News ► Hashimoto discusses possibility of Disney Park collaboration at Annual Shareholders Meeting

[Oracle Spockanort]

Square Enix held their Annual Shareholders Meeting in Tokyo on June 22nd, where they discussed their current sales numbers and forecasts for the rest of the financial year, along with goals for upcoming titles and existing franchises.

Shinji Hashimoto, Executive Producer of the KINGDOM HEARTS series also participated in a Q&A session where he was asked about the possibility of a collaboration with Disney Parks.

Q: I am a Kingdom Hearts fan. It's unfortunate that the release of KINGDOM HEARTS III has been delayed until next year. Final Fantasy recently collaborated with Universal Studios Japan, but this [series] is a collaboration with Disney. After the 15th anniversary, it's not just fans who will be buying [the games]. With news of Disney's upcoming expansions [referring to the theme parks], is there a possibility for Kingdom Hearts to be included in some capacity?

Hashimoto: Thank you for your suggestion [on a global scale]. Since 1997, I've been overseeing the Kingdom Hearts franchise. As a Japanese person, it's been nothing short of a dream to be able to play something developed by a Japanese creator with Disney, especially the same Disney that owns such properties like Frozen and Star Wars.

Since Disney has an increasingly high regard for [Kingdom Hearts], I’d like to reach out to them and discuss this further. Sales inside Disneyland will certainly contribute to the growth of the customer base.

Source: michsuzuki

What do you think about the possibility of Kingdom Hearts being in the Disney theme parks? What ideas do you have for themed attractions or merchandise? Let us know!

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[gosoxtim]

i mean tasha on twiiter want kingdom hearts to haapen but as for idea make kairi a honery princess and have sora cosplay there but most of all make travers town or daybreak town like harry potter has diagon ally

 

[Zettaflare]

I agree with Gosoxtim. Sections in Disneyland devoted to original worlds would be neat. .


Some other ideas are See salt ice cream shops

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Kairi will never be an honorary princess. Disney Princesses are a tightly-controlled brand with very specific requirements.

 

[Knuxpyro56]

Maybe we can finally get a night time parade at magic kingdom that uses the attraction flow attacks as parade floats. Plus seeing Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mickey meet and greet in their KH outfits would be a plus

 

[Laurel]

I'll probably just be happy if the parks sold sea salt ice cream, but it'll be cool if the parks added more like merchandises and having the Disney characters walking around as their KH counterparts.

 

[gosoxtim]

i would like see original characthers in the park not just sora like have the destiny trio be thee

 

[Zettaflare]

I wonder if any Disney park attendees cosplayed as KH characters? I would love to see some if we get these KH additions.

 

[Sonicfan2525]

Oh my lord I would love this. Having a small Twilight Town corner in Epcot or Hollywood Studios would be really cool, and having a KH float during the parades would be so cool. I'd even be fine with Sea Salt Ice Cream being the only KH addition to the parks like Laurel pointed out. Having some kind of representation in the parks is all I want no matter how small. It would be nice to see Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in the KH costumes more often outside of events.

 

[robvandam111]

I wonder if any Disney park attendees cosplayed as KH characters? I would love to see some if we get these KH additions.

[video=youtube;0Gn3eGqRf0s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gn3eGqRf0s[/video]

 

[THE_Benjamin]

Sea Salt ice cream is already available at Tokyo DisneySea. I've had it- it's great. It comes inside a pink seashell.

Am I the only one who read this quote and thought maybe Hashimoto is actually talking about selling the game and or merchandise only in the parks and not creating themed areas? I wish they would though...

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Sea Salt ice cream is already available at Tokyo DisneySea. I've had it- it's great. It comes inside a pink seashell.

Am I the only one who read this quote and thought maybe Hashimoto is actually talking about selling the game and or merchandise only in the parks and not creating themed areas? I wish they would though...

The person who asked the question focused on the physical merchandise at USJ, so Hashimoto kind of talks to that point...but he is talking about the idea in a general sense as well.

 

[Sign]

I wonder if any Disney park attendees cosplayed as KH characters? I would love to see some if we get these KH additions.

It happens every now and then, although most people don't realize it's actually frowned upon since kids would confuse these cosplayers for actual cast members. Disney does have a no-costume rule for anyone over the age of 14, excluding special events like Halloween. However, they actually go through an extensive background check for their cast members and having someone potentially mislead other guests into thinking they're a Disney employee is understandably a big problem, especially if their costume is really well done and believable.

KH is more unknown to the average guest so people have been able to get into the parks while dressed as the original characters, but you know :\

 

[reimeille]

For the past couple years, I've been holding aside a Disneyland fund especially for the occasion that something Kingdom Hearts related happens at the park (whether KH3-related or otherwise). I spent some of it during the Dandelion meeting and the LA concerts but most of that fund is still waiting... yearning to be spent on an annual pass the SECOND Disney announces something at the park.

It's a childhood dream to see anything Kingdom Hearts-related at the parks, but I had myself convinced that it was just a cute dream until these past few years. Even if it's just a temporary food item (like they love to do with new movies), my soul will fly right out of my body like Winnie the Pooh...

It's your move Disney... gimme the goods...

 

[Darkspawn]

I wonder if any Disney park attendees cosplayed as KH characters? I would love to see some if we get these KH additions.

I used to work at Disney World and, during the Halloween parties, there were always people in KH costumes. As Sign said, these are the only times you can dress up in costumes if you’re over 14. Even then, you can’t have masks or anything covering your face and no weapons. To anyone considering doing a KH cosplay at one of these, I definitely recommend looking at the costume guidelines.

Outside of the Halloween events though, some people will Disney Bound, which is where you reinterpret a Disney costume into modern clothes. I’ve seen people do this with KH before.

 

[ActingDude17]

If Disney incorporated KH into any of their parks I'd have to go. And I'm beginning to think, for the first time really, that it might actually happen someday. Until it's a reality I'm happy to dream.

 

[Squall Strife]

 "I am a Kingdom Hearts fan. It's unfortunate that the release of KINGDOM HEARTS III has been delayed until next year."

Even the executive produce was disappointed that KH3 was indeed delayed to next year. Pretty much validates people who were upset about the release being delayed.


A Disney park theme world would be amazing, especially if they took iconic rides from each Disney park & had it in one world. If they had to only pick one park though, then definitely Disneyland, since It's the most iconic.

 

[Sign]

"I am a Kingdom Hearts fan. It's unfortunate that the release of KINGDOM HEARTS III has been delayed until next year."

Even the executive produce was disappointed that KH3 was indeed delayed to next year. Pretty much validates people who were upset about the release being delayed.

The person saying that was one of the stockholders in attendance, not Hashimoto.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

 "I am a Kingdom Hearts fan. It's unfortunate that the release of KINGDOM HEARTS III has been delayed until next year."

Even the executive produce was disappointed that KH3 was indeed delayed to next year. Pretty much validates people who were upset about the release being delayed.


A Disney park theme world would be amazing, especially if they took iconic rides from each Disney park & had it in one world. If they had to only pick one park though, then definitely Disneyland, since It's the most iconic.

Can we not do that here? KH3 was delayed for logistics reasons that were best avoided. A heavy holiday season with KH3 thrown into it would have meant more costly production fees and the potential for the game to get buried under all of the other AAA release said those months.

As for a “Disney Park theme world” KH3 is that xD the whole thing is meant to feel like a theme park, which Nomura just said in his interview with the Telegraph.

https://www.khinsider.com/news/The-...nship-with-Disney-getting-Oswald-in-KH3-12555

 

[Recon]

Wasn't Kingdom Hearts at Disneyland or Magic Kingdom before ? My memory is fuzzy, but long ago I was at one of the two and there was a giant dome building where you could play Kingdom Hearts. I could never find pictures of the event ever since...