1 May – Fans eager to visit Disney's first theme park in Mainland China will only have to wait till late next year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company and its partner in China are investing another USD 800 million into Shanghai Disney Resort, for a total investment of USD 5.5 billion. The USD 800 million investment is shared by Shanghai Shendi Group, which will own 57 percent of the resort while Disney holds the other 43 percent. The Shanghai Disney Resort will include rides, hotels, dining, retail and entertainment. The main feature of Shanghai Disneyland is that it is both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.
Fans can expect to see several themed 'lands', and at the heart of the park will be Storybook Castle, the most interactive Disney castle yet, complete with entertainment, dining and performance spaces. On its opening day, the park will feature 8 themed areas; Mickey Avenue, Fantasyland,Gardens of Imagination, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, Treasure Cove and Adventure Isle. The partners had also opened Hong Kong Disneyland in the Greater China Region nine years ago. "As we speak, there are roughly 8,000 construction workers not only working on the property, but living on the property, to build a quintessential Disney experience in the largest city in the largest country," Iger said.