Shanghai has submitted application for Disney Park, TakungPao,3/13/2006

[HongKongDisneyland]

【大公網訊】據香港報章報導，上海欲建迪士尼已成兩會焦點。國家發改委副主任張國寶對記者表示，尚有其他內 地城市申建迪士尼，但除了發改委的意見，最終還要視乎迪士尼公司的意願，他強調中央亦會考慮香港的具體情況 。
張國寶表示，的確已收到上海的申請，但內地還有其他城市亦遞交了申請，但他不肯透露是哪幾個城市，並著記者 耐心等候審批情況。「具體的事情，我不能透露，但是亦不是我們單方面的意見，還得看人家迪士尼公司願不願意 ，要綜合多方的意見，才會有結果。」
事實上，滬申建迪士尼的消息一出，最關注的是香港各界，大家均擔心會和香港迪士尼構成競爭，張國寶並沒有直 接回應，只表示，香港是中國的一部分，中央亦會關心香港的發展，會瞭解具體的情況。
有上海主管經濟的官員對滬建迪士尼充滿信心，他相信迪士尼一定會帶動上海旅遊服務業的飛速發展，拉動製造業 、零售業、餐飲業、飯店業等相關行業，「上海搞國際航運中心、金融中心，都要投入很大，花很長的時間，效果 還不如建迪士尼來得快，成本相對亦要少好多，但成效肯定不俗。」 有學者則認為，上海是長三角經濟圈的龍頭，交通發達，聚集了逾億人口，蘇、錫、常、杭等城市會承接從上海回 流的大量客流，足以支撐迪士尼的遊客數量，加上滬杭磁浮列車以及京滬高速鐵路的完工後，相信更加吸引大批旅 客前來。

Source : Takungpao (in chinese only)

Partial Translation:

According to Hong Kong press reports, The Municipal Government of Shanghai has submitted application for Disney Theme Park to the National Reform and Policy Commission. Zhang Guobao, vice chairman of the National Reform and Policy Commission, told reporters that there are other mainland cities submitted their applications for Disney Theme Park as well.

He emphasized that the central government will also consider the specific circumstances and he refused to disclose the name of those cities. "I can not disclose details here, and also this is not unilateral, we need to discuss with Disney before a decision is made"

[tloolgb]

They submitted an application to the government? Well I submit my application to Micechat for a Disney park. And it has exactly as much merit.

[HongKongDisneyland]

They submitted an application to the government? Well I submit my application to Micechat for a Disney park. And it has exactly as much merit.

They need to get approval from Central Government.
That's why they have submitted an application to the government.
and then the Central Goverment will consider the case and negotiate with Disney.

[Magic Mirror]

They submitted an application to the government? Well I submit my application to Micechat for a Disney park. And it has exactly as much merit.

Wow, Micechat has the same merit status as the Chinese Communist Government, cool, I didn't know that.

[tloolgb]

That's why they have submitted an application to the government.
and then the Central Goverment will consider the case and negotiate with Disney.

Then Disney should not get involved with all this beauracracy...at least Hong Kong has the power to decide things on thier own semi-autonomous.

[lazyboy97O]

Then Disney should not get involved with all this beauracracy...at least Hong Kong has the power to decide things on thier own semi-autonomous.

That is my biggest problem with the Shanghai park proposal. I have serious issues with how everybody seems to take a blind eye to who actually runs the mainland.

[Gregor]

That is my biggest problem with the Shanghai park proposal. I have serious issues with how everybody seems to take a blind eye to who actually runs the mainland.

True, particularly with their poor record on human rights, but the truth of the matter is that China has 1/5 of the world's population (20%). That's a heck of a lot of potential ticket buyers all in one spot.

[FrumiousBoojum]

My big question -- how will building a plethora of theme parks worldwide effect WDW?

WDW thrives on international tourism. The world mainly knows of the Magic Kingdom park and knows very little about what other parks it has to offer in the end. Magic Kingdom is the big draw, the other parks are merely bonuses.

I mean, I talk to people from Japan and they think I'm silly for wanting to go to Tokyo Disneyland when we have a Disneyland here. So, if people from other countries have that kind of attitude, what's the chances of them coming here if they have a Disneyland nearby?

Will WDW someday fall from #1 tourist destination in the world and become a huge Disneyland, a place that mostly locals visit?

While I think a Shanghai park would be good -- the first park too small for such a large country, so a second would help spread the people out a bit better -- I'm just concerned how the other parks will start doing.

I'm all for worldwide park expansion. In fact, I wouldn't mind having a third North American park location (just not the Magic Kingdom style park).

Either way, I'm sure a shanghai park will be good for HKDL in the end. It'll do well to keep parents from catapulting their kids over the fence. No matter how many rides you put in the HKDL park, it's never going to solve that. HKDL needs more, but it needs to have more area to spread it as well.

[tloolgb]

True, particularly with their poor record on human rights

LMAO will removing all those houses to build Shanghai DL help that?

Will WDW someday fall from #1 tourist destination in the world and become a huge Disneyland, a place that mostly locals visit?

WDW gets most of North America, England and all of South America (sadly that includes those tour groups). International tourism is still a big draw, as it is in DLP as well. Locals hit DL and TDL (though I recently read TDL was down to only 80% of its visitors being "locals" (no definition was given as to "local") which is down, it used to be closer to 90%. So more people are traveling to TDL...anywho). I don't know if another Asian one will effect WDW...WDW still gets quite a bit of Asian tourism too. WDW is a "thing" that even thier local Disneyland won't match, be that good or bad.

[MickeyMania]

I saw Japanese travelling in groups (although it was all young women, no guys or kids in sight, so I don't think it was a group) at WDW, even though according to TDLFan I should be wondering why they are out here and not at the crowded slice of heaven that is TDR. That said, I think if you look at the statistics it's the wealthier people who visit WDW from China and probably will continue to be unless the dollar slips hard enough to turn my hair white.

I don't mind Hong Kong because they are capable of essentially taking care of their own and making their own decisions, but a Shanghai/mainland park really gets my goat. It's such a bad move politically, and opens up doors to so many future news stories that could reflect badly on them.

[FrumiousBoojum]

WDW gets most of North America, England and all of South America (sadly that includes those tour groups). International tourism is still a big draw, as it is in DLP as well. Locals hit DL and TDL (though I recently read TDL was down to only 80% of its visitors being "locals" (no definition was given as to "local") which is down, it used to be closer to 90%. So more people are traveling to TDL...anywho). I don't know if another Asian one will effect WDW...WDW still gets quite a bit of Asian tourism too. WDW is a "thing" that even thier local Disneyland won't match, be that good or bad.

The concern isn't necessarily with another asian DL, it's more with the plans to keep expanding parks worldwide -- the rumoured India, for example. And then what's after that? If they decide to do a South American DL because of all the South American tourists, and then yet another European, and then Australian, and then, well... who knows what else they may be looking at?

It's more of a concern with being TOO many worldwide than just one more to go in asia.

Six Flags is one thing... that's meant for locals. WDW on the other hand, it's meant for world travelers.

[tloolgb]

The concern isn't necessarily with another asian DL, it's more with the plans to keep expanding parks worldwide -- the rumoured India, for example. And then what's after that? If they decide to do a South American DL because of all the South American tourists, and then yet another European, and then Australian, and then, well... who knows what else they may be looking at?

It's more of a concern with being TOO many worldwide than just one more to go in asia.

Six Flags is one thing... that's meant for locals. WDW on the other hand, it's meant for world travelers.

But you have to look at those seriously, not all of those places could happen anytime soon, and maybe by the time they can the world might be ready for another park (outside Asia). Austrailia's country population is something like less than Tokyo and it's suburbs...plus it is a long flight for most of the world...it just doesn't sit well to build a park with such a low projected yearly attendance (and this isn't at the Half built Hong Kong style either). South America is politically unstable. That is years away.
India? It is up and coming but it has a hell of a long ways to go before any company would be dumb enough to lay $100s of millions on a park in a place with no infastructure.
And I think Disney learned thier lesson with Europe, weather and population-wise. I think only Asia has the problem of being overdeveloped (Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Taipei have all been studied for parks).

[stitcharielsinbad]

WDW and DL is centrally marketed towards North America in general, TDR is mainly for the japanese and DLRP is for europe. the rest of the world isn't exactly made up of jet setting tourists like americans. expanding to China, India and all the other heavily populated countries is a rather smart move considering under the current circumstances, most of those people will otherwise never have a chance to ever go to a disney park.

WDW is NOT meant for "world travelers" it's meant for Americans, most people in asia don't even know WDW exists (they do however know of DL).

I think the more there is worldwide, the more of a global icon it becomes rather than mainly american.

[Loomis]

The concern isn't necessarily with another asian DL, it's more with the plans to keep expanding parks worldwide -- the rumoured India, for example. And then what's after that? If they decide to do a South American DL because of all the South American tourists, and then yet another European, and then Australian, and then, well... who knows what else they may be looking at?

It's more of a concern with being TOO many worldwide than just one more to go in asia.

This has been my concern for a bit too. As I have said - perhaps too often - in other places here, Disneyland is special for me because of its distance and uniqueness. The replication of parks around the world - even ones that are as distinct as DisneySea in Tokyo - takes a little bit of that sheen off.

We've moved from a single resort to 5 within a space of 35 years, which isn't THAT rapid, but it is certainly a far cry from Walt's original little park in Southern California. The risk they run here is 'diluting the brand'. Many fans may not think of Disneyland as a 'brand', and that is also partly due to the uniqueness of the place(s). As much as I'd LOVE to see a Disneyland here in Sydney - or anywhere in Australia for that matter - I know that it would ultimately hurt the brand in the long-run by being "just another Disneyland".

Actually, that's the crux of it, isn't it? The worry that the phrase "just another Disneyland" will be used. In the same way that "Disney movie" has become a cliche, 'Disneyland' is already used in the vernacular to describe an idealised theme-park version of something (e.g. "Vegas is Disneyland for gamblers"). I'm worried that people will view Disneyland's as a fact of life (well, they are, but you know what I mean). Disneyland overextending themselves around the world could water the brand down, which in turn lesds to the type of tourism drop that you speak of.

Of course, as a fan, I'd love to see a new park, WDI at work and what can be done differently around the world so I'm a complete hypocrite.

[MickeyMania]

Six Flags is one thing... that's meant for locals. WDW on the other hand, it's meant for world travelers.

This reminds me of our local debate going on about Indian casinos VS the Strip. While people were scared of it for a while, what was found was that the local installation whetted people's advertisement for the much bigger thing.

If Disney had gone ahead and built Westcot next to DL, for instance, that could have impacted WDW attendance. But at HKDL, Shanghai DL, even Tokyo DL you don't have an experience where you stay at a Disney hotel, go to parks and ride attractions that don't exist anywhere else and shows that don't exist anywhere else (nothing at the overseas parks that I've seen or heard of plays in the same ballpark as IllumiNations or even Remember at DL, unless you're REALLY misty-eyed about Princesses like some Tokyo visitors around here *cough*), and even do some stuff not entirely related to parks like go jetskiing or clubbing or touring on a Segway.

You do not have Soarin' or IllumiNationsat TDL. You do not have Test Track or Splash Mountain at HKDL. You do not have Everest or World Showcase at DLP. If you're even a modest fan of any of the other parks, you go into WDW and say "Wow, this is impressive compared to what they've got back home." This happens to plenty of people accustomed to DL and it's attraction list is the one that comes closest.