Shanghai Disney Resort kicks off year-long celebration to mark 10th anniversary

Shanghai Disney Resort on Monday kicked off its 10th anniversary celebration under the theme "With You, It's Magic+," launching a year-long series of new entertainment experiences, upgraded attractions, and special events.

Since opening on June 16, 2016 as the Chinese mainland's first Disney resort and the sixth worldwide, the resort has welcomed over 100 million visitors.

Three new entertainment offerings debuted during the celebration. Mickey's Storybook Express parade received an update with a new pre-parade called "FriendSHIP!" featuring all seven Duffy and friends characters in new anniversary outfits. A Zootopia-themed parade unit has also been added to the main parade.

"The 10th anniversary theme song really moved me. It's so joyful," a visitor said.

At the Enchanted Storybook Castle, a new show titled "The Heart of Magic" was created exclusively for the anniversary. The castle's stage has been upgraded with three satellite stages connected by catwalks. The production features beloved Disney characters and classic melodies.

The resort's nighttime spectacular has been reimagined with a birthday-exclusive grand finale, weaving classic Disney stories with visuals and sound. A new segment inspired by the film "Wish" has also been added.

Beyond entertainment, the resort has introduced new decorations, special culinary treats, and a series of 10th-anniversary merchandise.

"'With You, It's Magic+' is the theme for our 10th birthday celebration. And it has multiple meanings. I think when you look at the plus sign to start with, it's very similar to the Chinese symbol for 10, which represents our 10th birthday. The magic not just comes from our cast members and our performers, but also all the guests and our fans and our partners and everybody else that we want to celebrate with. And so they help us create the magic here at Shanghai Disney Resort," said Andrew Bolstein, president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort.

In 2024, the resort welcomed 14.7 million visitors, its best year to date. Last year, it celebrated its 100 millionth guest.

"Disney always has something new to offer," a visitor said.

"Everyone is so happy. It feels like our own birthday," said another visitor.

"I come to Shanghai Disney Resort every year. This place gives me so much joy and so much energy. It's like a utopia in the adult world," said a visitor.

Over the past decade, Shanghai Disney Resort has continuously expanded. The Toy Story and Zootopia lands are the two most recent large-scale additions. In 2021, LinaBell made her global debut at the resort, quickly becoming a fan favorite.

"We have our third themed hotel that's well underway on construction. We also have our Spider-Man themed land, which will be the ninth themed land in here. And the track is actually coming in for the major roller coaster, so we're starting to see some great progress there. And then we've also started work on our fourth themed hotel and Disneytown expansion, which is just beginning. So lots of new excitement happening here at Shanghai Disney Resort. So we have a lot more to come in the future," said Bolstein.

Shanghai Disney Resort kicks off year-long celebration to mark 10th anniversary

Exclusive footage recorded by China Media Group (CMG) on Monday shows the wreckage of U.S. military aircraft left behind in the southern part of Iran's Isfahan province, following an American rescue operation in the area.

On April 3, a U.S. twin-seat fighter jet was shot down over Iran's Isfahan Province. Both crew members ejected and survived, according to U.S. officials, who said one was rescued shortly after the crash, while the other was not recovered until two days later.

Meanwhile, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces said on Sunday that four U.S. military aircraft, including two C-130 Hercules military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters, had been shot down during the U.S. mission to rescue the pilot, according to the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The aircraft were targeted during joint operations by the forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), army, voluntary Basij fighters and law enforcement in the south of central Isfahan Province, IRNA reported.

The two sides have offered conflicting accounts of the U.S. rescue operation and the downing of the aircraft.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that U.S. forces had rescued both, with no American casualties. One day later, he added that the second crew member was rescued with serious injuries.

U.S. sources said hundreds of U.S. special forces entered Iran overnight on Saturday to rescue the pilot. Two C-130 transport planes broke down during the mission, the sources said, adding that U.S. forces destroyed four helicopters and the two disabled planes prior to withdrawing to prevent them from being captured.

However, sources within Iran's military said that further investigations had shown that the four U.S. aircraft were shot down. The U.S. attempted a rescue operation at an abandoned airport in Isfahan, but Iranian forces intervened in time, leading to the "complete failure" of the U.S. rescue mission, they said.

Footage shows wreckage of US warplanes left behind in southern Isfahan after rescue mission