Shanghai Disneyland is a Landmark Deal

It is estimated that the initial Walt Disney theme park — not including hotels and resort infrastructure — will cost $3.5 billion. This makes it one of the largest-ever foreign investments in China.

The initial resort, with a mix of shopping areas, hotels and a Magic Kingdom-style theme park, will sprawl across 1,000 acres of the city’s Pudong district. It would be a little bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and on par with the parks in Paris and Tokyo.

Details about rides are still under discussion. It has been planned to have a small group of classic attractions and new rides developed specifically for Shanghai, perhaps incorporating Chinese stories and history.

After many years of talks, it was unclear what convinced China to finally approve the deal. Speculation is that the new Disneyland in Shanghai would create jobs — tens of thousands between building the resort and operating it. A tough economy could be the catalyst when it comes to approving the building of Disneyland Shanghai.

Disneyland in Shanghair is expected to open in five or six years.

Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com

sources: Forbes, NYT, Disney