[Shanghai Disney Resort] Le Resort en général - le coin des petites infos

Entretiens avec Chen Luwei (chef de projet chez Shanghai Construction Group), Jiang Xiaohong (ingénieure principale à Académie des sciences de l'environnement de Shanghai), Shi Xiang (concepteur en architecture chez Shanghai Xiandai Architectural Design), Hou Yongqiang (superviseur de construction auprès de Pudong New Area Construction Management Company) et Shi Fengfang (agent d'entretien à Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone) :

Citation :

Manager: ‘Do it once, you grasp the basic theory’

Chen Luwei, a senior engineer with more than two decades of experience, said working on the Shanghai Disneyland has certainly been a dramatic departure from the norm in the construction industry.

Chen, 44, a project manager with the Shanghai Construction Group, is responsible for two key projects at the new resort: the bridges on the inner lake and the Metro Line Disney station.

The Metro station, Chen said, is the largest he has ever worked on, and the bridges present a whole new architectural concept for him.

There will be three bridges on the lake, one structured along conventional lines and two hanging bridges. The latter pair will be anchored to piers on the ground only at either end and will arch over the lake. All three bridges are expected to be prime viewing spots for evening fireworks shows.

“When people walk out onto the hanging bridges, they may feel a tad insecure at first because of the slight swaying, but the bridges will be absolutely safe,” said Chen. “The balance of the bridges is the key point for the project.”

Graduated from Shanghai Tongji University with a degree in civil engineering, Chen has worked on his share of major projects around China, including the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai. But there’s always something new to be learned, he admitted.

“We’ve never done anything like hanging bridges before,” he said. “So we had to go overseas to see how engineers from other countries did it. I visited France to see the hanging bridge over the Seine. It was very impressive.”

Chen said he has never been afraid of trying something new.

“Do it once, and you grasp the basic theory,” he said. “Then it becomes easier when you do the next time. When there are problems, there are always solutions if you keep a good mindset.”

The new Disney Metro station was also a challenge.

It is very close to the inner lake of the resort, and it will serve both the first and second phases of the theme park. Passengers will take Metro Line 11 to the Luoshan Road station, and then transfer to the Disney Metro Line to reach the station — which will be the biggest station in Shanghai, at a length of 220 meters.

Construction started in March 2012. The station was expected to be completed in mid-2014. Because of extended negotiations between the Chinese and the US teams over final construction plans, the construction team has had to carry out its work according to a digital blueprint.

“The process of construction was often ahead of final decisions on design,” he said. “So we had to go to the designers’ office, sit down and discuss the design with them. That is not very common in my work, but that’s understandable. And, after all, construction was proceeding on schedule.”

Although Chen has been working for Shanghai Disneyland for more than four years, he showed a bit of embarrassment when asked about what he liked most about Disneyland, as if he believes Disney is something belonging to children.

He said he once took his 14-year-old son to Hong Kong Disneyland, where the best personal impression he recalls is Grizzly Gulch.

“The environment was beautiful, and the mine car rollercoaster was exciting,” he said, somewhat shyly. “But I think children would like it much better than I do.”

Chen said after Shanghai Disney Resort opens, he will definitely take his family.

“It’s great that we can enjoy the same good environment, the same good services and the same entertaining rides here in Shanghai,” he said. “My son will be stoked.”

Who were the first Disney cartoon characters that you ever became aware of ?

A: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I watched TV with my son when he was little and got to know the characters.

What was your first experience in a Disneyland ?

A: I went to Hong Kong Disneyland with my family several years ago. It was a happy memory. The whole place was artistic and active. We enjoyed ourselves a lot.

What’s your idea of happiness ?

A: I think happiness means feeling comfortable. No matter what choices you make, if you feel comfortable and have peace of mind, then you are happy.

Which virtue do you admire most ?

A: A placid mindset. I like people who can keep calm no matter what happens or whatever difficulties they face. I always remind myself to keep calm.

How would you describe yourself ?

A: I am a person who doesn’t try to show off. I don’t like to project myself. I just do my work in a down-to-earth way.

Shanghai Daily - 1er décembre 2015.

Citation :

Ensuring a healthy, pollution-free environment

Jiang Xiaohong proudly says she and her team walked every meter of the 3.9-square-kilometer Shanghai Disney Resort site in the town of Chuansha. It took seven months.

Jiang, 34, is a senior engineer at the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences. She and her team were asked to conduct environmental assessment surveys on the Disney site long before negotiations on the site were concluded or construction even began.

“We started working in 2009,” Jiang said. “Simply speaking, the Disney people wanted to know if the land was polluted and if it was, what measures needed to be taken to restore it.”

A tough assignment, considering that China at the time had no operative standard for such a demanding environmental assessment.

Jiang said she felt it was necessary for her team to cover every centimeter of the site to gain first-hand knowledge of its environment.

The team was divided into four groups of five people each. Most of the survey work fell during hot summer months. To beat the scorching sun, team members began work at five in the morning, knocked off at 10am and then resumed work at two in the afternoon.

Jiang hails from the city of Wenling in neighboring Zhejiang Province. She graduated with a master’s degree from Tongji University’s Environmental Engineering College in 2004 and started working as a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences. Her first big project was work on the site for the World Expo Shanghai 2010.Jiang visited the site of Hong Kong Disneyland before construction there was finished. She said it was hard to envision how all the mounds of dirt would be transformed into a theme park. In 2010, she took her son, then three years old, to Hong Kong Disneyland and was astonished to see the final result.

Environmental evaluation depends on fieldwork. The first step is to identify polluted spots and categorize what are known as “recognized environmental conditions.” That work began even before demolition at the Shanghai Disney site.

Jiang and her team visited a chemical plant, printing house, textile factory, residential neighborhoods, landfills, rice paddies and pig farms in the area to monitor possible pollutants.

They talked with staff workers and local villagers to piece together the history of the area.

“If the land is filled now, we needed have to know what the place was used for before,” she said.

Each “recognized environmental condition” was logged and labeled before any buildings at the site were demolished. Within three months, Jiang and her team has recorded more than 250 “conditions,” represented by what they called “dots” on a map.

The second phase was sampling.

“At this stage, we were required to precisely locate the dots with professional machines to get the underground water and soil for sample tests,” Jiang said.

Large rigs drilled down about six meters, and extracted samples were taken back to the lab to test for metal contamination, pesticides and volatile organic compounds.

Risk evaluation reports were then compiled for restoration projects.

“The first and second phases were extremely tough,” Jiang said. “It was a challenge, but I welcomed the challenge because I am not a person who likes to sit idle.”

Her son, now six, is proud of his mother.

“He introduces me to his friends as the mother who helped build Disneyland,” she said. “Of course, I will take him to the resort when it is finished.”

What’s the biggest thing you learned while working on the Disney project ?

A: The Americans’ meticulous work attitude impressed me a lot. I also learnt how to cooperate with people with different work systems and styles.

How do you expect Shanghai Disneyland to be different from other theme parks ?

A: It will be more fun. Hong Kong Disneyland is a lot of fun and makes everyone feel involved. I hope Shanghai Disneyland can do even better.

What has the Shanghai Disney project meant to your industry? Can you give some examples ?

A: The project has helped advance the industry and become a standard going forward. As a matter of fact, China has few standards for soil assessment and none for the underground water currently. With this project, we have pinned down a draft system based on Chinese standards and borrowed expertise from countries such as Holland and the US.

At the same time, the academy is working on a new project to set up a China environmental evaluation system with full standards and with norms on building demolition to minimize risks to the environment.

What are the top three theme parks in Shanghai or in the Yangtze River Delta in your mind ?

A: I’ve been to the Dinosaurs Park in Changzhou and the Spring and Autumn Park in Wuxi, both in Jiangsu Province, but I don’t find them very interesting. I’m counting on the Shanghai Disney Resort now.

Shanghai Daily - 1er décembre 2015.

Citation :

Stepping off a train opens door to fantasy world

Shi Xiang doesn’t have any children yet, but he thinks about the day when his kids and millions of others on a visit to Shanghai Disney Resort will be entranced by the wonderland they encounter when they step off the train at the theme park’s Metro station.

Although he has been an architectural designer of Metro stations for 10 years, the Disney stop is like no other. It is designed to project the aura of a place of dreams and fantasy.

“I hope the station will evoke in visitors an understanding of the Disney culture, which means I hope the station can be a part of the Disney dream,” said the 37-year-old designer. “For people coming to Disneyland via public transport, the station literally will be their first impression of the whole resort. Their whole experience starts here, so we want to give them the best.”

Shi, who works with Shanghai Xiandai Architectural Design, has been engaged in the project since 2009.

The station is lit by a huge, transparent roof, making it unique in China. Although the station is technically half-underground, passengers will feel they are enveloped by natural lighting.

“Originally we wanted to design a pedestrian square on the top of the station, but eventually we adopted the idea of skylight instead,” said Shi. “Visitors in the station will be able to enjoy the feeling of being outdoors, which is very different from the concept of traditional subway stations.”

He said one of the biggest difficulties in designing the station was estimating peak-hour usage, especially when Shanghai Disney Resort first opens to an eagerly waiting public.

“The station is not in the paid area of the resort but in the public area, so it’s quite possible that many people just come here to have a look at the scenery but not actually go into the theme park,” he said. “That part of passenger volume will perhaps place great pressure on the station.”

Shi said morning traffic loads will be easier to handle because they will be more dispersed, but at night, say after the gala fireworks, there may be a rush to catch the Metro. To deal with possible huge passenger volumes, the station is equipped with four auxiliary tracks.

“The auxiliary tracks are mainly for the night peak rush, and we have four spare trains ready to meet the possible passenger loads, with full capacity of 2,000 people each,” he said.

Shi said Metro authorities have already begun making contingency plans, based on their experience of crowd control during the World Expo Shanghai 2010. Manual ticket sales, for instance, are under serious consideration to handle the frequent cases when visitors from out-of-town get confused about how to use automated ticket machines.

Born in Yunnan Province, Shi graduated from Southwest Jiao Tong University in 2003, majoring in architecture. He came to Shanghai in 2005. His projects have included stations for Metro Line 11.

The Disney project was an exciting challenge in his career.

For example, the Disney station will be completely barrier-free. It has four wide, ramped exits to accommodate elderly and disabled people.

“Usually we don’t have barrier-free facilities at every exit of a station in Shanghai, but we were required to do so for this station,” he said.

Staff in the station will wear special uniforms tailored to the Disney theme, and employees who smoke will be kept out of the public eye in a specially designed office.

“Americans lay more emphasis on details aimed at creating a top-flight user experience,” Shi said of the Disney Group. “I think domestic designers have a lot to learn from them.”

Shi said he visited the Disneyland in Paris as part of consultations on the design of the Shanghai Disney station, but the comparable Metro station there wasn’t so tailored to the Disney concept.

“Usually stations serving Disneylands in foreign countries are outside the theme park, but ours is in the central area,” said Shi.

The interior décor of the Shanghai Disney station will merge the Disney concept with traditional Chinese cultural arts. Designers from both China and the US have contributed proposals and ideas.

“When we are not very familiar with a culture, we tend to reduce it to symbols,” Shi said. “For example, Disney may just mean Mickey Mouse to some Chinese people, but that’s not necessarily true and it is not the idea that the US Disney Group wants to convey,” said Shi. “Similarly, Americans may view paper umbrellas as a symbol of Chinese culture, which is far from accurate, too.

“Disneyland is not only about something we see and hear, but also about the ambience, services and culture we sample,” he said. “It’s a different experience from what we have in China. I may be too old to feel that my dreams can come true in a place by Disneyland, but children aren’t. And that’s what’s important.”

Shanghai Daily - 1er décembre 2015.

Citation :

Engineering the main artery system

Every new development needs good roadways, and Hou Yongqiang, 36, has become an expert of sorts on all the newest construction materials needed for high quality and strict safety standards.

He is a key member of the roadworks team for the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone, which includes Shanghai Disney Resort. The team was given the responsibility to construct five roads, stretching about 7.1 kilometers, for the first phase of the resort.

“We are building the main artery for the whole project,” Hou said.

Compared with common streets in Shanghai, roads in the resort are more environmentally friendly, with stronger drainage systems and anti-noise features.

“Drainage assists traffic safety,” he said. “Whereas roads in the city are built to endure a heavy rainstorm once in three years, roads in the resort are built to withstand that for 30 years.”

The quality of the asphalt used for the roads is critical, Hou said.

Instead of the usual “hot-mix” asphalt commonly used in road construction, Hou’s team is using a “warm-mix” variety, which means the temperature of the mixture is 10 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius lower. Such a material reduces roadway noise five-to-seven decibels. The “warm-mix” asphalt also uses less energy to produce.

“As far as I know, ‘warm-mix’ asphalt has been used in some small projects in Shanghai, considering its cost,” Hou said. “This is the first time it is being used in such a huge project. I think it will become a standard for future road construction.”

The roads built by Hou’s team link three rainwater pumping stations, a sewage pumping station and a water treatment plant in the zone. The recycling systems reduce the need for water from outside the zone, saving an estimated 2.3 million tons of water a year, Hou said.

Cables under the new roads are connected to an intelligent road management system.

“In future, traffic police can manage cars going through the zone with smart phones, while drivers will have access to information about traffic conditions,” he said.

Quality-control inspection on construction of the roadways has been stricter than normal, Hou said.

“Walt Disney Co has very high demands,” he said. “We are always modifying the design through endless communication to make construction the best possible.”

Born in Kaifeng, Henan Province, Hou has been engaged in infrastructure construction since he graduated from Tongji University in 1999 with a major in civil engineering.

Before joining the Disney project, Hou worked for Pudong New Area Construction Management Co as a construction supervisor. The company sent him to Kashgar, the border town in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to assist local road construction as part of Shanghai’s commitment to help the economic development of more poverty-stricken areas of China.

“If I say the difference of safety and quality standards between the Disney project and other projects in Shanghai is remarkable, then the difference between Disney and projects in Xinjiang is beyond description,” he said. “Still, our project in Kashgar won a top national construction quality award.”

Hou said he’s very excited about his involvement in the Disney project and he hopes the second and the third phases of Disneyland will begin as soon as possible.

Have you ever visited a Disneyland? If so, what was your impression ?

A: I’ve been to the Disneyland in Hong Kong. It has a very pleasurable atmosphere. The views from the roads and the greenery were very dreamy.

What’s the most valuable thing you learned while working on the Disney project ?

A: How people from China and the United States have very different concepts about construction. The standards for quality and safety were higher than anything I have ever seen in China. Workers had to wear protective shoe covers, fluorescent vests, helmets and protective glasses in the construction site here, whereas they would only wear helmets on other projects.

Did you have any frustrations on the job ?

A: To be honest, the most frustrating thing was trying to keep a balance between budget, quality and the project deadline. We had to maintain strict safety rules on the construction site and meet with very high quality standards. Meanwhile, the budget and time allocated sometimes caused headaches.

What has the Disney project meant to your industry ?

A: The quality standard for the Disney project was higher, which I believe is a very solid reference point for the future. We also have learned a lot about construction management systems.

Why do you think the Disney project is important for Shanghai ?

A: It has the potential to be developed into a comprehensive, very popular holiday resort. I think Shanghai, as a great metropolis, needs such an amenity.

Shanghai Daily - 1er décembre 2015.

Citation :

Tourism ambitions bring development to Pudong

Shi Fengfang, a retired weaver and lifelong resident of Chuansha, Pudong New Area, works as a cleaner at the headquarters of the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone.

The 60-year-old Shi cleans windows at office-building No.8 of the zone’s headquarters between 7am and 5pm every day. Through these windows, she can see the former site of Xuqiao, the village where she was born.

Today the village is a memory, while the land it occupied is now part of the Shanghai Disney Resort, the centerpiece of the area’s new tourism zone.

Shi is among thousands of villagers who were relocated to make way for the development of tourism projects in Chuansha. Many, including Shi, left the farmlands where they were born and moved to modern residential buildings with supermarkets, wet markets, schools and hospitals built nearby.

“We have been hoping for decades that Disney could be built in our village,” Shi said. “The project was the only chance for this remote area to be developed.”

With the first Disney resort on the China’s mainland at its core, the 20-square-kilometer zone is meant to foster an “important tourism and recreational destination, as well as a base for the services sector,” according to statements from its administrative committee.

“Its focus is on developing various industries like themed entertainment, tourism, leisure, culture, innovation, conferences, exhibitions, retailing, sports as well as recreation,” said Sun Caiguo, director of the committee’s planning and construction department.

The zone is ideally situated for easy access and future development. It is located about 21 kilometers from People’s Square in downtown Shanghai, 18 kilometers from the Lujiazui financial center and 12 kilometers from Pudong International Airport.

Sun described the zone, together with the Hongqiao Business District and the post-Expo development zone, as key areas for the future development of Shanghai.

The Shanghai Disney Resort is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016, bringing with it a host of new entertainment, hospitality, retail and dining facilities.

With roughly 24.5 billion yuan (US$3.85 billion) in total investment, the new Disney resort is one of the largest service-sector projects ever undertaken in China. Municipal authorities see the project as a key driver of both local and regional growth.

“Shanghai Disneyland will have a significant impact on the economic and social development of the Yangtze River Delta region, optimizing tourism layouts in the area, improving the capacity of the modern service industry and facilitating development of the Yangtze River Delta region into a world-class urban agglomerate with strong global competitiveness,” according to official statements.

Aside from the Disney resort, the zone will also play host to a constellation of shopping, entertainment and business projects.

Specifically, the historic Hengmian Town in the zone’s west will be developed into an attraction similar to the Zhouzhuang and Tongli water towns in neighboring Jiangsu Province. Near Hengmian, authorities also have plans for a complex where couples can stage wedding photos or hold nuptial ceremonies.

Planners expect the zone to be completed by 2030. By that point, visitors will be able to reach the area via two Metro lines, say authorities.

But with so much to look forward to, Shi said she still cherishes her memories of playing in the fields and swimming in the rivers near her old home.

“My only hope now is that we would be allowed to enter the resort after it is completed to have a look at the changes,” she said.

Shanghai Daily - 1er décembre 2015.

Nous sommes en décembre 2015 et Shanghai Disneyland aurait dû être sur le point d'ouvrir si il n'y avait eu ce retard conséquent.

J'ai reçu le weekend dernier une info concernant la date d'ouverture du nouveau parc. N'ayant aucune idée de la fiabilité de cette information (qui ne provient pas de la division Parks & Resorts mais d'une autre division de la Walt Disney Company également concernée par l'inauguration), j'ai essayé tout au long de la semaine de la recouper - malheureusement sans succès.

Si l'information communiquée est correcte, il s'agit d'une date (et jour) au mois de juin 2016 symbolisant la chance et le bonheur selon la symbolique à laquelle le peuple chinois est fort sensible.   

Mais malgré une ouverture postposée, aujourd'hui encore certains semblent douter de la possibilité d'être totalement opérationnel dans à peine six mois. Affaire à suivre...

Vu l'avancement des travaux c'est sur qu'il y a de quoi etre sceptique

Nouvelles rumeurs (en provenance de Chine cette fois) concernant l'ouverture du parc en juin 2016. La date du 1er juin 2016 est avancée (il ne s'agit pas de la même date entendue il y a quinze jours en provenance des Etats-Unis). En Chine, le 1er juin est " 兒童節 " soit "la Journée de l'enfance". The Walt Disney Company a démenti cette rumeur et se contente d'affirmer que les travaux suivent leur cours...

Premières photos de la station de métro du resort, terminus de la ligne 11 dont la mise en service est pressentie pour février 2016. Disney Resort Station sera la plus longue des quatre nouvelles stations avec plus de 600 mètres de longueur.


Photo : ETTV


Photo : ETTV


Photo : ETTV


Photo : ETTV


Photo : ETTV

Elle es magnifique, mais je préfère tout de même celle de Hong Kong avec un esprit plus disney.

Un média japonais couvrant la finance et l'économie a repris la rumeur concernant une possible ouverture autour du 1er juin 2016. Leur source semble être identique à celle mentionnée hier (voir message ci-dessus) càd une télévision locale chinoise. Ce que Disney a déjà démenti.

Il semblerait que la date d'ouverture ait été choisie et repoussée plusieurs fois au cours de l'année et que les prévisions les plus sombres n'entreverrait pas d'ouverture avant le premier trimestre 2017 !

On est donc toujours dans le flou le plus total...

Est ce que ce retard coûte de l'argent à Twdcie ??

Sans doute un peu, mais rien de très grave compte tenu de l'argent phénoménal qu'ils se font par ailleurs ( et je ne parle même pas de celui qu'ils vont gagner avec le nouveau Star Wars ).

loaloa a écrit:

Sans doute un peu, mais rien de très grave compte tenu de l'argent phénoménal qu'ils se font par ailleurs ( et je ne parle même pas de celui qu'ils vont gagner avec le nouveau Star Wars ).

Merci Loaloa ,-)

Ouais enfin au dela de ça, Disney en ce moment avec les temps de construction c'est assez spécial.

Le resort devrait deja etre ouvert logiquement selon la première annonce et la date voulu à l'époque. Si il avait plus de 6 mois de retard ce serait quand meme hallucinant de ne pas savoir évaluer avec si peu de marge l'ouverture d'un resort dont les travaux sont deja bien lancés pourtant.

Epic-say a écrit:

Ouais enfin au dela de ça, Disney en ce moment avec les temps de construction c'est assez spécial.

Le resort devrait deja etre ouvert logiquement selon la première annonce et la date voulu à l'époque. Si il avait plus de 6 mois de retard ce serait quand meme hallucinant de ne pas savoir évaluer avec si peu de marge l'ouverture d'un resort dont les travaux sont deja bien lancés pourtant.

Il doit bien y avoir tout les rides à paramétrer ,faire les tests de fiabilités,former tout les Cms attractions,toute les procédures de sécurité ,évacuation. Hors à ce jour les "clefs " des attractions ne sont toujours pas données par Wdi à Shangaï Disneyland . Et on est pas à l'abris de problèmes bugs inerant a de nouveaux rides certains sont quand même exclusif et jamais exploités par Disney auparavant .Pour la parade et le show nocturne ça doit pas mettre trop de temps à se mettre en place mais pour les différents spectacles même si ils sont répétés en backstages ,il faut aprés les tester on stage .Pour une ouverture le 1 juin ,c'est pas impossible quand même . Certains parle du 1er trimestre 2017 ,là à serait fou .Quoi qu'il en soit ,il faut bien payer les Cms qui sont deja embauchés depuis peu et pour le moment l'argent ne rentre pas dans les caisses de Shangaï Disneyland ,ça doit coûter un pognon fou .

Oui, ça doit couter un pognon fou. Ca tombe bien, Disney, l'une des corporations les plus riche du monde ne sait plus quoi faire de son argent. Ne vous en faites pas, ils s'en remettront. Quand à la date il n'y a rien d'autre à faire que d'attendre tranquillement qu'ils nous l'annoncent ( sauf à supputer pour le plaisir de supputer ), c'est à dire quand ils le sauront eux-mèmes.

loaloa a écrit:

Oui, ça doit couter un pognon fou. Ca tombe bien, Disney, l'une des corporations les plus riche du monde ne sait plus quoi faire de son argent. Ne vous en faites pas, ils s'en remettront. Quand à la date il n'y a rien d'autre à faire que d'attendre tranquillement qu'ils nous l'annoncent ( sauf à supputer pour le plaisir de supputer ), c'est à dire quand ils le sauront eux-mèmes.

Et bien Loaloa ,si ils ne savent plus quoi faire de leur argent toute proportion gardé ,qu'ils en donnent à Dlp pour nous faire de beaux gros rides .Et dites moi Loaloa ils vont bien en récupèrer un max en vendant leur rides ,parc,et licenses à la société qui gère Shangaï Disneyland ,ils sont certes actionnaires mais pas à 100% ,le montage financier complexe doit bien leur garantir un max de fric ,non ?

Là-dessus je suis bien d'accord. Le problème c'est que c'est eux qui choisissent ou ils dépensent leur argent et visiblement DLP n'est pas leur première destination, sinon ça se saurait. C'est du reste le principal problème si Shanghaî leur coute éventuellement plus que prévu, ils vont trouver le moyen de s'en servir comma alibi pour continuer à ne pas donner à DLP ce qu'ils devraient lui donner. Ceci après l'excuse habituelle de la récession en Europe, etc...

loaloa a écrit:

Là-dessus je suis bien d'accord. Le problème c'est que c'est eux qui choisissent ou ils dépensent leur argent et visiblement DLP n'est pas leur première destination, sinon ça se saurait. C'est du reste le principal problème si Shanghaî leur coute éventuellement plus que prévu, ils vont trouver le moyen de s'en servir comma alibi pour continuer à ne pas donner à DLP ce qu'ils devraient lui donner. Ceci après l'excuse habituelle de la récession en Europe, etc...

Ah non ,j'espère que ça ne sera pas le cas. Les parcs européens + les nouveaux qui arrivent vont peut être faire mal à Dlp ,ils vont quand même pas se laisser piquer la 1ère place en Europe ?

Ouais enfin peu importe qu'ils perdent ou non de l'argent, enfin c'est surement tant mieux pour eux mais c'est pas là dessus que je trouve que c'est abusé.

C'est assez déroutant de voire qu'un resort prévu pour fin 2015, soit ensuite repoussé a début 2016 ( bon ok la premiere fois ) maintenant on parle de l'été 2016 au mieux et de 2017 au pire  . Les prédictions et Disney ça fait deux dites donc, une fourchette d'une année en gros et on a toujours pas de date officiel d'ouverture vu qu'ils ont l'air incapable de pouvoir en donner.

Le chantier s'éternise, une des spécialités de Disney ces derniers temps. Avec un parc relativement peu fourni en ride pour le moment et deux hotels c'est quand meme pas la mer à boire. Ce n'est pas comme si le chantier avait commencé hier non plus. Pourquoi autant de temps pour la finition d'un resort ???

Si ça peut te rassurer c'est exactement partout la même chose et pas uniquement chez Disney. On lance une prmière date "commerciale" qui est un estimatif "si tout se passe comme on veut", mais législation + sous-traitants + météo = tout ne se passe jamais comme on veut. Pour exemple, le parc aquatique d'Europa park devait ouvrir en 2016, puis 2017, et je suis sûr qu'on arrivera au final à 2018.

Cela fait une quinzaine de jours que le bruit court que la date d'ouverture de Shanghai Disneyland serait bientôt annoncée, cela se précise avec cet extrait du passage de Bob Iger sur Bloomberg :

Il parle toujours du printemps, mais l'annonce de la date ne sera faite qu'après le 1er janvier.

Le Wall Street Journal annonce le 16 juin comme ouverture.

A priori tout ne serait pas prêt pour l'ouverture avec une ouverture par phase (si ce serait ça ce serait un peu nul, je préfèrerais une ouverture grandiose avec tout prêt comme Euro Disneyland en 1992).

Voici le lien du Wall Street Journal:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-to-open-first-theme-park-in-mainland-china-in-june-1452633322

Je suis sceptique de ne pas tout ouvrir d'un coup, la pression pour ce retard doit être énorme!

En tout cas c'est officiel maintenant le 16 juin: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/opening-date-set-for-shanghai-disney-resort-disneys-newest-world-class-destination/

On va bien voir ce que ça va donner...

C'est officiel! La date du 16 Juin est confirmée par D23 ET la Walt Disney Company au lien ci-dessous. Ils ne disent pas cependant si toutes les attractions seront opérationnelles à l'ouverture.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/opening-date-set-for-shanghai-disney-resort-disneys-newest-world-class-destination/

Voici le communiqué de presse reçu à l'instant :

Shanghai Disney Resort to Officially Open on June 16, 2016

Authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese destination will offer world-class attractions and premium guest experiences

Shanghai, January 13, 2016 – The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group announced today that Shanghai Disney Resort will host a multi-day grand opening celebration, culminating in a spectacular welcoming ceremony for the resort’s first official guests on June 16, 2016.

The opening of Shanghai Disney Resort will mark a key milestone in the development of Shanghai’s tourism industry, offering a unique new international tourism destination for guests from China and around the world. Considered one of the largest Sino-foreign joint investment projects in the modern service industry in China’s history, the resort’s grand opening will be a celebration of the partnership between Disney and Shanghai. The destination is sure to delight and entertain the people of China for generations to come at a truly magical place that is both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.

Once operational, a visit to Shanghai Disney Resort will be unlike any experience in the world and will demonstrate Disney’s relentless innovation and famous creativity. With Shanghai Disneyland, a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with six themed lands, two richly themed hotels, Disneytown, a huge shopping, dining and entertainment district and Wishing Star Park available to guests at opening, Shanghai Disney Resort will not only showcase the best of Disney’s storytelling but also celebrate China’s incredibly rich heritage and cultural elements to create a one-of-a-kind destination. From world-class attractions to Broadway-quality entertainment, the newest Disney destination will offer premium experiences that guests can only find at Shanghai Disney Resort.

“We are extremely excited to announce our opening date of June 16. Both shareholders and the joint venture board of directors agree this is the optimal time to welcome our first official guests to the resort,” said Philippe Gas, general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. “Shanghai Disney Resort celebrates China’s rich heritage and is the result of years of partnership and innovation with contributions from our talented Cast Members and Imagineers, as well as thousands of artists, designers, construction workers and suppliers from across China and around the world. Our special thanks go to the joint venture shareholders and the local government who provided tremendous support to the project along the way.”

“Shanghai is one of the most exciting and dynamic cities in the world and we’re delighted to be able to open a world class tourism and entertainment destination befitting this incredible city and its people,” said Bill Ernest, president and managing director of Asia for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We are taking everything we’ve learned from our six decades of exceeding expectations – along with our signature innovation and classic storytelling to create this truly magical place that is both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.”

"The construction of Shanghai Disneyland – which has involved the talents of tens of thousands of technicians and construction workers – has gone through an extensive construction period and is now entering the timeframe to prepare our operation,” said Fan Xiping, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group. “Over the past five years the joint venture partners have worked closely with one another to ensure the smooth progress of the project and applied innovative and best practices for building the resort. There’s still work ahead in the coming months before opening but working together I’m confident we’ll be successful in our final sprint and provide a spectacular grand opening for our guests.”

Major construction of Shanghai Disney Resort is now complete and will be followed by an extensive preparation period to ensure the resort is fully operational and ready to greet millions of guests.  During this period the resort will continue to hire and train new Cast to join the current team of nearly 2000 Cast Members and Imagineers. Shanghai Disney Resort Cast Members will undertake extensive preparatory work to ensure Disney’s legendary guest service standards of safety, courtesy, show and efficiency are fully ready for the grand opening period. The theme park’s ticketing plan as well as other operational details of the resort will be announced at a later date.

Shanghai Disney Resort, part of the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone, is a complete vacation destination offering something for everyone, and on opening day, June 16, 2016, will include :

• Shanghai Disneyland, a theme park with six themed lands: Adventure Isle, Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Tomorrowland, Treasure Cove and Fantasyland, with the Enchanted Storybook Castle. Guests will be immersed in popular Disney stories that come to life at the largest castle in a Disney park, at the first Pirates-themed land in a Disney park, on the longest Disney Parks parade route and in more enchanting places filled with thrills, creativity and adventure. Many of Shanghai Disneyland’s attractions and entertainment experiences will be appearing in a Disney theme park for the first time.

• The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, imaginatively themed hotels conveniently located near the theme park. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is an elegant Art Nouveau-inspired resort with a touch of Disney magic and imagination, while the Toy Story Hotel immerses guests in a world inspired by the toys from the Disney•Pixar series of Toy Story animated films.

• Disneytown, an international shopping, dining and entertainment district, adjacent to Shanghai Disneyland and including the Walt Disney Grand Theatre, home to the first-ever Mandarin production of the Broadway hit, Disney’s THE LION KING. Another “must-see” for guests will be the innovative World of Disney Store, offering a comprehensive collection of Disney merchandise, including many products designed especially for Shanghai Disney Resort.

• Wishing Star Park, with beautiful gardens, a walking path and a glittering lake. With approximately 40 hectares, the size of 56 football fields, Wishing Star Park presents guests with awe-inspiring natural views and beautiful sunsets.

In addition to Shanghai Disney Resort, guests who visit Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone will also have opportunities to enjoy a wide range of other exciting tourism experiences within the zone, such as Shanghai Village, Ecological Park and Herb Garden.

Shanghai Disney Resort broke ground in 2011, began vertical construction in 2013 and has celebrated numerous construction milestones since then, including the topping off of the resort’s iconic Enchanted Storybook Castle in May 2015. In April 2014, the resort’s shareholders jointly announced an accelerated expansion plan to capitalize on the tremendous growth in China’s tourism sector – adding more attractions, entertainment and other offerings to increase capacity at the theme park on opening day.

Guests can learn more by visiting www.shanghaidisneyresort.com, the destination’s newly updated official website for news and information about Shanghai Disney Resort.



Guests who want to go to infinity and beyond on Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue will be excited to learn ride testing is already underway! A new storyline combined with a new, interactive targeting system will make this one of the most engaging attractions at a Disney park.



Testing has already begun on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train where guests will hitch a rollicking ride on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland.



Ride testing is already underway at the Roaring Rapids, where guests will embark on a thrilling rafting adventure, straight through the heart of Adventure Isle.



In Tomorrowland, the massive, color-shifting canopy over the TRON Lightcycle Power Run is already being lit up at night while testing continues on the attraction’s exciting new ride vehicles.



Ride testing continues on another attraction created especially for Shanghai Disneyland. Guests will soon be able to take a spin on Fantasia Carousel, which features characters and symphonic music from the groundbreaking Disney film, Fantasia.



Disney Imagineers and construction teams are painting the majestic Enchanted Storybook Castle, the tallest, largest, and most complex Disney castle ever built.  Guests will experience immersive attractions, dining, shopping and spectacular entertainment at the Fantasyland icon.

Shanghai Disney Resort - 13 janvier 2016.