China's theme parks on the ride of their lives

As to the auxiliary facilities, the company said that the Shanghai Disney Resort is an integrated resort featuring a theme park and much more, and at the opening it will include two themed hotels－Shanghai Disney Resort Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, a large shopping, dining and entertainment area－Disneytown and the resort's recreation facilities.

Upon its completion, the resort will become the sixth theme park of The Walt Disney Co. The other five are in Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida in the United Sates as well as in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong.

Attracting a total investment of 29.5 billion yuan ($4.74 billion), the Shanghai resort will also make its contribution to the local economy with the large number of visitors it receives every year. Du Changchun, a researcher at Northeast Securities Co Ltd, estimated that the resort will generate 33.6 billion yuan of profit for Shanghai every year, which would be equal to 1.6 percent of the city's GDP in 2013.

According to Xu Juanjuan, a senior analyst with Guotai Junan Securities Co Ltd, the resort can generally be compared to the Tokyo Disney Resort, which opened in 1983, based on the city's development phase and local consumption habits

For example, the population of the Yangtze River Delta region exceeds 160 million, far more than the population of Tokyo 31 years ago. Shanghai receives more than 18 million visitors every year, which is more than Japan as a whole.

"The Shanghai resort is very likely to receive more than 10 million visitors in 2016. With steady 20 percent annual growth, the resort will receive more than 20 million visitors in 2020," she said.

Combined with the experience gained during the Shanghai Expo 2010, the hotel industry will benefit the most from the establishment of Shanghai's own Disney Resort.

Meanwhile, tourist attractions and scenic spots in neighboring cities and provinces will also see a growing number of visitors, many of whom will be drawn to the region by the Disney resort.