Disney’s chairman & CEO, Bob Iger, presented the new attractions with a scale model of Shanghai Disneyland at the Shanghai Expo Centre this week.
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The ongoing downturn in the Chinese market is not of concern to Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), which is forging forward with its plans of unveiling a $5.5 billion theme park in the country.
In its announcement Wednesday, Disney said the new resort had more technology and original features than previous parks, including many Chinese features blended into mosaics, gift items, performances and even the huge castle.
“We are building something truly special here in Shanghai that not only showcases the best of Disney’s storytelling but also celebrates and incorporates China’s incredibly rich heritage”, Iger explained. Shanghai Disneyland will feature the TRON Lightcycle Power Run, a roller coaster based off Disney’s TRON franchise.
The company has scrapped its signature “Main Street, USA” for mainland China, using a “Mickey Avenue” to replace the facade of an American town found at its theme parks in Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo as well as those in the US.
Adventure Isle. Shanghai Disney will have several new “lands” including Adventure Isle, whose centerpiece attraction will be a raft ride called Roaring Rapids.
Disneyland triumphed by taking “the concept of narrative to the extreme”, immersing visitors “in the story itself …”
Disney’s largest foreign investment, the theme park is a gamble that will be significantly affected by the growth of the Chinese middle-class consumers.
The first outpost in Disney’s amusement park empire, Disneyland quickly became California’s biggest tourist attraction. This will also include the Walt Disney Grand Theatre, which will stage a Mandarin production of The Lion King.
The new attraction is expected to give a significant boost to tourism in Shanghai and could turn the sector into another pillar industry in addition to finance and shipping, local experts said. This area will show Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride and a Fantasia-inspired Carousel.
Disney opened its largest store in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district in May, offering more than 2,000 products across 860 square metres of retail space.
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Visitors can also expect that the park will adapt facets of Chinese culture, combining it with Disney and Pixar’s signature look and characters.
