HONG KONG, NOV 6 — As Mickey Mouse heads north from Hong Kong to Shanghai, he runs the risk of being followed by his Asian nemesis, Whiskers the Sea Lion.
Whiskers, also known as Wai Wai, is the mascot of Ocean Park, a 32-year-old Hong Kong theme park that was widely expected to wither with the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland four years ago.
But Ocean Park has thrived instead, and is now reviewing requests for franchised theme parks from cities across Asia, including the Middle East and Shanghai, where the next Disneyland theme park will be opened.
While attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland has been disappointing, due mainly to miscalculated strategies, Ocean Park has emphasised its Hong Kong and Chinese ties and gained attendance even in the first year after Mickey Mouse’s arrival. Ocean Park in fact had budgeted a 25 per cent slump in visitors for that period.
“I wasn’t really trying to kill the Mouse, but I think they didn’t really understand the culture and got it wrong,” said Allan Zeman, the 61-year-old chairman of Ocean Park, who has repeatedly grabbed the spotlight with stunts such as being shot out of a cannon.
While Hong Kong Disneyland has only one fairly large roller coaster, Ocean Park has three and is building more. It also has animal attractions like dolphin shows and four giant pandas.
Cities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and across China have asked Ocean Park to open theme parks, Zeman said. Ocean Park is less likely to consider Shanghai until after the new Disneyland has been built and its performance can be assessed, he added.
Overseas expansion of Ocean Park will also require the Hong Kong government to change an ordinance governing the park, which was built for the city by a local non-profit group.
Ocean Park had 3.68 million visitors in 2004, the last full year before Hong Kong Disneyland opened, and 5.03 million last year.
Several years ago, National Geographic Kids magazine rated Ocean Park as the second “wildest” theme park outside the United States, trailing only a rival in Queensland, Australia.
“Ocean Park is more fun. Disneyland is more for kids,” said Ocean Park visitor Frankie Tong. “Disneylands are more or less the same in places all over the world; Disney is more American.” -- NYT
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