Why are tourists willing to wait longer in theme parks? The positive effects of narratives and destination brand love

Purpose This study examines why tourists are willing to incur additional waiting time for a preferred theme park experience rather than choose comparable alternatives involving shorter waits. Design/methodology/approach Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland was selected as the research context. Study 1 used an online pretravel survey of tourists who had watched the film Zootopia (N = 247). Study 2 used an on-site survey of Zootopia themed land visitors (N = 278). The hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM. Findings Study 1 shows that film narratives and destination brand love positively affect willingness to wait longer, while scene replication degree strengthens the effect of film narratives. Study 2 shows that film narratives directly increase willingness to wait longer and that destination brand love operates indirectly through flow experience. In Study 2, flow experience mediates the effects of film narratives and destination brand love, while scene replication degree strengthens the effect of film narratives. Practical implications Theme parks should leverage film narratives, strengthen scene replication, cultivate pretravel brand love, and enhance on-site experiences and provide safe, unobstructed queue environments. Originality/value This study advances understanding of tourists' willingness to wait longer in movie-themed theme parks by examining its relationships with film narratives and destination brand love. It further examines the mediating role of on-site flow experience and the moderating role of scene replication degree.