Shanghai World of Disney

Out of all the Disney Resorts out there, Shanghai Disney certainly ranks up there as among the most complete upon opening day.  With six themed lands, the biggest castle of them all, a nighttime extravaganza, and even a shopping district.  In Shanghai, it's called Disneytown, and anchoring this retail and dining district is a grand World of Disney store.

Focused along the walk to the park, it features a broad, sweeping interior space that mixes steel and brick and wood in a recreation of a vintage railroad roundhouse.  This is a bit ironic, given that Shanghai is the only Magic Kingdom without an actual Disneyland Railroad, but perhaps this serves as the nod.  In the center of the circular layout, a suspended sphere alternates between the rotating globe and visualizations of classic Disney stories.  The flexible, open layout is sheltered by soaring trusses, and the store itself has several interactive elements that mix shopping with themed entertainment.  It's one of the ways the Shanghai Disney Resort is meant to kick off a new view and angle toward themed design, where synergy and story don't have to be just within the park.  They're part of ancillary experiences to richen guest experience.