Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company (middle), Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (left) and Fan Xiping, Chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group (right) recently broke ground on the new Toy Story Land at Shanghai Disneyland.(Photo/shanghaidisneyresort.com)
(ECNS) -- The new franchise of Disneyland in Shanghai that opened four months ago has announced plans to expand with a new Toy Story Land featuring Woody, Buzz and their toy friends.
According to a press release on its official website, construction has started on the 7th themed park at Shanghai Disneyland. It's expected to open in 2018.
Characters and stories of the Toy Story franchise have a large fan base in China and have already been featured in some facilities at Shanghai Disneyland, including the world's only Toy Story-themed hotel and the Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue attraction with the most advanced targeting system at any Disney Park in the world.
In the new park, visitors will feel they have shrunk down to the size of toys from the cartoon while touring the "backyard" of Andy, the boy star of the movie.
Fan Xiping, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group, one of the shareholders in Shanghai Disneyland, said Toy Story Land is part of an accelerated expansion plan for the first phase of the theme park, adding that they would launch more experiences to meet visitor demand.
