AS THE opening of the $5.5bn Shanghai Disneyland draws near, Walt Disney has a challenge. The hold of rival Asian characters such as China’s homegrown Boonie Bears and Big Big Wolf means seven-year-olds like Li Yixuan have less time for Mickey Mouse and Friends.As Li settles down for 15 minutes of cartoons before homework and bed, Disney does not get a look-in this time, as his favourite animated hero, Ultraman Ace from the hit Japanese series, does battle with space dinosaurs.And as the number of competing theme parks in China soars, it will become harder to win the hearts of Chinese children — and open the wallets of their parents — to fuel long-term traffic after the turnstiles start clicking on Thursday."When we get kids now to write down their favourite cartoon character, very few put down Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck," says Song Lei, director at Animation-Comic-Game Group, the organiser of Asia’s biggest annual fair for comics, anime and games."Instead, it’s what is being broad...
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