Introduction

On 23 January 2008, The Wall Street Journal published an interesting report on how Disney localized the Mickey Mouse character to boost its Hong Kong theme park. Mickey Mouse is undoubtedly an authentic American cultural icon even though it was artificially created by Walt Disney in 1928. The globalized Disney has built Disneylands on various continents. Hong Kong Disneyland was one of the latest expansions. It targets Chinese consumers who were expected to understand Disney, or so it seemed. Unfortunately, Chinese tourists, unfamiliar with Disney's traditional stories, were sometimes left bewildered by the Hong Kong park's attractions. Products shipped directly from the USA often lacked interpretations and were confusing for people without a knowledge of Mickey Mouse. In order to accommodate Chinese tourists, Disney decided to change several characters, e.g. the bearded Chinese God of Wealth was introduced. The contrast of having an ancient Chinese character standing side-by-side with Mickey Mouse was amusing, but was readily accepted by the tourists and park staff alike. The authentic American icon, Mickey Mouse, also appears to be shaped to meet the taste and demands of the Chinese tourists. For example, modifications of Mickey Mouse's personal traits were made to reflect Chinese culture. Since cheese is not popular in Chinese cuisine, a showcase inside the kitchen of ‘Mickey's House’, a new attraction at the Hong Kong park, displayed his favorite cheeses from Europe and North America and a steamed rice-flour cake from China.

Disneyland is an example of a purpose-built theme park constructed in the era of postmodern culture. It provides an ideal setting for tourists to enjoy contrived presentations and created characters. Disneyland is a microcosm of fantasy and imagery where Mickey Mouse and Snow White dance hand-in-hand on Main Street. Perhaps Disneyfied theme parks are such an oxymoron in the lexicon of tourism studies that few researchers find them authentic.