Disneyland Shanghai in 2010? **Updated:3/22/08**

[Figment!]

Disneyland Plan Dusted Off in Shanghai


China Daily
11/21/2007

The authorities have confirmed that the previously suspended plan to build a Disneyland theme park in Shanghai has been revived and preparations are going ahead full steam.

Qian Weizhong, director of the economy committee of Nanhui district, said residents had moved off the land targeted for Shanghai Disneyland, in suburban Chuansha town.

The planned theme park will occupy 6 sq km, which is about 4.7 times the size of Hong Kong's Disneyland, according to the original plan.

"Local authorities have received positive feedback from the central government about the Disneyland project," Qian was quoted as saying by the Oriental Outlook.
Representatives of Disney yesterday declined to comment on the development, saying only: "Our focus is on the successful operation of our first theme park in China - Hong Kong Disneyland."

However, Walt Disney Company (Shanghai) Ltd said in a statement faxed to China Daily:"China is a priority for the entire company, and we have a continuing dialogue about a variety of Disney initiatives, including television, motion pictures and consumer products, of which theme parks are only a part."

Qian said arrangements had been made to ease travel to the planned site.

"The Shanghai A20 highway has opened an exit for Chuansha, near the planned east gate of the Disneyland," Qian said.
Foxtown, an outlet mall located near the site of the planned theme park, is one beneficiary of the development.

Lu Qiang, its CEO, said he was glad to hear the Disneyland project had been revived, as Foxtown had won the right to set up shop after several rounds of bidding.

"If the Disney project was aborted, Foxtown would face great difficulties recruiting tenants," Lu said.

He said he had been briefed about the recent developments by Nanhui authorities last week.

The planned Pudong railway will stop at the theme park. Metro line No 11 will also stop there.

When finished, the transportation connecting the park will be the biggest in the country's eastern region, bringing visitors from more than 50 cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

The plan to build a Disneyland park in Shanghai was first floated in 2005, but was soon suspended. Disney signed a statement of intent to build a Disneyland on the mainland in 2002.

Several suburban district authorities competed over the location of the theme park. The municipality compromised by putting the park in both Chuansha and Nanhui.

The Lujiazui Group and Walt Disney Company then set up a joint-stock company, but the plan was suspended. Hong Kong media reported there were widespread fears that having a third Disneyland in Asia, especially if it were in Shanghai, would harm Hong Kong's park.
An unidentified official from the Shanghai economy committee said the Shanghai plan had been suspended in part because of concerns the Hong Kong park would suffer.

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For those wondering, The Walt Disney Company (Shanghai) Ltd. is the Asia Pacific branch of Walt Disney Consumer Products.

[2Epcot]

I was just in Shanghai a few weeks ago, similar to Hong Kong, it gets a lot of visitors from many differnt places in and outside Asia, so location wise it seems like a good spot for another Disney park. However, Shanghai is only about a 2 hour flight from Hong Kong. Though China has a very, very large population, I can also see why Hong Kong would be concerned.

[Figment!]

Shanghai Disneyland may get green light after years of suspension




e Travel Blackboard
December 17, 2007

A Disneyland in Shanghai once again appears to be on the cards, after local media outlets reported a slice of land on the Chongming Island was being set aside by the government.

The Walt Disney Co. has recently set up shop in Shanghai, but it re-iterates that its current focus was to develop the existing theme park in Hong Kong.

Yet insiders say that it is the possible opening of a Shanghai Disneyland at the mouth of the Yangtze River that really has it excited.

After years of waiting in limbo, it appears that Beijing may finally be ready to establish a new Disneyland in the north of the 1,200 square kilometre island.

While no official final decision has yet been made, some have said that the new amusement park is slated to open after the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. By which time, the island would also be connected to the mainland via new tunnels and a bridge.

Currently the island is mainly dependent on agriculture as the main industry for the livelihood of its 650,000 residents.

The Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau currently has not voiced any objections to a possible new Disneyland, indicating that it felt China would be able to support more than one international theme park.

[DisneyDudet]

Why build another one over there, when the one it has can't bring people in?

I say, build another one in the US, or at least this hemisphere! There's already 3 on the other side of the world!!!

[century3]

Wouldn't it be best if they didn't build yet another park there and instead focused on improving the currently existing parks? They aren't Six Flags and I don't want them to be. They need to focus on what they have and stop going for the shotgun approach of just building everywhere and seeing what hits and what doesn't.

I was hoping when I heard of this that it was just a wild rumor like many of the other park location rumors. When I heard it was true my heart sank a bit :(

[DisneyFanaticDargon]

I say this is a complete waste of time and Iger needs to get his priorities straight. DLHK is having a lot of problems with labor and attendance and I don't things are going to be any better on the mainland considering that while HK-SAR may have a Democratic style government, Shanghai falls under the jurisdiction of mainland China's communist government which handles labor in a completely different fashion from Hong Kong. Is it not bad enough that all the stuff Disney peddles in its gift shops comes from Chinese sweatshops? A new theme park here in the states would help boost tourism (if marketed and built PROPERLY, let us not forget the money Disney has poured into DCA to fix what they messed up the first time around) and the economy by encouraging more people to travel. 10 years now without a new gate at WDW and the prospect of another one being built in China just gives more Americans a reason to not go to the place we know and love.

[NotaGeek]

Chinese Population approx as of July 2007 1,321,851,888

US Population approx. as of July 2007 301,139,947

Seems like a good reason for Disney to put another park in China ... LOTS of money making opportunities. I have a friend that lives in Shanghai and there are MILLIONS of ex-pats from all of the globe that live there for business. The lifestyle in Shanghai is high-end for those ex-pats and for a large percentage of the Asian Business persons that live in the city. Disney would be a high-dollar weekend for their families, and they have money to burn. The stories he tells me about how the westerners that live in Shanghai get together for amazing dinners and parties ... and lots of them have kids, and the money they spend is SHOCKING!

[Celestria]

three disney parks within a few hours fight from each other.... bit much..

[Melanie]

three disney parks within a few hours fight from each other.... bit much..

Considering the popularity of the Tokyo resort, I don't think it's that far fetched at all.

If Disney (and their partners) do it right like in Tokyo, I see huge money-making potential. You can't argue with the numbers in regards to population.

[2Epcot]

If Disney (and their partners) do it right like in Tokyo, I see huge money-making potential. You can't argue with the numbers in regards to population.

I would agree, the numbers are certainly there. Disney continues to introduce the Disney brand as much as possible in China with a lot more programming on TV.


The lifestyle in Shanghai is high-end for those ex-pats and for a large percentage of the Asian Business persons that live in the city. Disney would be a high-dollar weekend for their families, and they have money to burn. The stories he tells me about how the westerners that live in Shanghai get together for amazing dinners and parties ... and lots of them have kids, and the money they spend is SHOCKING!

I saw some of that first hand this past October. We saw more westerners the two days we were in Shanghai, then the rest of the week I was in China. One of the nice restaraunts we went to we witnessesed one of those large dinner parties. A little loud for us, but they were having a good time.

[Melanie]

I would agree, the numbers are certainly there. Disney continues to introduce the Disney brand as much as possible in China with a lot more programming on TV.

That's a downside for sure. The Disney brand is not as familiar and loved in China as in Japan. Major marketing needs to be done.

[GrumpyFan]

On the surface and from a demographical view, this looks like a good idea, and their is certainly more than enough people to to fill a new park in that region. However, I think that underneath there are numerous issues and hurdles that will have to be cleared in order to make this a beneficial investment for Disney. I'm not certain that the risk is worth it. But, then again, this is the same company (by name at least) that turned 40-something square miles of swampland into a thriving resort drawing millions of people every year and earning millions of dollars.

[CaptainSad]

First ,why? I think they need to update WDW before they put money into a new park half way around the world. What park outside the US is doing well in attendence? Aren't they all below what was expected? No where near what WDW pulls in. So put more money into WDW. "Wonders of Life" is just sitting there collecting dust. Add new countries at EPCOT. Add more E-ticket rides at all the parks. Change things up. Build a new park at WDW. That's what WDI is for anyway. Just seems that WDW is lacking new idea's. Case in point SSE. What the heck is the second half of the attaction anyway. I could have come up with something better then darkness and TV monitor. Heck my 10 year old could have... Put more money into our parks. They keep raising the prices. For what? Well thats the end of my 2cent rant.

[Figment!]

Shanghai to Welcome Disneyland




Trading Markets
March 19, 2008

US-based Walt Disney Company has decided to build a Disneyland at Chuansha town, Pudong, Shanghai, expected to be announced around the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to reliable news.

Shanghai mayor Han Zheng once said that the city, having the ability to build a Disneyland, was preparing for the construction and waiting for approval from the State Council, China's cabinet.

Shanghai Current Economics Research Institute head Wang Liang said that the location of Disney had started to influence the city's every aspect, such as stock market, real estate, tourism and retail business.

For instance, Disney concept stocks, Shanghai Lujiazui Finance & Trade Zone Development Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600663), Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corporation Limited (SHSE: 600836), Shanghai Pudong Road & Bridge Construction Company Limited (SHSE: 600284) and Shanghai Construction Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600170) kept rising from middle February when the whole stock market was down.

Meanwhile, Pudong concept stocks, Shanghai Shimao Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600823), Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corporation Limited (SHSE: 600836), Shanghai Xinmei Real Estate Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600732) and Shanghai Wanye Enterprises Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600641) aslo gained strong performance.

Moreover, all houses at a building under construction, which nears Disney Shanghai theme park, have been sold out.

An insider pointed out that the to-be-built Disneyland, a large tourism project able to accept customers to stay for two nights, would double the Shanghai tourism industry's current revenue, which was good for China's domestic tourism in spite of a certain impact on Hong Kong Disneyland.

As early as five years ago, rumors reported that the Walt Disney Company was to build a Disneyland in Shanghai, the nation's financial hub, with acreage three times that of Disneyland Hong Kong.

Until March 9, 2008, an insider told journalists that the Chinese watchdog had in principle agreed the foreign giant to locate the Disneyland in Shanghai. In addition, subways and light rails to the Chuansha town will be available in 2009 and so did the related supporting facilities around.

As a matter of fact, China's other large cities, like Beijing, Chengdu and Tianjin have also gotten into a fierce struggle in hopes of locating the Disneyland there, which is expected to boost a city's economy and industry to a new high, said Zhu Lianqing, director at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences research center.

(USD 1 = CNY 7.08)