Disney bets on China's middle class growth with a Shanghai park
Details for Walt Disney's new park in mainland China were unveiled yesterday with its grand opening due next spring.  The $5.5bn Disney Shanghai Resort will be its largest foreign investment to date as its success hinges on the growth of middle-class consumers against an economic slowdown in China as well as competition from other parks (e.g. Universal Studios and DreamWorks Animation).
The happiest place on Earth is coming to mainland China.

Disney announced on Wednesday that the Shanghai Disney theme park is "a world of possibilities," and will include the largest castle at any Disney park, among other firsts. The park is set to open in the spring of 2016.

Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger unveiled a model of the park at the Shanghai Expo Center.

An aerial rendering of the Shanghai Disney Resort. Credit: Shanghai Disney

“We are building something truly special here in Shanghai that not only showcases the best of Disney’s storytelling but also celebrates and incorporates China’s incredibly rich heritage to create a one-of-a-kind destination that will delight and entertain the people of China for generations to come,” Iger said in a statement. “We are taking everything we’ve learned from our six decades of exceeding expectations -– along with our relentless innovation and famous creativity to create a truly magical place that is both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.”

Disney already has a presence in the country, having opened a theme park in Hong Kong in 2005(opens in a new tab).

The announcement comes days before the 60th anniversary of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which opened July 17, 1955.

The Shanghai theme park will have six themed "lands," including Mickey Avenue, where visitors will be met by popular characters; Gardens of Imagination, designed to celebrate "the wonders of nature and the joy of imagination"; Fantasyland, focusing on the animated films and featuring the Enchanted Storybook Castle (the biggest on the planet); Adventure Isle, focusing on exploration of a "lost world"; Treasure Cove, the first pirate-themed land in a Disney park; and Tomorrowland, celebrating "the limitless possibilities of the future in Shanghai."

A rendering of the entrance to the park. Credit: Shanghai Disney

"Shanghai Disney Resort guests will find something for everyone," the company said in a statement. "They will be immersed in popular Disney stories that come to life at the largest castle in a Disney park, at the first pirate-themed land in a Disney park, on the longest Disney Parks parade route and in more enchanting places filled with thrills, creativity and adventure."

Roaring Rapids will be a brand new ride in the Adventure Isle section of the resort. Credit: Shanghai Disney

The company also has big plans for the resort and surrounding area, the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone.

In addition to Shanghai Disneyland, there will also be the Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, a shopping district called "Disneytown" and Wishing Star Park in the center, with walking paths and a lake.

The Enchanted Storybook Castle will be the "tallest, largest and most interactive castle" at any Disney theme park, according to the company. The castle will represent all the Disney princesses, instead of just one.

A drawing of Mickey in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle. Credit: Shanghai Disney

Credit: Shanghai Disney

The Shanghai park's other "firsts" include Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, a ride focusing on classic Disney tales, the Chinese focus of Tomorrowland, a TRON Lightcycle Power Run, a high-speed ride that provides views in addition to thrills, and the Garden of the Twelve Friends.

In the garden, animals of the Chinese zodiac will be Disneyfied, reimagined as Disney and Pixar characters.

[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/adventure_isle.jpg" caption="A rendering of Adventure Isle, one of six themed "lands" in the park." credit="Shanghai Disney" alt="Adventure Isle"]

Correction: The date of the Disneyland opening in 1955 has been corrected to July 17, 1955. The article previously stated the opening was July 15, 1955.