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Category Archives: Shanghai
Walt Disney Company Finishes Fiscal 2012 With Record Revenue And Profit
It was another year of record revenue and profit for The Walt Disney Company as the company showed improved attendance at it’s theme parks, the debut of the Disney Fantasy to the Disney Cruise Line and gains with their ESPN television franchise as well as the success of the superhero megahit “The Avengers” (now the third highest-grossing movie of all time).
Chairman and CEO Bob Iger summed up Disney’s fiscal year 2012 as , “a great year for Disney by every measure — creatively, financially and strategically.”
The Disney theme parks and resorts led among all of the company’s divisions in terms of percentage gains for profit and revenue. With it’s 4th quarter profit a pleasingly 18% above last year and a whopping 22% increase from the year before as well!
Surprisingly Walt Disney World did not lead the theme park charge. Attendance at WDW was down slightly for the year, but Disneyland’s attendance (boosted by the opening of “Carsland“) negated any decline at WDW and contributed to a 3% increase in domestic park attendance. However Disney execs are counting on the debut of the new “Fantasyland” which will open officially at the Magic Kingdom on December 6th to help give Walt Disney World a boost in attendance figures.
While no specifics were given Disney bragged of things to come, especially with the recent purchase of Lucasfilms. Bob Iger did hint that Disney Parks could see more of a Star Wars presence. Also ongoing projects of note include the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland, construction of the new Disneyland Shanghai and the rollout of Disney’s “NextGen” system that will help guests plan and book visits to their attractions before they even arrive on property.
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Sneak Peek: Enchanted Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disneyland
In April, we officially broke ground on Shanghai Disney Resort, our sixth resort destination around the world and our third in Asia. At that time, Tom Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, shared a few early renderings of the resort.
Shanghai Disneyland Castle revealed in new concept art
New concept art released today gives a hint of Disney’s plans for its newest castle in Shanghai Disneyland. April 11 concept art of the new park in China revealed a familiar Disney park structure with various areas fanning outward from a forced perspective castle in the center of the park. That castle, dubbed “Storybook Castle” will be the largest castle ever constructed in a Disney theme park.
Rather than focusing on the story of any one Disney princess, the Shanghai Disneyland castle will celebrate all of them, hosting an attraction called the “Once upon a Time Adventure.” The new image reveals a breathtaking staircase dripping with pixie dust rising into the upper floors of the castle.
On the ground floor of the castle, guests will be welcomed to the impressive structure by a massive, elaborately themed arch. Inside, they will have the opportunity to take a 10 minute water tour of the park that will showcase the areas and attractions of Shanghai Disneyland.
The new park, managed in collaboration with Chinese property management group Shendi, represents a foothold for Disney in the emerging Chinese entertainment market. Although Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea have proven popular, entertainment companies see China as an almost entirely untapped market. Shanghai Disneyland is attempting to honor both Disney tradition and Chinese culture to create a new, unique experience for guests at the park.
What do you think? Does that staircase make you want to see what’s at the top? Do you think the new park will impact Disney’s US tourism?
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Fake Mickey selling pictures for cash
China Daily is reporting on the investigation of a fake Mickey and Minnie extorting cash from tourists outside the Bird’s Nest stadium.
China Daily reporters contacted Disney on Wednesday after witnessing two people in Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes posing with visitors and then demanding 10 yuan.
“This is a very big deal. We’ll send people to Beijing immediately to see what’s going on,” said Huang Chen at Disney’s Shanghai headquarters. Staff based in its capital office said they had no knowledge of the performers.
As many as eight people are working in the area, with three roaming the square between the National Stadium and the Water Cube dressed as Fu Wa, the 2008 Olympics mascots. Some claim to be disabled to pressure tourists into paying up.
Click here to keep reading this report.
Image Source China Daily
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Shanghai Disneyland – First Disney theme park to be built in mainland China
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.
