A Walt Disney theme park and resort project in Shanghai that has been in the planning stages since the late 1990s looks like it’s finally received a green light. The Wall Street Journal reported today that invitations went out over the weekend to a “special event in Shanghai” set for Friday, which would be a groundbreaking ceremony that Disney CEO Bob Iger is expected to attend. As designed, the park would be 963 acres and feature two hotels, shops and restaurants, and a lake. During Disney’s recent shareholders meeting in Salt Lake City, Parks and Resorts boss Tom Staggs said the park would take five years to finish. The total cost has not been disclosed, but Disney is expected to be a minority stakeholder. It would be the sixth Disney theme park and resort and the first in mainland China (Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005).


Omg!!!
Follow the money, mates! Big Biz is chomping at the bit to mine the Chinese middle class even more. Look for Disney India soon, too. As for the American middle class, CYA. That vein’s been tapped out.
I understand the demand for a park in mainland China, particularly in its proximity to India…but at what point is Disney saturating their market?
Before, I thought that Disney Land in the US only was what made our country “sorta” special, because everyone had to come here in order to experience the Magic Kingdom. I guess they did the math and realized they could make more money outside, but I can’t help but think we’re losing something intangible.
A new playground for our new masters.
Think how drastically things have changed since Uncle Walt and America bestrode this Earth like a Colossus.
they used to say “the sun never sets on the the British empire ”
well it did
now it never sets on the mouse empire!!!
Nice, but… What about an Latin American park? There’s a rumor saying that Disney already has a land in the city of Curitiba (Brazil) and, to me, it’d make much more sense to open a new park in Brazil (which would dominate Latin America) than in… China.