Beyond the Blind Box: Pop Mart's Leap into Theme Parks and Video Games

Prologue: The Disney Playbook

For a century, the Disney playbook has been the gold standard for any company with ambitions of building an intellectual property (IP) empire. The formula is simple but powerful: create a beloved character in one medium (like an animated film), and then monetize that character across a vast ecosystem of other businesses, from merchandise and television shows to video games and, the ultimate expression of the brand, theme parks.

Wang Ning, a devoted student of the Disney model, knew that for Pop Mart to achieve its long-term vision, it had to make the leap beyond its core business of selling toys. The blind box had been the perfect "Trojan horse" to introduce his characters to the world. But now, he had to give those characters a world to live in.

This meant a massive new wave of investment and a move into two of the most difficult and capital-intensive businesses in the entertainment industry: theme parks and video games.

Act I: The 'Paradise' Project

In September 2023, Pop Mart opened its first-ever theme park, "Pop Land," in a park in Beijing. It was a modest start compared to the sprawling mega-resorts of Disney, covering about 40,000 square feet.

But the ambition was clear. Pop Land was designed to be an immersive, physical manifestation of the Pop Mart universe. Visitors could walk through detailed recreations of the worlds of characters like Molly, Dimoo, and The Monsters. They could meet their favorite characters in person, dine in themed restaurants, and, of course, buy exclusive merchandise.

It was a huge strategic gamble. Theme parks are notoriously expensive to build and operate. But Wang Ning saw it as an essential investment in the long-term value of his IP. A theme park is the ultimate brand-builder. It creates a powerful, emotional, and shareable experience that transforms a character from a toy into a memory. It's a place where the company is no longer just selling a product; it is selling a magical day with the family.

Act II: The Digital Playground

At the same time as it was building its first physical park, Pop Mart was also building its first digital one. In 2023, the company launched its first self-developed mobile game, "Dream Home."

The game was a "party game" collection, a social, casual experience where players could customize their own avatars, decorate a virtual home, and play mini-games with friends, all within the colorful world of Pop Mart's characters.

The strategic logic was similar to that of the theme park. The game was another way to deepen the emotional connection with the IP. It gave fans a new, interactive way to engage with their favorite characters and stories.

Crucially, the game was also designed to be a new revenue stream and a powerful marketing channel. It could be used to promote new toy releases, and the virtual goods sold within the game could become a high-margin business in its own right. It was a key step in building a digital flywheel that could work in concert with the company's physical retail empire.

Epilogue: The Next Generation of Entertainment

Pop Mart's expansion into theme parks and video games is the most audacious and risky chapter in its history. The company is moving from its core competency of designing and selling physical products into the complex and highly competitive world of location-based and digital entertainment.

The success of these new ventures is far from guaranteed. They will require a new set of skills, a huge amount of capital, and a long-term perspective.

But this expansion is the necessary and logical next step in Wang Ning's grand ambition. He is no longer content to be the king of the toy shelf. He is trying to build the next-generation entertainment company, one that is born from the unique culture of art toys but is destined to live across a vast universe of physical, digital, and emotional experiences. He is not just building a business; he is building a world.