Shanghai Disneyland: Spring 2016

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

What’s a summer without a little magic? Each season seems to possess its own strange form of magic from the warm summer air to the wonder that bursts in our eyes when snow falls during winter. However, there’s one place in the world that oozes magic 365 days per year. That place is Walt Disney World, the home of dreams, hopes, and the endless possibilities where anything can happen. Florida is home to Walt Disney World while Disneylands reside in Japan, France, Hong Kong, California, and soon, Shanghai, China.

Just announced, Shanghai will have its own Disneyland theme park that will open in Spring 2016.

So what can we expect from Shanghai Disneyland? Well, it’ll have the main central hub that most Disneylands have where the castle resides in the middle and each branch leads to another section of the theme park. Adventure Isle, Tomorrowland, the Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Fantasyland, and Treasure Cove have been unveiled.

Adventure Isle appears to be a mix of Animal Kingdom and Adventure Land. Based on the concept art it embraces waterfalls, volcanoes, and geysers, keeping true to the thrilling spirit of nature and adventure. Near the large waterfall appears to be stick like structures which remind me of the aesthetic for the Indiana Jones roller coaster in Disneyland Paris; perhaps this will appear in Shanghai’s Disneyland as well? The entrance to this land seems like a foreign, tribal village similar to the nature of Animal Kingdom’s layout. This village seems to stretch throughout the park and end next to the waterfall.  There will be bridges throughout this area as well as a “Tarzan” musical performance. With so much water in the area, there’s bound to be a river rapids ride.

 Tomorrowland sports a sleek, new look as opposed to the other Disneylands and will host a Tron light cycle ride similar to Coney Island’s Steeplechase. Judging on the concept art, there will also be a performance/dance area near the attraction and different levels to walk on. There will also be a ride with the Dumbo structure, but the car is floorless offering an adrenaline rush for riders.  The characters from “Big Hero 6” will also be roaming about the park and a Buzz Lightyear ride will also be on the premises.

Treasure Cove is a “Pirates of the Caribbean” section themed to fit the most notorious of pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa.  From what I can discern from the concept art it will have an overall pirate theme. There’s an island that appears to be shipwrecks of boats, which could serve as a playground. The two large buildings on the opposite sides of the area will probably serve as rides judging by their sizes. The middle area hidden behind the ship will most likely be a little shopping district with meet and greets by Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew. Here will be the prize of the Shanghai Disney design team, a “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride complete with the latest state of the art technology.

The Gardens of Imagination appear to be based off of “Mulan” which works well because China is known for having beautiful gardens and botany.  The carousel will also reside here and it appears to be based off of the iconic merry go round from “Mary Poppins” and have its own uniquely designed horses.  The Dumbo ride will also be in this location of the park as well as the Wandering Moon Teahouse.

Mickey Avenue will act as the park’s Main Street USA, complete with shops and other novelties. However, it appears that it will be a different design from the other Main Streets; shifting from Walt’s design and venturing into dome buildings with balconies. There will also be Tsum Tsum merchandise sold and characters dressed in formal Shanghai attire throughout this section.

Fantasyland will feature the Seven Dwarves Mine Train and a ride called Voyage to the Crystal Grotto which will run beneath the castle based off the one from “Snow White”.  However, from what I can discern from the video, it appears that there will also be an attraction based on Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”. Judging by the colorful concept art and outfit (:39), it appears that there will be something based on either “Tangled” or “Hunchback of Notre Dame”; the outfit could be something inspired by “Lilo and Stitch”. The spinning thing also shown at :39 appears to be a honey pot, which could mean a possible “Winnie the Pooh” ride. There’s also a quick glimpse of a pirate ship (:45) similar to the famous “Peter Pan” ride in the other parks, which means that attraction could definitely be appearing at this Disneyland as well.

Other rumors pertaining to this new Disneyland involve guests being able to meet the characters of “Star Wars” and observe some of the film’s iconic props, meeting all of the princesses, engaging in a cinematic Luke Skywalker experience, interacting with a Marvel based attraction where customers can attend a mission briefing and meet Iron Man, Spider Man, and possibly other superheroes. Lodgings will include a hotel entirely devoted to  ”Toy Story” and a Shanghai Disneyland themed hotel.  

What’s interesting about this particular Disneyland is that it replicates Hong Kong Disneyland in the sense in which it stays to the land’s cultural roots.  For example, Shanghai Disneyland will feature a Mandarin version of “The Lion King” show in Disneytown, a shopping district adjacent to the theme park styled in Shanghai’s traditional Shikumen architecture. This architectural design could appear in other parts of the park, such as Mickey Avenue. Another example of keeping true to the culture is that there will be a section called the Garden of Twelve Friends, where the twelve Chinese zodiac symbols will be re-imagined as twelve Disney and Pixar characters.

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So tell me, what are you excited to see in Shanghai Disneyland?