Shanghai Disneyland is coming to life.
Aerial and ground-level photos leaked online via social media show the enormity of the 963-acre theme park and resort, and the rich details inside that will populate the vast lands.
Guests will come across the 196-foot-high Enchanted Storybook Castle, the tallest castle in the Walt Disney Co.’s parks portfolio; a statue of Belle and the Beast locking arms and dancing outside the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto boat ride; and the La Belle France, shipwrecked on the rocks along Shipwreck Shore in Treasure Cove – Disney’s first pirate-themed land.
Located in the Pudong District of Shanghai, the Shanghai Disney Resort is Disney’s first venture into mainland China and the third in Asia, after resorts in Japan and Hong Kong. The resort is held by the state-owned Shanghai Shendi Group, which has 57 percent, but Disney will largely operate it.
Disney has spent $5.5 billion building the Shanghai Disney Resort. It will be the largest Disney park in the world, nearly double the size of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. And when it opens, the features inside the park will be “authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese,” Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, has said.
Construction began in 2011 and the park is slated to open June 16. Tickets will range from $57 to $77, depending on the day. Mandarin will be the official language, although signs will be in English and some workers will speak it.
If you go, here is what to expect:
• Outside the theme park will be Wishing Star Park, a 98-acre recreational area. It will boast gardens and a walking path, along Wishing Star Lake. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel are on Disney property.
• Adjacent to the park is Disneytown, a Downtown Disney type of retail, entertainment and dining strip. This will be home to the 1,200-seat Walt Disney Grand Theatre, where a Mandarin production of Disney’s “The Lion King” will play.
• Once inside the park, Disney fans will see a familiar Mickey Mouse floral display before they head into a tunnel and emerge onto Mickey Avenue and see shops such as Sweethearts Confectionary, Avenue M Arcade, and Remy’s Patisserrie.
• Fantasyland will boast not only the tallest castle in all of the Disney lands, the Enchanted Storybook Castle, but also the most interactive. Visitors will meet Disney princesses, Mickey Mouse and other characters. A winding staircase inside will lead guests on an adventure where they’ll interact with Snow White’s story. Voyage to the Crystal Grotto will take guests on a boat ride beneath the castle.
• Nearby in Adventure Isle, visitors will soar over world landmarks such as the Great Wall of China in Soaring over the Horizon, and embark on a raft adventure on Roaring Rapids, with a monster lurking beneath.
• In Tomorrowland, the TRON Lightcycle Power Run will be the fastest indoor roller coaster in any Disney park.
• There will be a variety of live performances, including Chinese acrobats, dancers and DJs. The shows will be mainly in Mandarin, with some Shanghainese. The lyrics will be sung in a mix of Mandarin and English, depending on the show.
• The cuisine in the resort will be 70 percent Chinese, 20 percent Asian and 10 percent with a Western influence. Among the snacks and dishes: bolo bau chicken, Shanghai-styled pork cakes, tea-smoked duck legs, and pineapple puffs. There will also be grilled squid skewers, Aussie beef pie and gelato.
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