D&M Exclusive: More About Shanghaî Disneyland Zootopia Land - and also SDL Marvel Land, Star Wars Land, and more

I'm reposting this article that i had posted just three months ago as new infos and artwork released by Bob Chapek at D23 Disney Parks and Resorts presentation bring a confirmation to what i was telling you but which was not yet revealed by Disney last May. When Disney Parks announced that a Zootopia land was coming to Shanghaî Disney Resort last year they didn't provided any infos about what will be the attraction except that it will be "a state-of-the-art ride". Then, last week-end at D23 Disney Parks  released the above rendering, always didn't give specific details about the attraction,  except that it will be "a state-of-the-art ride", etc, and mentioned the Zootopia Central Station that you can see on the above rendering as where will be the attraction.  It's an highly important point as it means that what i told you last May in my article was right - not all of it, but the major part of it - about what kind of ride it will be. The article also included others exclusive infos about the future of Shanghaî Disneyland park, so here we go:

The Zootopia land will be Shanghaî Disneyland’s eighth themed land,  the first-ever “Zootopia” land at any Disney theme park and will be built on the available land behind Winnie the Pooh and Pirates of Caribbean show building,  see the plan below on which the red line encircled the area for the Zootopia land. Which of course reduce quite a lot the land that i had encircled for a Marvel land in the previous article.

Before talking further about what will be the awaited Zootopia attraction, here are some pictures posted recently by a Chinese fan, showing the fences now in place at Shanghaî Disneyland for Zootopia construction. 

Now, you probably noticed that the area encircled in red for the Zootopia land is a pretty big one,  in fact you could put in it three show buildings like the one on the right of SDL Pirates of Caribbean attraction, which is a huge one. We know, thanks to the concept-art below, that they'll build a huge backdrop decor for Zootopia buildings as well as shops and restaurant but why would they need such a big space for the E-Ticket ride - as Zootopia will have only one attraction? 

The land description released by Disney didn't tell a lot about the attraction itself but simply said "Guests will be invited to experience the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia “where anyone can be anything,” with a new major attraction that will seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life – including Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Entertainment, merchandise, and food and beverage offerings will invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the Academy-Award-winning animated movie".

If you've seen the animated film you know that the "real" Zootopia is supposed to be huge and it's of course impossible for Disney Imagineers to build all of it. On the other hand this buddy cop movie had a great script but the sequence that everyone remember the most is the great scene at the start showing a monorail running all over Zootopia with Judy Hopps, and arriving at Zootopia's train station. I mean: this sequence below, watch it, it's important for what is coming next:




Now,  last Sunday Disney Parks released a new rendering - the oartwork below or at the top - for the Zootopia land showing, on the left, the Jumbeaux's Cafe and in the background ...Zootopia Central Station! Don't think it's a coincidence as it's not and it confirms what i've been told. Here it is: from what i was told the Zootopia attraction will be an indoor E-Ticket ride with a "monorail vehicle type”, most certainly looking like the one in the movie, and, as it is of course out of question that Disney will create an indoor ride with a real Zootopia monorail, the Imagineers found a different way to give to Shanghaî Disneyland guests the illusion they travel through Zootopia. How, you ask? Remember the King Kong or Fast and Furious rides at Universal Studios, with guests inside a tram going through a long tunnel with 3D projections on each side? Well, from what i've heard the Zootopia ride will be like this, not with a tram of course but with a Zootopia theming, in addition to a dark ride portion with Audio-Animatronics - as it would be difficult to do a land based on Zootopia without Audio-Animatronics animals, right?



My guess - but what is below was not told to me and is just my guess so i can be wrong here - is that the ride will partly recreate this short travel through Zootopia as seen in the movie, up to the point when eventually "something will go wrong", as i think they can't have a visual travelogue only during the whole ride, something a bit more thrilling must happen. But the question in fact is this one: will SDL guests need to embark first in the monorail to access "Zootopia", then arrive to Zootopia's train station like in the movie and then enter the land - which would be the smartest way to give the illusion that you arrived in a real Zootopia - or: will the guests enter the land as they do usually, simply by walking inside it, and then the ride will provide them a look all around Zootopia? The first option might be difficult on a guest flow point of view - though Universal somewhat did it with the Hogwarts Express bringing guests to IOA Wizarding World and it works perfectly - even if the technology is not the same as it is a train really moving - but i still think that the first option would be the best - we'll see...

That said, even if the monorail designed attraction vehicle won't move on a one km long track like the Hogwarts Express, it still will need to move at least some few hundred meters to enter the part with the projections on each side. Which would explain why the land ( the one circled in red on the Google Earth capture above ) is quite long as the "monorail" will need - after entering the part with the projections - to come back to a station one way or another.

And they might also need to build two different "train stations",  specially in my first option, one for the start, one for the arrival at Zootopia. Will SDL Imagineers recreate the train station like the one in the movie? - pictures below - that would be a smart idea, after all Universal did it with the Hogwarts Express train station in Diagon Alley... And i remind you that Shanghaî Disneyland is the only Disney "Magic Kingdom" with NO railroad, so this ride could be a chance to introduce one which will give SDL guests at least the illusion of a train ride...







Once arrived, guests will find themselves inside Zootopia as shown on the official rendering below., with themed shops and restaurants. A good idea by the way, if guests will need to take the "monorail" to enter the land ( first option described above ) and to take it back again to return to "reality", would be to have a different kind of projections during the ride back, like Universal do in the Hogwarts Express when guests come back from Islands of Adventure Wizarding World to Diagon Alley... That's what i would do personally, but may be we're asking too much... Not to mention that i can be totally wrong and that SDL Imagineers may have planned something totally different for the ride inside the monorail, so as usual consider all this as a rumor until announced officially, may be we'll learn more in August at the next D23.



That was for Zootopia, let's talk now about the Marvel land for Shanghaî Disneyland and what i've heard about it. As said in the previous article Bob Iger announced recently that they intend to do a big Marvel land at Shanghaî Disneyland. You can see on the above Google Earth capture that, even after Zootopia will be built, they'll still have land available on the left of it. It could be big enough for a Marvel land but probably not big enough for what Bob Iger has in mind. So, guess what, from what i've heard the plan is to build the Marvel Land in Shanghaî Disneyland SECOND park ...scheduled to open in 2031, 15 years after the first park which opened in 2016.

But eventually the second park could open before, but not before 2029. Why 2029? Because in the meantime the Marvel land at Hong Kong Disneyland will be finished and HKDL will have an exclusivity on the big E-Ticket Avengers ride during 5 years. So, Shanghaî Disneyland second park is scheduled for 2031 but there’s apparently an option to start the works by 2026 which, with 3 years of construction, will bring its opening to 2029, and will resolve the question of HKDL 5 years exclusivity on the Avengers ride - the one on the artwork below.



Wait, as, as you might expect they're not going to build Shanghaî Disneyland second park with one Marvel land only, as big as it might be. So, the idea - at least for now as plans can change at Disney as we know - is to build also a Star Wars land in the second park - yes, the dream of Disney fans to have a brand new park with both Marvel and Star Wars land in it instead than having like at Disneyland Resort a Star Wars land in Disneyland and a Marvel land in California Adventure might become a reality at Shanghaî Disneyland... And if the Avatar sequels happen to be succesful in China i personally won't be surprised if a Pandora land would be also added in SDL second park... That said, note that nothing is set in stone for SDL second park, though all the ( many ) ideas bouncing around have a Marvel and a Star Wars land included in SDL second park. Not totally sure, though, that they both stick as apparently some big Imagineers think that having both lands in the same park is a waste... so, we'll see.

But we're not done yet, as things gets even more complicated because Disney is currently trying to decide where to build first the next Star Wars land in Asia ...as Tokyo Disneyland was supposed to get it ( it would be built behind Tomorrowland on part of the remaining parking lot ) but Oriental Land - who still have to pay for the Beauty and the Beast land and TDS Fantasy Springs - would apparently prefer to wait for a better Japanese economy... Recently, for the "Fantasy Springs" groundbreaking ceremony and name announcement, you've seen on the picture released by Oriental Land that Bob Iger and Philippe Gas were both at Tokyo Disney Resort, with OLC President and others TDR executives and some of you who know that Philippe Gas is Shanghaî Disney Resort President may have been surprised to see him there. Well, in fact Philippe Gas is no longer Shanghaî Disney Resort President since March and he is now "Walt Disney Attractions Japan and Disneyland International" President - it is Joe Shot ( previously Chief Operating Officer - Senior Vice President at Disneyland Paris ) who is now President / General Manager of Shanghaî Disney Resort. And apparently Bob Iger and Philippe Gas were not only in Tokyo for Fantasy Springs groundbreaking ceremony but also for talks and eventually convince Oriental Land executives to bring a Star Wars land at Tokyo Disneyland. As for what decision went out of the discussions, sorry, but i'm afraid you'll have to wait for an official announcement.

Pictures: copyright Disney, Google

D&M Exclusive: Shanghaî Disneyland Update: Zootopia Land, Marvel Land, Star Wars Land, and more

I have for you today some exclusive infos about the future of Shanghaî Disneyland park but, first, i have to apologize for a big mistake i did recently in the article HERE about the location of the Marvel land envisioned for Shanghaî Disneyland, as i had totally forgot the already announced Zootopia land!!!

The Zootopia land will be Shanghaî Disneyland’s eighth themed land,  the first-ever “Zootopia” land at any Disney theme park and will be built on the available land behind Winnie the Pooh and Pirates of Caribbean show building,  see the plan below on which the red line encircled the area for the Zootopia land. Which of course reduce quite a lot the land that i had encircled for a Marvel land in the previous article.

Before talking further about what will be the awaited Zootopia attraction, here are some pictures posted recently by a Chinese fan, showing the fences now in place at Shanghaî Disneyland for Zootopia construction. 

Now, you probably noticed that the area encircled in red for the Zootopia land is a pretty big one,  in fact you could put in it three show buildings like the one on the right of SDL Pirates of Caribbean attraction, which is a huge one. We know, thanks to the concept-art below, that they'll build a huge backdrop decor for Zootopia buildings as well as shops and restaurant but why would they need such a big space for the E-Ticket ride - as Zootopia will have only one attraction? 

The land description released by Disney didn't tell a lot about the attraction itself but simply said "Guests will be invited to experience the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia “where anyone can be anything,” with a new major attraction that will seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life – including Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Entertainment, merchandise, and food and beverage offerings will invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the Academy-Award-winning animated movie".

If you've seen the animated film you know that the "real" Zootopia is supposed to be huge and it's of course impossible for Disney Imagineers to build all of it. On the other hand this buddy cop movie had a great script but the sequence that everyone remember the most is the great scene at the start showing a monorail running all over Zootopia with Judy Hopps, and arriving at Zootopia's train station. I mean: this sequence below, watch it, it's important for what is coming next:




Now,  here it is: from what i've been told the Zootopia attraction will be an indoor E-Ticket ride with a "monorail vehicle type”, most certainly looking like the one in the movie, and, as it is of course out of question that Disney will create an indoor ride with a real monorail, the Imagineers found a different way to give to Shanghaî Disneyland guests the illusion they travel through Zootopia. How, you ask? Remember the King Kong or Fast and Furious rides at Universal Studios, with guests inside a tram going through a long tunnel with 3D projections on each side? Well, from what i've heard the Zootopia ride will be like this, not with a tram of course but with a Zootopia theming, in addition to a dark ride portion with Audio-Animatronics - as it would be difficult to do a land based on Zootopia without Audio-Animatronics animals, right?

My guess - but what is below was not told to me and is just my guess so i can be wrong here - is that the ride will partly recreate this short travel through Zootopia as seen in the movie, up to the point when eventually "something will go wrong", as i think they can't have a visual travelogue only during the whole ride, something a bit more thrilling must happen. But the question in fact is this one: will SDL guests need to embark first in the monorail to access "Zootopia", then arrive to Zootopia's train station like in the movie and then enter the land - which would be the smartest way to give the illusion that you arrived in a real Zootopia - or: will the guests enter the land as they do usually, simply by walking inside it, and then the ride will provide them a look all around Zootopia? The first option might be difficult on a guest flow point of view ( though Universal somewhat did it with the Hogwarts Express bringing guests to IOA Wizarding World and it works perfectly - even if the technology is not the same as it is a train really moving ) but i still think that the first option would be the best - we'll see...

That said, even if the monorail designed attraction vehicle won't move on a one km long track like the Hogwarts Express, it still will need to move at least some few hundred meters to enter the part with the projections on each side. Which would explain why the land ( the one circled in red on the Google Earth capture above ) is quite long as the "monorail" will need - after entering the part with the projections - to come back to a station one way or another.

And they might also need to build two different "train stations",  specially in my first option, one for the start, one for the arrival at Zootopia. Will SDL Imagineers recreate the train station like the one in the movie? - pictures below - that would be a smart idea, after all Universal did it with the Hogwarts Express train station in Diagon Alley... And i remind you that Shanghaî Disneyland is the only Disney "Magic Kingdom" with NO railroad, so this ride could be a chance to introduce one which will give SDL guests at least the illusion of a train ride...







Once arrived, guests will find themselves inside Zootopia as shown on the official rendering below., with themed shops and restaurants. A good idea by the way, if guests will need to take the "monorail" to enter the land ( first option described above ) and to take it back again to return to "reality", would be to have a different kind of projections during the ride back, like Universal do in the Hogwarts Express when guests come back from Islands of Adventure Wizarding World to Diagon Alley... That's what i would do personally, but may be we're asking too much... Not to mention that i can be totally wrong and that SDL Imagineers may have planned something totally different for the ride inside the monorail, so as usual consider all this as a rumor until announced officially, may be we'll learn more in August at the next D23.



That was for Zootopia, let's talk now about the Marvel land for Shanghaî Disneyland and what i've heard about it. As said in the previous article Bob Iger announced recently that they intend to do a big Marvel land at Shanghaî Disneyland. You can see on the above Google Earth capture that, even after Zootopia will be built, they'll still have land available on the left of it. It could be big enough for a Marvel land but probably not big enough for what Bob Iger has in mind. So, guess what, from what i've heard the plan is to build the Marvel Land in Shanghaî Disneyland SECOND park ...scheduled to open in 2031, 15 years after the first park which opened in 2016.

But eventually the second park could open before, but not before 2029. Why 2029? Because in the meantime the Marvel land at Hong Kong Disneyland will be finished and HKDL will have an exclusivity on the big E-Ticket Avengers ride during 5 years. So, Shanghaî Disneyland second park is scheduled for 2031 but there’s apparently an option to start the works by 2026 which, with 3 years of construction, will bring its opening to 2029, and will resolve the question of HKDL 5 years exclusivity on the Avengers ride - the one on the artwork below.



Wait, as, as you might expect they're not going to build Shanghaî Disneyland second park with one Marvel land only, as big as it might be. So, the idea - at least for now as plans can change at Disney as we know - is to build also a Star Wars land in the second park - yes, the dream of Disney fans to have a brand new park with both Marvel and Star Wars land in it instead than having like at Disneyland Resort a Star Wars land in Disneyland and a Marvel land in California Adventure might become a reality at Shanghaî Disneyland... And if the Avatar sequels happen to be succesful in China i personally won't be surprised if a Pandora land would be also added in SDL second park... That said, note that nothing is set in stone for SDL second park, though all the ( many ) ideas bouncing around have a Marvel and a Star Wars land included in SDL second park. Not totally sure, though, that they both stick as apparently some big Imagineers think that having both lands in the same park is a waste... so, we'll see.

But we're not done yet, as things gets even more complicated because Disney is currently trying to decide where to build first the next Star Wars land in Asia ...as Tokyo Disneyland was supposed to get it ( it would be built behind Tomorrowland on part of the remaining parking lot ) but Oriental Land - who still have to pay for the Beauty and the Beast land and TDS Fantasy Springs - would apparently prefer to wait for a better Japanese economy... Last week, for the "Fantasy Springs" groundbreaking ceremony and name announcement, you've seen on the picture released by Oriental Land that Bob Iger and Philippe Gas were both at Tokyo Disney Resort, with OLC President and others TDR executives and some of you who know that Philippe Gas is Shanghaî Disney Resort President may have been surprised to see him there. Well, in fact Philippe Gas is no longer Shanghaî Disney Resort President since March and he is now "Walt Disney Attractions Japan and Disneyland International" President - it is Joe Shot ( previously Chief Operating Officer - Senior Vice President at Disneyland Paris ) who is now President / General Manager of Shanghaî Disney Resort. And apparently Bob Iger and Philippe Gas were not only in Tokyo for Fantasy Springs groundbreaking ceremony but also for talks and eventually convince Oriental Land executives to bring a Star Wars land at Tokyo Disneyland. As for what decision went out of the discussions, sorry, but i'm afraid you'll have to wait for an official announcement.

Pictures: copyright Disney, Google

BREAKING: Shanghai Disney Resort Announces a “Zootopia”-Themed Land Coming to Shanghai Disneyland !

Today, Shanghai Disney Resort announced that a “Zootopia”-themed land is coming to Shanghai Disneyland - artwork above - marking the second major expansion since the resort opened in 2016. Based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hit animated movie, this exciting development will be the park’s eighth themed land and the first-ever “Zootopia”-themed land at any Disney park.

Zootopia will be unique to Shanghai Disneyland and will feature a new, major attraction that seamlessly blends Disney’s storytelling and state-of-the-art technologies in order to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life. Guests will be invited to experience the mammalian metropolis of Zootopia “where anyone can be anything,” with a new major attraction that will seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art technology to bring this fan-favorite movie and its characters to life – including Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. Entertainment, merchandise, and food and beverage offerings will invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the Academy-Award-winning animated movie.

There’s plenty of reasons to be wildly excited for this expansion: When it opens, Zootopia will become the eighth themed land at the world’s newest Disney park and the first-ever Zootopia-themed land at any Disney park worldwide! Park guests will be able to enter the world of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde for the very first time and discover what it is like to visit the place where animals can be anything they want.



“We are thrilled to announce that Shanghai Disneyland will be home to the world’s first Zootopia-themed land,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products, The Walt Disney Company. “The rapid rate of expansion at Shanghai Disney Resort demonstrates our confidence and commitment to the Company’s future development in China.”

The development of the world’s first “Zootopia”-themed land follows the huge success of the “Zootopia” animated movie globally, particularly in China where it broke box office records to become the country’s No. 1 animated feature film in history. Of course, no matter where you travel, you’re sure to find a fan or two—Judy and Nick can currently be found greeting guests at Disney parks worldwide, and will soon be joined by other Zootopia friends at their very own land at Shanghai Disney Resort.

“Since the resort’s Grand Opening in 2016, Shanghai Disneyland has gone from strength to strength – continuing to expand and enjoying ever-rising attendance rates while also providing a safe and enjoyable experience for our guests,” said Yang Jinsong, Chairman of Disney’s Chinese joint venture partner for Shanghai Disney Resort – Shanghai Shendi Group. “Shanghai Disneyland has rapidly become one of the fastest growing Disney parks and has been key to the development of the Shanghai International Resort as one of the most visited leisure destinations in the country. This new expansion will provide our guests with an even richer selection of offerings, and will further boost our market competitiveness.”

Construction on Zootopia is targeted to begin later this year, no land opening date has been announced yet, neither what kind of attraction will be built. And if you wonder why this SDL new land was announced today, coming apparently out from nowhere in the middle of January, there is a reason for that and it's because the long holiday for the Chinese New Year is starting in China and all over Asia. The biggest human migration on the planet is now officially underway with close to 3 billion trips expected to be made between January 21 and March 1! By announcing this major news for Shanghai Disneyland now, and even if the Zootopia land is not built yet, Disney bring back SDL in the top news and remind SDL to the hundred of millions of Chinese moving now for this major holiday. Learn more about this on CNN HERE.

Stay tuned on Disney and more for more infos about the Zootopia land when available!

Disney's Animal Kingdom Rafiki's Planet Watch to Close on October 21st ...to be Replaced by What? A Zootopia Land? Black Panther Wakanda?

At Disney's Animal Kingdom Rafiki's Planet Watch will close on October 21st, though Disney didn't announced it yet officially. With it it's all the great exhibits, meet and greets and apparently too the Wildlife Express Train ride which will close and it's pretty strange that this happen now, at the moment when the question of animals conservation on the planet has never been so important. Of course all the veterinary facilities will stay to take care of all DAK animals, so no worries about that.



DAK cast-members are saying that some experiences from Planet Watch will be back elsewhere in the park in the future but i would take this with a grain of salt until announced officially. I will be really sad if the Wildlife Express train closes forever because i always loved its theming, i think that it is the best themed train in a Disney theme park with the Disneyland Paris Railroad, in a different way, of course.



That said, the question of course is: why are they closing Rafiki's Planet Watch? It could be a budgetary reason but you also have probably read rumors that either a Zootopia land or a Black Panther Wakanda land would come to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We won't know for sure until Disney announces it officially but, for Zootopia, i remember reading that Joe Rohde was against the idea of a Zootopia land at Animal Kingdom and personally i agree with him. It's not because Zootopia is an animated films with all kind of animals in it that it necessarily can find its place at DAK. Considering the cartoonish style of Zootopia i think that a mini land at Disney's Hollywood Studios would be better there, with 3D and painted backdrops for the skyline buildings of Zootopia. On the other hand, when Zootopia hero Judy Hopps arrive at Zootopia she does it by train - but a bullet train - and the railroad trip from DAK Harambe station could give this feeling to Animal Kingdom guests. Will that be enough to give it a go? Not sure, we'll see.

Do you really want to see something like this at Disney's Animal Kingdom? Mmmmh... probably not.

May be a more stylized version of Zootopia like this early artwork for the animated film, then?

And then there is the other rumor about a Black Panther Wakanda land. For now there is also lots of speculations that Epcot Wonders of Life pavilion could possibly be used as a Wakanda exhibit and, as it would be close to the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy coaster it will allows Disney to create a kind of Marvel area there. The other problem with creating a Wakanda land at DAK is about Black Panther and the inhabitants of Wakanda, which as we know is located in Africa. Okay, the Africa land is next door but Disney's Animal Kingdom is a park dedicated to animals and having a land about an African country with Africans people - even a mythical country - in an animal park will for sure raise protests instantly. I'm sure that WDI Imagineers are aware of that and even if i'm certain that they could find a way to introduce a Wakanda land in a sensitive way, i'm not sure it's a good idea.

And do you want a Wakanda at DAK? Mmmh, not sure it will be a good idea, too...

We'll see what will be announced officially but you might have to wait until the next 2019 D23 Expo to learn more... In the meantime and, as apparently there is plenty of you who've never been to Rafiki's Planet Watch and even done the train ride here is a great 4K video showing all of it, including the ride aboard the Wildlife Express Train from Harambe Station to Conservation Station!