It’s D23 Expo season. Meaning that announcements for what new attractions and IPs coming to the Disney parks are just around the corner. All three Asian Disney parks are working towards some big projects right now with Hong Kong Disneyland getting a new castle and a Frozen themed land in the next couple of years. Construction has begun in Shanghai for the Zootopia themed land and Tokyo Disney Resort has a plethora of new attractions coming to the park. With all these projects going on, it’s hard to imagine where will be huge announcements regarding these parks at D23. That said, being as passionate as I am about the Disney park over this side of the world, I can’t help but let my imagination soar and come up with 5 things (attractions/shows/ hotels/ IPs) that I would like to see injected into the Asian Disney parks.
- Divide Hong Kong Disneyland’s Tomorrowland into two separate lands.
Hong Kong Disneyland has a problem that is quite common with a lot of other Disney parks across the globe, and that’s that Tomorrowland is suffering from identity crisis. Over the last few years, Tomorrowland has added Star Wars attractions, such as the Star Wars: Command Post, Jedi Training, a re-themed Space Mountain (Hyperspace Mountain), and Marvel Attractions, such as the Iron Man Experience, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle. However, this has caused Tomorrowland to look a little dysfunctional with two very juxtaposed themes.
With the announcement of the big expansion to Hong Kong Disneyland, a Marvel land was part of that. However, as of right now, there has been no distinction of an actual “land” separate from Tomorrowland. My fear is that even with the new attraction in 2023 that Marvel land will just be a part of Tomorrowland as a whole.
What I would like to see, is Tomorrowland to become extinct and for the area to be completely split into two with both a Marvel land and a Star Wars land. I like for the various Disney parks to feel different. So I wouldn’t have another Galaxy’s Edge as Star Wars Land, but I would add an attraction or two and another dining location to make it feel like a fully formed land. Marvel land wouldn’t need much more adding to it than what is already there or coming soon. Just a little bit more re-theming at the start of the land and maybe an overlay to the Starlight Diner to a SHIELD style canteen. Meaning that when you walk into the west of the park you can either go to Star Wars land or to Marvel land, but they are two very different and distinguishable areas.
Speaking of Marvel….
- Shanghai Disneyland to get a Marvel attraction.
Mainland China is huge on Marvel. I know the rest of the world is, but China really is. I think it’s such a missed opportunity that Shanghai Disneyland doesn’t have a full attraction or show based on the MCU. They have a Marvel Universe pavilion, but it’s just a glorified meet and greet location, with a few smaller attractions such as an animation class and an interactive experience.
If I had the power, I would like to see Disney bring an attraction to Shanghai Disneyland that the Guests would really enjoy. Again, I like to see the different Disney Parks get different attractions around the world, so that I could enjoy something unique. I think a Captain Marvel attraction would do well in China with the movie being so popular there. If it needed to be an existing attraction then I’m all for bringing Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout closer to my home, so I wouldn’t have to travel across the world to experience it. If not an attraction, I would like to see a Marvel themed stunt show.
Shanghai already has a Pirates of the Caribbean stunt show that is popular, so there is definitely a market for it. Also, Martial art/ stunt stage shows are very popular in China. So a Marvel themed one of these would go down as a treat.
- Tokyo DisneySea to get a new stage show.
There is a ton of expansion coming to Tokyo DisneySea in the next couple of years. I love the aesthetics of DisneySea, and I love exploring the park. I do think that they were missing a couple of big attractions, which should be fixed with the introduction of Soaring and the 2022 epic expansion. That said, I think DisneySea is missing something. DisneySea has some popular shows both on the water like Fantasmic, outside shows such as Hello, New York and inside shows, such as Big Band Beat.
A new show is also debuting in the Hangar Stage called the Song of Mirage featuring Mickey and Friends. I hope this show is better than other shows that have been on the Hangar Stage. Even if this show is successful, I think there is room for another show in Tokyo DisneySea featuring the SEA themselves.
I would design a large, big-budget stage show that defines and explores (pun intended) the world of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. The SEA is becoming more and more prominent throughout the Disney parks, but I think it would be really cool to chronicle the story of the SEA to guests, making it a less niche and more mainstream brand. DisneySea would be the perfect place to do this since the park is steeped in SEA history as it stands.
- Bring back the Mickey Mouse Revue to Tokyo Disneyland.
This one is probably the most unlikely item on my list. However, if there is one show or attraction that I am upset that I never got to see, it is the Mickey Mouse Revue. For those who don’t know, the Mickey Mouse Revue was a show similar to Mickey’s Philarmagic, but with audio-animatronics and not 3-D screens.
The Mickey Mouse Revue moved to Tokyo Disneyland for the opening of the park. It lasted there until 2009 and then it was removed six years before I was able to visit Tokyo Disney Resort. I love Tokyo Disneyland, and it arguably might be my favorite Disney park. But I would be lying if I said that I wouldn’t want to see a restored and updated version of The Mickey Mouse Revue coming back to the park. The show could either be a carbon copy of the original or a brand new show with updated songs and animatronics–I’m easy. I just think there is a place for a musical revue show based on Disney IP’s with animatronics. Plus, I reaaaaalllly want to see it.
- Unique Toy Story attractions added to Toy Storyland.
Both Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland have Toy Storylands. That being said, bar Shanghai Disneyland’s Woody’s Roundup, there aren’t any original attractions exclusive to that land. Even then, Woody’s Roundup is a whip based attraction very similar to Alien Swirling Saucers.
So, I would like to see a new attraction in each of these Disneyland’s that are unique to the land. Both lands have an E-ticket attraction in RC/Rex’s Racer, so I would like to see an attraction for the whole family. I would have both parks have a dark ride, but different kind of dark rides. At Shanghai Disneyland, I would have a scavenger hunt based dark ride in the vein of Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek at Tokyo Disneyland. At Hong Kong Disneyland I would have a tamed down version of the Dinosaur attraction where guests take part in a rescue mission trying to find a lost toy.
In full hypocrisy, I would also like to see Toy Story Mania come to Hong Kong Disneyland. I think it would be a great edition to the park’s Toy Storyland and something that would be incredibly popular with the guests. Plus, I really love the attraction.
Here are my five things I would like to see added to the Asian Disney Parks. What are you looking forward to at D23? Is there something you are hoping to be announced? Let’s continue the conversation over on the WDW Radio Box People Facebook group.
To learn more about Daniel and read some of his other posts on the WDW Radio Blog, visit his author page.
(All photos from the personal library of Daniel Morris.)
