Shanghai Disney park to open in June

Shanghai Disney Resort will be launched with a “multi-day, grand opening celebration”, building up to the first guests entering the park in 16 June.

Walt Disney has finally confirmed the opening date for the new Disney resort in Shanghai.

Theme parks are Disney’s second largest business after television.

United States media and entertainment group Disney announced Tuesday that its first theme park in mainland China will open on June 16 in Shanghai. By early 2015, they changed that to the first half of 2016, and, against all odds, they look to actually be keeping to that promise. Shanghai Disneyland is the largest foreign investment project in Shanghai history, according to the company, and will feature Disney’s largest castle, in addition to two hotels and a new “Disneytown” shopping and dining district.

“We talked about Disney’s respect of the beauty and culture of China and blend that with Disney story telling the creativity that Disney can bring”.

Shanghai Disneyland will consist of six themed lands: Adventure Isle, Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Tomorrowland, Treasure Cove (based on the Pirates of the Caribbean films) and Fantasyland. In 2002, the company signed a letter of intent with the Shanghai government, where Chinese President Xi Jinping was a rising official at the time. Chinese academics say it could contribute $3.3 billion to Shanghai’s economy every year and account for one percent of the city’s annual gross domestic product. Users of China’s Twitter-like Weibo welcomed the announcement enthusiastically.

Disney has not disclosed its attendance forecast for the park, but on social networks some are already raising concerns on the massive crowd that may flock to the place.

Disney CEO Robert Iger (center left) and Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng (center right) pose on stage with other participants during a ground-breaking ceremony on April 8, 2011.