The Shanghai Disney Resort website has updated its resort map, including Shanghai Disneyland, and leaves no doubt to the various attractions, restaurants and shops that will be available at the park's grand opening this June. Its definitely a full slate of attractions that makes me wonder why Hong Kong was so under cut. Shanghai Disneyland is Disney Imagineering at its best, and with room to grow.
Check it out (be sure to zoom in):
https://www.shanghaidisneyresort.com/en/maps/
The park looks amazing, but it is still odd that there are several stables missing. My guess is that that is a conscious decision because of Disney knock off parks in China, but I'm suprised they didn't just build superior versions. There are also few attractions that aren't tied to a Disney movie, character, etc. I'm sure that is partially a way to distinguish it from knock offs, but it is also an indicator of the direction Disney is going as a whole.
Tron takes the place of a tradition Space Mountain, Mickey Avenue takes the place of Main Street USA and gives the Disney characters a definitive place to meet guests, only two Fantasyland dark rides in Peter Pan and Pooh, and no Frontierland and no Haunted Mansion. A few nice upgrades, variations, and new experiences in this park, though there are also a lot of "American extractions". Wouldn't a Haunted Mansion type ride work in China?
This has the very best synopsis of the park I've seen thus far. http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-shanghai-disneyland-preview-20160127-story.html
The first expansion of the park may come quickly. The resort recently reported that contingency plans are in place for crowd control if the crowds start to get out of control. With over 300 million Chinese within three hours of the resort, attendance in the first year could be tremendous. Or it could be Euro Disney. If I lived within three hours of the resort, like I do WDW, multiple visits every year would be a definite.
The resort is within hours distance of a very large poplucation. That being said, Disney will have to make sure they meet the Chinese exactions in order for it to be a success. I'm sure it won't be a fiasco like Paris was and Hong Kong is, but it's still to too early to tell how it will do. If it's a big success, hopefully Disney will fix Hong Kong, as well as Disney Studios Paris, which never should of been built. I also hope they finally build some of the much delayed attractions at Disneyland Paris so the park doesn't have so many empty spaces. Whatever happens, I hope Disney continues to put as much effort on all their future projects that have done to the Shanghai resort so far.
If Shanghai Disneyland is a success, then more investment should be put into Shanghai Disneyland. Hong Kong and Paris are moderate markets for Disney's theme parks. Hong Kong had their expansion and Paris added Ratitoullie to the Studios and will upgrade select attractions at Disneyland. Modest parks should be met with modest investments. If Shanghai Disneyland succeeds in its first year, then its future investments should reflect that, much like the BILLIONS being spent at WDW and DLR in Anaheim.
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Great pick. I may just have to make this a destination for a family holiday.