Keeping Disney At Bay

The complex is called Wanda City, named after Wang’s company, the Wanda Group, which is China’s largest property developer. According to various media reports, Wanda City cost $3 billion to build, which makes is considerably cheaper than Shanghai Disneyland’s $5.5 billion. Within Wanda City is an $800 million amusement park with all Chinese themes, including twirling “porcelain teacup” rides, bamboo forests, an indoor shopping mall with movie theaters, restaurants, hotels and what Wang calls the world’s largest ocean park.

Wanda has invested heavily overseas in the entertainment field – it recently bought the AMC Theaters chain of multiplexes as well as Legendary Entertainment – and Wang has been very vocal about keeping Disney at bay in the Chinese market. His mission is clearly nationalistic, but he hopes the Wanda brand will become internationally recognized as well.

Though he didn’t mention Disney by name, during his remarks at Wanda City’s opening he did say that Chinese people tended to “fawn over” Western imports. In early May he gave an interview on China state television saying that Disney would eventually succumb to Chinese competitive power in China. “The frenzy of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and the era of blindly following them are passed,” he declared. In truth, both Disney and Wang are going to have lots of competition in the future, since dozens of theme parks are being planned by Chinese companies and U.S. firms like Universal Studios, DreamWorks and Six Flags. Wanda’s strategy is to build its parks outside the main metropolises in regional capitals.

Even in Wanda City it’s difficult to get away from Disney. There are mascots roaming the park in costumes that could be mistaken for Snow White’s or the Storm Troopers from “Star Wars,” which is now owned by Disney. And some stores in the complex sold Disney merchandise, according to AP.