Latest
issue
Uniting the world of spa & wellness
Get Spa Business and Spa Business insider digital magazines FREE
Sign up here ▸
News   Features   Products   Company profilesProfiles   Press releasesProfiles   Magazine   Handbook   Advertise    Subscribe  
NEWS
Iger hints at further expansion for Disneyland Shanghai following strong first quarter
POSTED 22 Sep 2016 . BY Tom Anstey
With business booming in Shanghai, Bob Iger says that there is great potential to expand Disney's newest venture Credit: Shutterstock.com
Disney chair and CEO Bob Iger has said that the operator’s new Shanghai venture has “ample expansion possibilities” following a strong opening three months.

Disneyland Shanghai, which opened on 17 June this year, has enjoyed a strong start to life as a visitor attraction, with the company reporting 95 per cent occupancy rates and visitors staying two hours longer on average than expected.

“We've had a fantastic opening for Shanghai starting from opening day,” said Iger, speaking at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia Conference.

“We are not updating specific numbers in regards to visitor numbers, but I can say that had it not been for some typhoon-like weather there last week, the first 100 days of Shanghai would have delivered more in attendance than any park that we've ever opened. In fact Disneyland Shanghai delivered more in its first 100 days than most of the parks we've ever opened.”

With business booming in Shanghai, Iger said that there was great potential to expand, with a yet-to-be-revealed expansion already having broken ground.

“We have ample expansion possibilities,” said Iger. “We’re already building an expanded land which we broke ground on before we opened this park, but we’ve not been specific about what it is or when it will open. Once that work is completed, we have tons of land there to build even more. Currently we’re in the design phase on a lot of it and we’re in discussions with our partners about these plans.”

Disneyland Shanghai represents Disney’s first venture into mainland China, which Chinese president Xi Jinping heralded as a sign of China’s “commitment to cross-cultural cooperation and our innovation mentality in the new era.”

The US$5.5bn (€4.9bn, £4.2bn) theme park and resort – the largest foreign investment ever made by Disney – features its biggest castle, two hotels and six themed lands: Adventure Isle, Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Tomorrowland, Treasure Cove and Fantasyland.
RELATED STORIES
  Grey skies don't deter visitors from Disneyland Shanghai opening


Despite a rain-dampened day, visitors turned up in their droves for the fairytale opening of Disney’s Shanghai resort, which CEO Bob Iger hailed as an “incredible opportunity” for the company.
  Disneyland Shanghai draws one million visitors before even opening


Disneyland Shanghai, set to launch on 16 June, has already welcomed nearly one million visitors to the park even before officially opening its doors.
  IP acquisitions key for Disney growth, says Iger


Disney chair Bob Iger has said that the company’s acquired IPs play a big role in delivering large returns on investments into its theme parks.
  Iger defends variable pricing strategy for parks at Disney's annual meeting


Disney chair Bob Iger has said the company’s recent price hike for its US theme parks is actually beneficial to its visitors as demand pricing will improve the guest experience.
MORE NEWS
Anna Bjurstam steps down from Six Senses to build new company Wahayla
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, opens with spa philosophy of ‘Wellness without Walls’
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England with a 1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’ concept.
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts introduces emotional dance classes to offer experiences that foster connection
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social connection.
+ More news   

FEATURED SUPPLIERS

Embrace the chill: TechnoAlpin's Snowsky revolutionises post-fitness recovery with falling snow
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]

Zerobody Cryo: Starpool's contrast therapy solution
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
COMPANY PROFILES
Life Fitness/Hammer Strength

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength works with some of the world’s most recognised hospitality brands, su [more...]
Nilo Spa Design

Nilo SPA Design, part of the Maletti group, has led the Beauty & Wellness sector for over 35 years p [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
 

+ More catalogues  

DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
10-12 Sep 2026

ASEAN Patio Pool Spa Expo 2026

MITEC Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, Malaysia
+ More diary  
 
ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
 
SPA BUSINESS
SPA OPPORTUNITIES
SPA BUSINESS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026
Uniting the world of spa & wellness
Get Spa Business and Spa Business insider digital magazines FREE
Sign up here ▸
News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
Iger hints at further expansion for Disneyland Shanghai following strong first quarter
POSTED 22 Sep 2016 . BY Tom Anstey
With business booming in Shanghai, Bob Iger says that there is great potential to expand Disney's newest venture Credit: Shutterstock.com
Disney chair and CEO Bob Iger has said that the operator’s new Shanghai venture has “ample expansion possibilities” following a strong opening three months.

Disneyland Shanghai, which opened on 17 June this year, has enjoyed a strong start to life as a visitor attraction, with the company reporting 95 per cent occupancy rates and visitors staying two hours longer on average than expected.

“We've had a fantastic opening for Shanghai starting from opening day,” said Iger, speaking at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia Conference.

“We are not updating specific numbers in regards to visitor numbers, but I can say that had it not been for some typhoon-like weather there last week, the first 100 days of Shanghai would have delivered more in attendance than any park that we've ever opened. In fact Disneyland Shanghai delivered more in its first 100 days than most of the parks we've ever opened.”

With business booming in Shanghai, Iger said that there was great potential to expand, with a yet-to-be-revealed expansion already having broken ground.

“We have ample expansion possibilities,” said Iger. “We’re already building an expanded land which we broke ground on before we opened this park, but we’ve not been specific about what it is or when it will open. Once that work is completed, we have tons of land there to build even more. Currently we’re in the design phase on a lot of it and we’re in discussions with our partners about these plans.”

Disneyland Shanghai represents Disney’s first venture into mainland China, which Chinese president Xi Jinping heralded as a sign of China’s “commitment to cross-cultural cooperation and our innovation mentality in the new era.”

The US$5.5bn (€4.9bn, £4.2bn) theme park and resort – the largest foreign investment ever made by Disney – features its biggest castle, two hotels and six themed lands: Adventure Isle, Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Tomorrowland, Treasure Cove and Fantasyland.
RELATED STORIES
Grey skies don't deter visitors from Disneyland Shanghai opening


Despite a rain-dampened day, visitors turned up in their droves for the fairytale opening of Disney’s Shanghai resort, which CEO Bob Iger hailed as an “incredible opportunity” for the company.
Disneyland Shanghai draws one million visitors before even opening


Disneyland Shanghai, set to launch on 16 June, has already welcomed nearly one million visitors to the park even before officially opening its doors.
IP acquisitions key for Disney growth, says Iger


Disney chair Bob Iger has said that the company’s acquired IPs play a big role in delivering large returns on investments into its theme parks.
Iger defends variable pricing strategy for parks at Disney's annual meeting


Disney chair Bob Iger has said the company’s recent price hike for its US theme parks is actually beneficial to its visitors as demand pricing will improve the guest experience.
MORE NEWS
Anna Bjurstam steps down from Six Senses to build new company Wahayla
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, opens with spa philosophy of ‘Wellness without Walls’
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England with a 1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’ concept.
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts introduces emotional dance classes to offer experiences that foster connection
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social connection.
Robert Thurman: a life dedicated to enlightenment
Robert Thurman, an expert on Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual director of Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa in Woodstock, has died, aged 84.
BBSpa Group to launch holistic bathhouse Atera in Glasgow
International spa, wellness and longevity consultancy, BBSpa, will launch a new bathhouse called Atera in Glasgow, Scotland, in September.
+ More news   
 
FEATURED SUPPLIERS

Embrace the chill: TechnoAlpin's Snowsky revolutionises post-fitness recovery with falling snow
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]

Zerobody Cryo: Starpool's contrast therapy solution
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
COMPANY PROFILES
Life Fitness/Hammer Strength

Life Fitness / Hammer Strength works with some of the world’s most recognised hospitality brands, su [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  

DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
10-12 Sep 2026

ASEAN Patio Pool Spa Expo 2026

MITEC Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, Malaysia
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS