Mickey and Minnie Mouse pose for a photograph at the opening ceremony for the Disney Resort in Shanghai, China, Thursday, June 16, 2016. Walt Disney Co. opened its first theme park in mainland China on Thursday at a ceremony that mixed speeches by Communist Party officials, a Chinese children’s choir and actors dressed as Sleeping Beauty and other Disney characters. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)SHANGHAI – Walt Disney Co. opened Shanghai Disneyland, its first theme park in mainland China, with a lavish celebration last week featuring Communist Party leaders, a children’s choir, Sleeping Beauty and other Disney characters.
A vice premier joined Disney CEO Bob Iger in cutting the grand opening’s red ribbon, showing the ruling party’s support for the $5.5 billion investment in promoting tourism at a time of slowing economic growth. They read letters of congratulations from the Chinese and American presidents, Xi Jinping and Barack Obama.
“This is one of the proudest and most exciting moments in the history of the Walt Disney Co.,” Iger said after the choir sang. Later, actors dressed as Sleeping Beauty, Donald Duck and other Disney characters danced on stage.
The festive sentiment was tempered by news from Florida that an alligator killed a 2-year-old boy at Disney’s flagship Walt Disney World. The boy drowned after the animal dragged him into a lagoon last week.
The company hopes Shanghai Disneyland will burnish the brand behind “Frozen” in the world’s most populous film market and help revive Disney’s struggling international theme park business.