First Disney resort in Chinese mainland opens in Shanghai

Among the first group of visitors, Shanghai resident Wan Wenqiang visited the theme park together with her mother and seven-year-old son, China Daily reports.

"I have visited the resorts in California and Tokyo, and I feel so proud that we can visit Disneyland in our home city now," she said.

"Visiting Disneyland on the opening day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I just can't wait to see how they combine Disney with traditional Chinese elements," she said.

Located in Pudong District, the 3.9-square-kilometer Shanghai resort is the first Disney resort destination on the Chinese mainland and the sixth around the world.

The resort includes the theme park Shanghai Disneyland; two themed hotels; Disneytown, a shopping, dining and entertainment district; and the recreational Wishing Star Park.

With investment of around 34 billion yuan (about $5.2 billion dollars), the resort is a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group.

The resort took five years to build and it will be further expanded, according to Walt Disney.