Shanghai: Three Southeast Asian countries, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, are on track to become the leading sources of foreign tourists visiting Shanghai Disneyland by 2025, an outcome linked to China's visa-free policy.

According to Thai News Agency, Andrew Bolstein, chairman and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, stated in an interview that besides ASEAN tourists, visitors from East Asia, notably Japan and South Korea, were also significant contributors to the foreign visitor count at Shanghai Disneyland last year.

Statistics reveal that Shanghai Disneyland, operational for over nine years, has welcomed more than 100 million visitors by the close of October 2025. Bolstein noted that the number of international tourists visiting the park is anticipated to grow swiftly in 2025.

Thai tourists, in particular, express their fondness for Lina Bell, the pink fox detective character, while classic characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck, adorned in Chinese-style outfits, remain popular among the Thai audience.

In preparation for its 10th anniversary in June 2026, Shanghai Disney Resort will initiate celebratory activities in March. The resort is also advancing construction on two new hotels and continuing enhancements and expansions of its attractions.

According to the Shanghai Bureau of Culture and Tourism, from January to November 2025, Shanghai saw 8.282 million inbound tourists, a nearly fourfold increase from the previous year, surpassing both predictions and the total for 2024. Of these, a substantial 6.287 million were foreign tourists, marking a nearly fivefold rise.