Shanghai Disneyland One Year Later

Can it really be one year? Yes- one year ago today, the first Disney park on the Chinese Mainland sprung up in Shanghai. Among much success (the park itself, and particularly the brand new shiny version of Pirates of the Caribbean), some big failures (crowds are clearly missing from Disneytown and the Lion King Theater), and what's to be seen (Toy Story Land), the resort as a whole looks to have succeeded in mostly being what the Walt Disney Company suits were planning.

The castle and its display of China's strength and power.

Shanghai Disneyland boasts a unique kingdom with its own roster of attractions never before seen- and never to be seen. Truly. Can you imagine the corporate lawyers allowing an attraction such as the ropes courses of Camp Discovery (seen above) to ever find the light of day in the States? Me, neither. Unfortunately. 

The Pirates' Battle for the Sunken Treasure and Tron Light Cycles Power Run are the clear home runs, favorites with locals and many international visitors alike.  Yet there's also the very strange Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. A Fantasyland newbie with its statuary based gardens and a less than stellar final scene, the attraction is unique to the kingdom, but it certainly won't be duplicated. 

Tim Burton- your queen is calling.

Neither will the Tim Burton inspired Alice in Wonderland maze be placed in another kingdom park. That ship has sailed. Thankfully. It may be trendy and edgy, but it wasn't a smart move as the animated  film is still the classic for generations to come. This misstep is  balanced out by Tangled restaurant (but no attraction- yet) and a pretty cool looking enhanced Peter Pan's Flight.  For all the other changes that were made to the design of this park, Fantasyland is still the place where the animated films are celebrated / exploited.

Speaking of films, Mickey's Film Festival has quietly opened around the corner from the end of Mickey Avenue, a pleasant diversion to soak up a small slice of the crowd. Kudos to the Imagineers for providing smaller, charming attractions among the blockbusters. I hope that trend continues as the big ticket items are added. It's attractions such as this that give the original Disneyland and Disneyland Paris much charm. 

Did you really think the Mainland would let Hong Kong

have the best Marvel themed area?

What does the future hold beyond Toy Story and it's quick and easy installation? Not to be outdone by the growing and beautiful little park that could, Hong Kong Disneyland, Marvel is certainly on the way. What that looks like, only few people know, and I'm not privy to that. But it's a sure thing.

One thing the park definitely needs on the Tomorrowland side of the park is a very big reliable-to-operate people eater. Soaring Over the Horizon and Roaring Rapids might be popular, but Rapids breaks down regularly and Soaring has impossibly long lines all day long. Will the park get another new and unique attraction or will the suits and very involved Chinese government opt for a cheaper to build slightly redesigned clone from one of the other parks? Will they cannibalize from Hong Kong or even Japan? It's yet to be seen. 

Regardless of its current success or the choices that are coming, Shanghai Disneyland is a great case study on corporate vision and board room ego, government domination, and sheer Imagineering brilliance under very strange circumstances. Stay tuned.

(Photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Shanghai'd in China

Have Disney park fans been Shanghai'd in Mainland China? I think so. Roaring Rapids is closed indefinitely, food is over priced for the market, and there are too few truly people-pleasing attractions aside from an award winning Pirates of the Caribbean and a much too short Tron Light Cycles Power Run. 

Park capacity continues to be an issue. There have not been any new attractions announced to help with that issue, but I would anticipate that the Chinese government is hot on Disney's wheels to make sure something happens soon. Perhaps the proposed and needed expansion of the Hong Kong Disneyland resort will up the ante. 

In reality, the investors may be the only real winners here. Disney has used the park to open the Mainland China market to other possibilities- and it says quite a lot that the government ruled in favor of Disney over a locally grown rip-off of the Cars franchise. But that does not help park fans who are victims of over-crowding, broken attractions, and overpriced food. At least this time, Disney doesn't have to contend with overbuilding hotels on the property which bled the Parisian resort to the very brink.
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Like the concept art? It's a pretty rare piece- along with a couple others posted recently...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

New Shanghai Disneyland Map

Here's the latest Shanghai Disneyland map in the brightest display and the strongest resolution I've ever seen. It looks to be fantastic!

If the reports are right, the park is not even close to completed. There's still large amounts of greenery to go in and well as some major work to be done on attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and even the centerpiece, Enchanted Storybook Castle. 

We will have to wait and see if that Spring 2016 opening really occurs or if Robert Iger needs to make another speech about how important China is to the company... while there are more delays. Time will tell, but for now, click on this and enjoy!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

First Look: Shanghai Disneyland's Roaring Rapids

Hot off the press- the Walt Disney Company releases concept art for Shanghai Disneyland. Of notable interest is this first release of Imagineering concept art for Roaring Mountain and its Roaring Rapids dinosaur  (or is it a dragon) focused attraction.

Is it a dragon that menaces riders?

Or is it a dinosaur?

The mountain itself and the whole area looks incredible. Inside this rapid raft adventure (think California Adventure's Grizzly Rapids on a grander scale) guests will come face to face with this monster. Is it a dinosaur as was suggested earlier in the planning stage? Or is it a dragon, as the model above suggests, which would be more in line with Chinese legend and lore? Either way, the monster is huge!

The press release states: "Adventure Isle will immerse guests in a newly discovered lost world, filled with hidden treasures and a chance to explore its mysteries. The mighty Roaring Mountain will tower over guests and beckon them on their journey. Guests can blaze their own trails at Camp Discovery, travel around the world on Soaring over the Horizon, or embark on the thrilling rafting adventure Roaring Rapids, straight through the heart of Adventure Isle. There they discover the underworld realm of a mysterious, fearsome creature."

In looking at the concept art and the models over and over, Adventure Isle looks to be one exciting and memorable series of attractions for this very unique Magic Kingdom. Count me in as one who is very impressed by this presentation. Let's hope reality does not disappoint!

More to come!

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Making an Appearance at Shanghai Disneyland

Long ago, in a land far away, this piece of concept art was sent to me. It was sent labeled "HKDL", and was probably a piece designed for an unbuilt attraction mixing Countdown to Extinction with a roller coaster along the lines of Animal Kingdom's aborted Excavator. One of many planned for the woeful at opening Hong Kong Disneyland. Given the released attraction list for Shanghai, I think we'll see some of this at Adventure Isle and the Roaring Rapids attraction. Not the coaster, but a watery version of a thrill ride. Time will tell.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)