Fresh (and good) news today as it seems that the official announcement of Shanghaî Disneyland is expected anytime soon. First, a Chinese newspaper, the Securities Times, reported that "the Walt Disney Company’s planned theme park in Shanghaî has been approved by government regulators. The report said the Shanghaî Disneyland project plan was passed by a government body earlier this month.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper revealed that "Currently, it is going through the final administrative process, with a formal announcement likely to be made to the public this week".
Also today, Reuters press agency said that a Shanghaî government source familiar with the situation told them that "Beijing has approved the project. Now it's up to Shanghaî and Disney to work out the plan and make this thing happen". Of course, both spokespeople from Disney and the Shanghaî government said they had nothing to announce at this time. Disney spokeswoman Leslie Goodman even declared "No deal has been agreed to, no project has been approved".
BUT anticipation is riding high that good news on Disney will be timed to coincide with Barack Obama's visit to China from November 15 to 18. If the deal is done, Obame's first visit to China would be indeed a perfect timing to announce officially the Shanghaî Disneyland deal.
Under a plan agreed upon by Disney and the Shanghaî government in January, Disney would own a 43 percent equity stake in the new theme park and a local government-owned joint venture holding company would own 57 percent. The plan calls for a large theme park and hotel complex to open in 2013.
The project is expected to cost 3.585 billion USD. The theme park would be located in Chuansha A08-03 lots, close to the subway and the planned Olympic Park.
From Reuters and Examiner.com
""No deal has been agreed to, no project has been approved," said Disney spokeswoman Leslie Goodman."
ReplyDeleteLeslie Goodman made that statement in January 2009 just before the first official confirmation between Disney & Shanghai.
It's telling how lax online news editorial standards are when they can throw that in like it's relevant to the day's story without any mention of when the statement was made..
Don't you see understand what Disney is playing?
ReplyDeleteThey are just using the so called Shanghai Disney to give the Hong Kong government pressure in agreeing to the latest deal (As you might know Hong Kong government is the largest shareholder because they provided all the expensive ground to built the park on). Which is getting more share in Hong Kong disneyland using the latest expansion plan. They used many tricks (like firing a few HK imagineers) to get what they wanted and succeeded in convincing HK government. But Hong Kong government was of course not totally stupid, they just give a little bit forfait in order to get the deal closed and to create further employment during crisis.
I dont think Shanghai Disney will be a few years project because mainland Chinese are not yet ready because of their behaviour and education. I am from HK and I need to go to China every week for my work, so I know what is lacking in China mainland.
Mainland Chinese do not really value Disney Characters compared to western countries besides knowing the character's names. They also have difficulties in queuing and they tend to speak very loud and like to sit on the street etc...
This behaviour will need more then a couple of years to change.
Hong Kong Disney is a testing park, to see whether China was ready for a bigger park. The safest testing place will be HK because of its half western routs because of England's domination for 99 years.
The park was built small because it was meant to for little kids, meaning your children and not you. They will be the brainwashed customers for the coming 1000 years just like the States.
Toy story land was chosen strategically because Chinese kids do not have much feeling with older stories (eg snow white etc..), so by launching newer movie themes they will need none money in marketing the newly themed attractions in Hong Kong Disney.
Anyway I will still enjoy HK disney, because as a mature audience I enjoy the beautiful crafted environment and details of it.