Shanghai Disneyland entertains 10 million guests in first year
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Walt Disney celebrates the first anniversary of its $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai on Friday, a key plank of the entertainment giant's push into the world's second-largest economy through everything from English schools to films. China matters for Mickey Mouse's owner: its box office takings there have tripled over the last two years and Shanghai Disneyland has seen more than 10 million guests in its first year, setting it on track for faster profits than Disney reaped from parks in Paris and Hong Kong, both loss-making for most of the years they have been open.
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Got the chance to spend a few hours here on my "jet lag day" for a visit to Shanghai late last month. Didn't manage to make it to Tron (my FP time was later than I was willing to stay) but the park is well worth a visit. Buzz is very cool, and Pirates is worth the price of admission on its own. They also seemed to bend the park's design more towards the local culture rather than just plunk down another MK. For example, the hub isn't a Hub, it's a garden, a tea house, etc.
It was also affordable. My off-peak ticket was about $55 US.
Brian Noble said:
They also seemed to bend the park's design more towards the local culture rather than just plunk down another MK. For example, the hub isn't a Hub, it's a garden, a tea house, etc.
That was a stated goal for the park by Disney, that it reflect the culture of country to a greater degree than other international Disney parks.
Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.
--Fran Lebowitz
Was there a and did you ride Jungle Cruise? I'm curious how many languages they had it in and how they handled it. At HKDL they had three separate lines, one for Cantonese, one for Mandarin, and one for English.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
I rode Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. Everything was in (I assume) Mandarin. Most signage is in Chinese/English, but almost all the audio in the attractions was Chinese.
There is no Jungle Cruise, and no Haunted Mansion, believe it or not. Most rides were primarily Mandarin, but every now and then they'd drop in something in English, for example on Pirate's. The signs at Marvel Universe were in English.
I guess that makes sense, but is a little disappointing given how English friendly HKDL is. But I guess not being a British colony for half a century will do that.
Edit: For context, I speak Mandarin at a less than kindergarten level, but had always hoped to go to Shanghai Disney.
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
I did not mind the lack of English audio at all, and still enjoyed the attractions I visited. Heck even the seafood noodle bowl mostly had things in it that, if I had to bet my life on being right, I would not try to identify, but it was tasty.
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