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Mickey, Minnie headed to China

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By DAWN C. CHMIELEWSKI and HUGO MARTIN

Los Angeles Times

Published: November 5, 2009

HOLLYWOOD - China, finally, is ready to build a house for Mickey Mouse.

Beijing has approved plans to build a Disney theme park in Shanghai, a major milestone in the more than decadelong effort by Walt Disney Co. to expand its reach into China dramatically.

Disney and the Shanghai municipal government submitted plans in January to build a $3.59 billion park to open as early as 2014. It would be the entertainment giant's fourth theme park outside the United States, after Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and the first in mainland China, the fastest-growing mass market in the world.

The new Shanghai park would give Disney access to 300 million people who live within a day's travel of the city of more than 16 million people. Perhaps more important, however, it would secure a beachhead for Disney to sell its products and wield its brand in a market that has tightly controlled the inflow of American entertainment.

Disney would take a 43 percent equity stake in Shanghai Disneyland, and a joint-venture holding company owned by the local government would own the remaining 57 percent.

The Shanghai park is envisioned as a classic Magic Kingdom model, with a castle at the center, but with Chinese accents.

Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, a consultant to theme park developers, said Disney has had some problems adjusting its product to foreign audiences. For example, he said Mickey Mouse didn't appeal much to guests at the Hong Kong park until Disney officials researched Chinese media and culture and found he would be more appealing without a mouth.

Still, Speigel said by winning approvals of the Chinese government now, Disney will be in a position to thrive in Shanghai "when they are ready and the time is appropriate."

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