Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock gripped the lap bar tightly on Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs as he rode in the front row of the new family coaster that’s set to open at Hong Kong Disneyland and could someday end up at the Anaheim theme park.
Potrock visited Disney’s Asia theme parks in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai on a benchmark trip to experience the new Frozen, Zootopia, Tangled and Peter Pan themed lands in various stages of development.
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“We were so excited to see all the exciting experiences these fantastic resorts have to offer — both existing and upcoming,” Potrock wrote on his Instagram page in late October. “It’s always a pleasure to exchange best practices, share innovations and build relationships with so many creative and talented people from Disney Parks.”
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The new World of Frozen themed land debuts Monday, Nov. 20 at Hong Kong Disneyland with a family roller coaster, water ride, interactive show and themed restaurant set amid Nordic-inspired architecture.
Potrock posed for a photo with the imposing audio-animatronic figure of Zootopia Police Chief Bogo during his tour of the new Zootopia: Hot Pursuit attraction debuting Dec. 20 with the new themed land at Shanghai Disneyland.
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In the queue for the trackless dark ride, the horned buffalo police chief orders his new recruits to board police cruisers to back up officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde on a mission to rescue Zootopian pop star Gazelle from her kidnapper.
The new Fantasy Springs port debuting at Tokyo DisneySea in spring 2024 will include three themed lands: Frozen Kingdom, Rapunzel’s Forest and Peter Pan’s Never Land.
“Pack some of their stuff up and bring it home with ya,” Disneyland fan Danny Holcomb commented on Potrock’s Instagram post.
Potrock’s tour of Disney’s Asia theme parks served as an Alice in Wonderland-like journey through the looking glass at what could be coming to Anaheim if the city approves the ambitious DisneylandForward project.
The DisneylandForward proposal seeks to update a 1990s Anaheim city plan to allow for a mix of theme park, hotel, retail, dining and entertainment on the eastern and western edges of the Disneyland resort.
The long-term DisneylandForward planning proposal dangles possible projects based on Frozen, Zootopia, Tangled and Peter Pan as the types of lands and attractions Anaheim is missing out on under current city planning and zoning guidelines.
