Shanghai Disney Attracts 5.6 Million Visitors in First Six Months

(Beijing) — The new Shanghai Disney Resort has reached the 5-million-visitor mark faster than any of Disney’s other theme parks globally, as business remained brisk in the runup to the colder winter months in China’s commercial hub.

Shanghai Disney, which opened in mid-June, had hosted 5.6 million visitors by the end of the year, according to Fan Xiping, chairman of Shanghai Shendi Group Co. Ltd, the Walt Disney Co.’s Chinese partner in the $5.5 billion theme park. Disney previously said the park received 4 million visitors in its first four months, and that it could be close to the break-even mark for the company’s 2017 fiscal year.

“Both sides from China and the U.S. are satisfied with the park’s performance,” Fan said, according to a report from the official Xinhua News Agency. “We’ll work together to improve our operational and service standards, to deliver exceptional service to visitors from all over the world.”

Shanghai Disney opened to huge fanfare in June, capping a decade of effort by its parent company to build its first mainland Chinese theme park. In the month before its opening, the park reportedly attracted nearly 1 million visitors who came just to walk around the area outside and visit some shops.

Disney hasn’t discussed targets for the park, though it has said that 300 million people with disposable income live within three hours. Analysts have estimated the park could attract about 15 million visitors per year.

The new resort is Disney’s sixth globally, complementing the parks in Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and two in the U.S. It has been relatively problem-free since its opening, though some complaints have surfaced over sudden closures of attractions and the expensive food.

The Xinhua report also said that two of the park’s main hotels, the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, had both reported up to 90% occupancy. It cited a third-party survey as saying that 80% of the parks visitors said they were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their experience.

Contact writer: Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)