Work continues on the new Disney resort in Shanghai, China. Alain Littaye has paired new renderings from the company with photos from a Chinese website to make some interesting observations. ~~Rick

Shanghaî Disney Resort Releases New Artwork
Plus New Construction Photos
by Alain Littaye
Disney and more blog

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Shanghaî Disneyland released new artwork, focusing on the hotels and “Disney Town” – SDL’s nighttime entertainment area which will be the equivalent of Downtown Disney or Disney Village. There is also a new bird’s eye view rendering showing the whole resort. Among the most interesting things shown in this new artwork is the rock work for the “Roaring rapids” raft ride in Adventure Isle. It looks to me like the huge rock work structure they created for Cars Land but with a different design, of course.

I couldn’t resist blowing up the artwork to have an even closer view of the park and it’s shown below. It may not be high def, but it’s fun to study.

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And since I know that you are dying to know what goes where in this new park, I have labeled the rides and attractions on the version below. I’m confident that 90% of the locations are correct. I edited the picture so that Peter Pan’s Flight and Winnie the Pooh are now in the right locations.

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The new renderings were accompanied by a press release with more details, which is included below. I have enlarged the artwork so we could see a bit more – as usual, Disney released them in a tiny size.

Shanghai Disney Resort, an Integrated Resort Featuring a Theme Park and So Much More – Disney announces exciting themed hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment district and recreation facilities

November 13, 2014, Shanghai – Shanghai Disney Resort will exhibit new details of the highly anticipated resort during its debut at Asia’s largest travel trade industry fair, the 2014 China International Travel Mart (CITM). Shanghai Disney Resort will share the official names and images of the resort’s two richly themed hotels, and the exciting shopping, dining and entertainment district. Additionally, a new rendering shows the scope of the resort, including the lush waterfront park to be located alongside Shanghai Disneyland, Disney’s first theme park in mainland China.

Continuing the tradition of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide, Shanghai Disney Resort will welcome guests to an immersive, magical multi-day experience at the resort’s theme park, hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment district and recreational areas. The entire resort is being designed with Chinese guests in mind, bringing the best of Disney to mainland China.

“We are very excited to share more detail of our resort during our debut appearance at the China International Travel Mart, the leading annual tourism industry event in China,” said Philippe Gas, Shanghai Disney Resort General Manager. “Shanghai Disney Resort will provide a world-class tourism destination for Chinese guests, offering the same spirit of ‘shared family entertainment’ that Walt Disney first introduced nearly 60 years ago.

“All guests will be able to take part in a wide range of authentic Disney experiences across Shanghai Disneyland, at our two themed hotels, in Disneytown – an exciting shopping, dining and entertainment district – and at our resort’s central lake area.”

Shanghai Disney Resort will be Disney’s sixth resort destination worldwide. The centerpiece of the resort, Shanghai Disneyland will be a Magic Kingdom-style theme park featuring classic Disney characters and stories in six theme lands. Some of the new attractions and experiences specifically designed for the people of China will include the Enchanted Storybook Castle, Treasure Cove (the first ever Pirates-themed land in a Disney park) and Garden of the Twelve Friends.

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In addition to the theme park, the Resort will offer two hotels that give guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in a magical world inspired by – and featuring – Disney characters and stories. The signature hotel of the resort will be the 420-room Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, an elegant Art Nouveau-inspired hotel with a touch of Disney magic and imagination. The 800-room Toy Story Hotel immerses guests in a world inspired by the toys from the Disney•Pixar series of Toy Story animated films. Both hotels will offer a range of entertainment and leisure options, highlighted by Disney’s signature high-quality service standards with great attention to details.

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Conveniently located near Shanghai Disneyland and the hotels is Disneytown – a shopping, dining and entertainment district with the lure of a timeless village and the excitement of an international crossroads. Here guests may relax and reconnect with family and friends, but amazing new experiences are waiting around every corner. No admission fee is required to explore its charming pedestrian streets, leading to more than 46,000 square meters of distinctive dining, unique shops and a world-class theatre.

The natural beauty of Disneytown’s Lakeshore provides beautiful views, spectacular sunsets, and the highest quality of waterfront dining. Marketplace, located at the heart of Disneytown, is filled with family fun and offers specialty shops with Disney merchandise. There one will find plenty of places to relax and enjoy musicians and entertainers.

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Next to the Marketplace is the bustling international ambiance of Spice Alley, which presents a variety of popular Asian cuisines in a casual, yet romantic environment. The al fresco dining spots are perfect for lunch with friends or a more formal date. And the intimate streets and festive lights encourage leisurely after dinner strolling. Taking inspiration from the Beverly Hills shopping streets, the classic Broadway Boulevard features stylish boutiques that create an upscale atmosphere. Here guests will discover an exciting array of popular labels and trendsetting products.

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Broadway Plaza is home to the beautiful Walt Disney Grand Theatre, which will bring world-class entertainment to China. The spectacular Art Deco theatre will host the global premiere of the Mandarin version of THE LION KING, the highest-grossing Broadway show ever. This separately ticketed show will greatly enrich the leisure experience for guests visiting the Resort.

Near Disneytown lies the resort’s central lake area, which offers guests from Shanghai and around the world an opportunity to commune with nature, surrounded by peaceful greenery and a glittering lake. With approximately 40 hectares, the size of 56 football fields, it includes the lake, a 2.5-kilometer walking path and various beautiful gardens, which present guests with awe- inspiring natural views and beautiful sunsets.

About Shanghai Disney Resort

Shanghai Disney Resort is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group comprised of two owner companies (Shanghai International Theme Park Company Limited and Shanghai International Theme Park Associated Facilities Company Limited) and a management company (Shanghai International Theme Park and Resort Management Company Limited). Shanghai Shendi Group holds 57% of the shares and Disney holds the remaining 43% of shares of the owner companies. Disney has a 70% stake and Shanghai Shendi Group has a 30% stake in the joint venture management company. The management company is responsible for creating, developing and operating the resort on behalf of the owner companies.

In addition to the new artwork released by Disney, here are photos of the construction site by the Chinese website ifeng.com. The first one shows a structure which most probably will be an arch at the entrance of the resort.

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This next one is a bit more hard to guess but it could show the rock work on Roaring Rapids…

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In the two next photos, you’ll see the TRON Light Cycles Power Run track, the outside part, doing a loop before going inside the show building. More track can be seen staged on the bottom right, waiting to be added.

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This next picture shows the construction site of the 5 star Shanghaî Disneyland Hotel.

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The picture below shows the construction of the Toy Story 3 star hotel.

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My guess is that this last photo shows what will be the “Market Place”, an area with restaurants near the lake. You can see the top of the structure that you’ve also seen on the rendering above, the one with a green roof, and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel on the right.

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Artwork: copyright DIsney – Shendi, ifeng.com

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Alain Littaye
Alain is the author of Disneyland Paris: From Sketch to Reality and a long time Disney historian and blogger. His book is known the world over as one of the best Disney theme park books ever assembled. You'll often find his work featured in the MiceChat Weekend Update and can find his latest musings on his personal blog: Disney and More Blog.