Shanghai Disneyland opens on June 16. (Photo : Getty Images)
Shanghai Disneyland, Walt Disney Co.’s first theme park in mainland China, will bring the company not only massive profit but also a chance to consolidate the firm’s foreign theme parks ahead of its grand opening.
Disney has successfully entered mainland China marked by the Shanghai theme park's opening on June 16, which means the company already has a chance to settle one of its weaknesses, a The Wall Street Journal reported.
Citing Nomura Securities analyst Anthony DiClemente, the report explained that Disney's landing on Shanghai became a springboard for the brand to grow in innovative ways that matter.
The amusement park's trial opening itself is proof that China is ready for the Disney brand as over 500 thousand visitors lined up on May 7 to be the first guests to experience the tourist spot.
Disney's Weakness
According to the WSJ report, Disney has but a few weak spots, one of which is the immersion of the company's brand to foreign countries.
"While the annual revenue from the media giant parks in Florida and California have increased by 46 percent over the past five fiscal years to $13.6 billion, those in France, Hong Kong and Japan were almost unchanged at around $2.5 billion," the report noted, further pointing out that Disney could do better with its first theme park in China.
Proof of the venture's importance to the company is implied in Disney CEO Bob Iger's consistent statement over the years about having their own theme park in the world's second biggest economy.
"As Walt done with Disneyland in the '50s, a Disneyland actually grow the Disney brand in the United States, we believe that it will have some really interesting opportunities to do the same in China," Iger once told investors in 2009.
Promising Opening
Ahead of its opening, the Shanghai Disneyland is also faced with the matter of overcoming the massive lines as the theme park is predicted to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Some guests who tried to get in the park during its trial opening in May complained about the long lines, CRI English reported.
However, most of their complaints sounded more like an expression of regret or self-blame for failing to maximize the entire experience.
"I will keep waiting in the line even if my legs fail me," one guest told the outlet.
"I've only managed to get into one attraction through the whole morning. It's so tiring. But if I give up halfway, I know I'm going to regret it," another stated after waiting for three hours for a single ride.
Disney said that they would be giving out fast passes and providing better accommodations like wheelchairs and strollers to make the visit less stressful.
