Andrew Bolstein, senior vice president of operations at Shanghai Disney Resort, has been with Disney since 1995. He started out as an industrial engineering manager at Walt Disney World Resort, moving on to leadership roles in finance and operations at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort. He led the creation of operational protocols during the construction of Hong Kong Disneyland and saw the project through to opening day.
As SVP of operations at Shanghai Disney Resort, he oversees thousands of employees. Operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Shanghai Shendi Group, the resort opened to the public in June 2016. Additional offerings at the attraction in Pudong include the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel, as well as the Disneytown shopping and dining district.
Shanghai Disneyland is expanding with its eighth themed land, an immersive zone inspired by Zootopia. The new land will be located adjacent to Fantasyland. It will be a diverse and vibrant city inhabited by characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2016 film.
Shanghai Disney Resort has also opened an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience in Disneytown. SoReal VR SuperSpace is based on Journey to the West, a Chinese novel published in the 16th century. The walkthrough attraction brings to life the Monkey King, a mythical figure in Journey to the West.
Bolstein will serve as IAAPA’s Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Committee chair director (2023-2025). He has served on the IAAPA APAC Regional Advisory Committee for four years and helped to develop the association’s Covid-19 Reopening Guidelines.