Report Release | "2024 Shanghai Disney Resort Happy Tourism Trend Report"

On June 13, 2024, the China Tourism Research Institute released the "Tourism Upgrade · Happy New Journey -2024 Shanghai Disney Resort Happy Tourism Trend Report" in Shanghai. Following the successful release of the first "Happy Tourism Trend Report" in 2021, the China Tourism Research Institute once again focuses on the Shanghai Disney Resort, tracking and systematically interpreting new trends and phenomena in happy tourism. The key points of the report are shared as follows.

1. Responding to emotional values and creating a joyful experience

At Shanghai Disney Resort, visitors can fully immerse themselves in the classic storytelling of Disney, relax themselves, enjoy happiness, and gain a sense of well-being. Among them, rich and diverse entertainment performances and experiences bring psychological and spiritual comfort to tourists of different age groups. According to consumer insights data from Shanghai Disney Resort, in 2023, over 40.99 million people watched live entertainment performances at the resort, including its iconic "Dreamlight Phantom Show", "Mickey Fairy Tale Train" float parade, and theater performances such as "Mickey Mouse Fairy Tale Book". Among them, the iconic daytime themed float parade of Shanghai Disneyland, the "Mickey Fairy Tale Special Train," had over 10.21 million viewers in 2023- meaning that almost every visitor to Shanghai Disneyland watched this joyful and lively performance.

2. Continuously introducing new experiences and products, allowing visitors to receive surprises every time they return to the amusement park

Since its opening, Shanghai Disney Resort has continued to develop, adding new storytelling and richer travel options for visitors. This includes the world's first "Zootopia" theme park officially welcoming its first batch of visitors on December 20, 2023, and the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort's first major expansion project, the seventh theme park "Disney Pixar Toy Story", less than two years after the grand opening of the resort. 97% of the surveyed tourists stated that they were already aware of the "Zootopia" theme park before visiting Shanghai Disney Resort, and about one-third of them said that the new park attracted them to visit the resort. In addition, iterative seasonal celebrations and special festive events have become a major highlight that attracts tourists. Tourists can enjoy special limited time seasonal celebrations in the resort for approximately 300 days each year. In 2023, the willingness of tourists to revisit Shanghai Disney Resort reached 85%, and the willingness of tourists to recommend Shanghai Disney Resort to others increased by 11% on the basis of the original high proportion in 2019.

3. Bring surprises and happiness to everyone, regardless of gender or age

In the resort, whether it's reuniting with family, experiencing beauty and wonder with friends, or just relaxing, everyone can feel happiness and joy. Core families are still a major customer group in Shanghai Disney Resort, hoping to enhance their relationship with their families and express their love through travel. In addition, adults represented by intimate relationships or interest circles seek emotional value and lead the new mainstream of travel. In 2023, the tourist composition of Shanghai Disneyland will be evenly divided between those who travel without children and those who travel with children. In addition, family tourists over 30 years old without children account for about 30% of the visitors to Shanghai Disneyland. In addition, many experienced silver haired tourists pursue higher quality and fresher leisure travel, and Shanghai Disneyland Resort is also favored by this group of tourists due to its high service quality and rich experience. Compared to 2019, the number of elderly one-day and two-day tickets at Shanghai Disneyland in 2023 has increased by about 75%.

4. Meet the growing spiritual need for self-expression

Consumers express themselves and demonstrate stronger self-awareness through lifestyle choices such as clothing and dressing. According to the operational data of Shanghai Disney Resort, headwear products including headbands and hats are the second most popular item category among all product categories in the resort, with sales second only to plush toys. Tourists can also fully showcase their personalities in the diverse activities of the resort. Taking the Halloween season event in the resort as an example, tourists can dress up in various creative outfits to fully showcase their personality and quirky nature,

Many people also consider this as an annual must check in experience. Since the first Halloween carnival season in September 2017, Shanghai Disney Resort has held Halloween themed events for seven consecutive years. The climax of the popular Halloween celebration among tourists, the "Halloween Carnival Day," has been continuously extended from one night to five nights during the 2023 Halloween season.

5. Integration of transportation and tourism, iconic immersive experience

Shanghai Disney Resort relies on Shanghai's superior geographical location and convenient transportation facilities, allowing local, provincial, and international tourists to easily and simply embark on a Disney journey and experience the wonderful world of Disney. During the spring and autumn seasons each year, the proportion of local tourists with annual passes is the highest. As for the source of customers, statistics show that in 2023, the main source of customers for Shanghai Disney Resort will still be Chang San

Corner area. Meanwhile, compared to 2022, the growth rate of tourists from the Pearl River Delta region is the most significant in 2023. The clever integration of familiar elements into immersive storytelling is one of the important reasons why Shanghai Disney Resort has received high praise and achieved great success. For example, the "Zootopia" theme park incorporates unique local culture, including highlights inspired by Shanghai, presenting Chinese tourists with a clear and resonant experience. Tourists are using words such as "fully immersed", "detail controlled", and "highly restored" to express the beautiful impression left on them by this park.

6. Cutting edge technology and technological innovation help improve tourist experience

Shanghai Disney Resort has continuously brought high-quality theme park experiences along with technological innovation, leading the trend of the theme park industry. Zootopia is a new representative work of Shanghai Disney Resort that utilizes innovative technology to enhance the visitor experience. Among them, "Zootopia: Heat Tracking" is equipped with an advanced trackless ride system in the theme park industry, which is also the first time used in amusement facilities in mainland China. At the same time, it uses precise mechanical animation puppet technology to present the characters of Zootopia in a lifelike form that can be called art in front of tourists. In terms of tourists' overall experience of Zootopia, their visit to its main attraction - "Zootopia: Heat Tracking", and their interaction with Disney friends in the park, the rating of "very good" exceeded the already high satisfaction rating of similar experiences in other parks of Shanghai Disneyland. In addition, over 85% of tourists have used the resort app before visiting Shanghai Disneyland.

In the future, Shanghai Disney Resort will continue to build a future lifestyle and bring positive impacts to the local community.

1. Symbiosis with the natural environment to make happiness more sustainable

Shanghai Disneyland pursues the ultimate green in hardware equipment and sets an industry benchmark. In 2023, Shanghai Disney Resort obtained the LEED v4.1 Platinum certification for "Existing Communities", becoming the world's first resort to receive the highest level of LEED certification. In addition, the resort emphasizes the concept of sustainable development in its operation and construction, and continues to carry out science education and biodiversity conservation. The resort has not only been awarded the first "Ecological China Experience Education Base", but also integrated biodiversity monitoring and nature education activities, such as bird watching activities at the Star Wish Park and the iconic Disney Earth Month event held every April to enhance public awareness of environmental protection.

2. Spread happiness to more people in need in the community

The resort has always been committed to becoming an important partner and active corporate citizen of the local community. Through cooperation with local government, non-governmental organizations, schools, and other partners, it brings positive impacts to the daily lives of every person in the local community and spreads the joy and magic of Disney to more Chinese families. Taking the Disney Happy House project as an example, to celebrate the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort, The Walt Disney Company announced in 2016 a donation of 20 million RMB to fund the construction of Disney themed game spaces across the country. To celebrate International Children's Day, the 50th Disney Happy House opened on June 1, 2024 at the Children's Hospital affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, spreading joy and optimism to children in need and their families.

3. Become a city's business card to promote cultural and tourism development

As a new landmark of Shanghai, Shanghai Disneyland Resort attracts tourists from all over the world, further helping Shanghai become a world-renowned tourist city and the first stop for inbound tourism in China, contributing an important force to promoting the high-quality development of China's cultural and tourism industry.

4. Building a Bridge for International Exchange

Shanghai Disney Resort adheres to the concept of "authentic Disney, unique Chinese style" to create high-quality experiences, while deeply cultivating happy tourism. It is not only a hot spot for tourism and entertainment, but also an important platform for international exchange, promoting cultural, economic, and commercial exchanges and cooperation at multiple levels.

Welcome to scan the QR code below to obtain the full text of the report in both Chinese and English

2024 Shanghai Disney Resort Happy Tourism Trend Report

2024 Shanghai Disney Resort Happiness Travel Trend Report

Contribution | Compiled by Data Analysis Institute | Source by Liu Xin | Reproduction by China Tourism Research Institute (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) Please indicate the author and source