A Shanghaî Disneyland model was displayed at D23 Carousel of Projects last week. For sure, it was a small model but most of all it was a wonder of non-information!
In case you're still wondering if it was a WDI mistake i can guarantee you that it was not. Though it was not to Disney fans that WDI didn't wanted to provide any information about Shanghaî Disneyland, it was to Disney's chinese competitors. Right now there is several theme parks project which are planned to be build in China, and what Disney wants to avoid at any price is to see some of WDI brilliant ideas for Shanghaî Disneyland copied by these competitors. And even worth, to see bad copies opening before SDL opening in 2015. And in "any price" is include to don't show anything to anyone not involved in the project, even Disney fans.
But, considering that SDL was one of the company's major announcement of the year it was difficult to avoid showing really anything about it at this D23 Carousel of Projects, that's why D23 attendees had "only" this tiny SDL model which delivered virtually no information at all about SDL rides. However Disney released some precious information and new artwork about SDL castle, including the confirmation of an info previously posted on different web sites about the Fantasyland flume ride which will begin under SDL castle.
No more infos on other rides, so, but Screamscape and Blue Sky Disney posted recently new updates revealing what might be some of Shanghaî Disneyland rides. I say "might" as the project is still in "blue sky" mode and the rides concepts are not all finally approved by Disney chinese partners, which means that it's still time to have some changes. In two years from now, in 2013, at next D23 Expo - if there is a new one -we will probably know more about SDL rides.
So let's have a closer look at this non-informative model (!) thanks to some pictures shot by Andy Castro last week-end, and please click on each to enlarge the pictures. Above, two pics showing the full SDL model.
This next close shot shows the entrance, with on its right what might be a night entertainment and shopping and dining area, and of course the SDL castle.
We don't know a lot about shanghaî Disneyland but at least we know that there will be a Fantasyland, an Adventureland and a Tomorrowland and no Main Street and no Frontierland. One of the Imagineers that were close to the model at D23 was asked if it was true that SDL will have "only" three lands and he answered that it was wrong - without mentioning the real number of lands. Except if there is some hidden lands i'm curious to see where will be the others. I suspect them to eventually count the huge garden - with the Dumbo and Carousel rides - in front of the castle and the castle itself as a land...although a closer look at both the artwork released in April and this model seems to indicate that some parts of the park are not include in this model. We'll see... anyway, it's not the number of lands that count but the size of the park and the quality of its theming and attractions.
So, next picture is a close-up on what is supposed to be SDL Adventureland. Will we see in it the new Pirates of Caribbean version once envisioned for HKDL? All i can say is that i hope so!
Next picture is a close-up on what should be Fantasyland. SDL castle is almost in the center, Fantasyland is on its left and Adventureland in the top right corner.
Next shot is a close-up on SDL Tomorrowland and the only thing we can say about it is that everybody seems to agree that there will be no Space Mountain at SDL. Well, when i say "everybody" i don't include the imagineer that was at D23 who said to Andy - before Andy asked him anything - "I can't tell you anything about the rides in the park or I'll have to kill you!". Both laughed and agreed that may be the timing was not the right one to talk about SDL rides, but the Imagineer quote is a good example to show how well briefed these Imagineers have been, and obviously Shanghaî Disneyland rides are for Disney a secret as important as the atomic bomb! That said, here is the picture, and Tomorrowland is on the left side of the castle.
A last picture for the road, shot from behind with Fantasyland on the center left, Adventureland in the back on the top right and Tomorrowland on the center right or so.
All pictures: copyright Andy Castro
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