Shanghai Disneyland first to have Zootopia attractions as part of second expansion in three years
- Park to start another phase of growth after more than 28 million visitors pass through its gates in the first two years
Work will start this year on a second expansion to Shanghai Disneyland less than three years after the theme park opened.
Shanghai Disney Resort announced on Wednesday that a new set of attractions based on the 2016 animated movie Zootopia would be built in the park, following the launch of Toy Story Land last year. The resort, Disney’s sixth, opened in April 2016 with six themed sections and two themed hotels.
More than 28 million visitors are estimated to have passed through the theme park’s gates in the first two years of operation.
“The rapid rate of expansion at Shanghai Disney Resort demonstrates our confidence and commitment to the company’s future development in China,” Disney parks chief Bob Chapek said.
Shanghai Disneyland draws 11 million visitors in debut year
The park will be the first in the world to have attractions based on Zootopia, which earned over 1.5 billion yuan (US$220 million) in mainland China to become the country’s highest grossing animated film.
The company did not specify a start date for construction but said the new area would take patrons “on an adventure” with the movie’s lead characters, Judy and Nick.
Shanghai Disneyland is the eighth most-visited theme park in the world and the most popular in Greater China, according to a report last year by the Themed Entertainment Association and consulting firm Aecom.
On the park’s first anniversary, Chapek said it received 11 million visitors in the debut year, nearly double the number of visitors to its mature counterpart in Hong Kong.
Shanghai Disneyland’s getting bigger with new ‘Toy Story Land’ set to open in 2018
“Shanghai Disneyland has rapidly become one of the fastest growing Disney parks and has been key to the development of the Shanghai International Resort as one of the most visited leisure destinations in the country,” Yang Jinsong, chairman of Chinese partner Shanghai Shendi Group, said.
Shanghai Disney Resort has been the fastest expanding resort in the Disney group.
In addition to Toy Story Land, the Mandarin production of the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical premiered at Disney’s theatre in Shanghai in June.
A Mandarin production of The Lion King musical had been on show since the start of operations.
