Credit: Leo Rod, FlickrNetflix is one of The Walt Disney Company’s biggest rivals in streaming entertainment, but that’s not enough for Big Red. As though Disney didn’t have enough to worry about, with its streaming service losing billions of dollars, constantly mounting lawsuits against the company, and the waning popularity of its biggest IP, but now Netflix is getting into the theme park business and directly challenging Disneyland.
For quite some time, Netflix has been experimenting with how to expand valuable IPs like Stranger Things and Bridgerton into the real world. The company has tried a few things like Stranger Things: The Experience!, which it describes as allowing you to:
Step into an episode of your favorite series at Stranger Things: The Experience! First, venture into Hawkins Lab for an immersive, technology-filled adventure starring you. Join Eleven, Dustin, and the gang to fight Vecna in this brand-new Stranger Things storyline. Afterward, explore an 80s-themed Mix-Tape extravaganza with food & drinks, special merchandise, photo ops, and more.
Related: Daily Guest Restrictions Enforced at Disney Parks Until 2025
Similarly, Knives Out: The Perfect Bite is essentially an interactive murder mystery dinner, described as:
In collaboration with Netflix, Secret City presents a one-of-a-kind Murder Mystery Dinner experience. Set in the captivating and thrilling universe of the Knives Out film series, this immersive event will have you on the edge of your seats as you and your team work to uncover the truth.
This is, of course, on top of the truly absurd amount of cross-platform synergy that Netflix devotes itself to. Dungeons & Dragons has gone from being a primary inspiration for Stranger Things to a shill for it, while the terrifying dystopian sci-fi story Squid Game, in which people compete in deadly games for money, has become Squid Game: The Challenge, in which people compete in non-deadly games for money on TV.
In short, Netflix is doing a pretty good job of transitioning into the real world as an entertainment behemoth, and now Disneyland should be worried. The streaming company has announced that it will involve two theme parks dubbed Netflix House in 2025, directly rivaling Disney Parks as a “year-round home for fans to live the stories they love. Enjoy rotating immersive experiences, exclusive merchandise, food, drinks, and much more.”
The press release for Netflix house reads:
“At Netflix House, you can enjoy regularly updated immersive experiences, indulge in retail therapy, and get a taste — literally — of your favorite Netflix series and films through unique food and drink offerings,” says Marian Lee, Netflix’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’ve launched more than 50 experiences in 25 cities, and Netflix House represents the next generation of our distinctive offerings. The venues will bring our beloved stories to life in new, ever-changing, and unexpected ways.”
Speaking of distinctiveness, Netflix selected the locations because they are part of two of the most popular shopping centers in America, boasting hundreds of retailers, high foot traffic, and proximity to major cities. Both Netflix Houses will occupy former department store locations and span footprints of more than 100,000 square feet. Outside these expansive spaces, fans will be treated to some eye-popping sculptures and a mural mash-up of characters from their favorite Netflix titles.
The two Netflix House locations will open in two nationally famous malls, Galleria Dallas and King of Prussia, and, unlike the various immersive attractions that the streamer has launched before, are permanent entertainment destinations with rotating shows and offerings—you know, like Disneyland, Disney World, and all the rest.
Related: “Virtual Queue Only,” Disney Parks Cutting Traditional Lines for All Guests
Zeta Global CEO David A. Steinberg says (via Business Insider) that Netflix’s newest venture is an attempt to harness the real-world profitability that Disney currently has a lock on.
He says, “The vast majority of transaction research is done on the internet, but the vast majority of transactions are still created in the real world…Malls are certainly having problems in a large component of the country, but it’s a very low-cost way of getting large amounts of foot traffic.”
That would certainly help Netflix try to match the tourist appeal that Disneyland has developed over decades. Resonate CMO Ericka McCoy directly compares the Netflix House model to Disney, saying, “Think of Hollywood Studios. You have that opportunity to create stages. Immersive experiences where you’re walking into a set. You can’t do that in a small space, and you’d have to build it from scrap.”
We will have to see whether Netflix will be able to carve out its own space in the theme park arena that Disney dominates at the moment. If it can, it could be curtains for the Mouse.
Will you visit Netflix House next year? Tell us what experiences you want to visit!