No Foreigners Wanted ... at SDL?!

[No Name]

Lol. For all that '74 criticizes clickbait titles...

Anyway, glad it is working now. I hope there are no problems with lost money, tickets, or any of the many possible internet catastrophes. Happy Easter folks.

 

[ParentsOf4]

From The Motley Fool:

Shanghai Disney Hits a Few Hiccups

The leading theme-park operator starts selling tickets to its new theme park, but online glitches get in the way.

Tickets to Disney's (NYSE DIS) newest theme park went on sale yesterday, and things didn't exactly go smoothly for Shanghai Disney and its online ordering interface. Cyberspace erupted with complaints of folks trying to line up tickets for Shanghai Disney ahead of its June 16 opening, only to find that securing admissions to the gated attraction and the signature Lion King show was not a task for the timid.

This obviously isn't the first time that a pre-sale platform has come up short under pressure. Most of the tech giants have suffered from glitches under the deluge of hot demand. However, it's still not the way that the world's largest theme park operator wants to get things started inside the world's most populous nation.

Shanghai, with its estimated population of more than 24 million and its growing flow of tourists, is a juicy addition to Disney's empire of theme parks. Disney's name graces nine of the 10 most visited theme parks in the world, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association, and this park has all of the ingredients to be a top producer.

Disney won't participate in all of the spoils. It only owns a 43% stake in the resort. A consortium of companies owned by the Shanghai government is on the hook for most of the costs and profits, but Disney still stands to make a lot of money if the park is a success.

It may not happen overnight. The park has seen its opening date get bumped later into the calendar. It was originally slated to open last year. Now the rumblings suggest that Shanghai Disney may not be at full strength when it opens in less than three months.

Len Testa -- co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, as well as president of theme park-planning hub TouringPlans.com -- is hearing that Shanghai Disney won't be complete by the time that it opens in mid-June. It's merely a rumor at this point, but he's hearing that several sections of the park won't be ready to greet paying guests until late October.

However, Disney fans know that it's more important to get it right than to get it on time. Disneyland's opening was marred by a lack of working drinking water fountains, and each park has signature attractions that opened long after the official grand opening.

Folks will come. The only question is if they will be able to get there after some of the tech glitches experienced by the Shanghai Disney website on Sunday.

History has been kind to Disney's initial missteps. No one remembers that Disney's Animal Kingdom opened without its only water ride -- a necessity for the sun-drenched park -- and that it had to do a major rewrite on the ending of its signature safari ride because a fake slaughtered elephant was too much for some guests to handle.

The initial tech glitches will be forgotten. A potential delay in originally slated attractions will be overcome. It will be more important to Disney where Shanghai Disney is in a year or five years from now. Disney gets it right, even if it doesn't get it right right away.​

 

[WDW1974]

Hotel booked now, first night in Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the remainder of the time in Toy Story Hotel.

Can't wait now!

Have you seen the Toy Story Hotel?!?

How much per night?

 

[WDW1974]

Ha - goes to show how non-plussed I am... Forgot this was even happening today. Thanks for the reminder!

Purchased successfully, from my iPhone, in about five minutes. Even stupidly bought for the incorrect date and it was super easy to change the date. The mobile e-ticket is even pretty well integrated, it's animated and appears to sync into Passbook.

Granted I'm Canadian, our credit cards are always light years ahead of the US ones.

Great. We are counting on full first hand reports. I am thinking of October for a visit, although I have heard some warnings about not going until December if I expect to truly experience everything the way it was intended.

It would seem to me that the tech issue was just typical Disney, although the reports of selling out (the online availability) were WAY OFF. And it sounds like plenty of people in China, bought tickets to attempt to resell at a profit and it hasn't worked out.

I did see a Motley Fool (by our pal 'Coral Gables Rick') piece on the 'issues' earlier ... will try and locate it.

 

[WDW1974]

From The Motley Fool:

Shanghai Disney Hits a Few Hiccups

The leading theme-park operator starts selling tickets to its new theme park, but online glitches get in the way.

Tickets to Disney's (NYSE DIS) newest theme park went on sale yesterday, and things didn't exactly go smoothly for Shanghai Disney and its online ordering interface. Cyberspace erupted with complaints of folks trying to line up tickets for Shanghai Disney ahead of its June 16 opening, only to find that securing admissions to the gated attraction and the signature Lion King show was not a task for the timid.

This obviously isn't the first time that a pre-sale platform has come up short under pressure. Most of the tech giants have suffered from glitches under the deluge of hot demand. However, it's still not the way that the world's largest theme park operator wants to get things started inside the world's most populous nation.

Shanghai, with its estimated population of more than 24 million and its growing flow of tourists, is a juicy addition to Disney's empire of theme parks. Disney's name graces nine of the 10 most visited theme parks in the world, according to industry tracker Themed Entertainment Association, and this park has all of the ingredients to be a top producer.

Disney won't participate in all of the spoils. It only owns a 43% stake in the resort. A consortium of companies owned by the Shanghai government is on the hook for most of the costs and profits, but Disney still stands to make a lot of money if the park is a success.

It may not happen overnight. The park has seen its opening date get bumped later into the calendar. It was originally slated to open last year. Now the rumblings suggest that Shanghai Disney may not be at full strength when it opens in less than three months.

Len Testa -- co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, as well as president of theme park-planning hub TouringPlans.com -- is hearing that Shanghai Disney won't be complete by the time that it opens in mid-June. It's merely a rumor at this point, but he's hearing that several sections of the park won't be ready to greet paying guests until late October.

However, Disney fans know that it's more important to get it right than to get it on time. Disneyland's opening was marred by a lack of working drinking water fountains, and each park has signature attractions that opened long after the official grand opening.

Folks will come. The only question is if they will be able to get there after some of the tech glitches experienced by the Shanghai Disney website on Sunday.

History has been kind to Disney's initial missteps. No one remembers that Disney's Animal Kingdom opened without its only water ride -- a necessity for the sun-drenched park -- and that it had to do a major rewrite on the ending of its signature safari ride because a fake slaughtered elephant was too much for some guests to handle.

The initial tech glitches will be forgotten. A potential delay in originally slated attractions will be overcome. It will be more important to Disney where Shanghai Disney is in a year or five years from now. Disney gets it right, even if it doesn't get it right right away.​

Thanks.

That was what I was just talking about ... although this thread will die very quickly down here, so I'll return to talking about it upside.

 

[BrianLo]

Great. We are counting on full first hand reports. I am thinking of October for a visit, although I have heard some warnings about not going until December if I expect to truly experience everything the way it was intended.

It would seem to me that the tech issue was just typical Disney, although the reports of selling out (the online availability) was WAY OFF. And it sounds like plenty of people in China, bought tickets to attempt to resell at a profit and it hasn't worked out.

I did see a Motley Fool (by our pal 'Coral Gables Rick') piece on the 'issues' earlier ... will try and locate it.

I think if you buy a ticket in China is has to be tied to a government ID - seems to be their way of circumventing resales.

I'll certainly give you my updates, I'll probably overtake one of your thread so people actually see it.

Personally, if I were you I'd probably do October - it might not be 100% but December is always the worst for smog. It's kind of the whole reason I'm doing June, I had always intended to do this timeframe when they used to have the December 2015 timeframe.

It's not like this is a once in a lifetime trip, I'm sure I'll get back in a few years, but definitely the opening is pretty much a once in a lifetime experience... even if it is a disaster!

 

[WDW1974]

I think if you buy a ticket in China is has to be tied to a government ID - seems to be their way of circumventing resales.

I'll certainly give you my updates, I'll probably overtake one of your thread so people actually see it.

Personally, if I were you I'd probably do October - it might not be 100% but December is always the worst for smog. It's kind of the whole reason I'm doing June, I had always intended to do this timeframe when they used to have the December 2015 timeframe.

It's not like this is a once in a lifetime trip, I'm sure I'll get back in a few years, but definitely the opening is pretty much a once in a lifetime experience... even if it is a disaster!

I was just reading the Tweets that Bob Weis put out. They linked to news stories on the sales and they talked about people reselling. I have no idea on details of what they are doing about them.

Yes, December is awful for smog. Summer usually isn't good either. Basing that on living in Beijing ... although I am sure it will be sunny and blue sky for the opening. The CCP will see to that.

I don't foresee a disaster. I just foresee a lot of things not being ready and openings and dedications for things that will not open to the public for weeks or months.

 

[No Name]

June 16th appears to be sold out? Listed as unavaiable on the website. Wonder how many maximum tickets they sell for each day.

EDIT: Wait! Unless the CCP is telling Disney to act as though it is sold out, to make the park seem more popular than it really is. Conspiracy!

Also, the park opens at 12 on opening day. Anyone know why? Opening ceremony stuff maybe?

And watching stuff be hastily thrown together is kind of fun. It's like Disneyland all over again. I haven't seen photos of tomorrowland, but from how the photos of the rest of the park look, it should be presentable on opening day. Every ride is listed on the website too, so it looks like they're striving to have it all open in some form. I'm quite sure the CCP would not allow for anything less than perfection on opening day...

499¥ is also not bad for one day. It's around $76. Those are my thoughts and questions for today, I will have more soon.

 

[Dead2009]

I doubt very much that the site is overloaded. It is 1:43 a.m. on Monday morning there. And I just don't see that vast a worldwide interest in buying tickets for this park as soon as one can. And Disney often has tech disasters on anything it offers in the USA, despite spending billions on supposedly upgrading systems and tech.

And, please, let's not use the word conspiracy. It gets tacked to so many things I post here and gets tiresome, even though I know from the source you didn't mean it in a bad way.

I'm simply trying to see what is going on with potential buyers. I know Brian will be one as he has said so and I'd bet five years of In-N-Out burgers that Tom Bricker is another.

You say you dont want people using the word conspiracy but yet you labeled the thread as "No Foreigners Wanted ... at SDL?!" lol.

 

[No Name]

The 16th and 18th were listed as unavailable. I assumed both were sold out. Then, at one point today, the 18th was back up. Now it is listed as unavailable again.

I am not looking to but tickets, just wondering why that is. Is it that a few people changed their date? That they realized they could squeeze in a few more people? A minor glitch in the system? Is it some... dare I say... conspiracy?! Seriously though, if anyone knows, I'd be interested to know as well.

Did Hong Kong's opening have dated tickets like they're doing here? I assume it didn't, because they had that massive flood of people on opening. Seems like a lesson learned.

 

[peachykeen]

I've been told they release tickets in waves. Same happened to me, the 16th wasn't available, then it was, and I was able to buy.

Also, it worked best buying on my iPhone.

 

[TheDisneyMagic]

Have you seen the Toy Story Hotel?!?

How much per night?

We have, the intention was to book the entire trip in Shanghai Disneyland Hotel but the website wouldn't allow me to select anything other than a single day in there.

Phoning them once the reservations centre kept resulting in dropped calls so we settled with what we could get and not risking not being about to get anything.