Shanghai Disney Resort celebrates a magical 5 years
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 17, 2021
Shanghai Disney Resort celebrated its fifth anniversary earlier this week with a giant birthday cake, singing and dancing, a spectacular fireworks show, the premiere of the new stage show Mickey's Storybook Adventure, and the release of a new anniversary theme song performed by Jane Zhang, among many highlights.
Thousands of guests joined numerous Disney characters and cast in front of Shanghai Disneyland's iconic Enchanted Storybook Castle to sing "Happy Birthday" on Wednesday morning, an emotional moment that was the culmination of years of hard work by the team.
"The happy smile on your faces, your voices, and the passion that you approach every visit to this magical place are what makes myself and the team so excited to see you each and every day," Joe Schott, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, said during his speech, extending gratitude to the visitors.
The Shanghai resort first opened its gates to the public on June 16, 2016, delivering an array of magical experiences, promising park-goers that Disney is a place "where dreams come true." For Bob Iger, executive chairman of The Walt Disney Company and who invested significant personal effort in overseeing the establishment of the resort, the most memorable part was watching people "actually enjoy the park that we had designed and built."
"I still get tears in my eyes when I remember being there for the first time when we let guests in, and the feeling of watching the people of China enjoying the Disneyland was just so powerful," Iger described. "I'll never forget the experience of seeing people streak down what we call Mickey Avenue, waiting to get to their first attraction, waiting to see the castle, waiting to meet our characters."
"It's hard to believe we are celebrating Shanghai Disney Resort's fifth anniversary, an amazing milestone," said Bob Chapek, chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company. "Eighty years after Walt brought his first-ever animated film, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937), to Shanghai for its Asia premiere, Disney opened the gates to its most ambitious project to date: a state-of-the-art theme park that has quickly become the premier destination of its kind, not only in China but across Asia," Chapek said.
He noted that one of the most incredible aspects has been "seeing people throughout China embrace it as their own."
Shanghai Disney Resort, which is comprised of two owner companies and a management company, is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and China's Shanghai Shendi Group. "Since the opening, the two shareholders have continuously created magic together by combining global standards with the best local practices," said Yang Jinsong, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group.
Built around the unique design philosophy of "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese," the resort has paid tribute to China over the past five years by incorporating Chinese elements and art into every facet. The resort has had a profoundly positive impact on the local community and economic development in the region, becoming a major employer in Shanghai with currently more than 12,000 cast members and staff.
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