Shanghaî Disneyland smaller than Hong Kong Disneyland ?

Second article today about Shanghaî Disneyland, and this time it's hard to believe but all news coming from Chinese newspapers today are saying that Shanghaî Disneyland may be smaller on opening day than Hong Kong Disneyland! Can you believe THAT?

From Shanghaî Daily.com: "China's first state-level announcement on building a Disneyland in Shanghai indicated that the park's initial size may be much smaller than widely expected.

Its growth potential and contribution to the city's economy will still be substantial, according to analysts.

The news, however, disappointed some local Disneyland fans, who had hoped the Shanghai park could immediately bring more choices of rides and games than counterparts in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The National Development and Reform Commission said late on Monday that in October it approved Shanghai's Disneyland project, which will occupy 116 hectares, or 1.16 square kilometers, in Chuansha Town in the Pudong New Area.

Comparatively, the size of the Disney park in Tokyo is 201 hectares while that of Hong Kong Disneyland is 126 hectares.

The Shanghai project will include an amusement park, logistics and public utility areas as well as a parking lot, the NDRC said in a statement.

It will be funded by Chinese and United States companies, it said, without offering details."


If we stop here the reading of the Shanghaî Daily.com article this news is for sure the biggest disappointment for Disney fans who expected the park to be - from opening day - as big as TDL or DLP. Let's go further in the Shanghaî Daily article:

"The NDRC did not say whether the land approved is for the initial phase or the whole project.

Earlier media reports said that Shanghai Disneyland would have three phases with a combined area of up to 10 square kilometers.

The Shanghai government in September started a relocation project to make way for the Disneyland.

A notice on the Website of the city's land regulator showed that initially 4.09 square kilometers of land would be requisitioned.

The Walt Disney Company said yesterday that it could not comment as it had yet to reach a final deal with the city government on the project.

Officials at the NDRC were not available for comment.

"The project will only be developed step by step in line with market response," said Wu Ke, a Zhongtian Investment Consulting Co analyst.

"Thanks to the city's prime location and economic dynamics, Shanghai Disneyland has great growth potential even if its initial size is small," Wu said.

The 1.16-square-kilometer area may just be the core area of project, the Xinmin Evening News reported yesterday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Nearby facilities would include a hotel, a huge shopping mall and other service facilities, it said...

"The initial size is not that important as people's curiosity could help boost attendance," said Zheng Jianyu, a Bank of Communications analyst. "But long-term performance will hinge on the pricing strategy and the park's new elements."


Okay, so it seems that it's not only a rumor, that the park could be smaller than HKDL on its opening day. But where exactly is the truth in all this? Could it be possible that the WDC will do again (and again) the same mistake, the kind of mistake they're still paying for because they've built too small theme parks at HKDL and Paris WDS? Did someone forgot to tell them that 1.3 Billion people are living in China? And 20 Million in Shanghaî only?

Frankly, i can't believe this - and i think i won't believe that SDL will be on opening day smaller than HKDL until the WDC do an official announcement. Now, we must not forget that the WDC have only 42% of the shares and so Shanghaî government may have the "final cut". And, as they've probably heard about HKDL difficulties they may think that they should go little by little instead to build a full size Magic Kingdom like the one in Tokyo or in Paris. I know, it's a big mistake, it's exactly what they must not do, but there is a possibility that they think like this...

Hopefully, soon we will know more about the real size of SDL on its opening day, but in the meantime here wi reaction of Lu Zhen, a chinese manager, when he learned that SDL could be smaller than HKDL:

"I'm a bit disappointed about the size (that was announced)" said Lu Zhen, a 28-year-old sales manager."If the park is bigger, I will go there twice or even more, but now I may go only if there is a price discount. I've already visited the Hong Kong park."

Frankly, i never thought i would hear something like that on this highly awaited Shanghaî Disneyland! If people start to think like this five years prior to the park's opening - even before they lay the foundation stone, then it's a bad omen for the future...

UPDATE: Last news about all this from Chinese newspaper The Standard:

The National Development and Reform Commission said the Shanghai project at Pudong New Area's Chuansha town will initially be built on 116 hectares of land - 10 hectares smaller than Hong Kong Disneyland.

There had been widespread concern over competition in August after a Walt Disney document showed Shanghai Disneyland would cost 24.48 billion yuan (HK$27.76 billion).

The document also said the first stage of the park would cover 150 hectares.

The mainland commission said the project to be jointly developed by mainland and American companies will include logistics support areas, a public utilities area and a parking lot.

A Hong Kong tourism insider said the similar size of the Shanghai and Hong Kong theme parks would put them on an equal footing initially.

He said it was Disneyland's policy to expand parks gradually after their opening.

"It will not use all the 400 hectares [in Chuansha town] at once," he said. The insider also said Hong Kong people should not worry about the size of the local park as the second expansion phase will add another 128 hectares.

"The agreement between Disney and the Hong Kong government said Disneyland cannot gain anything if the park does not make a profit," he said.

"Disney wants to expand the park more than anyone else to make more money."

Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents chairman Michael Wu Siu-ying said it would be "fair competition" if the two theme parks are of similar size as they can attract different types of visitors.

"The Shanghai theme park will be for visitors from eastern and northern China and the Hong Kong park for international visitors and those from Southeast Asia," he said.

He also said the Hong Kong park might have some advantages over Shanghai even if they were of similar size.

"Hong Kong Disneyland will expand and have more facilities in the coming three years.

"It will have some advantages over Shanghai as its park will not open until 2014."


UPDATE 11/25: Have a look to Randy savage comment in the comments section. If Randy is right, then may be all this is not necessarily bad news.


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Text: copyright Shanghaî Daily.com

Shanghaî Disneyland's final location announced

Shanghaî Disneyland will be located at the Chuansha town of Pudong New Area, covering 116 hectares, according to the theme park's final plans announced on the National Development and Reform Commission website yesterday. China National Development and Reform Commission has also declared that the Shanghai Disneyland project has been formally approved by the State Council. Shanghaî Disneyland is expected to open within five years and is expected to cost 3.5 billion US dollars.

Note: A french version of the first part of this article is available HERE. Also, the picture above was not released yesterday but is a SDL first project draft layout.

From china.org.cn: "The Shanghaî Disneyland project, which will be jointly developed by Chinese and United States companies, will include an amusement park, a logistics support area, a public utilities area and a parking lot, the commission said.

The announcement is the first time authorities have officially confirmed the location of Shanghai Disneyland, even though previous media reports have pinpointed the area. The news has pushed Chuansha's home prices to 12,000 yuan ($1,760) per sq m from 3,000 yuan from three years ago.

The Shanghai government received the green light from authorities late last month to build Shanghai Disneyland Park in partnership with media giant Walt Disney Co.

"Many business-savvy people are making the Disney theme park a profit-driven project, seeking opportunities to make every penny of it," said Gu Xiaoming, professor from the tourism department at Fudan University.

By contrast, the villagers who live in the area are likely to benefit the least from the park.

And Li Zhengfang, a 58-year-old villager in Zhaohang, even gave her life when clamoring for benefits for some of the elderly, whose homes were "unluckily" not partitioned into the Disneyland division, Li's daughter said.

"My mother along with other four delegates had negotiated with the village committee in August in hopes of incorporating all the elderly into the Disneyland beneficiaries," said Li Ying, the late Li Zhengfang's daughter.

A widespread rumor had circulated in Zhaohang that the pension level for female villagers older than 55 or males older than 60 will be raised to the township level of 910 yuan from the current level of 385 yuan, if they were going to be relocated for Mickey, junior Li said.

On Aug 6, on her way to make an appeal for more benefits for the elderly, the senior Li died of high blood pressure, leaving the negotiations unsolved.

"Generally speaking, the government must subsidize farmers who lose their land for commercial or industrial projects, but the allowance range could be varied according to different conditions," said Gui Shixun, professor at the Population Research Institute, East China Normal University based in Shanghai.

Based on current regulations, farmers will be transferred to the "small-town social insurance system" from the rural pension as one of their compensations for losing their plots of land.

The system in Shanghai is a compulsory social insurance mainly targeting residents living in Shanghai's suburban areas who are registered as permanent residents in the city, aiming to guarantee their basic needs for life.

Officials from Shanghai Human Resources and Social Security Bureau said no specific policies have been announced to resettle the people to make way for the park.

Local officials said earlier that the government has started preliminary plans to resettle more than 4,000 residents in a 4-million-sq-m area in Pudong New Area that covers Zhaohang.

"Past experience has showed that the government must build residential buildings for the resettled residents, given the high price of commercial properties in Shanghai. The prices are so high that those villagers cannot afford to buy one," Gui said.

"From a long-term perspective, getting the residents in and training them to be staff of the Disneyland will benefit them more than merely giving them a sum of money as a compensation," Fudan University's Gu said."

Also, the Orlando Sentinel announced recently that "The Walt Disney Co. plans to bring a delegation from Shanghai to Orlando early next month for a series of briefings with executives at Walt Disney World, as the company accelerates design of its first resort on mainland China.

The meetings, which will include tours of Disney World’s fire and emergency-response operations and water-quality-monitoring labs, come with Disney attempting to finalize an agreement to build Shanghai Disneyland in the world’s most populous country.

Studying Disney World’s infrastructure may be important as Disney is believed to be planning a multi-park destination resort in Shanghai that could ultimately rival its Orlando property in size — much larger than Disney’s other theme-park resorts in California, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong."



Also, from chinadaily.com: "In recognition of the notorious competitiveness of high school life in this country, Disney is going to shift the setting of the Chinese version of High School Musical to the first year of college.

Disney announced on Sunday that it would co-produce a Chinese version of the smash musical with local partners Shanghai Media Group and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, about two weeks after the company won the government's approval to build a Shanghai Disneyland.

Titled Disney High School Musical: China, the new film has a storyline close to that of the HSM series' first installment, launched in 2006. With their friends' support, two new students overcome the odds to win a singing competition.

Disney, having co-produced two films with Chinese companies, knows the importance of localizing a story.

"In China, students in high school are so focused on academics that it wasn't realistic to portray them singing and dancing in the way that American high school students have time for," says Jason Reed, general manager of Walt Disney Studios International Production.

Also, the main love interest has become a poet, instead of the basketball star in the American films.

"Our partners think that in China you might be more attracted to the smart and thoughtful guy," Reed told China Daily via telephone interview. "He (the protagonist) is a thoughtful, intelligent and studious young man who is really defined by his skill and academics."

Music and choreography for the new film are the work of local talents, except for the hit melody, We're all in This Together, which is from the original film. It is now matched with Mandarin lyrics.

The classic values conveyed by the teen tale, allied to the story's emotional connection with Chinese audiences, have built up Disney's confidence in the new film.

"A lot of the themes in the HSM series, such as the sense of self-discovery, communal support, optimism and friendship are universal values that work in all countries," Reed says.

"Also, one of the fundamentals common to our two countries' strengths is people coming together to achieve greatness. That is a great affinity between the two cultures."

As an Emmy Award-winning film series with more than 500 million viewers globally, HSM is not new to Chinese youth. The stage show of its first installment kicked off in Shanghai this summer, before which two films of the trilogy had been aired on CCTV.

As for Disney's two previous co-productions in China, The Secret of the Magic Gourd (Baohulu De Mimi) was co-produced with China Film Group and Hong Kong Centro Digital Pictures. It was adapted from a folk tale and grossed $2.7 million at the Chinese box office in 2007 - a fair performance for a children's film.

The 2009 co-production Trail of the Panda (Xiongmao Huijia Lu), in co-operation with Chinese filmmakers Castle Hero Pictures and Ying Dong Media, was also favorably received.

The latest co-production may even feature at Shanghai's Disney park.

"My personal goal is to create a Chinese character, or a set of characters, that are so compelling and local audiences love so much that they end up in that park and parks all over the world," says Reed. "I tend to dream big."

The companies will work together on production, while Huayi Brothers will handle the film's distribution in China, and Disney outside the country.

The film is expected to be released in the summer of next year. It is being filmed in Shanghai and features six new young stars drawn from across China. Chen Shizheng, one of China's leading stage and film directors, directs it."


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Text: copyright china.org.cn and chinadaily.com

Pictures: copyright Disney

Epcot's Universe of Energy Original Artwork

In my tribute to Epcot original artwork, we will today have a closer look to the original renderings for the Universe of Energy pavillion, this wonderful attraction which take us back 200 million years in the past, at the age of dinosaurs, and then into the future. As always, click on each picture to see them in big size.
Everybody is ready to travel back in time? Let's go!



The first one above show the exterior architecture of the wedge-shaped pavillion, by daylight. And here below is a picture of the WDI model.



The two next renderings shows the original pre-show. This pre-show was changed when the new version of the attraction with Ellen De Generes opened. But the original one was stunning with this "Kinetic Mosaic" created by Czech filmmaker and artist Emil Radok.




If you've never seen this unique pre-show, don't worry, i have found for you a youtube video of it, and here it is below!




Before the famous dinosaurs sequence, guests entered in a first theatre.
A very good description is done by the excellent Universe of Energy companion site:
Theater I is a "chameleon" of a space, acting as both the beginning and end points of the Universe of Energy ride. It's here where guests first board the Travelling Theater, and where their adventure begins--with a dramatic film introduction on the origins of Fossil Fuels. From here, guests are sent into the "reality" of what they've just seen, as the Travelling Theater effortlessly whisks them away into the murky and forbidding Primeval Diorama.

The Travelling Theater returns to Theater I for the finale of the show--once a spectacle of light and color, in which the Theater was completely transformed, now a low-key conclusion to Ellen's nightmare, and a poignant reminder that we are both capable of and responsible for charting our Energy future.

The rendering below showing a scene from the first version.



Then came the fantastic Primeval world scene with the dinosaurs. I think that everyone who did the attraction remember this magic moment when the vehicles starts to move , the curtains goes up and the dinosaurs appear in the dawn of time.



On the top is a close shot of the Tyrannosaur vs Stegosaur sequence, and here is a rare picture of the imagineers at work during the installation of these two giants creatures, here still under their plastic protection.



A close shot on the rendering of the volcano sequence...



And a rare picture of WDI Imagineer Chris Runco at work on this volcano.



At the end of the Primeval world sequence, all the vehicles come back in a theatre where guests "return to the present". After they learned the origin of fossil fuels the guests will see how "a wide array of energy sources would meet the growing energy demands of the future". Here is two renderings of the original show.




Some of you may not remember, but there was a post-show "Exxon's Energy Exchange", which was located in Communicore East.

This last rendering is a rare WDI artwork for a post-show scene, and, correct me if i'm wrong, but i think that this fantastic scene was never realised.



If you want more informations about the attraction, i strongly recommand to you the excellent Universe of Energy companion site.


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All artwork and photos: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

George & A.J Pixar Short

Released as a special feature on the UP! Blu-Ray George & A.J is a new Pixar short film. in fact, more than a fully animated film, George & A.J is more an animated story-board which follows the two Shady Oaks caretakers - remember them? they were the two guys who come to take Carl Fredericksen away before he started to fly with his house.

This four minutes short directed by Josh Cooley is really funny, so just like the new Cars Toons yesterday you should enjoy it a lot.




Picture and video: copyright Pixar

New Cars Toons : Unidentified Flying Mater

A new Cars Toons - the fifth in the series - called "Unidentified Flying Mater" was released on ABC last night, and this time Mater is doing its first "close encounter" with a UFO. As usual with Pixar the animation is perfect and this new short is totally enjoyable, so enjoy!




Note: If the embedding of this Youtubevideo is removed you'll be able to see it HERE

Picture and video: copyright Pixar

Disneyland Paris Main Street Christmas windows

Disneyland Paris began its Christmas season recently and today we will have a look at Main Street Christmas windows. But before i go further you may have notice that Disney and more has slightly changes today with a winter-Christmas theme on the top, and yes, a gentle snow is falling all over the site!



Note that if your screen is in 1024 x 768 definition although you'll still have the snow effect but you may not see the winter pictures on the left and right of the header that you can see on the screen capture above. The original D&M design will be back in January.

Let's come back now to DLP and Main Street windows which also have now their Christmas decor. First, a look inside the Emporium where Bambi is standing inside a Christmas ball under the Emporium dome.



Let's have a look now to the Emporium windows as well as other shops nearby.



















On the other side on Town Square, Christmas windows of Disney Clothiers.











All pictures: copyright Disney and more except top picture: copyright Disney

Dubai World Marvel Super Heroes Theme Park Concept

Late 2007, United Arab Emirate-based Al Ahli Group and Marvel Entertainment, Inc. announced a partnership that will bring Marvel's full library of Super Heroes - including Spider-Man, Iron Man, The X-Men, Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer - to Dubai for a major new theme park destination being developed by AAG. The Marvel Super-Heroes theme park project was supposed to open in 2011 with an investment of over $1 billion USD but apparently it seems that it will open now in 2012. I don't know yet if the Disney deal with Marvel changed anything in the project, let's hope not.

The creative team who designed the park, in this case not WDI Imagineers but great creative minds from around the globe is based in Hollywood, Orlando and Dubai throughout the development process. When the project was announced the press release said that "New technology and unparalleled visitor experiences will be the hallmark of the theme park creating a new standard for theme parks around the world".

Thanks to Randy, a Disney and more faithful reader whom i thanks a lot, i've found some great artwork of this awaited theme park. All of the concept-arts below were designed by the Chimera Design company who did an absolutely fantastic job as you will see. Unfortunately i don't have a lot of details about the rides but what we can see on the pictures give some indications.

Most of Marvel super-heroes will have their own attractions including the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men, Silver Surfer and of course Spiderman in what will be probably a different ride than the Spiderman ride at Universal Islands of Adventure. Also, according to a a recent post of Brady Mac Donald of the L.A Times "Off-site testing has already begun on three of the planned attractions: "Flying with Spidey", "Fantasticar" and "X-Men: Danger Room".

The first picture above shows the entrance of the park. Below, a night view as well as the map of the park with the four lands "City of Super-Heroes", "Oasis of Magic", "Marvel's Mythic Mountain", "Nick Neighborhood" and "Crater Lake" at the center of the park. As you can see on the night view, many coasters are envisioned for the park.





Although it's strictly my own personal deduction, this next artwork shows very probably the "City of Super-Heroes" land - and yes, it's a "Wow!".



This next rendering is apparently showing the arrival in the "City"...



And, as we can check on the night view above this great building with the Fantastic Four logo is located at the entrance of the "City of Super-Heroes".



The artwork below shows a 3D (4D ?) movie attraction with all Marvel famous super-heroes.



This next artwork may show a show. Does someone recognize who is the character in the center of the picture?



On the next artwork, obviously a Spiderman attraction - probably the one called "Flying with Spidey" - Spiderman is fighting with the Green Goblin and Dr Octopus. As we can see on the picture, the guests are not seated inside a vehicle (like IOA Spiderman ride). It could be a simulator attraction...or a free fall one like the Tower of Terror...or something totally new!



But in this next ride where we can see the Electro character, guests ARE seated in a vehicle which very probably is moving inside a decor - could it be an attraction using the same technique "decor+3D rear projection" like in the IOA Spiderman ride?



In other areas of the park - probably in the "Oasis of Magic" land - guests will find lush vegetation.



Even with my talent for deduction, i really can't guess what the next artwork is showing. May be one of you will know?



This next artwork, according to the night view and the park's map probably shows the entrance of the "Nick Neighborhood" land.



Below, the incredibly spectacular entrance of the "Stark Laboratories" and the Iron Man attraction. Another big Wow! A closer look reveals a "Rocket Jets"-like attraction and a coaster-like attraction on the top of it.



The artwork below is obviously showing a free fall attraction ( Edited: Or may be it's a new type of coaster designed by Mauher & Sohne, see comment of a D&M reader below ) and it looks like it goes down right inside the water of Crater Lake! Is such a thing possible!?! Or may be there will be a tunnel? I know it's bloody hot all year long in Dubai, but having the guests totally soaked could be a bit extreme...!



EDITED 11/19: A kind D&M reader told me in his comment that an attraction "plunging" under water exist already in Japan (but with a roller coaster) and provided me a picture. The idea looks similar to the one they will probably use on the free fall ride above and i won't be surprised if it looks like the picture below.



What a great theme park concept, isn't it? I really think that Chimera Design who designed all the concept-arts you've seen above did a stunning job, don't you think so? Also, you can see more concept-arts for other projects they've worked on on the Chimera Design web site.

If everything looks like this in real when the park will be built, i'm ready to reserve my plane ticket for Dubai right now!


Talking about theme park, you'll find 250 fantastic Disneyland Paris renderings, all coming from Walt Disney Imagineering, in the great Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book. All this along with 750 pictures of the park, and this is what makes it such a great book! And, good news, as i do a special summer offer on the Disneyland Paris "From Sketch to Reality" book which not only include a 20% discount on the regular price but, also, each one who will place an order will receive a special gift - and it's a great one! Below, you can see a video showing the whole book and to know more about the book and how to order and send your payment please go HERE , or send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com , or use the Paypal one-click purchase button below, right under the video!

All Marvel theme park artwork: copyright Chimera Design - Marvel Entertainment