Shanghai has taken a step closer to its Disneyland dream. The Pudong New Area government has almost completed resident relocations for the city's Disneyland project.

The land for the theme park is expected to be handed over at the end of next month when construction will begin.

About 99 percent of residents living in the 3.9-square-kilometer area planned for the Disneyland project have been relocated, a month ahead of schedule.

Construction of apartments specially for residents relocated due to the project began over the weekend and are expected to be ready for occupancy by August 2012.

More than 2,000 households and 297 enterprises at the site of the planned theme park will eventually be relocated.

The new residential site is in Pudong's Chuansha Town.

The residential project, which covers 324,000 square meters, will have more than 6,500 apartments, according to Pudong's Urban Construction and Communications Commission.

The high-end residential apartments will be equipped with kindergartens, elementary schools and middle schools as well as activity centers for senior citizens, according to district officials.

Last month, Pudong New Area Director Jiang Liang said more than 97 percent of negotiations with property owners were completed.

The Disneyland park will cover about 1.16 square kilometers, while facilities like parking lots and dining areas will take up to 2.74 square kilometers.

Jiang said it may take five or six years for the park to be opened to the public.

A branch route of Metro Line 11, which is now under construction, will link to Disneyland from Longyang Road. Building of the Metroline started in late Marchand is expected to be finished in 2012.

It will connect Longyang Road with Lingang New City, located in the former Nanhui District.

Shanghai announced last November that it gained central government approval for the Disneyland project.

The first phase of the theme-park project has been estimated to cost about 25 billion yuan (US$3.66 billion).