Will HK Disneyland's Iron Man attraction live up to hype?
Tom Staggs, then Disney COO, announces the Iron Man Experience planned for Hong Kong Disneyland in 2016. Staggs had been promoted to the job specifically to be Iger's heir apparent. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Hong Kong Disneyland's planned new Iron Man attraction may be getting a lot of hype, but will it draw in key tourists from mainland China?

After the stellar performance of the Iron Man 3 film, both in China and around Asia, the newly announced plan for an "Iron Man Experience" would seem like a natural fit to boost Chinese tourists' attendance at the Hong Kong park. But there may be a problem, says Chris Yoshii, vice president of the economics group at Aecom , a technical support company. "The Chinese are not so interested in thrills," Yoshii said, citing ridership data from theme parks around the region. Aecom, in conjunction with the Themed Entertainment Association, compiles an annual global theme park and museum index report. Around 45 percent of the visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2012, were from the mainland, according to data from the company.

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"In the U.S. market or in Europe, particularly the U.K., having the biggest, scariest roller coaster is always a major draw for the parks. In Asia and China, that's not the case," he said. "The Chinese markets like more of a show element. They like live entertainment." Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005, posted its first profit in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2012 after suffering from low attendance for years, with 2012's attendance around 1.5 million behind the original 1999 projections. Attendance at the park hit a record in 2012, climbing 13.6 percent from a year earlier, driven both by a surge in tourists from the mainland and the opening of a slew of new attractions. "Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong and international guests embraced Iron Man in theaters and they will embrace him in the park," said Linda Choy, vice president of public affairs for Hong Kong Disneyland, in an email.

(Read more: Shanghai Disney Must Deliver 'Big' Experience)

She added that one of the park's recently opened thrill rides, the Big Grizzly Mountain "Runaway Mine Cars," ranks as the most popular attraction among all visitors. The next-ranking thrill-ride is two places behind. Yoshii said the Iron Man attraction is probably aimed at increasing the size of Hong Kong Disneyland. New attractions have already expanded the size of the park by around 25 percent over the past two years. (Read more: Hong Kong Disney Ends Seven-Year Itch to Make Money)