With a total vehicle count of 16 and a cost of 2 billion Yen ($22 million), Jasmine’s Flying Carpets is “a ride attraction where guests can soar over Jasmine’s garden on a flying carpet. Guests will be able to maneuver their vehicle up and down to a height of 5 meters, and tilt the vehicle forward and backward, as if flying their own magical carpet.It is likened to Dumbo the Flying Elephant except of course you are flying on carpets as oppossed to “Dumbos” and there is Aladdin’s magic lamp at the top rather than Timothy Mouse.

This uplifting ride can be enjoyed by all, from young children to adults. Guests can also watch their friends and family on their flying carpet from an elevated viewing deck”. The attraction will sit next to Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage.

During the Christmas festivities, Tokyo Disneyland will present Mickey’s Jolly Snowtime, a heartwarming, fantasy-filled musical show, at a special stage set up in front of Cinderella Castle. There will also be a Christmas version of the ever-popular Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlight. The park will be adorned with Christmas decorations including a giant Christmas tree in the World Bazaar emblazoned with a 25 to mark this special anniversary.

Tokyo DisneySea will present Candlelight Reflections featuring a Christmas tree of lights rising from the waters of the Mediterranean Harbour creating a romantic, holiday atmosphere. In the American Waterfront, there will be singing and dancing to a live big band at the Broadway Music Theatre, and Disney characters dressed in Christmas costumes will make appearances to greet guests.

All three Disney Hotels – Disney Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta and Tokyo Disneyland Hotel – will hold Christmas events, and along with the six Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels will be decked out with festive decorations and Christmas trees.

The Resort also has a great line up of festivities during New Year.

At Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea traditional Japanese New Year’s decorations with designs to highlight the 25th anniversary will be set up at the entrance to each park from January 1 through January 5. In addition, Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be dressed in their best kimono to greet guests visiting the Parks.

Finally, the Ikspiari Fantastic New Year 2009 celebrations which will run from December 31, 2008 through mid-January 2009 will include the Ikspiari Countdown Celebration 2009 featuring a concert of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and other live music performances on New Year’s Eve. When the countdown reaches zero, the shops in the complex will start their annual sales of fukubukuro (lucky bags) for the earliest chance at luck. A winter sale of seasonal items will also take place.

Related: Book your dream Disney vacation at Expedia.com!

Shanghai Disneyland, 20 minutes’ drive from Pudong International Airport, will be eight times larger than the one in Hong Kong – the first in China. The source told the paper that 10 sq km of land has been set aside for the park.

Shanghai is approximately 764 miles away from Hong Kong so that puts one Disneyland park relatively close to another. For example, Walt Disney World in Orlando is a bit over 2,100 miles from the original Disneyland in Anaheim.

According to the agreement, Shanghai Disneyland will not adopt Hong Kong’s operation model, in which the government leases the land to the Walt Disney Company. The Shanghai government will provide the land, cover most of the construction costs and hold a controlling stake. It will pay the Walt Disney Company for using the brand. Sounds like a franchise arrangement to me.

This leads me to wonder what would happen to the park if there was ever a disagreement with Disney and the Shanghai government. Would the government have to buy Disney out or visa versa and what would happen to the quality of the park?

An official announcement on the decision is expected around the time of the Beijing Olympics.

Hat tip to China Daily.

Postscript: In a follow-up to original media announcement of a Shanghai Disneyland, Reuters reports that Walt Disney Co and the Shanghai government have both denied a media report that a planned Disneyland project in Shanghai has obtained central government approval. Doesn’t mean it isn’t going to happen, just that a final deal has yet to be made.

“The project still needs central government approval and Shanghai will obey Beijing’s decision,” Shanghai spokesman Chen Qiwei said, adding he will make new inquiries on this to relevant departments.

Disney also denied the report. “There is no agreement and there is no deal,” Disney spokeswoman Alannah Hall-Smith said in an e-mailed statement.

There you have it. We will just have to wait and see what happens.