Merlin expands in China
Merlin Entertainments recently unveiled its first Dungeon and Little BIG City attractions in China, located in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. It also chose Shanghai for its first ever Peppa Pig World of Play, taking the total number of attractions it has in the country to eleven. In an exclusive chat with Park World editor Becci Knowles, corporate affairs director, James Crampton revealed more about the thinking behind Merlin’s latest projects and its plans for expansion in new and existing territories.
C Peppa Pig World of Play Shanghai
hina is an important market for Merlin; demographic shifts in the country have led to a growing middle class that is seeking exciting leisure experiences. “Our
focus up to now has been the rollout of our midway brands in Tier 1 cities,” said James, adding that China was the natural location for its inaugural Peppa Pig World of Play attraction, given the cartoon character is one of the top three ranking pre-school brands in the country. “Following the successful launch of Little BIG City Berlin last year, Beijing was also the ideal location for the second attraction of its kind, given the city’s rich fabric of legends,” he said.
Peppa Pig World of Play in Shanghai is the first indoor
attraction of its kind globally and follows on from Merlin’s IP partnership with Entertainment One. The attraction features a dedicated space within a Shanghai shopping mall and follows the creation of ‘in-park’ lands at several of Merlin’s larger theme parks in Europe. The bright and colourful space includes ten play areas, each inspired by instantly recognisable locations from the Peppa Pig TV series. “This is one of our “Midway” brands,” says James, “with a typical visitor dwell time of 2 to 3 hours and is open all year around. The attraction has been very well received by consumers and the concept is set to be rolled out in additional locations, with launches planned for Beijing as well as Dallas, Texas in the next year, followed by further openings.”
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