NY Times Report: Shanghai Disneyland will NOT have a Main Street USA

[surfpark]

I thought this was kind of interesting....

Shanghai’s Disneyland, for instance, will not feature a Main Street-theme entrance, a staple of every other Disney resort. (The Main Street areas are designed to reflect Walt Disney’s idyllic childhood in a Missouri town at the turn of the 20th century.) Instead, guests will enter through a lush 11-acre area featuring water and trees, where they will be greeted by costumed characters, Mr. Iger said. The castle will be Disney’s biggest.

The article goes on to cite that the new park's plans are being kept vague to avoid the copycat clones, such as the parks that rushed to copy Hong Kong Disneyland's attractions. The article also features a new park rendering of this Main Street-less Disneyland...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/business/media/08disney.html

 

[skiingfast]

Or will it have a main street? The lowest picture on Stagg's Disney Blog post suggest multiple situations on entering the park.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/04/breaking-ground-on-shanghai-disney-resort/

 

[Figment632]

Yup like I said SHDL will make drastic changes and it's about time we don't need another DL clone!

 

[DC7800]

I'm not at all sure I like the idea of a "Disneyland" park without a Main Street USA, particularly the removal of the American component in a foreign park. Innovation and original thinking about the design of a modern Disneyland are not only fine but a refreshing change, however Main Street is a hallmark of a Disneyland/Magic Kingdom park. An Epcot or DisneySeas clone doesn't need a Main Street, and perhaps there is something in the Shanghai design which takes its place and/or serves a similar function (representing small town America), but the few details we have leave me wondering just what the idea is here.

I'd love to see more details on this, especially why Main Street is missing in this park concept.

 

[skiingfast]

I'm not at all sure I like the idea of a "Disneyland" park without a Main Street USA, particularly the removal of the American component in a foreign park.

I believe if this proves to be true, no MS. It won't be because of design choice by Disney, but by a decision imposed upon it by China's government.

 

[Figment632]

No Main Street and no Frontier land. It will have a Myth based land aka Beastly Kingdom and a Pirate subland but the POTC will have the Splash Moutain ride system. Which is the perfect system for POTC.

 

[anthony2k7]

looks like the castle may be built on a hill as well? - which seems to be a great idea for people getting a better view of fireworks and the whole castle in view rather than fireworks coming out of the big headed guy in fronts ears!

 

[nick p]

Picture of Shanghai Disneyland Park Layout on the Entry Side--There appears to be no Main Street

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The park designers had to contact the actual owners of main street USA in order to get permission to build another one at the Shanghai park...

...Goldman Sachs and the Chinese Government said no.

 

[surfpark]

The park designers had to contact the actual owners of main street USA in order to get permission to build another one at the Shanghai park...

...Goldman Sachs and the Chinese Government said no.

Cute

Obviously the lands that scream "America" are being subdued a bit. I don't know if this is just China trying to sanitize the park's western influence or if the Chinese just wouldn't embrace the concepts of a main street (capitalism) or a frontier (colonialism). I guess it can be argued either way.

As the NY Times article suggests, Disney "learned" a lot with Hong Kong Disneyland and perhaps the lesson was the Chinese didn't embrace American history. Disney isn't opposed to adapting for a culture, so I'm thinking they made this change willingly.

As for what this area will be, it has yet to be see. 11 acres of land between the entrance and the castle. That's a lot! Even with characters through the space, it's going to be a long walk to get to the castle!

Speaking of that, it's funny that Disney thought a European-style castle was alright to keep in this "distinctly Chinese" park. Just saying...

 

[ChrisFL]

Cute

Obviously the lands that scream "America" are being subdued a bit. I don't know if this is just China trying to sanitize the park's western influence or if the Chinese just wouldn't embrace the concepts of a main street (capitalism) or a frontier (colonialism). I guess it can be argued either way.

I'm not even sure if capitalism or colonialism have anything to do with it...It's more like they can't relate to an early 20th century USA the same as other places would.

Honestly I would have been surprised if they did make a Main Street in the same way that we see here.