Shanghai Disney Resort marks 10th anniversary

Shanghai Disney Resort celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday, marking a decade of growth, deepening cultural fusion, and expansion projects that underscore its growing role as a world-class tourism destination, according to officials.

"When we opened these gates, we believed we could create something the world had never seen — a place where Disney storytelling met Chinese culture in a way that was genuinely new," Josh D'Amaro, chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company, said.

Construction of the resort's ninth themed park — a Spider-Man zone featuring the first major Marvel themed attraction at the park — is underway, with the final section of the rollercoaster track installed just weeks ago.

Two additional themed hotels are also in the pipeline. The resort unveiled the name of its third hotel at the ceremony, Shanghai Disney Enchanted Star Hotel, a 400-room property adjacent to the existing Shanghai Disneyland Hotel that is set to open this winter.

Sheng Xiaojing, a stationmaster at Metro line 11's Disney station, has watched the resort grow from his post since 2015. "Every morning, visitors sprint out of the station toward the park, as if every minute away means a minute less of happiness," he said. As the number of international visitors has grown steadily, he and his colleagues have responded by expanding their services to cover multiple languages.

For Qiao Guangjun, a 68-year-old retiree who bought his opening-day tickets three months ago, the resort has become a weekly ritual. "I don't play cards or mahjong, I don't dance, I just love coming to Disney," he said. "This is the happiness I seek." Over the years, he has amassed hundreds of commemorative pins, each one, he says, "a piece of my history".