Forbes is reporting that Disney is expected to announce a second theme park at Shanghai Disneyland Resort as early as next week, with the potential reveal tied to the resort’s 10th anniversary celebrations beginning tomorrow.
According to the report by Forbes senior contributor Caroline Reid, the announcement could come during a two-day media and guest event at Shanghai Disneyland that begins Monday, June 15. Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro is flying in for the festivities, which include a media session Monday afternoon, a red-carpet celebration in front of the resort’s Enchanted Storybook Castle, and a special birthday moment for guests Tuesday morning.
The invitation to the event offers no hint of an announcement, simply inviting media to “join us to celebrate ten years of making magic together.” But with D’Amaro on the ground and cameras rolling, the 10th anniversary window is seen by many as the most logical moment for Disney to make a major move.
The rumored second park has been widely discussed in theme park circles for months and is believed to be codenamed Project Atlas. Initially thought to be science-themed, more recent reporting suggests the park will instead feature immersive lands built around local favorite franchises including Avatar, Marvel, and Moana. Former Imagineer Jim Shull, who worked on the original Shanghai Disneyland and now runs the Disney Journey YouTube channel, told Forbes he believes “a second park is coming to Shanghai Disneyland to open around the 15th anniversary.”
The business case is hard to argue with. Shanghai Disneyland welcomed its 100 millionth guest in November 2024 and ranked as the world’s fifth most-visited theme park that year with attendance of 14.7 million, up 5% from the prior year. The park operates in a market where competitor Universal Studios Beijing already draws nearly 10 million visitors annually, and a Harry Potter studio tour experience is set to open in Shanghai next year.
If confirmed, this would be the second new Disneyland announced in as many years. Disney revealed plans for a Disneyland in Abu Dhabi in May 2025. Both expansions fall under the company’s previously announced $60 billion investment in its Experiences division over the next decade, a division that generated 57% of Disney’s $17.6 billion in operating income last year.
Fantasy Land News will be watching the Shanghai Disneyland 10th anniversary events closely and will update this article if an announcement is made. For ongoing Disney parks coverage, visit our Disney Parks hub. Join the Realm at fantasylandnews.com/the-realm.
Disney Expected to Announce Second Shanghai Theme Park as Early as Next Week, Forbes Reports
Our Take? Rumors of new Disney Parks are always circulating the interwebs, and until Disney Parks themselves announce something, take this with a grain of salt. Does that mean this isn’t going to happen? No, but we are not in the same position asd Forbes and Jim Shull to know the inside workings of Shanghai Disney. I mean, who had Disneyland Abu Dhabi on their bingo card last year?
Disney Parks does have $60 billion set aside for major projects underway, including Piston Peak and Villains Land in the Magic Kingdom, along with Monstropolis and Encanto lands coming to Walt Disney World. The money will also be spent on new Disney Cruise Line ships, new lands, and rides at Disneyland. But that does leave a huge chunk of money left over for something major like this to happen.
