The Walt Disney Company has officially opened the gates to its first theme park on the Chinese mainland.
With U.S.$ 5.5 billion price tag, the Shanghai Disney Resort is the entertainment giant’s largest overseas investment. Disney says it hopes the park will cash in on China’s booming tourism market. More than 600,000 people have visited the park alone since the soft opening in May.
Disney has set the entrance fee at 499 yuan (U.S.$76) during peak periods and 370 yuan (U.S.$56), almost the same as overseas. The sprawling resort covers nearly four square kilometers on the outskirts of Shanghai.