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Credit: Disney Disney has pledged to invest $60 billion in its theme parks over the next decade, and it’s not wasting any time getting started.
Plenty of changes have occurred at Disney’s theme parks since the onset of COVID-19, and few of them have been warmly welcomed. It feels like plenty of small things we once took for granted have been slowly chipped away from the overall experience in favor of paid alternatives that make your vacation more complicated (but make Disney more money).
For example, there’s the death of FastPass+ in favor of Genie+ at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort (although this will soon change again), the introduction of several upcharges at Disneyland Paris, and the end of free services such as Magical Express.
There’s also the fact that visiting Disney is more expensive than ever – and yet it doesn’t feel like guests are getting much more value for money. Theme park fans have long joked about how long it takes Disney to build new attractions and lands, the most obvious example being TRON Lightcycle / Run, which was announced for Magic Kingdom Park at D23 in 2017 and opened in April 2023, a whole six years later.
But that could all be about to change. As The Walt Disney Company announced last year, a whopping $60 billion investment is heading for Disney’s theme parks and cruise ships over the next decade. Walt Disney World Resort alone is allegedly getting $17 billion of that number, with the rest split between the likes of Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, and the Disney Cruise Line.
Further afield, it seems like a certain chunk is heading for Disney’s property in mainland China. As per Yicai Global, Shanghai Disney Resort has officially opened the public bidding process for its next expansion, which is one of its biggest to date.
According to an announcement published by Shanghai Disney Resort’s operator, Shanghai International Resort, on Shanghai’s construction engineering trading platform, the project will reportedly include six amusement facilities covering an area of about 21,306 square meters with a total building area of 6,228 whopping square meters.
We already have some vague information about one of these attractions. A permit leaked earlier this year that detailed a roller coaster project set (supposedly inspired by Spider-Man) to be built near the recently opened Zootopia Land.
BREAKING: According to the permits filed by Shanghai Disneyland, we have learned some new info regarding the ROLLER COASTER project planned for this park:
1. This expansion will utilize 5.26 acres of land
2. An official announcement from Disney is expected to come on May 2
BREAKING: According to the permits filed by Shanghai Disneyland, we have learned some new info regarding the ROLLER COASTER project planned for this park:
1. This expansion will utilize 5.26 acres of land
2. An official announcement from Disney is expected to come on May 2 pic.twitter.com/XBa3vRe6jU— Christian Tomas (@themepkhorizons) April 22, 2024
These permits claimed that the ride would be announced on May 2, which it was not, but the rest of the details seem pretty closely aligned with Shanghai Disneyland’s plans.
The resort is also said to soon add an as-yet-unnamed third hotel to its lineup, which currently includes Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel.
For now, the rest is a mystery. However, with D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event right around the corner in August, we wouldn’t be totally shocked if a massive Shanghai Disneyland announcement (a 21,306-square-meter-sized announcement, to be specific) dropped during the Disney Parks & Experiences panel.
Before this expansion this debuts, there’s already plenty to do at Shanghai Disneyland. Home to the biggest castle in any Disney theme park (Enchanted Storybook Castle), its lands currently include Mickey Avenue (its version of Main Street, U.S.A.), Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, and, of course, Zootopia.
What updates are you hoping to hear at this year’s D23?