Disney to build new park

[Lou... 3,118]

Los Angeles Times (Home Edition) - April 05, 2011 - p B-3, Business; Business Desk

By David Pierson, BEIJING

Disney to build park in Shanghai.

Walt Disney Co. will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Friday in Shanghai for a long-awaited theme park and resort, sources close to the matter said. The event could mark the end of 16 years of speculation over when Disney would begin building its first theme park in mainland China.

The $3.6-billion project was first discussed in 1995 and would be the company's fourth theme park and resort outside the United States. About 1,700 acres have been designated for the park in northeast Shanghai.

When completed, it would give Disney a valuable foothold in China's emerging consumer market.

Chinese state media reported that the initial phase of construction, which includes the theme park and hotels, would be completed in 2014. The city is extending subway lines to reach the resort.

Disney reportedly would take a 43% equity stake in the Shanghai Disneyland resort while a city-run joint-venture company would own the remaining 57%.

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

What is scary is, they will build it with no construction equipment. And I'm not being funny this time. They will use human labor to complete the project - at the cost of many lives. China believes in "Coolie Labor" - similar to how we used the Chinese in the 1800's to build our railroad system - only worse.

Ted Koppel once did a 4 hour special on the real economic system in China. It was eye-opening and very sad.  One example given was of Ethan Allen furniture.  The upholstery material was made in China by people living wherever they could find a "nook" in abandoned buildings - and they were paid approx. $50.00/month (USD) for 65 hour weeks.  The fabric inspector in North Car. was paid $20.00/hour - and complained she wasn't making enough to survive.

I'm not saying it will be poorly constructed - I'm just saying that many lives will be in jeopardy bringing this project to completion.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From WDW News Today in case anyone is interested...

Shanghai Disneyland Announcement and Concept Art

April 7, 2011 10:32 pm

SHANGHAI (April 8, 2011) ? The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group, its joint venture partner in China, have broken ground on the Shanghai Disney Resort following approval from the Chinese central government in Beijing. Both companies marked the start of construction on the first Disney resort in mainland China at a groundbreaking ceremony held earlier today.

?Today marks a significant milestone in the history of The Walt Disney Company,? said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. ?Our Shanghai resort will be a world-class family vacation destination that combines classic Disney characters and storytelling with the uniqueness and beauty of China. Working with our Chinese partners, the Shanghai Disney Resort will be both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.?

?We?re incredibly excited to build a Disney resort in Shanghai, one of the world?s most vibrant cities,? said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. ?We are hard at work designing Shanghai Disneyland, which when complete will be a special place where guests of all ages will discover a world of imagination, creativity, adventure and thrills.?

Today?s groundbreaking ceremony paid homage to the culture and people of China. Traditional Chinese drum music, a female soloist singing in Mandarin, a 50-voice Shanghai children?s choir and Mickey Mouse dressed in a traditional Chinese costume were on hand to mark this special occasion. Following the entertainment and remarks, Iger and Staggs were joined by Shanghai Party Secretary Yu Zhengsheng and Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng to officially break ground on the project.

The new Shanghai Disney Resort is slated to open in approximately five years.

The Shanghai Disney Resort will be home to Shanghai Disneyland, a Magic Kingdom-style park that will blend classic Disney storytelling and characters with all-new attractions and experiences tailored specifically for the people of China. The park will feature several themed lands complete with exciting, iconic Disney attractions and experiences. At the heart of the park will be an interactive Disney castle that is truly an attraction unto itself with entertainment, dining and performance experiences that will be unique to Shanghai Disneyland. The park will also contain other large-scale entertainment venues, indoor and out, that can be used for various purposes throughout the year.

A beautiful, 11 acre (46,130 square meter) green space at the center of the theme park will differentiate Shanghai Disneyland and reinforce the themes of sustainability and nature that will be integrated throughout the park. The space will also be a place where friends and family can enjoy local cultural celebrations and customs together.

On Opening Day, the Shanghai Disney Resort will be located on a 963 acre (3.9 square kilometer) site in Pudong, Shanghai, with additional room to expand in the future. At opening, the resort will include Shanghai Disneyland, two themed hotels, a large retail, dining and entertainment venue, recreational facilities, a lake and associated parking and transportation hubs.

There will be an initial investment in the project of approximately 24.5 billion yuan (US$3.7 billion) to build the theme park and an additional 4.5 billion yuan (US$0.7 billion) to build the other aspects of the resort, including the hotels and the retail, dining and entertainment area. The investment amounts will be split between Disney and the Shanghai Shendi Group with Disney holding 43% of the shares of the owner companies and the Shanghai Shendi Group holding the remaining 57%. Financing will be proportional to ownership. In addition, a joint venture management company will be formed with Disney having a 70% stake and Shanghai Shendi Group having a 30% stake. The management company will be responsible for creating, developing and operating the resort.

http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/6795

[ftwildernessguy 778]

Will Disney hit people over the head and when they wake up, they will be forced to sell turkey legs at Shanghai Disney?

[Lou... 3,118]

If you look at the artist impression of the Shanghai Disney Resort, it shows very little detail, except for the castle, which BTW, will be the largest Disney castle. One thing that it will not have is Main St. USA.

The reason that details regarding the attractions are not being released is that when they announced the park in Hong Kong, they were specific about the attractions and another company opened a park before the Disney park that just happened to have knockoffs of the the Disney attractions.

[bigdisneydaddy 9]

If you look at the artist impression of the Shanghai Disney Resort, it shows very little detail, except for the castle, which BTW, will be the largest Disney castle. One thing that it will not have is Main St. USA.

The reason that details regarding the attractions are not being released is that when they announced the park in Hong Kong, they were specific about the attractions and another company opened a park before the Disney park that just happened to have knockoffs of the the Disney attractions.

Like most others businesses that sell to China, they will only sell one, after that the knock off copies will come rolling out. The Chinese are notorious for ignoring patent and trademark laws, cant wait to see how they rip off Disney on this one.

[ftwildernessguy 778]

That other park was hilarious.  There used to be an internet site that had pics of it.

[ftwildernessguy 778]

here ya go:

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/05/11/disneyland-ripoff-made-in-china/

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

wow.....  just wow

I did wonder why there was so little detail in the artwork - not so typical for Disney.  Makes perfect sense now.

[ntsammy5 7]

[bigdisneydaddy 9]

Didnt we used to fight wars against communists ?  just asking ?

[ftwildernessguy 778]

For years I was told the Russians and the Chinese were our enemies, and the middle eastern countries were our friends.  Then over night, it seems, the Russians and the Chinese became our friends and we haven't quite figured out where the middle east stands - depends on the country du jour and what our government wants us to believe.  I haven't seen the Chinese up close, but I saw the Russians and believe me, they weren't our friends.

[ntsammy5 7]

For years I was told the Russians and the Chinese were our enemies, and the middle eastern countries were our friends.  Then over night, it seems, the Russians and the Chinese became our friends and we haven't quite figured out where the middle east stands - depends on the country du jour and what our government wants us to believe.  I haven't seen the Chinese up close, but I saw the Russians and believe me, they weren't our friends.

Since I retired this has changed 8 times!  I still get dizzy thinking about it!  And to think I spent all that time studying Soviet weapons and tactics!  Actually, that still works!

I actually saw some Russians on the Fulda Gap and probably some in VN too!  I just wasn't smart enough to realize it then!

[Lou... 3,118]

Didnt we used to fight wars against communists ?  just asking ?

Did I miss it? When did China stop being a communist country?

[ftwildernessrick 10]

Like most others businesses that sell to China, they will only sell one, after that the knock off copies will come rolling out. The Chinese are notorious for ignoring patent and trademark laws, cant wait to see how they rip off Disney on this one.

It will be interesting to see the Chinese making even cheaper crap than what Disney already gets from them.

[Lou... 3,118]

It will be interesting to see the Chinese making even cheaper crap than what Disney already gets from them.

Sounds like the matter, antimatter, thing. They'll try to destroy each other.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the L.A. Times site...

Shanghai Disneyland: Uncovering secrets about the new Chinese theme park

By Brady MacDonald Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

April 12, 2011, 5:30 a.m.

The blurry, fuzzy concept art of a Shanghai Disneyland, filled with fireworks, spotlights and a great big castle, paints a picture short on details and vague on specifics about the planned project in China.

So why all the secrecy on Disney's part? Three reasons:

* To prevent knockoff rides by rival Asian theme parks, which happened before Hong Kong Disneyland's 2005 opening.

* To preserve creative flexibility for Disney's Imagineers during the ongoing "Blue Sky" development phase, when rides, shows and even entire lands appear or disappear.

* To tread lightly with the Chinese government during the upcoming five-year engagement, which follows a delicate two-decade courtship.

The basics are clear enough: The $4.4 billion Shanghai Disney resort is expected to open in late 2015 or early 2016 with a $3.7 billion Magic Kingdom-style theme park, two hotels and a Downtown Disney shopping center.

Beyond that, the particulars quickly become hazy.

So let's go over what we know, review what we've seen and ponder the many unknowns:

The Known

The Chinese government wants Shanghai Disneyland to be sharply different from the other five Magic Kingdom theme parks around the globe, with several all-new attractions related to Chinese culture and myth woven into and around classic Disney attractions.

The park's Storybook Castle, the largest and tallest of all Disney's turreted icons, will offer interactive elements,  along with spaces for entertainment, dining and performances.

The newest Magic Kingdom will do away with the traditional Main Street USA entrance in favor of an 11-acre park suitable for parades, cultural celebrations and character meet-and-greets.

The theme park will be approached by boats navigating a 100-acre lake that plays up the importance of water to the Chinese and emphasizes the themes of sustainability and nature.

The first phase of the project, which the Chinese government estimates will eventually cost $15 billion upon completion, will occupy just over half of the 1,730-acre property. Shanghai officials say the new resort will one day contain three theme parks. (View photos of the undeveloped Shanghai Disney property.)

Shanghai Disney would be smaller than its Florida counterpart, bigger than Disney's properties in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Anaheim and on par size-wise with the Paris resort.

Upon opening, government officials expect Shanghai Disneyland to attract 7.3 million visitors annually. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger says the new park may offer half-day and evening-only tickets.

The Seen

Over the last two decades, Disney has released several visual representations of the proposed park. As with any evolving project, plans change over time and will no doubt continue to do so during the upcoming development phase.

The newest concept art shows an extra-large castle with a domed cupola, several steeply pitched roofs with widow walks and about a dozen spires, including a bulbous one that recalls Shanghai?s Oriental Pearl television tower. At night, the illuminated castle takes on an ominous look and feel that recalls the Haunted Mansion.

The pagoda-dotted entry park features a cherry-blossom-lined parade route with a Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride on one side and a Fantasyland carousel on the other.

A wider view of the park shows a smudgy, blurry mountain that may remind some of Expedition Everest, Matterhorn Bobsleds or a re-envisioned Pirates of the Caribbean ride dubbed "Splash Pirates."

Concept art, released at a Disney investors' conference in February, shows Mickey Mouse's face in the middle of a hub-like entrance plaza with a skyrocketing fountain nearby. A walkway lined with giant mushrooms or flowers glows along the waterfront.

A Shanghai Disneyland map that emerged in March shows a 200-foot-wide moat surrounding the perimeter of the park, recalling the layout of the Forbidden City.

The map also indicates locations for four hotels, including one with a view of the park, although Disney has announced plans for two hotels ? one deluxe and one "value."

In July 2010, the Walt Disney Family Museum posted concept art on Twitter showing Shanghai Disneyland with a more traditional Magic Kingdom-style layout:  Adventureland and Frontierland on the left, Tomorrowland on the right, Fantasyland behind the castle and a train track surrounding the perimeter of the park. A version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, sitting on an island in the middle of a lake,  stands out as a key departure from the typical park design.

Back in 2006, Disney's annual report included an illustration for a "concept for a new Disney theme park" that many interpreted as a representation of Shanghai Disneyland. The image showed a central lake surrounded by a mermaid lagoon, an "Indiana Jones"-style temple, a roller coaster and a European village beneath a fairytale castle on a hill, according to Progress City.

The Unknown

For the last several years, insiders with insight into Disney's creative plans have reported on elements reportedly included in the Shanghai park:

* Versions of Disney's well-known Space Mountain and It's a Small World rides, as well as a Tomorrowland-themed land, would be included in the Shanghai park, according to the New York Times.

* The extravagantly designed Adventureland and Frontierland areas of the park will have a lush Tokyo DisneySea look while the rest of the Shanghai park will have an international EPCOT-style feel, according to Blue Sky Disney.

* Characters from newer Disney and Pixar films will populate the park, according to Jim Hill Media: "Woody, Jessie and Bullseye will ride herd on Frontierland while Shanghai Disneyland's Autopia will serve as the centerpiece of a brand-new 'Cars'-themed part of this park. I'm told that Captain Jack Sparrow will stagger around a Pirates-centric version of Adventureland while Rapunzel & her tower will ... well, tower over Fantasyland."

But as anybody who has followed Disney knows, the "Blue Sky" creative phase is an ever changing process filled with varied and vested interests. As a result, curious bystanders are often left asking the same questions as the knowledgeable decision-makers:

* Will Shanghai Disneyland include classic attractions such as the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain?

* Will any long-rumored but perpetually-shelved E-Ticket attractions surface in Shanghai?

* Will Marvel characters finally make their Disney theme park debut in Shanghai?

* Will Disney introduce any Chinese mythological stories besides its roster of European fairy tales?

* Will princesses, pixies, pirates and Pixar properties push older Disney characters to the sidelines?

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/themeparks/la-trb-shanghai-disneyland-04201111,0,5500461.story?track=rss

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I'm not sure how I feel about Disney doing business with a communist government that has such a terrible human rights record.  They have a record of torturing and killing thousands, or millions, of their own people.  They manipulate the currency to gain unfair advantages in world trade.  They have traded weapons to avowed enemies of the US.  And they are a growing threat to our influence in the world.  And Disney wants to get in bed with them?? 

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

I'm not sure how I feel about Disney doing business with a communist government that has such a terrible human rights record.  They have a record of torturing and killing thousands, or millions, of their own people.  They manipulate the currency to gain unfair advantages in world trade.  They have traded weapons to avowed enemies of the US.  And they are a growing threat to our influence in the world.  And Disney wants to get in bed with them??

You know...I had those same thoughts.  Not to mention the loss of life that will occur while construction is in progress.  The Chinese uses human labor instead of machinery because it's cheaper. Ted Koppel did an eye-opening 4 hour documentary on life and the economy in China. It was heart-wrenching.

[bigdisneydaddy 9]

If you want to find the truth in any circumstance..... FOLLOW THE MONEY.

[ftwildernessrick 10]

I'm not sure how I feel about Disney doing business with a communist government that has such a terrible human rights record.  They have a record of torturing and killing thousands, or millions, of their own people.  They manipulate the currency to gain unfair advantages in world trade.  They have traded weapons to avowed enemies of the US.  And they are a growing threat to our influence in the world.  And Disney wants to get in bed with them??

And what do we call people who get into bed with others for money?

It sometimes seems that Disney is getting further & further out there. They need to change Walt's quote from "It all began with a mouse" to "It all began with a dollar"

[Lou... 3,118]

I realize that this will not change anyone's opinion, but it's only fair to present it.

http://corporate.disney.go.com/citizenship2010/humanrights/

http://corporate.disney.go.com/citizenship2010/community/overview/corporategiving/

[ftwildernessguy 778]

Here is how China is raising it's GDP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h7V3Twb-Qk

One thing is certain, they can't keep this up forever.  And when it collapses, it's gonna come down hard.