Speaking of Shanghai Disneyland
Woah Mickey, now that Shanghai Disneyland finally seems to have gotten all its papers in order, it seems like everyone can’t stop gabbering on about it (for instance, has anyone else noticed that Shanghai Daily has kind of turned into Shanghai Disneyland Daily today). Except, we suppose, us. Hey, give us a break, we’ve been covering this roller coaster ride of a deal for so long that it being greenlighted has actually left us a little flabbergasted. And so, since we’re at a loss for words, we’ll let other people talk about what they think about the soon-to-be erected (well, at least by 2014) Sleeping Beauty castle in Pudong.
Disney, according to Xinhua: "China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for the Walt Disney Company in mainland China," said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Co.
Other Shanghai amusement park owners, according to Shanghai Daily:
"We are born here and grew up here, and we know what the Chinese people want," said Ren Kelei, president of Happy Valley, the newest and biggest of Shanghai's theme park...The Jinjiang Amusement Park, which has been running roller coasters and Ferris wheels for about 25 years and is 10 times smaller than Happy Valley, also said it is not concerned about the heightened competition.
"There should be a place just for parents to take their children to have a relaxing day out," said Ge Yunkui, deputy general manager of the park.
Hong Kong Disneyland, according to China Daily:
"Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Managing Director Andrew Kam said the announcement marked "another significant step for Disney" in China, an important and dynamic market."We at Hong Kong Disneyland are focused on getting our exciting project underway as soon as possible," he said, referring to an expansion project on Hong Kong Disneyland.
Margaret Fong, commissioner for tourism, said she was confident that the Hong Kong Disneyland will remain attractive and competitive, adding that the Hong Kong park attracts visitors from not only mainland but also southeast Asia and other places."
Chinese netizens according to the Wall Street Journal: "Walt Disney won’t make Shanghai the happiest place in the world... That’s the early reaction from a surprising number of netizens, or Chinese Internet users, to confirmation early Wednesday that plans for Shanghai Disneyland have the green light to proceed. Of the posts streaming into tianya.cn, a major portal, early Wednesday, the negative views were solidly outweighing positive views. A survey on eastday.com suggests a lack of enthusiasm too."
Shanghai residents according to China Daily: "I'm thrilled to hear the news," said Lin Fuli, a 23-year-old student from Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade. "I've been looking forward to this ever since my first visit to the Hong Kong park two years ago."
Random fans at the Anaheim Disneyland in California, according to The Examiner:
Half way around the world, in Anaheim California, at the original Disneyland Resort, guests on Tuesday night were delighted to hear about the news of a new park being added to the Disney Resorts already in operation.'Everyone should be excited about this.' said Christina Neilson. 'There were rumors at D23 this was the next Disney Resort and well, I am glad to see this happen. I've been to Disney Tokyo and I would go to Shanghai.' Neilson isn't alone in wanting to see other Disney parks, guests are buzzing about the possibilities of a new Disney Park hankering to get the opportunity to visit even if it is a few years off.
Soon-to-be displaced villagers according to China Daily:
"Min Guoyao, a resident at Zhaohang village of Chuansha, has lived with his family in a two-floor home for more than 50 years. He now expects his house will be demolished to make way for the project."Our family has been living here for many generations. I really have no idea how we'll be resettled in another place," Min said."
Other little tidbits:
- Shanghai will be owning a 57% stake in the new Disney park, leaving Disney with just 43%. Costs for relocating people and acquiring the land will cost about 24 million yuan. Other details were not given to the public.
- The China Beat draws interesting connections between Shanghai Disneyland and the World Expo. For instance, did you know that Walt Disney's father worked as a carpenter during the Chicago World Fair? Coincidence or FATE?!
- Below is a map we found that COULD be what the phases of the new Disneyland may look like from a now defunct thread on a Disney forum.Eeeenteresting.
