Shanghai Disneyland, Walt
Disney Co.’s first resort in mainland China, opened to the general public on
Thursday.
Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger
joined Chinese politicians in a
ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 963-acre theme park in Shanghai’s Pudong
district.
The opening attracted tens of
thousands of visitors, while thousands more visited the resort’s 123-acre
Wishing Well Park, which is open to the public, Disney said.
Among the festivities was a
choir’s rendition of the song “When You Wish Upon a Star” in a version that was
arranged “in a Chinese style.”
Shanghai Disneyland has six themed
lands (Adventure Isle, Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Tomorrowland,
Treasure Cove and Fantasyland), all of which surround the Enchanted Storybook
Castle. Shanghai Disney also has two hotels, including the 800-room Toy Story
Hotel and 420-room Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, as well as the Disneytown
shopping, dining and entertainment district.
The $5.5 billion project is Walt
Disney Co.’s largest outside the U.S.