Over the past decade, the Shanghai International Resort has welcomed more than 1.8 billion cumulative visitors, with total fixed asset investments reaching 87 billion yuan and tourism revenue hitting 116.4 billion yuan.
More than ten years ago, when the decision was made to build the Walt Disney theme park in central Pudong, the area was largely rural countryside, a sleeping giant awaiting development. Today, the Shanghai International Resort has emerged as a world-class destination, attracting over 26 million annual visitors and generating more than 18.7 billion yuan in yearly tourism revenue. This transformation represents not just the successful introduction of a major intellectual property, but the monumental evolution of an entire region from nothing into a comprehensive hub.
The resort planted a single tree, and it has grown into an entire forest. If the past ten years are viewed as an exam presented to the Party Central Committee, the city of Shanghai, and its people, the resort has delivered a comprehensive answer with its achievements. A decade ago, it introduced a brilliant focal point; today, it has cultivated a multi-functional, industrially integrated area.
From the outset, planning for the resort was ambitious. It was never intended to simply benefit from the glow of the Walt Disney park, but to learn to generate its own light. The Disney project, the largest modern service industry investment in China since the country's reform and opening-up, was tasked with a mission far greater than building a theme park. It was designed to act as an engine for upgrading and transforming the service industry across the entire region and the nation.
On Shanghai's strategic map, the resort was also entrusted with major expectations. It was seen as a powerful engine for optimizing the spatial layout of the city's eastern sector and boosting the development level of central Pudong. Based on this far-sighted vision, the resort's planning from the very beginning transcended the limited concept of merely providing support facilities for the Disney park.
As early as 2012, while the park was still under construction, the Municipal Development and Reform Commission led the resort's administrative committee, the Shendi Group, and other entities to jointly initiate a medium-to-long-term development plan for the resort and its surrounding areas. This plan established three strategic goals that remain in place today: building a modern international tourism city, creating a center for Chinese trendsetting entertainment experiences, and establishing a world-class destination that everyone aspires to visit.
The commitment to this master plan has continued steadfastly from the 12th Five-Year Plan period through to the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Throughout this decade, the resort has continuously evolved, incorporating emerging industries like digital entertainment into its blueprint.
Some have described large theme parks as "miniature bonsai" within a city, showcasing intricate craftsmanship. The resort today, however, is a much broader ecosystem. It is more like a forest that has grown from a single tree—a place where careful planting has resulted in lush, expansive shade. This is not a result of natural growth, but the product of a decade of meticulous planning and sustained effort by the resort's administrative committee.
Various distinct yet complementary "groves" have been carefully designed and cultivated within this forest. Disney Town serves not just as the park's "front hall," but as an independent destination. As evening falls, visitors exiting the park mingle with local residents coming for dinner, all enjoying the joyful atmosphere created by fountains, music, and beautifully arranged streets. It successfully extends the magical ambiance of the park into the vibrant life outside its gates.
The adjacent Bicester Village Shanghai shopping outlet precisely targets consumers seeking quality lifestyles. It cleverly overlaps the family-oriented flow from the park with its own fashion-conscious clientele, creating a unique "resort-style shopping" experience. Its visitor numbers and revenue have shown strong growth for many consecutive years, ranking among the top performers globally for similar projects.
Meanwhile, the ecological green spaces of the 10K Dream Park and Wishing Star Park offer a different pace of leisure. On the China Athletics Association-certified five-star running track, you find daily joggers; on the open lakeside lawns, families enjoy weekend picnics. These areas expand the resort's function from high-intensity entertainment to low-density relaxation.
Now, many Shanghai residents come to the resort without the park itself being their primary destination. They might come for a walk in Wishing Star Park, a meal in Disney Town, or shopping at Bicester Village. Each component of the resort has developed its own independent appeal. In 2025, of the resort's total 26 million visitors, nearly half were drawn to areas outside the main theme park.
Over the past ten years, the Shanghai International Resort has cumulatively received over 1.8 billion visits, with total fixed asset investments surpassing 87 billion yuan and total tourism industry revenue reaching 116.4 billion yuan. Marked by these impressive figures and outstanding report cards, the resort has concluded its first decade. It has defined the service benchmark for a world-class tourism destination and embodied the profound principle of "a city built by the people and for the people."
Ten years is a milestone, but it is also a new starting point. The story of glory and dreams, of construction and shared benefits, is to be continued.
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