Marvel characters coming to Hong Kong Disneyland

Leah Zanolla | Posted: Feb 28, 2013 | Updated: Oct 19, 2014 - 9:25:27 AM

Since Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, Disney fans have been wondering how long it would be before the superheroes began making their way into the Disney theme parks. That day has come, but it won't be in the U.S. In a budget conference call earlier this week, Hong Kong Disneyland Financial Secretary John Tsang said, "In the coming few years, Hong Kong Disneyland will launch a new night-time parade and put in place a themed area featuring "Marvel Heroes," the first of its kind in the world."

No dates were mentioned for the opening of this new area, but since it was mentioned in the 2013-2014 budget, it is likely that construction will begin in the near future. The park is the smallest of all the Disney theme parks and consistently faces a lack of attendance from mainland Chinese tourists, its intended audience. Hong Kong Disneyland has had popularity problems over the years, an issue that is likely to change with the addition of the Marvel characters. According to Yahoo, The Avengers is "the 13th all-time highest grossing film in China." The site also brings up the idea that it just may not be feasible to bring the characters to the U.S. Disney parks anytime soon. The Disneyland Resort suffers from a lack of available space, and even more so after the recent addition of Cars Land. Walt Disney World cannot currently have Marvel characters in its parks, as Universal Orlando has an exclusive agreement with them right now.