Photos/Videos: Shanghai Disneyland Celebrates 10 Magic Years
Shanghai Disneyland is celebrating 10 years of authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese magic! Come along with us as we attend the double digit festivities.
The youngest Disney Resort has just officially reached its double digit birthday. Shanghai Disney Resort was the culmination of more than a decade of planning and behind-the-scenes magic that eventually led to one of the most impressive Disney Parks destinations in the world. The journey began in November 2009, when The Walt Disney Company officially announced that the Chinese government had approved plans for the resort after years of discussions. Promoted as an experience that would be “authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese,” the ambitious project broke ground in 2011 and opened its gates on June 16, 2016. Built at a whopping 34 billion yuan ($5.5 billion), Shanghai Disney is the first Disney resort in mainland China. Over the past ten years, Shanghai Disney Resort has welcomed millions of guests from around the world, grown into one of Disney’s most beloved international destinations, and continued to create unforgettable memories for families across generations.
Laughing Place had the opportunity to head all the way across the Pacific to attend the exciting festivities. And the resort is in full celebration mode, even the Toy Story Hotel was full of 10th anniversary fun. As part of the media festivities, we were invited to a special presentation featuring some of the biggest names at Shanghai Disney and The Walt Disney Company. Current CEO Josh D’Amaro was there to celebrate, of course, but Shanghai Disney couldn’t have happened without the incredible work of former CEO Bob Iger. Situated as one of his biggest achievements of his tenure.
During the presentation, we got an exciting announcement for what’s on the horizon for the resort. While previously announced, the resort’s third hotel will officially be dubbed the Disney Enchanted Star Hotel. While the resort is well on its way to opening, Disney gave us a fresh look at the progress of the resort hotel alongside the announcement.
Inside Shanghai Disneyland, there is exciting construction progress happening on the resort’s newest land! The park is well on its way to opening its ninth themed area, set to debut a new Spider-Man inspired roller coaster. Trackwork has been completed on the launched thrill coaster, which will be exclusive to the resort.
Beyond the fun, several of the park’s biggest characters came out to celebrate the 10th anniversary fun, including Mickey & Friends and Duffy & Friends.
And former CEO Bob Iger wasn’t just there for show! In honor of the work he put into the resort, which dates back as far as 1999, Bob Iger received a landmark replica of the highest peak of Enchanted Storybook Castle as a thank you gift.
You can check out a full clip of the special 10th anniversary presentation below!
The day ended with a special in-park gala in front of Enchanted Storybook Castle. Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro also joined in on the fun!
Full of special performances, character appearances, and magical moments, the experience culminated in a special 10th anniversary presentation of Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration. You can also check out a full video of the excited performance below!
Stay tuned for more 10th anniversary fun dropping soon!
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