First a disclosure from S.W.

We know park plans can and do change & evolve.  My drawing – a rough interpretation based upon the previously-discussed sources – meant for fun & discussion.  But, unlike most of my site plans, this is not a work of fiction.  It is a 2-D translation of the 3-D massing model, and the rough placement of vertical structures & paths is fairly accurate.    The actual content (what kinds of attractions those structures contain), on the other hand, is more based on informed guesswork (with a few bits officially confirmed).  Still, as far as the physical layout of the resort is concerned, what follows may be the closest thing to a park map (of the current iteration of Shanghai) any of us outside WDI will ever see.

[Click image for full size version]

The Enchanted Storybook Castle is going to be the largest and most immersive castle at any Disney park around the world and it will be the first castle not dedicated to a specific princess because it will represent all of them. Inside, guests will be able to explore the multi-level castle, which will feature a princess meet and greet, the first ever Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique princess makeover experience inside a castle and Once Upon a Time Adventure, a large-scale, walk-through experience. Also for the first time, the castle will be part of a boat ride attraction that will be one of the anchor experiences of Fantasyland.

Below is a 3D video of what the castle will look like and some concept art as well.

The park’s size, investment commitments and final approval from Beijing’s central government will be announced at the event. With plans to open in about five years, the first phase of construction calls for an investment of 24.5 billion yuan ($3.7 billion).

Shanghai itself has designated a 7-square-kilometer (1,730 acres) tourist zone that will include the Disney park. The first phase will also include hotels, car parks, a lake and commuter stations, according to a blueprint posted on the Shanghai city website last month.

Shanghai government also plans to spend 4 billion yuan on a 9.2- kilometer (5.7-mile) subway line for the complex in the city’s Pudong area. Construction will begin in September and the line is scheduled to open by July 2015.

If there is any video of the actual groundbreaking ceremony, we will return to this article and post it here.

Details had been made public of one of the parks, “Magic Kingdom.” The possible choices for the other two theme parks are “Epcot” and “Animal Kingdom,” delegates at Shanghai People’s Congress were told yesterday.

Dai Haibo, deputy director of Pudong New Area government and a congress deputy, said he was deeply impressed by the Orlando Disneyland which includes four theme parks, including Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He promised that Shanghai Disneyland will provide entertainment for both adults and children.

Large-scale construction on phase 1 of the project is expected to get under way in May. There is no start date for the other parts.”

Meanwhile, the route of the 9.2-kilometer metro line was recently published online by Shanghai’s environmental authorities to solicit public opinion on environment issues. Work on the dedicated Metro line, which is expected to cost 3.992 billion yuan (US$606.3 million), is set to begin in September. Trains will start running in July 2015.

The line will connect to Metro Line 11 at Luoshan Road Station, providing passengers from downtown Xujiahui area and suburban Jiading District with subway access to the much-anticipated park in Pudong. Its final stop – Disneyland station itself – will connect with the Metro Line 2 via shuttle bus lines.

“The deadline for bids for the construction of the theme park and other support facilities is close to an end while negotiations between Chinese and United States parties are also in the final stretch,” the report quoted project director Fan Xiping, deputy secretary general of the city government, as saying.

Overseen by the Shanghai Shendi Group Co, a Sino-US joint venture that was established in August, phase one of the project will be completed by 2014, and will include a theme park and other attractions covering a total area of 1.5 square kilometers.

When it is fully finished, the resort will occupy up to 8 square kilometers (1,976 acres), making it the largest of the company’s six amusement parks throughout the world, said the newspaper. The Shanghai government is expecting the landmark deal to have a strong impact on the city’s economy, including the creation of tens of millions of jobs and the boosting of relating industries.

But doubts have been expressed about the mega project. It is expected to cost around 24.48 billion yuan (US$3.69 billion) and some business analysts have said that with more than half the existing theme parks on the Chinese mainland were in the red last year, it would remain a big challenge for the newcomer to just break even.

Shanghai Disneyland is expected to open within five years and is expected to cost 3.5 billion US dollars.

“The Shanghai Disneyland project, which will be jointly developed by Chinese and United States companies, will include an amusement park, a logistics support area, a public utilities area and a parking lot,” the commission said.

This announcement is the first time government officials have officially confirmed the location of Shanghai Disneyland, even though previous media reports have speculated on the area. The news has pushed Chuansha’s home prices to 12,000 yuan ($1,760) per sq m from 3,000 yuan from three years ago.

The Orlando Sentinel also recently announced that Disney plans to bring a delegation from Shanghai to Orlando early next month for a series of briefings with executives at Walt Disney World.

The meetings, which will include tours of Disney World’s fire and emergency-response operations and water-quality-monitoring labs, come with Disney attempting to finalize an agreement to build Shanghai Disneyland in the world’s most populous country.

Studying Disney World’s infrastructure may be important as Disney is believed to be planning a multi-park destination resort in Shanghai that could ultimately rival its Orlando property in size — much larger than Disney’s other theme-park resorts in California, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Now in a official press release, Disney reveals that they are indeed planning a Disney theme park for Shanghai.

Here is the verbiage from the release:

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REACHES ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE
ON SHANGHAI THEME PARK PROJECT

BURBANK, Calif. – November 3, 2009 – The Walt Disney Company today announced that the Project Application Report (PAR) for a Disney theme park in the Pudong district of Shanghai has received approval from the relevant authorities of the central government of China.

“China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for The Walt Disney Company in mainland China,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

The PAR approval will enable Disney and its Shanghai partners to move forward toward a final agreement to build and operate the park and begin preliminary development work. Upon completion of the final agreement, the project’s initial phase would include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region and other amenities consistent with Disney’s destination resorts worldwide.

Even the official Disney Parks blog republished this press release. So obviously while in negotiations all along, Disney refused to comment on the project at least until they moved past this phase.

Keep in mind that the press release says “the PAR approval will enable Disney and its Shanghai partners to move forward toward a final agreement” so no ground has been broken yet. And previous rumors stating that the park would open by 2012 seem unlikely although they did open the original Disneyland in 1955 within a year or so of breaking ground.