Localizing a global amusement park: Hong Kong Disneyland

Abstract

We examine how the Disney Company localizes Disneyland in Hong Kong. Unlike most transnational corporations that adapt local culture to accommodate local tastes in foreign markets, we argue that Hong Kong Disneyland adapts to the Chinese market by retaining and bringing to the fore Disneyland's global form. Evidence gathered from multiple visits to the park shows that local residents and visitors from Asia understand how global consumption works. For tourists from mainland China, however, the park offers a chance for them to assume the role of aspiring global consumers, an experience that state control prevents them from having in their daily lives.

Notes

1. Highlights. Hong Kong Disneyland: An asset for the future (http://www.info.gov.hk/disneyland/eng.htm). Background. Hong Kong Disneyland: An asset for the future (http://www.info.gov.hk/disneyland/bi-e.htm).