New themed-lands to enthuse more visitors

Frozen, Zootopia-based attractions will turn into major draws as park operators ramp up immersive experience play

On Nov 28, Guo Wei took her 7-year-old daughter Li Ruilin to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, the famed amusement park that was thrown open to visitors in 2005.

As the travelers from Beijing walked through the latest Frozen-themed land attraction at the theme park, they were stunned by the lilting music of the movie's Let It Go, the Friendship Fountain, fictional characters in the Disney movie franchise, as well as the glittering North Mountain with Elsa's Ice Palace.

Much to their surprise, these attractions had found a new home in subtropical Hong Kong, as the world's first Frozen-themed land opened its gates at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort last month.

"We were walking into the movie and standing next to Elsa," said Guo, recalling her surreal experience. "The palace, castle and fountain, which look like a Norwegian kingdom in the daytime, have been illuminated with icy blue by 'Elsa's magic' at night."

The new Frozen-themed land, which took seven years to set up, marks the 10th anniversary of the Frozen franchise, one of the most successful movie franchises in Disney's history and a top Disney franchise in the region with about 800 million Frozen licensed products sold in China over the past decade.

"The Frozen franchise is one of the most successful in Disney history and it's a testament to the power of great storytelling," said Disney CEO Bob Iger at the event last month to commemorate World of Frozen's opening in Hong Kong.

The project is "the largest and boldest" expansion in Hong Kong Disneyland since its opening in 2005, said Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

"Our theme parks always grow and evolve with new stories and experiences," D'Amaro added.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Disney Resort will open the world's first Zootopia-themed land on Dec 20, building on the success of the 2016 movie, which is ranked as the top foreign animation film based on ticket sales on the Chinese mainland.

The new developments align with Disney's plan to accelerate and expand investment in its parks, experiences and products segment to nearly double spending over the next 10 years to roughly $60 billion, the company said in September.

Iger said one of the four key building opportunities central to the company, which celebrates a century of its existence this year, is turbo-charging growth in its parks and experiences business.

Disney's parks business is thriving, with those in Asia showing solid performance this year, mainly propelled by the growth of the Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland.

A swift revival of tourism in China has offered a strong visitor base for Disney parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong, said Jiang Yiyi, deputy head of the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism at Beijing Sport University.

"The new themed lands are expected to attract repeat visits from those who have effectively toured Disney before, enhancing the overall revisit rate," said Jiang.

The tourism boom in China this year has injected vitality into the regional theme park market.

In 2022, about 80 theme parks in China saw revenue grow 15.3 percent to 15.4 billion yuan ($2.15 billion), with 75.7 million visits, according to a China theme park competitive report published by the Institute for Theme Park Studies in China.

Shanghai Disney Resort, Universal Beijing Resort and Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park rank as the top three in revenue. The number of parks is still climbing, said the report.

Lin Huanjie, who compiled the report, said 2023 has been a year of recovery and reshuffle for the theme park industry in China, offering a chance for domestic players to upgrade their reach.

Lin cited new projects in the pipeline from international brands, including Universal Beijing Resort kicking off construction of its second phase, new projects for Disney in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and new Legoland parks.

Park operators at home and abroad have invested in new projects to attract Chinese visitors.

Legoland Shanghai Resort, an international IP-based theme park operated by British entertainment group Merlin Entertainments, will be operational in Shanghai within the next two years, along with a new Legoland in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and in Chengdu, Sichuan province, which are both under construction.

Merlin has 13 attractions in China focusing on family visitors. The company has said previously that the Chinese market will be one of the strategic growth markets to support the growth of Merlin Entertainments over the next decade.

In Beijing, Pop Mart, a domestic toymaker, unveiled its first theme park — Pop Land — to toy lovers in Chaoyang district this November. The move has escalated competition in the leisure travel industry.

According to Beijing Daily, two new theme parks will be located adjacent to Universal Beijing Resort in Tongzhou district in 2026.

Peak Park, which covers top IPs including Peppa Pig and Barbie, is an indoor facility involving an investment of 1.8 billion yuan. Beijing Haichang Ocean Park, with an investment of 3.8 billion yuan, is the city's first large-scale ocean tourism project.

Lin said domestic park operators, despite the sector's quick growth in recent years, need to gear up resources with Chinese cultural elements to attract visitors from home and abroad.

For theme parks to make a mark, a seamless immersive experience, enhanced by technology and storytelling, is the key.

In Hong Kong, the World of Frozen has introduced a Summer Snow Day featuring three themed attractions, including a boat ride, a sleigh adventure and an interactive play experience.

Michael Moriarty, managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, said the integration of music into the tour experience will bring the story together seamlessly.

A unique aspect is the integration of the attractions into the Lantau mountain landscape in Hong Kong, creating the first Disney resort with a mountain, said Amanda Chiu, producer at Walt Disney Imagineering Asia.