says Phase I will open in 2014. That is earlier than I have read in other news stores.

From the ShanghaiDaily.com
Disneyland project ready to roll


The construction of the Shanghai Disneyland park in the Pudong New Area will kick off next month, following the closure of the Shanghai World Expo on October 31.

The land for phase one is ready for use and two of the total of seven roads planned for the project have passed checks, according to yesterday's National Business Daily.

The deadline for bids for the construction of the theme park and other support facilities is close to an end while negotiations between Chinese and United States parties are also in the final stretch, the report quoted project director Fan Xiping, deputy secretary general of the city government, as saying.

Shanghai Daily's requests for an interview about the progress of construction went unanswered by the Walt Disney Company in Shanghai yesterday.

Overseen by the Shanghai Shendi Group Co, a Sino-US joint venture that was established in August, phase one of the project will be completed by 2014, and will include a theme park and other attractions covering a total area of 1.5 square kilometers.

When it is fully finished, the resort will occupy up to 8 square kilometers, making it the largest of the company's six amusement parks throughout the world, said the newspaper.

The Shanghai government is expecting the landmark deal to have a strong impact on the city's economy, including the creation of tens of millions of jobs and the boosting of relating industries.

But doubts have been expressed about the mega project. It is expected to cost around 24.48 billion yuan (US$3.69 billion) and some business analysts have said that with more than half the existing theme parks on the Chinese mainland were in the red last year, it would remain a big challenge for the newcomer to just break even.

Many were also concerned about the effect it would have on its Hong Kong counterpart, which is a quarter the size of the one planned for Shanghai.

Opened in 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland reported almost 1.3 billion yuan in losses last year. It could face even more pressure in the future due to the fact that nearly a third of its visitors are from the Chinese mainland.