Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Lay-Out of the Magic Kingdom in Shanghai Wrapped Up in a Trade Secret

"One rat will invite his friend"
In November 2009 the Chinese government approved that Shanghai would get its own Disneyland and even the first Disney resort in China. Hong Kong was not amused, because as of 2016 Hong Kong will no longer be the exclusive gate to the Magic Kingdom in China. Brady MacDonald wrote for the Los Angeles Times the reasons why the lay-out of the Shanghai Disneyland is shrouded in secrecy:

  • "To prevent knockoff rides by rival Asian theme parks, which happened before Hong Kong Disneyland's 2005 opening. 
  • To preserve creative flexibility for Disney's Imagineers during the ongoing "Blue Sky" development phase, when rides, shows and even entire lands appear or disappear.
  • To tread lightly with the Chinese government during the upcoming five-year engagement, which follows a delicate two-decade courtship."
Major construction of Shanghai Disneyland is expected to begin next month (May 2011), then it will become harder to keep the trade secret. 
Read more here.

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