Disney is tipped to imminently announce that it is developing a new theme park as part of a $60 billion investment in its Experiences division which generates the majority of its operating income, according to the American business magazine, Forbes.
It is widely expected that the park will be built in Shanghai alongside its existing fairytale-themed outpost there and the announcement could come as early as next week.
The resort will begin two days of celebrations to mark its tenth anniversary with Disney's chief executive Josh D'Amaro flying in for the festivities.
The invitation received by this author doesn't refer to an announcement and simply invites media to “join us to celebrate ten years of making magic together.” However, there will be plenty of opportunity for an announcement to be made.
The festivities will begin on Monday afternoon with a media session which will showcase highlights from the past decade at the resort and provide the updates about the latest developments, according to the organizers.
The media event will be followed on Tuesday by a red-carpet celebration with the highlight taking place in the evening in front of the park's soaring Enchanted Storybook Castle. It will be the backdrop for live performances by Disney characters and an anniversary fireworks celebration.
Unlike all of Disney's other so-called castle parks, Shanghai has no turn-of-the-century themed Main Street running from the entrance to its centerpiece castle.
In place of this slice of Americana is the cartoony Mickey Avenue which is themed to classic capers featuring Disney's mascot.
Likewise, there is no steam train or Haunted Mansion as you usually find in Disney's castle parks. The railroad got cut to maximize walking spaces while the Haunted Mansion was removed out of respect for Chinese cultural sensitivities regarding death and spirits.
Instead, Shanghai Disney is home to the grassy Garden of the Twelve Friends with 12 massive mosaic murals of classic Disney characters in the form of Chinese Zodiac animals. It took more than the wave of a magic wand to pull it off according to Jim Shull, a former Imagineer who worked on Shanghai Disney.
