Shanghai Disneyland opens today
Shanghai Disneyland officially opens today, five years since work began on the 2.7 square-mile park.
The $5.5 billion resort is expected to welcome more than 10 million people in its first year.
It is 43% owned by Disney while the majority is controlled by the local government’s Shanghai Shendi Group Co.
Around 3,000 guests attended various opening celebrations this week, although the events were marred slightly by grey skies and rain.
The resort has many of the usual Disney favourites, but has been tweaked for the Chinese market.
For example, Main Street is called Mickey Avenue and additional attractions include a Wandering Moon tea house, a Chinese Zodiac-themed garden and a Tarzan musical with Chinese acrobats.
The resort’s hotels – the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel – are now open and have more than 1,200 guest rooms.
The opening celebrations in Shanghai came as tragic events unfolded at a hotel at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
A 2-year-old boy was killed after being dragged into a lagoon by an alligator at the Grand Floridian Resort.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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