'Authentically Disney, Distinctly Chinese'

Minutes after the gates open each morning at Shanghai Disney Resort, the meet-and-greet queue for LinaBell reaches capacity. By the time most visitors have cleared the entrance, the wait might stretch even beyond 10 hours. For the fans who rise early enough to secure a spot, however, it remains well worth the effort.

LinaBell is no ordinary Disney character. Created in Shanghai in 2021 after extensive research into Chinese consumer tastes, the pink fox quickly earned the affectionate nickname "the Enchantress of Chuansha (the location of Shanghai Disney Resort)". Her popularity has since spread to other Asian Disney parks and to fan gatherings around the world, transforming her from a localized creative experiment into a global pop-culture export.

That a Shanghai-born character could command such worldwide appeal offers a striking measure of how far the resort has traveled since welcoming its first guests a decade ago.

A binational partnership

The concept first took shape in 1990, when then-Shanghai mayor Zhu Rongji proposed a Shanghai Disneyland during a visit to Los Angeles. Nearly two decades of negotiations followed before the project received national approval in 2009. Ground was broken in 2011, and the park opened five years later as a landmark cooperative venture between China and the United States.

The resort's ownership structure reflects this balanced partnership. Shanghai Shendi Group holds a 57 percent stake in the joint-venture owner companies, while The Walt Disney Company holds 43 percent. Meanwhile, Disney retains 70 percent of the management company, with Shendi holding the remaining 30 percent.

This spirit of high-level collaboration was reaffirmed in January, when Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang met with then-Disney CEO Bob Iger in Beijing. Ding underscored that China's economy remains deeply integrated with the global market, and welcomed enterprises from all countries, Disney included, to continue investing in China, deepen their presence, and share in the country's development opportunities.

Iger echoed this sentiment, reiterating Disney's confidence in the Chinese market and its long-term commitment to expansion.