This case is set on the verge of the Walt Disney Company opening its sixth global resort in Shanghai in June, 2016. The uncertainty surrounding the resort's performance in China presents an up-close look at the strategic and tactical problems of managing their theme park and resort services in a country where they have never operated before.

Please take a moment to look at the link below to see the map of China, and locate Shanghai and Hong Kong as well as Beijing (and perhaps even Wuhan). The case will help you understand some of the benefits of operating in China as well as identify some of the serious challenges.

From world atlas china maps & facts maps

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China covers an area of about 9.6 million sq. km in East Asia. As observed on the physical map of China above, the country has a highly varied topography including plains, mountains, plateaus, deserts, etc.

In the vast western reaches of China - mountains, high plateaus and deserts dominate the landscape, while in the central and east areas, the land slopes into broad plains and deltas.

The Himalayas, the world's most elevated mountain range, form its southwestern borders with India, Nepal and Bhutan, and contain the highest peaks in the world. Located within the Himalayas is China's highest point, the famed Mt. Everest, which is also the tallest mountain in the world, and whose summit reaches 29,025 ft. (8.850 m). Numerous rivers arise in the Himalayas, including the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers.

As can be observed on the map, in the far northeast, high mountains ring China's border with the Russian Federation.

The Gobi Desert runs west to east along the border with Mongolia. Here the topography varies from sand desert, into the low mountain foothills and plateaus that stretch into Mongolia. Prolonged drought in the area result in debilitating dust storms, and have caused China to lose a million acres a year to desertification. China's lowest point, and the third lowest point on the Earth's surface, is the arid Turpan Depression located in the far western part of the country.

From the higher elevations in the west literally thousands of rivers drain the country; the most significant include the

Yangtze (third longest river on the planet), and the Heilong (Amur), Mekong, Pearl and Yellow.

China (officially, People's Republic of China) is divided into 22 administrative provinces (sheng), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu), 4 municipalities (shi) and 2 special administrative regions.

In alphabetical order, these provinces are: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunan and Zhejiang. The 5 autonomous regions are: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur and Xizang (Tibet). The 4 municipalities are: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin. The 2 special administrative regions are Hong Kong and Macau.

With an area of 9.6 million sq. km, China occupies major parts of the East Asian landmass. With a population of about 1.4 billion people, China is the most populous country in the world. Located in North China, is Beijing - the capital of China. Beijing is the world's most populous capital city with over 21 million residents. It is also one of the world's as well as China's leading cultural, administrative, educational and economic centers. Based on the urban population, Beijing is the 2^ndlargest city in China. Located in the east coast of China, on the Yangtze estuary is Shanghai - the largest city and the most populous urban area in China

China is an East Asian country, situated in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. China shares its borders with 14 countries: Mongolia in the north; Russia and North Korea in the northeast; Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal in the south; Pakistan in the southwest; Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in the west. China is also bounded by the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea in the east and the South China Sea in the southeast.

China Bordering Countries: Vietnam,Kazakhstan,Russia,North Korea,India,Nepal,Mongolia,Bhutan, Myanmar,Laos,Hong Kong,Afghanistan,Kyrgyzstan,Pakistan,Tajikistan."

Legal Name People's Republic of China Flag C Beijing Capital City 39 55 N, 116 23 E Total Area C 9,596,960.00 km2 Land Area 9,326,410.00 km2 Water Area 270,550.00 km2 Population 1,397,715,000 1. Shanghai (27,058,479) 6. Shenzhen (12,356,820) 2. Beijing (20,462,610) 7. Chengdu (9, 135,768) Major Cities 3. Chongqing (15,872, 179) 8. Nanjing, Jiangsu (8,847,372) 4. Tianjin (13,589,078) 9. Wuhan (8,364,978) 5. Guangzhou, Guangdong (13,301,532) 10. Xi'an, Shaanxi (8,000,965) Population 1,397,715,000 1. Shanghai (27, 058,479) 6. Shenzhen (12,356,820) 2. Beijing (20,462,610) 7. Chengdu (9, 135,768) Major Cities 3. Chongqing (15,872, 179) 8. Nanjing, Jiangsu (8,847,372) 4. Tianjin (13,589,078) 9. Wuhan (8,364,978) 5. Guangzhou, Guangdong (13,301,532) 10. Xi'an, Shaanxi (8,000,965)Population 1,397,715,000 1. Shanghai (27,058,479) 6. Shenzhen (12,356,820) 2. Beijing (20,462,610) 7. Chengdu (9, 135,768) Major Cities 3. Chongqing (15,872, 179) 8. Nanjing, Jiangsu (8,847,372) 4. Tianjin (13,589,078) 9. Wuhan (8,364,978) 5. Guangzhou, Guangdong (13,301,532) 10. Xi'an, Shaanxi (8,000,965) Currency C Renminbi yuan (RMB) GDP $14.34 Trillion GDP Per Capita $10,261.68