Shanghai Disney Resort reached an exciting and important milestone this week with the topping out of the iconic Enchanted Storybook Castle. Bob Iger, Disney chairman and CEO, and Tom Staggs, chief operating officer, were at the resort to witness the installation of the glorious gold… Read More »Golden Spire added to highest point of Shanghai Disney atop Storybook Castle
Don’t look now, but Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award-winning Big Hero 6 just became the highest earning animated feature of 2014. Thanks to a strong international box office, it has now passed $620 million globally. The film, which earned $221 million domestically, surpassed $400… Read More »Boffo Box Office for Big Hero 6
Shanghai Disneyland construction is well underway and working fast to open to the public. In August it appointed Philippe Gas, previously of Disneyland Paris, as General Manager and has been building up a corp group of cast members by sending them to Walt Disney World for training in the parks.
The park itself is already attracted awards. The innovative technology behind the Enchanted Storybook Castle has won the International Architecture award from the American Institute of Architects. Walt Disney Imagineering was recognized for its successful implementation of Building Information Modeling, the process of generating and managing digital representations of structures and facilities.
“As construction of the Shanghai Disney Resort continues on its theme park and associated facility development, we’re constantly defining and redefining themed entertainment with innovation, and we do that not just in the technology behind our attractions, but also in the way we design and develop them,” said Howard Brown, Senior Vice President and Project Development Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering Shanghai. “The Enchanted Storybook Castle is designed with retail, dining, operations and theatrical spaces, and a ride system running through it which marries traditional architectural detailing with modern building technology. It would be hard to imagine designing and building such a complex structure without having one integrated, central, smart model like Building Information Modeling.”
Disney has been building its China strategy for over 15 years now. It started with Hong Kong Disneyland, includes some unique film partnerships, Disney English schools, and soon Disneyland Shanghai. Current Chair and CEO Bob Iger has been right there at the center of it for most of the effort. So it’s with more than a little authority that he took the stage last week at the Fortune Global Forum in Chengdu, China. Bob shared his unique insight into where Disney is headed, the company’s place in the global economy and his overall outlook on business — particularly business in China.
Below the jump are a few highlights from Iger’s responses:
Read More »Disney Chair & CEO Bob Iger Talks Strategic Direction and Culture While in China
Shanghai Disneyland officials told members at of a digital media forum that technologies shown at Shanghair’s World Expo in 2010 will find their way into the park. Additionally, several of the next-gen technologies being developed for Walt Disney World, will be part of the park.… Read More »Shanghai Disneyland Announces Incorporation of 2010 World Expo technologies
Last month a DreamWorks Animation ‘theme park’ was announced as part of a shopping and entertainment complex that is under construction at the Meadowlands site in New Jersey. This DreamWorks location would be small, about 15 acres, and part of a larger complex. It’s not… Read More »DreamWorks Announces Plans for 2nd Theme Park, This Time Near Disney in Shanghai
Nestled outside of Beijing, China sits what was supposed to be one of the regions best theme parks – Wonderland Amusement Park. I first wrote about the Magic Kingdom Ghost Park back in August but it’s getting some attention again with a new story from Reuters.
Situated on an area of around 100 acres, and 45 minutes drive from the center of Beijing, are the ruins of ‘Wonderland’. Construction stopped more than a decade ago, with developers promoting it as ‘the largest amusement park in Asia’. Funds were withdrawn due to disagreements over property prices with the local government and farmers. So what is left are the skeletal remains of a palace, a castle, and the steel beams of what could have been an indoor playground in the middle of a corn field.
According to Reuters, it’s a sign of a decaying property bubble in China. Apparently it popped 10 years ago and no one noticed. With Disney building its own new Magic Kingdom outside Shanghai, you have to wonder about Shanghai Disneyland’s prospects for success if the Chinese bubble does finally collapse.
Check out the post from August to see an artsy video of Wonderland and even more links. Then click below the jump for a video from Trey Ratliff’s Stuck In Customs travel site:
Read More »Wonderland – The Ghost Theme Park of China revisited
While this isn’t coming from an official Disney representative, there was some interesting news made at the International Academy of Tourism expo in Shanghai. Construction is just underway on Shanghai Disneyland, it won’t open until 2016, but expectations are already pretty high. According to Alastair… Read More »Tourism Official – Shanghai Disneyland Expected to Draw Big