Vandalism already happening at Shanghai Disneyland

[MarkTwain]

Link

Google Translation can be a bit sketchy, but the report basically says that Shanghai's Disneytown guests have already begun to vandalize the lightpoles and to urinate/trample in the landscaping, and that trash is already becoming a major problem. And notably, the park isn't even open yet.

It'll be interesting to see if this will present any financial problems for SHDL's opening and first few years of operation. Hopefully they have the maintenance budget to constantly fix this sort of thing, and possibly even to install more guardrails and barriers from landscaping.

 

[Jahona]

This doesn't surprise me. I was reading an article a few weeks ago about Japan media wanting to limit Chinese tourists to certain locations. They had several issues with the tourists damaging the cherry blossom trees.

 

[Peter Pano]

So it begins...

http://shanghaiist.com/2016/05/03/shanghai_disneyland_trashed_before_opening.php

I feel embarrassed to be a member of the same species as these people. Honestly.

 

[dweezil78]

 

[brb1006]

I don't even want to know what the park will be like when it's finally opened.

 

[No Name]

Guys, guys, this is terrible. Not the news, but the reactions. The Chinese are not bad people. Not at all. Their culture is just different, and they find many things we do to be as disgusting and inhumane. Americans are no better. And disclaimer, I'm not Chinese. I'm an American, and I can't say I'm proud of that today.

Vandalism is terrible and inexcusable, and Chinese people are well aware. That's why, out of the thousands who've visited, only a few committed such damage. It's a tiny percentage, but of course we blame them all! Littering is rude, but just like vandalism, it occurs no less in American cities. These kind of people exist everywhere and in every nationality.

Sitting on the grass and wading in the bushes (and peeing in them)... these are two things that most Chinese see nothing wrong with, and preventing them might be serious challenge. Honestly, these photos mean little to me, and I'm not sure why everyone is so obsessed over minor damage. I'd be much more interested to see how it all looks a day later. How well Disney cleans up here is the real question I have.

In the end, it's Disney's responsibilty. If people are walking and peeing in grass and bushes, maybe Disney should put some fences up. If people are littering, maybe they should put a garbage can in that spot. Also, people have a habit of following others' actions. If there's a pile of trash on the grass, someone walking by would be more inclined to throw theirs right on top. Similarly, vandalism encourages others to do the same. It's a chain reaction. Disney needs to keep the place clean to prevent this stuff from catching on.

So I'm not depressed by the vandalism and the photos. What I am depressed by is all of the closed-minded and racist comments, here and elsewhere, pegging the Chinese as a horrible and filthy group of people.

I really thought we'd do better in the year 2016. I really did.

 

[MarkTwain]

I'd be much more interested to see how it all looks a day later. How well Disney cleans up here is the real question I have.

In the end, it's Disney's responsibilty. If people are walking and peeing in grass and bushes, maybe Disney should put some fences up. If people are littering, maybe they should put a garbage can in that spot. Also, people have a habit of following others' actions. If there's a pile of trash on the grass, someone walking by would be more inclined to throw theirs right on top. Similarly, vandalism encourages others to do the same. It's a chain reaction. Disney needs to keep the place clean to prevent this stuff from catching on.

This is the main reason I started this thread. In the end, it was Disney's choice to build a park in mainland China, with all the cultural differences that come with it. And it's on Disney to make sure to keep up the park up to Disney standards, regardless of how guests are treating it.

My main question is to what degree Disney is prepared for it. What surprises is that Disney apparently didn't take more preemptive measures in the design/construction phase, with more guardrails around landscaping beds, and by keeping easily-damaged features (like light posts) further out of guests' reach.

I'll just be curious to see how Disney responds here. Was the idea of having open landscaping a deliberate choice, fully anticipating the kind of wear and tear they can receive, and we can expect freshly painted lightposts this time tomorrow? Or could the park now see 1-2 years of moving / repainting / putting guardrails around everything, further raising construction and maintenance costs for resort? That kind of spending could determine the resort's financial success.

Should be interesting to see from here on out.

 

[lazyboy97o]

This really should not have been a surprise. All of these same issues arose at Hong Kong Disneyland. What this clearly illustrates is the total lack of institutional memory within Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

 

[xdan0920]

I'm an American, and I can't say I'm proud of that today.

Simple solution chief.

 

[brb1006]

This is the main reason I started this thread. In the end, it was Disney's choice to build a park in mainland China, with all the cultural differences that come with it. And it's on Disney to make sure to keep up the park up to Disney standards, regardless of how guests are treating it.

My main question is to what degree Disney is prepared for it. What surprises is that Disney apparently didn't take more preemptive measures in the design/construction phase, with more guardrails around landscaping beds, and by keeping easily-damaged features (like light posts) further out of guests' reach.

I'll just be curious to see how Disney responds here. Was the idea of having open landscaping a deliberate choice, fully anticipating the kind of wear and tear they can receive, and we can expect freshly painted lightposts this time tomorrow? Or could the park now see 1-2 years of moving / repainting / putting guardrails around everything, further raising construction and maintenance costs for resort? That kind of spending could determine the resort's financial success.

Should be interesting to see from here on out.

I hope the CMs are prepare for what might happen when it finally opens.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I hope the CMs are prepare for what might happen when it finally opens.

Given the way hotels are run I image Cast Members diligently cleaning certain areas while others go untouched.

 

[No Name]

This really should not have been a surprise. All of these same issues arose at Hong Kong Disneyland. What this clearly illustrates is the total lack of institutional memory within Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

I agree that this shouldn't have been a surprise. But there really is no indication that Disney is particularly surprised or annoyed. From all reports, they had security and custodial staff cleaning up messes all day. If the article was "Disney leaves mess uncleaned" or something like that, I'd be more alarmed. But it seems like they handled it generally well, someone just got a few photos of things that they didn't yet respond to.

This is not in the actual park, and when people aren't paying, it's harder to enforce rules. The only thing they payed for was $9.75ish parking. Also, there was really nothing open, so they were faced with a bit of boredom. That played a part in it, I'm sure. They really should get the stores open soon, it's a waste to have all of these people visiting otherwise.

It is kind of concerning that they don't seem have more solid measures in place to prevent this stuff. If that's what you are getting at, I share that concern. But we haven't totally seen how Disney reacted, we're just seeing the damage.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I agree that this shouldn't have been a surprise. But there really is no indication that Disney is particularly surprised or annoyed. From all reports, they had security and custodial staff cleaning up messes all day. If the article was "Disney leaves mess uncleaned" or something like that, I'd be more alarmed. But it seems like they handled it generally well, someone just got a few photos of things that Disney didn't yet respond to.

This is not in the actual park, and when people aren't paying, it's harder to enforce rules. The only thing they payed for was $9.75ish parking. Also, there was really nothing open, so they were faced with a bit of boredom. That played a part in it, I'm sure. They really should get the stores open soon, it's a waste to have all of these people visiting otherwise.

It is kind of concerning that they don't have more solid measures in place to prevent this stuff. If that's what you are getting at, I share that concern. But we haven't totally seen how Disney reacted, we're just seeing the damage.

Having small signs instead of railings to keep people off the landscape is a clear indicator that Disney was caught off guard. The lack of activities is not really an excuse because this is the same types of behavior Hong Kongers were complaining about just over a decade ago.

 

[ItlngrlBella]

Budgets tightened in US parks for...this?

All there is to say is "thanks Shanghai."

 

[donaldtoo]

Don't blame Shanghai. Blame TWDC for being stupid enough to go there. But, that's what happens when you're all that...in your own mind.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Budgets tightened in US parks for...this?

All there is to say is "thanks Shanghai."

Tightening in the US was eventually going to happen regardless of another park being built. It's a major component of Disney's growth model and why it has been employed as a response to Shanghai Disney Resort's cost overruns.

 

[brb1006]

Hope they have enough time to clean up that section before it pens next month.

 

[Iwerks64]

Guys, guys, this is terrible. Not the news, but the reactions. The Chinese are not bad people. Not at all. Their culture is just different, and they find many things we do to be as disgusting and inhumane. Americans are no better. And disclaimer, I'm not Chinese. I'm an American, and I can't say I'm proud of that today.

Vandalism is terrible and inexcusable, and Chinese people are well aware. That's why, out of the thousands who've visited, only a few committed such damage. It's a tiny percentage, but of course we blame them all! Littering is rude, but just like vandalism, it occurs no less in American cities. These kind of people exist everywhere and in every nationality.

Sitting on the grass and wading in the bushes (and peeing in them)... these are two things that most Chinese see nothing wrong with, and preventing them might be serious challenge. Honestly, these photos mean little to me, and I'm not sure why everyone is so obsessed over minor damage. I'd be much more interested to see how it all looks a day later. How well Disney cleans up here is the real question I have.

In the end, it's Disney's responsibilty. If people are walking and peeing in grass and bushes, maybe Disney should put some fences up. If people are littering, maybe they should put a garbage can in that spot. Also, people have a habit of following others' actions. If there's a pile of trash on the grass, someone walking by would be more inclined to throw theirs right on top. Similarly, vandalism encourages others to do the same. It's a chain reaction. Disney needs to keep the place clean to prevent this stuff from catching on.

So I'm not depressed by the vandalism and the photos. What I am depressed by is all of the closed-minded and racist comments, here and elsewhere, pegging the Chinese as a horrible and filthy group of people.

I really thought we'd do better in the year 2016. I really did.

How much time have you personally spent on mainland China?

 

[Robbiemoo]

Maybe this is what they meant by 'distinctly Chinese'?

It's sad to see the resort like that, those people don't deserve to have a Disneyland if they are going to trash it like that

 

[lazyboy97o]

Maybe this is what they meant by 'distinctly Chinese'?

It's sad to see the resort like that, those people don't deserve to have a Disneyland if they are going to trash it like that

Those people? Does that mean only the Japanese deserve a Disneyland?