Official confirmation of Shanghai Disneyland

[Mr.EPCOT]

Check out the announcement at the Disney Parks blog below:

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REACHES ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE
ON SHANGHAI THEME PARK PROJECT
BURBANK, Calif. – November 3, 2009 – The Walt Disney Company today announced that the Project Application Report (PAR) for a Disney theme park in the Pudong district of Shanghai has received approval from the relevant authorities of the central government of China.
“China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for The Walt Disney Company in mainland China,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. The PAR approval will enable Disney and its Shanghai partners to move forward toward a final agreement to build and operate the park and begin preliminary development work. Upon completion of the final agreement, the project’s initial phase would include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region and other amenities consistent with Disney’s destination resorts worldwide.
About The Walt Disney Company China
The Walt Disney Company (NYSEIS), together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a diversified international family entertainment enterprise with five business segments and is a Dow 30 company with revenues of nearly $38 billion in its most recently reported fiscal year. Our first animation screened in China in the 1930s and today our long association continues with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou with over 600 employees.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2009/11/disney-shanghai-theme-park-project-update/

 

[WDITrent]

Interesting. I can't wait to hear more news- this is the first park being built under Bob Iger, so it'll be interesting how he works it all out.

 

[ryanduggers]

Did you notice that one of the skyscrapers in Shanghai looks like one of the towers in tommorowland?

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Should be VERY interesting to see how this is going to play out.


Wish that they were investing more HERE, but meh.:lol:

 

[WDW1974]

You notice how quiet things are in here?

The BIGGEST news on the Disney parks front in a very long time and more fanbois are interested in planters, fountains and rest rooms in T-Land at MK.

Now, to most of us 'insiders' this park/resort has been a given for quite a while ... we also realize that Disney had a strategic reason for putting the whole word (which really says NOTHING AT ALL) now with 2009 annual results about to come out. No matter how poor Disney's 09 has been, it will be all spin now ... DCL debuts Dream, ABC improves with 4-5 genuine hits, and now Shanghai is almost/sorta/kinda a reality.

Oh well, I doubt many folks here will ever set foot in it. I plan on being there on opening day!

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Yeah, I'm a little surprised that there's not more discussion going on about it.

But you can bet I'll make it out there someday. Maybe even for opening, if I have enough money.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Should be good...though, I have to say...why not invest HERE!?:lol:

 

[Kuhio]

Oh well, I doubt many folks here will ever set foot in it. I plan on being there on opening day!

I'm excited, but I think I'd be more excited if there had been concrete news of specific attractions and designs. The only thing tempering my enthusiasm somewhat is the nagging fear that, when concrete details are revealed, SDL will turn out to be tiny, full of clones, or otherwise feature all the worst aspects of DSP, DCA, and HKDL when they first opened.

Even if it is, though, I'm still planning to visit during its first year of operation... Hopefully I'll have enough money saved up after having gone to HKDL shortly before that for Mystic Manor and the other new attractions. (And the only thing that would make me hesitate about planning to be at SDL on opening day is the nagging fear that I'll arrive and discover that, due to "technical difficulties," the opening has been postponed until the day after I'm scheduled to leave...)

 

[SMRT-1]

You notice how quiet things are in here?

The BIGGEST news on the Disney parks front in a very long time and more fanbois are interested in planters, fountains and rest rooms in T-Land at MK.

Now, to most of us 'insiders' this park/resort has been a given for quite a while ... we also realize that Disney had a strategic reason for putting the whole word (which really says NOTHING AT ALL) now with 2009 annual results about to come out. No matter how poor Disney's 09 has been, it will be all spin now ... DCL debuts Dream, ABC improves with 4-5 genuine hits, and now Shanghai is almost/sorta/kinda a reality.

Oh well, I doubt many folks here will ever set foot in it. I plan on being there on opening day!

FYI - the majority of people that post here are interested in Walt Disney World. Hence the the name of the website.

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

Eh, I don't know. It does seem a little too quiet here. This is really some of the biggest news this year. Bigger than anything to come out of D23, save maybe the FL expansion.

This has been talked about for years and it is finally a reality.

 

[DVCOwner]

One thing about this project that will effect Walt Disney World is that it will allow one more park for the sharing of cost in the development of new park rides and technologies.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

One thing about this project that will effect Walt Disney World is that it will allow one more park for the sharing of cost in the development of new park rides and technologies.

Which is a positive. We'll get new things, possibly, but it might not be unique.

 

[DVCOwner]

Which is a positive. We'll get new things, possibly, but it might not be unique.

True, but how much overlap will there be with people visiting parks in Shanghai or Hong Kong and the United States. A ride built there and than at Walt Disney World would be "new" to 99% of the people going to Walt Disney World.

 

[juan]

I've known this project has been really big for a while. So big that it has taken WDI in-charge of DCA expansion overseas many times. When a half-billion dollar project gets the backseat, there is something big going down.

It'll be neat to see the plans publicly released.

 

[20009551sc]

shanghai

still trying to figure out why we need a park in China...I know huge population{of low income people} to draw from. I just wish they would spend the money here and upgrade the US parks. I have been going to WDW for 19 years. Yes they are expanding Fantasyland....GREAT. But what about the other parks and California. They should get some love too....

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

True, but how much overlap will there be with people visiting parks in Shanghai or Hong Kong and the United States. A ride built there and than at Walt Disney World would be "new" to 99% of the people going to Walt Disney World.

True! Hopefully we can reap some indirect positives from this. :lol:

 

[DVCOwner]

still trying to figure out why we need a park in China...I know huge population{of low income people} to draw from. I just wish they would spend the money here and upgrade the US parks. I have been going to WDW for 19 years. Yes they are expanding Fantasyland....GREAT. But what about the other parks and California. They should get some love too....

As stated before, it is not the park revenue that Disney is investing in with the Hong Kong expansion and the building of the Shanghai park. They are after the billions of dollar that are going to be made in movies, tv shows, toy, etc., etc. A profitable Disney in all these areas is going to allow for more investment in all of the Parks.