My Happy Place.docVIP

My Happy Place 　　You know you’re in a fun palace when the subway elevator walls are decorated with plastic cutouts of cartoon characters loved the world over. There is also something electric in the energy of a crowd that rushes in childlike wonder to the entrance of expectation. 　　When you step through the gates， that expectation wraps its arms around you and whispers， “Let go of your inhibitions and come with me.” 　　Shanghai Disneyland exploded onto the Chinese mainland entertainment scene in June and from the endless queues I encountered in November， that initial attraction is not likely to die down any time soon. 　　It’s a sprawling， $5.5-billion eclectic merrygo-round of entertainment covering 3.9 square km of the city’s Pudong area. Perfectly manicured lawns and hedges， a supersonic sound system and food， glorious food， live comfortably alongside a bevy of fictional characters and scenes from the past， present and future. 　　And wherever you walk， the majestic storybook castle looms over the park， reminding you that there is magic here. It’s reportedly the largest and tallest of all the castles built by Disney to date. 　　But this is China and the subtle blends of Disney and Chinese culture have been effected in creative ways. There’s the Wandering Moon Teahouse， local architecture， and a mosaic featuring the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac using images of Disney characters. And along with the traditional Disney favorites of turkey legs， corn dogs and popcorn， sink your teeth into a Mickey Mouse-shaped Peking duck pizza. 　　Tastes aside， while politicians may see Shanghai Disneyland as a historical symbol of China-U.S. relations， for millions of ordinary Chinese it’s just a place to let your hair down. 　　All the usual suspects are on hand to thrill even the most hardened hearts. The elegantly decorous Cinderella and Snow White， seven bumbling Dwarves， thunderous Marvel Comics heroes， Pluto， Goofy and the ever flirtatious Minnie Mouse operate in a conv