Shanghai Disneyland to start next building phase

CONSTRUCTION is almost done on the infrastructure and support facilities for Shanghai Disneyland, and design details and installation of features within the theme park will begin this year, officials said yesterday.
Some major structures will take shape late this year in the theme park, which will open in 2015 as scheduled in Chuansha in the Pudong New Area, said Zhou Xianqiang, assistant director of the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone Management Commission.

The 1.68-square-kilometer park will lie in the heart of the 20-square-kilometer tourism zone.
Half of the 10 benchmarks set for construction of the park had been reached by the end of last year, Zhou said.

After the rest of the construction is done on lands, roads and rivers this year, the commission will deliver the land to Disney officials in the United States for further construction, he said.

Zhou said the future theme park will be surrounded by a waterway to isolate the new park from the outside.
Shanghai Disneyland will involve more Chinese elements to differentiate it from other theme parks around the world, said Dao Shuming, director of the Shanghai Tourism Bureau.

Zhou said the Chinese elements will mainly involve performances, festival celebrations and souvenirs.
"Ticket prices for the future park will be similar to other Disney parks in the world but will also take the incomes of Chinese mainland visitors into account," Zhou added.

He said detailed plans on future designs and events in the park will be made public late this year.
The first Disney theme park on the Chinese mainland broke ground in April, and its first phase is due to open in 2015. It's the third one in Asia, after Tokyo and Hong Kong, and the phase 1 project will cost 24.5 billion yuan (US$3.93 billion).

The park has kicked off the first round of recruitment with 100 job openings to professionals from home and abroad, but most are expected to be landed by candidates from China.

Source:Shanghai Daily