Tokyo Disney rides popularity wave

Japan operator sees overseas visitors more than doubling by 2020 to 4 million

The operator of Tokyo Disneyland expects overseas visitors to more than double by 2020 to around 4 million, as The Walt Disney Co's first resort outside the United States - opened in 1983 - rides on the publicity generated by Shanghai's new theme park and a government plan to draw more tourists to Japan.

Oriental Land Co, which is licensed to operate the Tokyo resort consisting of Disneyland, DisneySea, hotels and shopping malls, forecasts its annual investment of 50 billion yen ($481 million) on park attractions and new hotel projects will help it capture about one-tenth of the 40 million foreign visitors to Japan by 2020.