Disneyland refuses to cut crowds despite fears
Park running risk of negative publicity from long queues, says lawmaker
Dennis Eng
8 September 2005
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong Disneyland has refused to cut the maximum number of people it will admit to the park and is sticking to its capacity of about 30,000.

But group managing director Don Robinson said closing time would probably be extended from 9pm to 10pm over the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday weekend.

He said closing the park later would cause problems for Disney workers going home by public transport because the MTR service shut at 12.45am. The extra hour would allow visitors to continue enjoying the rides and shows or do some last-minute shopping after the fireworks display, which traditionally closes the theme park.

During peak holiday periods, when public transport runs all night, he said the park could stay open until midnight or 1am. It could also close in the evening and then reopen an hour later for special-event ticket holders.

But lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming, who wants the theme park to reduce its maximum capacity to 20,000, warned that ticket holders would just stay longer if the hours were extended.

"That is the mentality of Hong Kong people and mainlanders. They are paying $350 each to get in so they want to get the most out of it and maximise their experience," Mr Li said.

He felt that the difference of a few thousand visitors was not worth the negative publicity Hong Kong Disneyland would get as a result of complaints about long waiting times and service deterioration.

Some of the 29,000 visitors to the charity event on Sunday complained of long queues to enter the park and two-hour waits to get on rides. Mr Robinson said this was a reflection of "created demand" as ticket holders for the event could only go to the theme park on that day.

By 9pm, when the fireworks show was held, more than 95 per cent of visitors were still in the park, compared to Disney's US average of 65 per cent, he added. Sunday's closing time was extended to 10pm.

As of Tuesday, the theme park had entertained 260,000 to 270,000 visitors, served about 300,000 meals and used 40 metric tonnes of rice over 16 rehearsal days. But Mr Robinson said the real test would come on Monday, when it officially opened to the public.

He also noted that there was still excess capacity on weekdays, despite the adoption of a two-tier pricing schedule that was not used at any other Disney theme park. Weekday tickets for adults cost $295 and rise to $350 at weekends and peak periods.

Mr Robinson said he had also discussed the possibility of discounting ticket prices for entry after 5pm or 6pm to boost weekday visitor numbers.

This is the arrangement that is used at Tokyo Disneyland, which offers cheaper passes for weekday admission in the late afternoon or early evening.

Friday September 9, 06:26 PM
Rollercoaster ride to Hong Kong Disneyland opening

HONG KONG (AFP) - When Mickey Mouse officially welcomes visitors to the three billion US dollar theme park here for the first time next week, he will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief that the rollercoaster ride to its opening has ended.

With problems from scam artists, run-ins with environmentalists and complaints about everything from the park's size to the food at its restaurants, the run up to Monday's opening day has been anything but a fairytale.

"It appears Disney has never had to deal with the likes of Hong Kong people before," quipped local commentator Nury Vittachi.

Disney is more sanguine: "We have already seen that our guests love the resort once they have a chance to experience it first hand," it said in a statement.

"We are confident that 50 years of operating experience will allow us to create a fantastic guest experience."

The most notable hiccup was an episode that Nemo, Disney's loveable cartoon fish hunted by a shark in the "Finding Nemo" movie, would no doubt have approved of.

In a huge promotion, Disney proposed to serve shark's fin soup at wedding banquets in the resort's two hotels.

Environmentalists, however, saw red and launched a global online campaign to have the item scrapped, blaming consumption of the luxury traditional Chinese dish for plunging shark populations.

In a bruising row, Disney initially resisted, saying it would serve the soup out of consideration for cultural sensitivities in Hong Kong where it is regarded as a delicacy.

But with its image as an animal-loving company threatened, Disney was forced to climb down and pull the meal.

Sharks were not the only aquatic creatures at risk; marine conservationists predicted catastrophic consequences for nearby coastal waters when the park was given the go-ahead in 1999.

Situated on 126 hectares of partly reclaimed land on leafy Lantau Island, it stretches across Penny's Bay Bay, an area that once housed a shipbuilding yard.

Green groups blamed the stirring of coastal mud laden with contaminants from the ship yard for a decline in the numbers of rare Chinese pink dolphins that once thrived nearby.

Among the most anticipated of Disney's attractions are the daily fireworks displays. However in smoggy Hong Kong, where air pollution is a growing concern, campaigners also complained the smoke posed a health risk.

Although repeated, government-monitored tests found no fault, Disney's refusal to use virtually smoke-free -- and more expensive -- launch technology angered Friends of the Earth Hong Kong.

"It will make the already bad pollution even worse," said a spokesman, Hahn Chu. "We expect the smog levels to reach record highs as a result."

For a company that makes cuddly caricatures of insects like crickets and caterpillars, Hong Kong Disneyland has been troubled by real wildlife.

An infestation of wood-boring insects reportedly forced the replacement of some guest-room furniture and dozens of wild dogs took to scavenging for food in the park.

After a pack reportedly chased park chief Don Robinson as he drove onto the site, Disney had 45 caught and killed. The public outcry, however, forced the company to adopt more humane -- and more expensive -- controls.

Disney's arrival was heralded with the promise of tourism riches for all -- and some took that literally, cashing in with scams.

Elected official Law Kam-fai was jailed for two years after stealing 800 tonnes of rocks to sell to landscapers building a nearby ornamental pond, in the process destroying a pristine local river.

And only this week, Disney was presented with what is likely to be an ongoing problem when touts were found to be selling tickets for a pre-opening charity day in an online auction.

Hong Kong Disneyland cross-boundary transport arrangements
Government Press Release
Friday, September 9, 2005

Mainland visitors are expected to flood into Hong Kong with the grand opening of Hong Kong Disneyland on Monday (September 12).

The Hong Kong and Mainland authorities have allocated 60 quotas in relation to cross-boundary coach services. Some of the quotas are dedicated to shuttle cross-boundary service between Huanggang Control Point and the theme park. Other quotas are for long-haul services between various places in Guangdong (such as Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Shunde and Shenzhen) and the theme park.

The Transport Department called on the visitors from the Mainland to plan their journeys in advance. They are advised to use the Lo Wu Control Point and to avoid coming to Hong Kong during peak hours. Waiting times at Lok Ma Chau Control Point may be longer, especially during peak seasons, holidays and weekends.

"Mainland visitors should buy return tickets and check in advance if admission tickets are still available before going to the theme park," Principal Transport Officer (Special Duty) Mr Lo Yat-cheung said today (September 9). "We encourage Mainland visitors to take the rail and come to Hong Kong via Lo Wu. Lo Wu Control Point can handle a larger number of visitors than other control points.

"The Transport Department has put up banners at the Huanggang/Lok Ma Chau Control Point, and distributed leaflets to visitors at Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu Control Points, as well San Tin Public Transport Interchange. We advise them to use Lo Wu Control Point as far as possible, and remind them that they may have to wait longer if they use the Huanggang/Lok Ma Chau Control Point.

"To facilitate visitors coming to Hong Kong by the China Ferry Terminal (CFT) in Tsim Sha Tsui, we have arranged to re-route the franchised bus route R21 (Hung Hom to Disneyland) to stop at the bus terminus at CFT from Monday onwards.”

The following transport modes will start service on Monday:

* KCR Railbus – operating to/from Disneyland via Lo Wu Control Point. A single trip package of the KCR Railbus includes a Lo Wu Station – Sheung Shui Station KCR Travel Pass and a Sheung Shui Station – Disneyland bus coupon. The frequency of KCR Railbus ranges from three to 30 minutes. It will operate daily from 7.30am to the hour after the end of the fireworks display.

* Hong Kong Disneyland – Huanggang Shuttle Cross-Boundary Coach Service – operating to/from Disneyland via Lok Ma Chau Control Point. The frequency of the shuttle service ranges from three to 60 minutes. It will operate daily from 7am to one and a half hours after the end of the fireworks display.

The following six franchised bus routes are already in service:

R8 – Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange – Lantau Link Toll Plaza (circular)
R11 – Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange – North Point Ferry Pier
R21 – Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange – Hung Hom (Laguna Verde)
R22 – Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange – Yau Tong
R33 – Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange – West Rail Tuen Mun Station
R42 – Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange – Tai Wai Station Public Transport Interchange

Details of the transport arrangements have been uploaded onto the Transport Department's website, www.td.gov.hk. The public may also call the Transport Department Hotline 2804 2600 for enquires, or refer to the Tourism Commission's website, www.hkdisneyland.gov.hk.

By "GK9398" from a Hong Kong transport forum :

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Disney now part of our Tomorrowland
12 September 2005
South China Morning Post

The official opening of Hong Kong Disneyland today quite literally launches our "Tomorrowland". Whether people support the theme park or not, it is ours - an investment in our future made by the government with our tax money in a bid to help our city prosper, move forward and succeed in a competitive world.

How we use what we have been given is up to us. We may patronise the tourist attraction frequently or never go near it; but one thing is certain - Disneyland is here to stay.

Rarely has a project so singularly caught our attention. The $27 billion price tag has been scrutinised from every angle since being announced 61/2 years ago and even as the gates swing open, continues to be hotly debated.

Our biggest infrastructure project to date, Hong Kong International Airport, was seen as less an investment than essential to ease the over-bearing congestion of the airport at Kai Tak. The teething problems encountered when it opened were far more serious than those so far experienced at Disneyland (although the biggest test for the theme park will come after the opening today.)

Love or loathe Disneyland, no magic wand will now make it go away. The fairytale castle, amusement rides, hotels and restaurants are in place and, it is hoped, fine-tuned to begin generating income today. Disney has a big responsibility to ensure that the various problems which have emerged in the last week of preparations are dealt with - and that everything goes well on the day.

Poor timing

That is, after all, the bottom line of any investment - and this is among Hong Kong's biggest. What has made Disney so controversial is that the decision for its construction came at difficult time.

After the uncertainty that accompanied the run-up to Hong Kong's return to China, the Asian economic crisis just months after the handover in 1997 came as a shock. Overnight, spectacular growth and prosperity began eroding. Profits turned into deficits, unemployment soared and property prices, the surest indicator of economic health, collapsed.

Hong Kong had famously weathered such storms before. Through war, disease outbreaks and social and political instability, it had survived and reinvented itself, with impressive results.

So in March 1999, when it was announced that the American cultural icon, Mickey Mouse, would be our saviour, public scepticism seemed to heavily outweigh enthusiasm. With Hong Kong newly reunited with China and still coming to terms with how it was now perceived internationally, turning to the American corporation Disney rather than to the mainland for help seemed, to some, to be a backward step. As details of the deal emerged, debate grew. For shouldering $23 billion, or about 82 per cent, of the cost of developing the Lantau Island site and building Disneyland, the government would get a 57 per cent stake and Disney the remainder.

Given such favourable terms for Disney, government justification through arguing that the benefits far outstripped the costs only heightened the scepticism. Doubts have since been cast over forecasts of $148 billion in profit over the next 40 years, the creation of 36,000 jobs and projections of 3.6 million extra tourists in the first year of operation. There is also the concern that Disney will open other theme parks in Asia, particularly on the mainland.

Dogged by Controversy

The controversies have not been limited to economic considerations. The loss of part of Lantau, our last great parkland reserve to development; environmental damage caused by land reclamation at Penny's Bay; destruction of archaeological treasures at the site; wild dogs; air pollution from fireworks; the presence of shark's fin on menus - later removed - and concerns about overcrowding, have all featured. And the controversy has continued throughout the preparations for the opening. The entertainment on offer today has certainly come at a cost.

Some of the worries have been dealt with, but others will remain impediments to "the magic kingdom" being embraced by all of Hong Kong.

Nonetheless, as Vice-President Zeng Qinghong prepares to officiate at the opening ceremony and a capacity crowd celebrates, the benefits are already apparent.

Most noticeable are the 5,000 new jobs created at the theme park. In coming months and years, the number will increase through expansion and as hotels come on stream to cater for the increased tourist arrivals. These may not be the highly paid jobs some would wish, but they are the beginning of careers for many young people and, at the least, reduce our unemployment.

Nor should we be overly worried about the financial figures; Disneyland in Florida and Paris opened with as much controversy, yet have become overwhelmingly as successful as Disney's other resorts.

If our reputation and ability to attract future investment is to be the cornerstone of our success, no harm can be done by being home to an iconic global brand.

A great deal of taxpayer's money has been invested. Hong Kong is entitled to have high expectations - and to demand that all goes well. But quality of life is a priority. If Disneyland provides this through promoting family togetherness and fun, the benefits will far outstrip the costs.

Hong Kong Disneyland gets ready to open on Monday
By WILLIAM FOREMAN
Associated Press writer
11 September 2005

HONG KONG (AP) - Mickey Mouse was busy Sunday spiffing up Hong Kong Disneyland on the eve of the park's official opening -- a bold move for the U.S. entertainment company seeking a stronger foothold in China's massive market.

About 1,000 reporters from around the world flew in to cover the opening of the Walt Disney Co.'s theme park -- an attraction with two resort hotels on a bay surrounded by mountains on Lantau, Hong Kong's largest island.

Disneyland held a "rehearsal day" on Sunday that gave thousands of guests a sneak peak of the park. The day's festivities included a fireworks show and a party featuring a concert with some of the biggest Chinese-language pop stars, including Coco Lee, Joey Yung and Jacky Cheung.

"Now we're poised to begin the next chapter of Disney history when Hong Kong Disneyland will officially open to the world," said Jay Rasulo, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said Saturday.

"Hong Kong Disneyland is (our) first theme park in China. It's also the first Disney theme park that's modeled so closely to the first Disneyland in California," Rasulo said.

But not everyone thinks this new chapter is as magical as Disney would have it.

After the park closed Sunday, about 25 activists and anti-Disney groups set up loudspeakers in front of the park's entrance to greet the exiting crowds.

The protesters, who accused Disney of exploiting workers at factories making Disney goods in mainland China, stretched out a long white banner that said "Appealing to Mickey's conscience."

A couple of stern-faced Disney security guards tried to push the banner down but they backed off when the activists began shouting and resisting them.

"The workers in mainland China and inside the Disney park, their salaries are very low and the work days are very long," said Rex Cheung with Disney Hunters, a local anti-Disney group.

Disney has said it's investigating labor abuse reports.

The park features a pink Snow White Castle and the popular rides found at the U.S. Disneylands, including Space Mountain, Mad Hatter Tea Cups, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the Jungle River Cruise. It also features the Broadway-style show "Festival of the Lion King" and daily parades with Disney characters on Main Street, USA -- the park's main strip lined with shops and restaurants.

Disneyland -- with a capacity of 30,000 people -- has received a generally warm welcome in Hong Kong. Large crowds strolled around a long red-brick public promenade outside the park over the weekend.

Many of the visitors who got a sneak peak in the past month have complained that the park is too small. It's Disney's most petite park, with only about 100 acres devoted to rides and other attractions -- a fact Disney doesn't highlight.

After having her picture taken with Cinderella, Joyce Yue, who works for a marketing firm, complained about the park's size. "I won't come back until it has the expansion," said Yue, who was in her late 20s.

The entire attraction -- including the two hotels -- is 298 acres -- and it can be expanded to 494 acres.

Disney President Robert Iger told The Associated Press that the park was a "giant step" in his company's push into the huge China market. The park plans to draw about 40 percent of its guests from across the border in mainland China.

Iger, who takes over as Disney's chief executive officer next month, said the park should boost interest in Disney's movies, TV shows and other products in China -- where generations have grown up with little familiarity with the American brand.

Visitor Wei Jun, 34, a businesswoman from Beijing, said she would definitely return with friends. "I like the indoor attractions, the theaters. I didn't care too much about the outdoor things. They're too crowded," she said.

The $3.5 billion park is a joint venture between Disney and the Hong Kong government. It employs 5,000 workers -- or "cast members" as Disney likes to call them -- and the park estimates that it will attract 5.6 million visitors in its opening year.

The park is a 30-minute subway ride from central Hong Kong, and it's served by its own public rail line -- the only one in the world specially built for a theme park. The train has windows shaped like Mickey Mouse's head and the subway cars sport velvet theater seats and statues of Disney characters.

The project was announced in 1999 and construction began in 2003. Disney's other parks are in Tokyo, Paris and the U.S. states of California and Florida.

Disney marketing chief works to bridge cultural divide with Hong Kong park

HONG KONG, Sept 11 (AFP) - Roy Hardy's task was simple when he was hired in 2002 to market Hong Kong Disneyland: make Mickey, Donald and company as familiar to families in China as they are in the West.

To kids in America and Europe, where for three generations Disney's cartoons and movies have been a part of growing up, it may seem a no-brainer.

But in China, the smiling face of Mickey Mouse is still alien to many youngsters and the task is daunting.

"A market like China is a green-field environment and so we have to build awareness and knowledge of what Disney is," Hardy told AFP during a break in a hectic schedule ahead of the park's opening day Monday.

"The better you understand the stories and the characters the better you enjoy the theme park experience -- it's a process of education," he added.

There are many reasons why Hong Kong was chosen as the launchpad for Disney's expansion into China, among them the readiness of the local government to cough up 1.8 billion of the 3 billion dollars needed to build the park.

But just as importantly, said Hardy, the former British colony is an oasis of Disney understanding, and a springboard from which word of the company can be spread.

"Hong Kong, like Singapore and Japan, has been exposed to Disney for many years through the TV and so on, but China is different," he said from an office in the park's Hollywood Hotel, one of two 500-room properties in the resort.

Although Hardy could tap into Disney's huge multimedia network to promote the park to most of the world, he was unable to use in China the most effective marketing tool the company has -- its cable and satellite TV channel.

The channel feed barely penetrates China, leaving Hardy only the merchandising arrangements to directly push the parks.

Instead, he struck a deal with southern China's prominent commercial TV channel TVB to carry the Disney message, securing the key 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm time slot when family viewing is at its peak.

"It's worked very well for us," he said, adding that recognition of the characters and stories has risen.

When the Hong Kong Disneyland project was first proposed in the mid-1990s, critics said Chinese and Asian audiences would not respond well to a giant corporation opening up its peculiarly American brand of entertainment in a region rich in its own heritage.

Hardy, however, said research showed that an American-style theme park was just what China wanted.

"We thought about customising it to this and that but when we got the data back it was clear people were telling us they wanted an American Disneyland," he said. "They want a bona fide Disney experience."

But to make Disney a little more accessible, the American giant hired Jackie Cheung, a Canto-pop superstar who is as recognisable to Chinese pop fans as Michael Jackson, to act as the park's public spokesman.

Before each TVB show airs, Cheung is seen on screen introducing the stories and the characters.

"We use Jackie to talk about the heritage of Disneyland and the stories behind it. The films that we show have a direct correlation to the rides we have at Disneyland -- Toy Story, Tarzan and so on."

Disney expects the resort to attract five million customers in its first 12 months of operation, split equally between visitors from China, Hong Kong and the rest of Southeast Asia.

Though significantly less than the 13 million that went through the turnstiles at the Tokyo Disneyland last year or the 15 million at the Walt Disney World Park in Orlando, Florida, it's a start that the company believes it can build on.

"Like the parks in the US our intention is to build a lifetime relationship with our guests so that multiple generations of families keep coming back," Hardy said.

So far, efforts to sell Disney have been concentrated on the nearest markets -- Hong Kong and southern China.

"It's the most logical way to do it," he said. "Within a 300-mile radius of Hong Kong there are 140 million people.

"We concentrate on that area first before moving to the rest of China."

Year of the mouse - Disneyland
10 September 2005
The Economist

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Will Disneyland work in Hong Kong?

HONG KONG is in the grip of Mickey mania. It is pouring, unbearably humid and the official opening on September 12th is days away. But Hong Kong Disneyland is already packed. During a “rehearsal” last week it attracted close to its 30,000 daily capacity, forcing visitors to queue for hours. Ten thousand a day could visit from China's mainland alone: hundreds of extra border guards are in place this weekend in readiness.

It is a good omen for those hoping to profit from Asia's newest theme park—six years in the making at a cost of $3.5 billion. One is Walt Disney itself. This is only the American group's third international amusement park and its track record is mixed. Tokyo Disneyland makes money, but Euro Disney in Paris (of which it owns 39%) nearly went bankrupt and remains heavily indebted. This time, Disney's money should be safe. The Hong Kong park is predicted to attract a healthy 5.6m visitors in its first year, with numbers rising as it taps into the growing wealth of China's middle class. Disney's financial exposure is through a joint venture with the Hong Kong government—Disney paid $314m for its 43% stake. In return it gets management fees and royalties on merchandising, food and the nearby hotels.

Hong Kong should also profit. The government has invested heavily in securing the park: granting Disney a beautiful site on Lantau island, lending construction money and laying a dedicated train line (the carriages come with Mickey-shaped windows). Some costs will be defrayed through profits on its 57% stake in the park. But the main gains will come indirectly. The new Disneyland should help almost double tourist numbers this year, according to the city's tourist authority.

To extract the most from its guests, Hong Kong Disneyland has tried to adapt to local tastes. Though its attempts to serve shark's fin soup, a local delicacy, were thwarted by Greenpeace, dim sum restaurants sit, incongruously, on the wild west-themed “Main Street, USA.” Cartoon character-emblazoned merchandise comes in solid gold, and for the camera-mad Chinese there are fewer scary rides and more costumed staff scattered about for “photo-ops”.

The park's layout and opening date are ruled by strict feng-shui principles, but Disney may need more than this to persuade the cost-conscious Chinese to spend. Rather than buy official photographs, they tend to snap their own, even posing with shop toys which they then do not buy. Prices at HK$295 ($38) for an adult ticket on a weekday are cheaper than at other Disney parks. But whether such concessions create enough repeat business for long-term success remains to be seen. Several visitors complained to your correspondent that the park was too Chinese—with too many shops and not enough American razzle.

Would Disney in the future consider building more themed lands into the Magic Kingdom park such as Frontierland, Critter Country, and Mickey's Toon-town?

BTW, for Phase II, does anybody know what kind of park it'll be?

曾慶紅祝福迪士尼永遠的嘉年華
13/09/2005
《太陽報電子報》

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全港市民期盼六年、富中國特色的香港迪士尼樂園昨終於誕生，開幕典禮以中國傳統鼓舞及舞龍舞獅配襯卡通人物，主禮嘉賓國家副主席曾慶紅祝願「樂園將永遠成為香港市民的嘉年華」。迪士尼樂園代表人物米奇說：「依家等我展開奇妙體驗啦！」將整個開幕典禮推至最高潮。今後，迪士尼樂園的璀璨花，將每晚劃破香港夜空，為港人帶來歡樂。

迪士尼樂園的奇妙體驗，由充滿中國傳統色彩的擊鼓作為序幕，接近中午十二時，園內響起一通又一通的鼓聲，十多位身穿金色或紅色衫褲的鼓手不停擊鼓，主禮嘉賓國家副主席曾慶紅，在鼓聲和樂聲中緩緩地由香港迪士尼樂園地標—睡公主城堡步出，他滿面笑容向台下嘉賓揮手致意，尾隨的三位主禮嘉賓，包括行政長官曾蔭權、迪士尼公司行政總裁邁克．艾斯納、迪士尼公司總裁及營運總監羅伯特．艾格。

醒獅鼓舞揭序幕
四位主禮嘉賓由台上步至台下，欣賞開幕慶典，此時，台上有數名小朋友步出，分別以廣東話及普通話說：「早晨，大家好，歡迎各位光臨迪士尼樂園。」此時，五頭金獅隨即登場，四位主禮嘉賓上台進行點睛儀式，再步下禮台欣賞醒獅及鼓舞表演，其中一頭金獅上到樁柱頂部後，「吐出」一個紅色底的迪士尼標誌，象徵香港迪士尼樂園誕生。

香港迪士尼樂園名譽大使張學友及香港迪士尼樂園親善大使杜苡樂也上台恭賀樂園開幕，來自全球四個迪士尼樂園的親善大使也上台致賀。稍後，《世界真細小》的音樂響起，香港兒童合唱團的成員出場，唱出樂園的主題曲《讓奇妙飛翔》。

曾蔭權致詞指出，迪士尼樂園是香港特區政府在旅遊業的策略投資，提供成千上萬職位，本港一系列適合一家老少遊玩的旅遊新景點，未來半年將陸續啟用。

國家副主席曾慶紅在壓軸致詞時說，歡樂的迪士尼將永遠成為香港市民的嘉年華，並為市民和訪港遊客增添一個充滿魅力的旅遊新景點，也為香港經濟繁榮發展提供一個新的增長點。他形容，在香港建設迪士尼樂園正是國際資本更看好香港的生動例證，他真誠地希望有更多的外國投資者來香港投資創業。

隨四位主禮嘉賓主持剪綵儀式，《世界真細小》的音樂再次響起，迪士尼公司行政總裁邁克．艾斯納以英語宣布：「香港迪士尼樂園正式開幕。」兩條龍由城堡出場，尾隨的是包括米奇和米妮在內的全體迪士尼樂園的卡通人物，他們隨音樂起舞，此時，城堡四周也放出花及彩帶，場面熱鬧，見證香港迪士尼樂園正式誕生。

一萬六千人盡興
開幕儀式後半小時，樂園正式開放予公眾人士，昨日入場參與感受開幕日的遊人共有一萬六千人，下午魚貫進場及盡情到各個機動遊戲遊玩，並沒有出現混亂情況。

樂園於晚上九時舉行的壓軸花匯演歷時約十二分鐘，在睡公主城堡上空綻放的花百變多端，一時如流星劃破夜空、又如火柱直沖天際，最後更是萬花齊放水銀瀉地，在多首迪士尼經典金曲及七彩繽紛的燈光襯托下，令逾萬名遊客經歷了一次奇妙之旅。花匯演結束後，遊客亦有秩序地朝樂園出口方向離去。

遊樂園神采飛揚 賞電影會米老鼠
曾慶紅體驗夢幻國度
13/09/2005
《太陽報電子報》

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為迪士尼樂園主持揭幕的國家副主席曾慶紅，昨日在主持開幕儀式前四十五分鐘到達參觀。米奇等一眾卡通人物排排企，輪流與曾慶紅握手合照。在樂園走了一圈，曾慶紅未有機會試玩機動遊戲，只觀看「瘋帽子旋轉杯」，但抽空欣賞了一套四維影片《米奇幻想曲》，親身感受立體的卡通人物奇幻之旅。

結束三日緊湊訪港行程之前，曾慶紅到迪士尼樂園主持揭幕。雖然經過連日來的奔波勞累、又遇上昨日的悶熱天氣，但曾慶紅到達迪士尼樂園時仍顯得神采飛揚。財政司司長唐英年與迪士尼樂園集團行政總裁羅彬深負責講解樂園的背景，行政長官曾蔭權一直陪伴曾慶紅在樂園參觀。

港府樂園悉心安排
樂園高層及港府為曾慶紅悉心設計了一個濃縮節目，集中前往幻想世界，與迪士尼卡通人物見面。他們先參觀以鐘樓駝俠作設計的餐廳「笑匠歡宴坊」。

曾慶紅在迪士尼的第二站是參觀「瘋帽子旋轉杯」，這個咖啡杯遊戲不斷旋轉，就如進入了電影《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》的情節，不過，由於時間緊迫，曾慶紅只在「派對」外觀看，並沒有坐進旋轉杯。

在咖啡杯旁的是「夢想花園」，在花園內五名迪士尼卡通人物齊集向曾慶紅等賓客招手。曾慶紅在花園中親身感受這個夢幻國度。高飛狗搶先握手，但米奇始終深入民心，曾慶紅高興地與米奇打招呼。

五名卡通人物一同與嘉賓合照，米奇腰板挺直、與曾慶紅同樣英姿颯爽。愛搶鏡的米妮則搔首弄姿，左手輕輕掀短裙、右手不斷擺動，但站在旁邊的曾蔭權卻未被迷倒。曾蔭權旁邊還有雙手叉腰、顯得甚為醒神、英文名同為Donald的唐老鴨。

一行人之後前往欣賞四維電影《米奇幻想曲》，米奇、唐老鴨和一眾好友，演繹一場滿載驚喜的視覺表演。在該處逗留了十分鐘，曾慶紅即前往小熊維尼精品店。短暫的參觀行程就此結束，曾慶紅隨即步往睡公主城堡，主持開幕禮、為醒獅點睛。

Disneyland Opens!

Dazzling start to Disney carnival
Crowds enjoy a smooth ride as heat and pollution fail to take the gloss off theme park's big day
Dennis Eng and Ambrose Leung
13 September 2005
South China Morning Post

Local newspaper covers
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Hailed as an "everlasting carnival" and a multibillion-dollar "strategic investment", Hong Kong Disneyland was finally inaugurated yesterday with few of the problems and complaints that plagued it during a month of teething troubles.

Amid the highest pollution levels of the year, dignitaries including Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen gathered in front of the pink Sleeping Beauty Castle as lion dancers gave the occasion a local flavour before the familiar Disney characters poured out for a grand parade.

"The joyous Disneyland will become an everlasting carnival for the Hong Kong people," Mr Zeng said.

"It has been said Hong Kong is a playground for entrepreneurs and a shopper's paradise. I hope that, with the establishment of Hong Kong Disneyland and other cultural and entertainment facilities, Hong Kong will further become a major tourist destination."

Mr Tsang, who marked the occasion by wearing a Donald Duck bow tie, said the government's much-criticised $23 billion injection into the park was a "strategic investment" that would enable the city to "capitalise on the drawing power of the Disney brand to complement our renowned strengths in dining and shopping, and as a city that perfectly blends east and west".

With the park filled to only about half its capacity and many problems ironed out, the chaotic scenes that plagued the month-long rehearsal period were not repeated yesterday and any complaints were mostly about the 30-plus temperatures and the pollution. But the real test will be today, the first official day of business, when a capacity crowd of about 30,000 is expected.

Some of the longest queues yesterday were at the shops and one unofficial estimate put total spending by the 16,000 visitors at more than $20 million. The park is projected to generate $148 billion of economic benefits to the city over the next 40 years and has already created 5,000 jobs.

Disney's fifth park, and its third outside the US, was inaugurated soon after the air pollution index at nearby Tung Chung hit the dangerous level of 105 at 10am. By early evening, the index had fallen to 85, which is still considered high.

"The air is filthy. My eyes were stinging," one visitor complained.

Secretary for Environment, Transport, and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung acknowledged the threat to Hong Kong's image from the poor air quality on a day when the world's eyes were on the city.

"Air pollution is a long-term battle and we will strive to improve it as it is related to the city's international image," she said.

Exco member Bernard Chan complained: "It's way too hot."

Ocean Park chief Allan Zeman, his white shirt translucent with sweat, welcomed the rival park's opening, but said he would give it more time to "get its feet wet and understand the market and customers" before gauging its success.

Vice-President Zeng used his speech to renew his call for social harmony in Hong Kong.

"Time has proved that only with harmony can there be stability and prosperity. I wholeheartedly wish compatriots in Hong Kong will treasure and cherish the present good situation of economic development and investment atmosphere together, and work hard to build a more harmonious and prosperous Hong Kong," he said.

Mr Tsang said the park would "provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs and, over the long term, bring billions of dollars of economic benefit to our economy".

Outgoing Walt Disney Company chief executive Michael Eisner called the theme park a "breathtaking achievement", while his successor, Robert Iger, applauded the partnership between the US entertainment giant and Hong Kong. Both Disney officials greeted the audience in English, Cantonese and Putonghua.

Most of today's tickets had been sold by last night, although the park said visitors could "try their luck" at the gates when they open at 10am.

The park opened at 1pm and was to have closed at 10pm, an hour later than the regular time. But at almost 11 pm, guests still lingered.

Mainland tourists gave Hong Kong Disneyland two thumbs up on its debut
Winnie Chong and Mimi Lau
13 September 2005
Hong Kong Standard

Chen Suiseng, 63, from Dongguan, joined a day tour for 478 yuan (HK$458), which he said was good value as it included meals, transport and a ticket into the theme park.

As a man who rarely travels, Chen said Hong Kong Disneyland is a good place for him as it is convenient and cheap.

"Disneyland is a famous international park. If I traveled to Disneyland in Japan, it would cost a few thousand yuan, which we can hardly afford," Chen said.

Lin Fuchuan, 36, from Fujian, joined a five-day tour of Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai for 2,500 yuan. He was staying a whole day at the park and a night in Hong Kong.

He said he liked the Disney characters and plans to come back again with friends.

A middle-aged man named Ng from Dongguan got tickets from a friend for a day trip to Disneyland.

"It's a brand new park and I'm so happy I have a chance to visit on its opening day," Ng said.

About a third of Monday's 16,000 visitors were mainlanders, according to television news reports, with some 1,600 reportedly from Guangzhou. News reports said that hundreds arrived in dozens of buses via Lok Ma Chau.

It was a smooth process which took mere minutes for more than 1,000 visitors to cross the border.

One man from Guangzhou said: "It only took 30 minutes for about 1,000 people to get through customs. We queued for 20 minutes only at the entrance gate."

For him, it was important to witness the first Disneyland to open on Chinese soil and he brought HK$2,000 to mark the occasion with a shopping spree for souvenirs.

Many came with children dressed as Snow White while parents wore Mickey Mouse ears.

"It's worth waiting up to two hours, this is such a happy day," said a man queuing outside the entrance gate.

To build 2nd China park, Disney wants more TV access
Keith Bradsher
12 September 2005
International Herald Tribune

Even as Hong Kong Disneyland prepares to open on Monday, Disney is holding off building a similar theme park in mainland China, according to Robert Iger, president of the company, until it has been assured that it will be able to air Disney shows on Chinese television.

Disney's firm stance underlines the unhappiness of many Western media companies at the Chinese government's issuance on Aug. 1 of a new and stricter interpretation of the country's media ownership regulations.

Presented by culture and propaganda officials as a way to preserve Chinese culture and limit foreign influence, the rules essentially bar foreign television channels like the Disney Channel. They also make it harder for foreign companies to produce movies and TV shows in China even if they find local partners.

Shanghai has been actively seeking a Disney theme park for several years, with strong support from Beijing's leaders. Discussions between Disney executives and Shanghai officials have caused considerable alarm in Hong Kong, which has invested $2.9 billion of taxpayers' money in helping to build a park here, mainly to reclaim land from the sea for the park and to lay roads and a subway line to it.

Hong Kong Disneyland would face strong competition if a similar theme park opened in Shanghai. But Iger, who will succeed Michael Eisner as chief executive on Oct. 1, said that before building another park in Shanghai, the company needed assurances that it would be able to introduce Disney characters to Chinese audiences through television.

"In order for us to even consider a park there, we need to be sure we have access to television," Iger said in an interview Friday at the new, oceanfront Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

Disney's ABC division, which Iger used to run, recently sold its "Desperate Housewives" show to Chinese television companies. But Iger said that Disney's goal was to start the Disney Channel in at least some Chinese cities, especially Shanghai.

"The restrictions in general do thwart our efforts to grow television in that marketplace," he said, while adding that he remained confident that, "over time, we'll gain access to the market."

Iger said other countries have demanded that television channels include at least some local productions, and that this was a possibility for China. He voiced confidence that the company would not run into censorship problems, saying, "It's rare that there are content issues for our product."

Disney does not necessarily need a majority stake in local productions in China either, Iger said, pointing out that Disney has only a 43 percent stake in the new Hong Kong theme park; the Hong Kong government owns the rest.

"We're more than willing to have a partner" for television productions in China, he said, adding that it would be "safe to conclude we are in discussions" on TV deals. Copyright violations and other thefts of intellectual property have been a chronic problem for many companies in China. But Iger said that he did not believe that taking on local partners would make matters worse in this regard.

"If we don't do anything, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse are going to end up there anyway, and we're not going to get anything," he said.

Iger said that after the Hong Kong Disneyland opening ceremony on Monday, he planned to fly on to Beijing "to discuss Disney business initiatives in China in general." But the trip is not intended primarily as a lobbying effort for the lifting of the restrictions, he added.

If Iger wants to lobby, however, he could have an opportunity much sooner. Vice President Zeng Qinghong of China, a Politburo member with particular responsibility for propaganda, culture and Hong Kong issues, is scheduled to join Iger and Eisner for the brief opening ceremony. Beijing's new media rules and the possibility of a delay in setting up a Disney theme park in Shanghai are likely to cement Hong Kong's role as a media hub for China in particular and for Asia over all. Tighter restrictions on the mainland also make the success or failure of Hong Kong Disneyland even more important to the company's long-term performance in Asia.

Some visitors have complained of crowding during 17 testing days, when thousands of local residents were invited to the park, prompting questions about whether visitors, fearing overcrowding, might shun the park at first.

Dick Yang, manager of the Guangdong Nanhu International Travel Agency in Guangzhou, 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, up the Pearl River from Hong Kong, said his agency had expected to sell 1,200 tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland for September but had sold only 400. Potential patrons are leery of the possible crowds and are unhappy that many Hong Kong hotels have raised prices by 20 percent in anticipation of an influx of park-goers, he said.

But Yang noted that demand was brisk for the so-called golden week in early October, a weeklong national holiday.

Instead of letting most people choose when to take vacations, the Chinese government schedules three "golden weeks" each year, national holidays during which most economic activity stops. That heavy concentration of tourism into three short spasms of travel poses a dilemma for Disney, which needs to keep the park fairly full all year long to cover investment costs.

Disney is charging lower prices on weekdays, which it has never done at its other parks. Jay Rasulo, chairman of the theme parks and resorts division, said the company was confident that through various techniques, like promoting the park at various times of year in different Asian countries, it could even out considerably the number of visitors coming to the park each day.

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A view of Disneyland in Hong Kong during a gala evening prior to the official public opening of the giant theme park(AFP/Andrew Ross)

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An elderly tourist has his picture taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Hong kong Disneyland in Hong Kong as the park opens to the public(AFP/Ted Aljibe)

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A family poses during a parade at Hong kong Disneyland in Hong Kong as the amusement park opens its dorrs to the public(AFP/Ted Aljibe)

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Walt Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse wave at the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. Mickey Mouse has thrown open the doors to Disney's latest theme park, a three billion US dollar resort in Hong Kong which marked the company's first step into the growing Chinese market.(AFP/Ted Aljibe)

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A child plays at Hong Kong Disneyland as celebrating the grand opening in Hong Kong Monday, Sept. 12, 2005. It is Disney's first-ever vacation resort in China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

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Fireworks and special effects explode over the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Hong Kong Disneyland as celebrating the grand opening in Hong Kong Monday, Sept. 12, 2005. It is Disney's first-ever vacation resort in China. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

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Fireworks and special effects explode over the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Hong Kong's Disneyland after the grand opening of the theme Park Hong Kong Disneyland Monday, Sept. 12, 2005, It is Disney's first-ever vacation resort in China. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

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Fireworks and special effects explode over the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Hong Kong's Disneyland after the grand opening of the theme Park Hong Kong Disneyland Monday, Sept. 12, 2005, It is Disney's first-ever vacation resort in China. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

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Fireworks explode over the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Hong Kong Disneyland on the first day of its official opening September 12, 2005. Disney officially opens its new Hong Kong theme park on Monday, bringing a slice of the Magic Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom with a careful blend of American showmanship and Chinese characteristics. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

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Fireworks and special effects expose over the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Hong Kong's Disneyland after the grand opening of the theme Park Hong Kong Disneyland Monday, Sept. 12, 2005, It is Disney's first-ever vacation resort in China. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Wow must go

Does anyone know how many rides are actually operational. I seem to have heard on TV that they were only operating 13 attractions. Is this correct? If yes when are the rest coming on line.

Hong Kong Disneyland Prefers No Union
By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer
Fri Sep 23, 8:51 AM ET

HONG KONG - The newly opened Hong Kong Disneyland said Friday it prefers that its 5,000 workers not unionize as activists described tough work conditions at the park such as long hours, harsh turnarounds and lack of breaks.

Disneyland, which opened two weeks ago, said in a statement it respects the right of workers to seek union representation, but that it thinks it's more effective for labor and management to "work and communicate directly with each other."

The statement came as activists detailed strenuous work conditions at the park and an organizer said it's exploring the option of setting up a union with park workers.

Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions Organizing Secretary Elaine Hui said the park was unresponsive to workers and that they need the leverage of a union to protect themselves.

"In the long run, if they want to discuss their treatment with the company, they need to rely on the power of a union to get the right to dialogue under equal circumstances," she said, noting Disneyland parks in the U.S. and France have unions.

However, Hui said a stumbling block to unionizing is concern that the park may retaliate against workers who join the union.

As the union dilemma is debated, activists said Disneyland workers complain they work up to 13 hours a day and must make quick turnarounds, with some leaving work late in the evening and due back early in the morning the next day.

The long hours are aggravated by the long travel time to and from the park, which is located on Hong Kong's outlying Lantau island, the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and Disney Hunter, a Disneyland watchdog group, said in a statement issued Thursday.

The activists urged Disneyland, which opened Sept. 12, to arrange bus services covering more areas.

They also said the workers' 45-minute lunch break should be lengthened to an hour and that 15-minute breaks every four hours aren't enforced because of staff shortages.

"Disney's goal is to pursue dreams and bring happiness to the masses, but its labor policy is entirely opposite to such a goal, disappointing its eager workers and the masses," the activists said in their statement.

Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Esther Wong said Friday the park won't comment on the allegations in detail, but that some of them are inaccurate.

Wong said labor-management relations are good and that staff retention has been strong.

But she said the park, owned by The Walt Disney Co. of Burbank, Calif., will listen to worker feedback.

"Our cast members are a very important component," she said, using Disney's terminology for its workers.

Just out of curiosity but how is HK Disneyland doing in terms of business? Are there still a lot of people going to the park or are there less and less?

BTW, any plans on Phase II or expansion of the Magic Kingdom park?

i think the real concern is two years from now. The "freshness" of this park will start to fade, IF there are now upgrades or expansion. But the current plan is to add at least 1 more game in the park each year.
So far, i think the business is doing okay.

Disney adapts its park to Asia
Hong Kong employees learn Disney way from Anaheim team
Michele Himmelberg
25 September 2005
The Seattle Times

Root beer and cherry flavors are associated with medicine in China. Scratch those from the beverage list at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Meals in Hong Kong are a social event that can last for hours, even at a theme park.

Students in Asia revere their teachers, and any compliments are returned tenfold.

Those are a few examples of the teaching and learning that have transpired in the past year as 89 people from Anaheim, Calif.'s Disneyland Resort trekked to Hong Kong to help train employees of Disney's first theme park in China.

Hong Kong Disneyland opened Sept. 12 with 5,000 employees, a Main Street that's the spitting image of the one in Anaheim and high hopes that a new culture will embrace Disney's entertainment.

"The basic spine of the park was replicated from Disneyland," said Tom Morris, an executive from Walt Disney Imagineering. "Everyone from Southern California walks in, and it strikes them right away -- the train station, Main Street, the Castle, even the music are the same as in Anaheim. ... Then there's this beautiful mountain range right behind the castle. That's when you quickly realize you're in the South China Sea."

Morris directed the creative development of Hong Kong Disneyland, and builders have hammered for more than two years to get every board in place at Disney's 11th theme park.

The final phase of preparation -- the phase that makes it a uniquely Disney park -- is teaching local employees how to deliver the personal service the company calls "magic." Members of the Anaheim task force were chosen because of their expertise in a particular field, but also because of their devotion to the Disney product. Four shared their experiences from China, the fastest- growing tourism market in the world.

Matt Holding, who has run attractions for nearly 15 years, patiently taught driving fundamentals to people who rarely drive anything. Hong Kong relies heavily on public transportation, and few people own cars.

"We started with forward and reverse," said Holding, who showed them how to maneuver river rafts.

His biggest job was helping the new staffers understand the legacy of Walt Disney.

"You don't work at Disneyland because it's just a job," he said. "It was a lifelong ambition for me. I told them they are not just a host or a cast member, they are a Jungle Cruise skipper. We're teaching them that this is something very special."

Holding's new friends taught him that Americans move too fast.

"One day they said, 'Let's go to lunch.' It was an hour and a half. I eat lunch on the go half the time. For them, it's a time to socialize. When I go home to Anaheim, I am going to start taking a lunch break."

Belinda Butt, a human-resources specialist from Laguna Hills, Calif., has trained staff members for most of her 20 years at Disneyland. She went to Hong Kong because the park's scale of operations is similar to Anaheim's. She knows how to implement Disney's scheduling system and set up a way of moving 5,000 people through orientation.

"You have to think of things like, if you have 12 classes at the same time, don't have them all break at the same time or your bathrooms are slammed," she said.

What she learned during five months was the power and grace of humility.

"When you pay them a compliment, they bring it right back to you," she said. "They say, 'Oh, it's because you are such a good teacher.' They're very appreciative."

Karlos Siqueiros took his 20 years of food-and-beverage expertise to Hong Kong.

"The passion we all have for Disney is what brought us here," Siqueiros said. "We brought the importance of the story to them. It's not just a park or a restaurant.

"In Anaheim, we say keep the story alive right down to the last bite. When you go into New Orleans Square and the world of pirates, you don't want to have a commercial at lunchtime. You want to still be in Louisiana."

Siqueiros also elevated Disney's approach to celebrating birthdays in Hong Kong.

"In China, where many people have just one child, birthdays are like our weddings. They go on and on. ... Tastes and flavors here are different, too. We tend to like sugar; they like the savory flavors. We had to adjust."

Siqueiros introduced the concept of kids' menus -- already a big hit -- and he will bring home a new idea from the Hong Kong park's menu: a char siew (barbecue pork) burger.

I've been Tokyo / Paris Disneyland, I felt tokyo is better in size and amusement ficilities. If Disneyland's amusement ficilties just for 1 day or few hours as current HK Disneyland. Visitors will not interest to it so much and visit it again and again.
Why does Disneyland should be built as bigger as well? Because majority of visitor who want to find the non-stop playing feeling once they enter the park. A park just for a day or few hours, non-stop playing feeling will be
disappeared totally.
Therefore, Disneyland shold provide enough games, amusment ficities etc
for visitor beyond 1 day as well. Expanding work must be start ASAP.
Why does HK people complain the size of HK Disneyland?
They lost the "Non-stop playing feeling" is the main reason as I thought.

I've been Tokyo / Paris Disneyland, I felt tokyo is better in size and amusement ficilities. If Disneyland's amusement ficilties just for 1 day or few hours as current HK Disneyland. Visitors will not interest to it so much and visit it again and again.
Why does Disneyland should be built as bigger as well? Because majority of visitor who want to find the non-stop playing feeling once they enter the park. A park just for a day or few hours, non-stop playing feeling will be
disappeared totally.
Therefore, Disneyland shold provide enough games, amusment ficities etc
for visitor beyond 1 day as well. Expanding work must be start ASAP.
Why does HK people complain the size of HK Disneyland?
They lost the "Non-stop playing feeling" is the main reason as I thought.
Exactly

I've been Tokyo / Paris Disneyland, I felt tokyo is better in size and amusement ficilities. If Disneyland's amusement ficilties just for 1 day or few hours as current HK Disneyland. Visitors will not interest to it so much and visit it again and again.
Why does Disneyland should be built as bigger as well? Because majority of visitor who want to find the non-stop playing feeling once they enter the park. A park just for a day or few hours, non-stop playing feeling will be
disappeared totally.
Therefore, Disneyland shold provide enough games, amusment ficities etc
for visitor beyond 1 day as well. Expanding work must be start ASAP.
Why does HK people complain the size of HK Disneyland?
They lost the "Non-stop playing feeling" is the main reason as I thought.


Wow, well said. If I go to a Disney park I'm expecting there to be a shitload of things to do so I can actually go back and discover more.

HK's Disneyland looks quite small.Is it comparable to Tokyo's or Paris'???

Disney seeks to seal blueprints
Magic Kingdom cites commercial reasons for trying to stop people viewing its HK theme park plans
23 October 2005
South China Morning Post

Disney has taken the rare step of trying to have the blueprints for the construction of its recently-opened Hong Kong theme park kept from the public. Permission from park bosses would be needed to see them.

Despite the fact that Hong Kong Disneyland's Phase I was funded with nearly $14 billion in taxpayers' money, the US company has asked the Building Department to restrict public access to its park blueprints.

The unusual application has prompted officials to seek legal advice before making a final decision.

One lawmaker criticised Disney's move as lacking transparency, and compared it with incidents last month in which food inspectors were barred from the park unless they dressed down.

The special request is being made to safeguard the unique copyrighted designs of Hong Kong Disneyland's rides and facilities from the prying eyes of commercial rivals and copycats, a Disney spokeswoman said.

It would require anyone seeking to see the plans for rides such as the Space Mountain roller coaster to obtain Disney's written permission.

Under the law, building plans submitted by developers to the government become public record upon completion of construction work.

People with legitimate reasons for viewing the blueprints - for maintenance work, or potential buyers - can normally see them and make copies without written permission from the owners.

A Disney spokeswoman said: "We made a request to the Buildings Department that the public's viewing and copying of any plans and documents related to Hong Kong Disneyland should get written authorisation from us.

"This proposed measure is to safeguard the proprietary and copyright considerations of the Hong Kong Disneyland project. Disney values its intellectual property. Protection of intellectual property rights is of paramount importance to any creative company and is vital to our business."

Democrat lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming said it was Hong Kong people's right to view Disneyland's blueprint at will.

"[Disney] is not a transparent organisation and it's not very accountable to the public even though at least half of the whole [Disney] project is being funded by taxpayers' money," he added.

A Buildings Department spokesman said it was considering Disney's request.

It has asked for additional information to justify the application, including any further reasons for restricting access.

He said the department had received only a "few" similar requests in the past.

Disney's request comes after protests in July and earlier this month, when former workers claiming unfair dismissal defied park security to climb onto the top of the Space Mountain tower.

Security around the tower has since been stepped up, a park official said.

There are no special restrictions to viewing blueprints for Ocean Park, Hong Kong's other main theme park attraction.

"[Disney] is not a transparent organisation and it's not very accountable to the public"


The chinese government isn't either. It seems these chinese newpapers are often critical of disney

Disney has made a lot of mistakes in implementing the park and some have been downright outrageous, such as forcing food inspectors to remove their badges to inspect the park. In fact, Hong Kong newspapers are highly critical of these types of flaps, moreso than their American counterparts. The Chinese government is oftentimes the target of such criticism as well. One of the founders of the local newspapers was banned from entering China when he was still in control.

A bit of East, a lot of West in Hong Kong Disneyland
Chinese warm to theme park
Paul Wiseman
21 October 2005
USA Today

HONG KONG -- Before opening its theme park here on the south China coast, Disney consulted a feng shui master, worked lucky Chinese numbers into the design and added dim sum and other regional dishes to its menus.

But the Asian touches aren't immediately apparent in the finished product: Hong Kong Disneyland is more Disney than Hong Kong.

Set aside the signs in Chinese (and English) and some Asian food offerings, and the park is basically a pint-sized version of what you get in Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo and Paris. There's Main Street U.S.A., Space Mountain, Sleeping Beauty Castle and people walking around dressed as Disney characters such as Goofy and Alice in Wonderland.

"Just a lot of Chinese people, no Chinese culture," summarizes Phil Chen, 28, a salesman visiting Hong Kong Disneyland from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The $1.8 billion park opened Sept. 12 to considerable fanfare. Six years in the making, Hong Kong Disneyland is supposed to draw tourists from across Asia and compensate for a shortage of kid attractions in a city better known for designer shopping on neon- lit Nathan Road and hedonistic clubbing in Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong.

So the park, owned 57% by the Hong Kong government and 43% by Disney, went up on Lantau Island, a half-hour by train from downtown Hong Kong. Now, after disembarking from special trains outfitted with Mickey Mouse-shaped windows, the children of Hong Kong can line up to ride the Space Mountain roller coaster or to zap rogue robots in the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters game-and-ride.

"We had a really good time," says Teresa Chan, 42, as she leaves the park with her 3-year-old daughter, Shaylin. "It would be my dream if I were a kid." But she says the park is missing the "Chinese touch" and wishes the Disney designers had added a "Chinaland" to Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

Then again, nurse Eunice Chu, 23, has no complaints: "We already have local culture in other places."

Disney portrays the park as an East-meets-West production. The entertainment goliath followed the advice of a feng shui specialist to improve the flow of qi, or natural energy, and put the park in harmony with its surroundings. Disney positioned the park's hotels to the northeast of the water, for instance, to "ensure prosperity." The main ballroom in the resort's convention center was designed to be 888 square meters (8 is a lucky number to the Chinese). By contrast, the resort hotels have no fourth floor; the numeral 4 signifies death.

Hong Kong Disneyland's eight restaurants offer a variety of Asian foods, including roast pork, dim sum and laksa, a curry noodle soup from Southeast Asia.

Disney expects to attract visitors from Hong Kong itself, mainland China and elsewhere in Asia. Spokeswoman Esther Wong characterizes attendance as "strong" but won't provide figures. On a recent weekday visit, the good-natured crowds are modest, and the lines for the attractions are short.

Hong Kong Disneyland has recruited staff members who can speak English, Cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong and southern China) and Mandarin (spoken elsewhere in China). Signs appear in English, in the traditional Chinese characters used in Hong Kong and Taiwan and in the simplified Chinese characters used in mainland China.

A trip to Disney is expensive, at least by the standards of mainland China, where the per-capita annual income for urban residents is less than $1,200. The park's entrance fee on weekends is $45 for adults and $32 for children.

But the most common complaint is the size of the park: At 310 acres, Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest of Disney's five locations around the world. The next smallest, Tokyo Disney Resort, which opened in 1983 and has grown since then, covers 494 acres, including both Tokyo Disneyland Park and Tokyo Disney Sea.

Hong Kong Disneyland is scheduled to expand, too. Looking over the grounds, Teresa Chan declares: "It's a start."

They should actually build a mall with disney theming (eg, ikspiari in tokyo disney resort) Then people will stay there. When I was at japan's disneyland, I actually entered another world because it was a disney community by itself be it transport, malls, restaurants etc...

not to defend The Mouse here, but they've only just begun (to be fair)~~

there's a reason why D. IS Disneyland, so i'm quite sure there's plans in the works to develop a mall w/disney theme, etc. over the next couple years...

:)

Disneyland thrown by behaviour of visitors
26 October 2005
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong Disneyland has underestimated just how new and foreign the theme-park concept is to local and mainland visitors and is tweaking its operations to better meet their expectations.

In the six weeks since its official opening, the theme park has implemented several improvements to educate its guests and staff, director of park operations and industrial engineering Andrew Bolstein says.

These include adding 15 staff to handle crowd control along the route of the daily parade, exercising greater flexibility in scheduling the live shows, ironing out staff issues over working hours and altercations with guests, and providing staff with leaflets to inform guests about the smoking policy.

"Smoking is more prevalent here and our staff were hesitant about approaching guests about not smoking outside the designated areas," Mr Bolstein said.

A flyer detailing how Fastpass works is also being finalised for distribution at the rides.

Mr Bolstein said guest confusion and unfamiliarity with the ticketing system, which allows ticket holders to enjoy a ride without waiting in line, has been causing longer queues.

"Guests didn't understand the system at all. They thought they needed a Fastpass to go on a ride and they thought every ride has a Fastpass," he said.

Mr Bolstein also said the time needed to stop and reset rides due to interruptions was now down to 10 to 15 minutes rather than 20 or 30 minutes.

Staff are required to contact the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department every time a ride is interrupted to explain the situation. It is up to the department to determine whether or not it is necessary to send a member to inspect the ride before it can resume.

A total of five ticket counters have also been provided at the reception desks of the two theme-park hotels.

Damien Lee, who manages operations at the Hollywood Hotel, said this meant guests checking in early in the day could buy tickets to enjoy the theme park immediately and avoid lining up.

:)

like i was mentioning in my post above (#281), there's a rather steep learning curve going behind the fences so-to-speak...


which goes for HK (and the govt.) as well~~

LCQ1:Operation of HK Disneyland
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Government Press Release

Following is the question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (October 26):

Question:

With regard to the operation of Hong Kong Disneyland (HKD) which opened on the 12th of last month, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the average daily attendance of HKD in its first month of operation, and how this compares to the forecast attendance; if the attendance is unsatisfactory, how the relevant authorities will step up promotion of HKD;

(b) of the respective percentages of local residents, Mainland tourists and overseas tourists among the visitors to HKD;

(c) of the number of complaints from visitors so far received by the relevant authorities, details of these complaints as well as follow-up actions taken;

(d) of the total number of breakdowns of the amusement rides in HKD since its opening, details and causes of such breakdowns, and whether they have resulted in any injuries to visitors; and

(e) whether the HKD authorities will consider offering annual passes at a concessionary price; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) & (b) The Hongkong International Theme Parks Ltd (HKITP) has advised that park attendance and visitor mix figures are commercially sensitive information; and it has been the practice of The Walt Disney Company not to disclose such information for its theme parks. As a listed company, The Walt Disney Company will disclose the performance of its theme parks in its annual report.

HKITP is optimistic about the full year attendance. Guest surveys conducted by the Hongkong International Theme Parks Ltd (HKITP) in the first month of operation show that over 80% of the guests have rated the overall experience at Hong Kong Disneyland as very good or excellent. Similarly, over 80% of the Hong Kong Disneyland hotel guests were satisfied with their stay at the hotels and more than half said that they intended to make a return visit.

(c) Up to 21 October 2005, the Tourism Commission and the Hong Kong Tourism Board have received 3 complaints or suggestions from park visitors of the Hong Kong Disneyland. Of these, one case is related to the arrangement of the Rehearsal Days; one case is about ticketing service, and one case is about performance of theme park staff. The complaints have been referred to the management of the Hong Kong Disneyland for follow up and reply.

We have also consulted the Consumer Council, who has advised that it is their policy not to release complaint figures on individual companies.

The day-to-day operation of the Hong Kong Disneyland is the responsibility of the Hong Kong Disneyland Management Ltd (Management Company). According to the Management Company, they have received both compliments and suggestions for improvements. They take these comments seriously and would take follow-up actions. For example, in the light of feedback from visitors during the Rehearsal Days, the Management Company has added more than 600 seats in the restaurants, brought in additional mobile food and beverage stalls as well as outdoor benches and seats, and added new photo spots to meet customers' needs.

(d) The safety of visitors is the top priority of the Management Company. It enforces rigorous safety standards in the planning, maintenance and operation of the attractions; and implements a safety inspection and maintenance programme. According to the statistics of the Management Company, the amusement rides in the theme park are in normal operation more than 99% of the time.

To enable close monitoring of the operation of the amusement rides of the Hong Kong Disneyland, HKITP is required to report all cases of suspension of amusement rides to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), which will follow up on the reported incidents to ensure the safe operation of the amusement rides. Since the opening of the theme park to the 18th of this month, HKITP has filed 50 reports where the rides were brought to a halt because of technical reasons, or the triggering of the safety protection system due to external interferences or guest behaviour, but no passengers were injured. There were another 6 reports which involved guests reporting feeling sick or having minor injuries which caused the operation of the rides to be temporarily suspended.

(e) The Hong Kong Disneyland is still in its initial operation period and has no plans to offer annual passes at this stage. However, the Management Company will review the visit pattern of guests from time to time and introduce new ticket products having regard to the market situation.

October 27, 2005
Failures, guests halt Disney rides daily
Cheung Chi-fai

Amusement rides at Hong Kong Disneyland have ground to a halt more than once a day on average since the park opened.

Mechanical failure or guest behaviour halted rides 50 times in the 37 days of the park's operation, a government minister said.

Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip Shu-kwan said the suspensions were caused by "technical reasons or the triggering of the safety protection system due to external interferences or guest behaviour".

In a written reply yesterday to a legislator's question, Mr Ip said there had been three complaints from visitors to the Tourism Board and Tourism Commission about the performance of park staff, ticketing services and arrangements on rehearsal days.

The theme park is required to report to the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Department all incidents of suspended rides.

Although no one was injured in the 50 incidents, there have been six cases of passengers suffering minor injuries or feeling ill on rides at the park.

Quoting figures provided by Disney, Mr Ip said rides were operating normally about 98 per cent of the time. He said 80 per cent of the visitors surveyed by Disney rated their overall experience at the park either "good" or "excellent".

Mr Ip did not respond to a request by Lau Kong-wah, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, to disclose attendance figures for the first month, saying that, as a listed company, Disney had to observe stock market rules governing the release of business details other than in its reports to shareholders.

He said that thus far, the theme park had no plan to issue annual passes for customers because it was still in its initial period of operation.

"The management company will review the visiting patterns of guests from time to time and introduce new ticket products having regard to the market situation," he said.

LCQ 10: Public transport services for Hong Kong Disneyland
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (October 26):

Question:

Currently, visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland (HKD)can use the Mass Transit Railway, franchised buses, non-franchised buses and taxies, but not green and red minibuses. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether the present public transport arrangements can effectively cater to the flows of visitors travelling to and from HKD;

(b) of the reasons for forbidding some public transport service operators from operating routes to and from HKD; whether it has assessed if this practice is fair, and if it will result in relatively high fares for trips to and from HKD; if so, of the outcome of the assessment; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c) whether it plans to change the decision so as to enhance competition, offer visitors to HKD more choices and create additional job opportunities; if so, of the details of the plan; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

Currently, public transport services available to visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland (HKD) include railway, franchised buses, non-franchised buses, taxis as well as cross-boundary coaches for visitors from the Mainland. Transport arrangements for HKD were formulated before the commissioning of HKD based on the estimated number of visitors, passengers surveys, existing transport and traffic network and other transport statistics. The public transport demand to and from HKD is mainly recreational in nature and concentrate at the peak hours in the morning and evening. In order to accommodate the projected pattern of passenger demand, mass carriers with higher passenger capacity are necessary for provision of services to and from HKD. While planning for the transport arrangement for HKD, we have therefore included railway, a mass carrier, as the major service provider, to be supplemented by franchised buses, non-franchised buses and taxis.

Franchised buses provide convenient and efficient mass transit service to and from HKD. Non-franchised buses can meet the demand of particular groups of passengers (for instance, organised tour groups). Taxi provide convenient, personalised, and point-to-point services, especially for visitors who are not familiar with local public transport. As for public light buses (PLBs), according to our existing transport policy, the primary function of green minibuses is to provide regular transport services to supplement and serve as feeders to the mass carriers, serve areas where demand does not justify the provision of high capacity services. Red minibuses, on the other hand, provide a relatively flexible service within their existing service areas. Taking into account the mode of passenger demand of HKD, the passenger capacity and operating efficiency of PLBs are relatively low when compared with mass carriers such as railways and buses. Based on the principle of efficient use of transport service resources, we currently consider that there is no need to arrange PLB service to serve HKD.

In fact, we have been monitoring closely the passenger demand of HKD since its commissioning on September 12 2005, including the period during festival days and holidays such as Mid-autumn Festival and the National Day "Golden Week". The service levels and daily passengers throughput of various modes of transport show that the existing public transport services have surplus capacity, demonstrating that the public transport services to and from HKD is adequate and can effectively cater to the flows of visitors to HKD.

Besides, the various public transport modes offer a wide selection of transport services to HKD's visitors. There is competition both in terms of service quality and fare, providing the public with multiple and reasonable choices. We will continue monitoring the public transport services to and from HKD and make adjustment when necessary.

LCQ9: Trees at HK Disneyland
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Government Press Release

Following is the question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (October 26):

Question:

I have received many complaints from the public about mosquito infestation in Hong Kong Disneyland (HKD). They point out that as only non-fruit-bearing trees have been planted in HKD, few birds frequent the place, which does not help control the mosquito problem. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:

(a) the number of trees planted in HKD at present, with a breakdown by their species and whether they are fruit-bearing;

(b) the preventive measures adopted in HKD against mosquito infestation; and

(c) the number of complaints by visitors to HKD authorities about mosquito bites so far, and the details of the complaints?

Reply:

Madam President,

According to the Hong Kong Disneyland Management Limited (Management Company), there are about 18,000 trees in the Hong Kong Disneyland and its hotels, of which 70% are flowering trees that are fruit-bearing. There are altogether about 150 species, including Tamarindus indica, Gnetum gnemum, Artocarpus species, Syzygium jambos, Syzygium cumini, Feijoa sellowiana, Illicium verum, Sterculia monsperma, Dillinia indica, Pongamia pinnata, Mimusop elengi, Terminalia catappa, Tabebuia species, Garcinia subelliptica, etc. According to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the main cause of mosquito infestation is water accumulation and not the species of trees.

We understand from the Management Company that they have implemented an active pest monitoring and control programme since July 2005 to improve the sanitary condition. This programme includes measures such as installation of mosquito traps, regular monitoring of fluctuations in pest population, frequent checking of any accumulation of stagnant water and elimination of all potential mosquito breeding grounds. These measures have proved to be effective.

For public areas in the vicinity of the theme park, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is carrying out regular mosquito control measures which include the clearing of stagnant water and other potential mosquito breeding grounds, and the application of insecticide or larvicidal oil as necessary.

Since the opening of the Hong Kong Disneyland, the Management Company has received four cases of pest-related complaints. No complaints have been received over the past three weeks. The Management Company observes that the implementation of the pest monitoring and control programme has been effective in dealing with mosquito infestation.

All those mainlanders... those annoying mainland tourists... ugh

Disney eyes $3.2b loan to refinance 15-year debt

Hong Kong Disneyland is seeking a syndicated loan of about HK$3.2 billion to refinance a similar-sized loan taken out in 2000 to partially fund construction of the theme park, said a source familiar with the situation.

Tim LeeMaster
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, November 01, 2005

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/newsimage/20051101/disney.gif

Hong Kong Disneyland is seeking a syndicated loan of about HK$3.2 billion to refinance a similar-sized loan taken out in 2000 to partially fund construction of the theme park, said a source familiar with the situation.

The loan will be arranged through Hong Kong International Theme Parks, the joint venture of US-based Disneyland and the Hong Kong government, which owns a majority 57 percent stake.

"I'm sure that the pricing will be much lower than the previous transaction because, at the time, it was a greenfield project," said one banker involved in the original 15-year loan.

The loan was arranged by Chase Manhattan Asia, which brought in more than 20 other banks to fund the park, including Bank of China, BNP Paribas and HSBC.

Banks earned 70 basis points of the total deal size in fees, while the company paid 1 percent over the Hong Kong interbank offered rate over the first five years of the loan. The interest margin is set to rise to 1.25 percent next year and for the next five years, before rising further to 1.38 percent for the remainder of the loan's life.

The debt, composed of a HK$2.32 billion term loan and HK$1 billion revolving credit, was taken out to fund the construction of the park on Lantau, which opened in September. The loan was oversubscribed to HK$5.4 billion but was not increased.

To finance the project, the government provided another HK$6.1 billion subordinated loan and with Walt Disney raised HK$5.7 billion in equity.

The 126-hectare park expects five million visitors in its first year of operation, two-thirds of which are expected to come from Guangdong province. The company has refused to divulge attendance figures from its first month of operation.

Construction included two hotels with a total of 1,000 guest rooms, an artificial lake and tree gardens. The park, which employs more than 5,000 staff, cost more than HK$27 billion to build, and is expected to generate HK$148 billion in revenue over the next 40 years.

Disneyland plans to open a second theme park on reclaimed land next to the current park.

Disney officials could not be reached for comment.

SAR may sell Disney stake
Ma startles lawmakers after detailing $25b spent at park
Thursday, November 03, 2005

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/newsimage/20051103/park.jpg

For the first time, a government minister gave a detailed breakdown of the HK$25 billion it has spent so far to get the Disneyland Hong Kong theme park up and running, and then startled lawmakers by saying the government might ultimately sell its share.

Less than two months after Disneyland Hong Kong opened, Frederick Ma said Wednesday that the government could sell off its 57 percent share in the theme park.

"In the long run, the government may consider, in the light of the big market, [the] small-government principle to divest its shareholdings in the company [Hong Kong International Theme Park Limited, a joint venture between US-based Walt Disney Corporation and the Hong Kong government], at an appropriate time when it is in the overall economic interests of Hong Kong to do so," Ma said during a Legco meeting.

But Ma's statement gave no timetable or any indication that the sale would be any time soon.

"The park has opened for [less than] two months. We should wait until the park is running smoothly before we consider any move [to sell]. Up to now we don't have any plans about selling off the government's stake," he said.

At the meeting, Ma broke down the government's expenditure on construction, saying that reclamation and other infrastructure works cost HK$13.6 billion - including road projects, cleaning of contaminated soil and compensation for affected fishermen. Land acquisition and clearance accounted for HK$1.6 billion.

Another HK$3.3 billion was for equity injection and a HK$6.1 billion loan will go to Hong Kong International Theme Park Limited.

The government has also waived its claim of HK$931 million in dividends that would otherwise be payable to the administration by the MTR Corp as financial support for the construction of the Disneyland Resort Line.

Ma's comments were in response to Frontier legislator Emily Lau's written question asking the government to explain why it is a majority stakeholder in a private enterprise and asking for a costs breakdown.

Legislators were taken by surprise by Ma's comments. Democratic Party chairman Lee Wing-tat said it is too early for the government to consider selling its stake.

"The government needs to take at least two or three years to assess its financial returns so as to strike a good deal," he said.

Lee pointed out that since the government holds a controlling stake in the park, it has a responsibility to disclose its financial accounts, including operating costs, daily attendance, expenditure and income. "The public needs to know whether its investment is value for money," he said.

Democrat Fred Li, also a member of Legco's economic services panel, said if the government plans to sell its stake, it should consult the panel before proceeding.

"We need to assess all the financial information to ensure that the government sells its shares under the most favorable conditions," he said.

"Now should not be the right time because the park has only been running for two months. We don't even know its financial situation. The government should not consider the move until it reaps a handsome profit."

Chan Kam-lam, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said he believes the government will not sell its stake soon.

"He [Ma] was questioned by a lawmaker - what do you expect him to say? He couldn't rule out this possibility, could he? That was why he said in the long run the government might consider selling off its stake," he said.

Chan argued that the park's financial returns will be only one of the factors in assessing its value. "We have to consider all the peripheral profits generated by the park and how it can help spur tourism and the overall economy."

The public, he said, has been too aggressive in attempting to force Disneyland to reveal its performance figures.

"It has only been two months since the park [opened]. Give Disneyland a break. We can't expect it to immediately show us all the figures."

However, Chan said there are still many shortcomings in the park's operation. "There has been inadequate promotion of the park in Hong Kong. It has focused too much on the mainland market. I think it should also allow local travel agencies to organize local tours at the park. After all, the local market is also very important," he said.

Financial analyst David Webb said he would be surprised if the government relinquishes any of its 3.25 billion shares in the near future.

"The government has always stressed that it supports big market, small government, but its actions do not support its words," Webb said.

Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney's 11th theme park, is the only Disneyland to enlist a government as a shareholder.

A Disneyland spokeswoman said Wednesday that while the Hong Kong government plays a heavy role in the park's decision-making, it is too early to comment on future possibilities.

"Right now, we are focused on the success of opening year for Hong Kong Disneyland, and there is no plan from Disney to consider any equity position changes in its ownership," public affairs manager Esther Wong said.

So far, Disneyland has not said how successful the park has been since it opened and has refused to divulge attendance figures.

Since the September 12 opening, a string of incidents has troubled the park. In the first month alone, a reported 50 rides were brought to a halt by technical issues which triggered the safety system. On October 11, a former worker climbed to the top of a rollercoaster and held a knife to his neck to protest against his dismissal a week earlier.

Other workers have complained of unfair treatment and 10- to 13-hour workdays.

more pictures from disneyland honk kong

Some photo galleries :
http://www.pbase.com/bono/disneyhk
http://www.pbase.com/philip_kwong/disney
http://www.pbase.com/iagrafx/disneyland_hong_kong
http://www.pbase.com/syling/disney

HK Disneyland Cuts Ticket Prices For Local Residents
7 November 2005

HONG KONG (AP)--Hong Kong Disneyland said Tuesday it will offer ticket discounts for one month to local residents to thank them for their support, but denied the move was prompted by low attendance at the park, which opened two months ago.

"The discount has absolutely no relation to attendance numbers," park spokeswoman Esther Wong said. "We are thanking locals for giving us good support since we opened."

Starting Tuesday, prices for Hong Kong residents will be slashed by HK$50 per ticket - a reduction of about 20%. A peak time ticket for an adult will cost HK$300, instead of HK$350.

The discount, given to those with a Hong Kong ID card, will last until Dec. 8.

Although Hong Kong Disneyland said the discount was unrelated to attendance, the park has repeatedly refused to disclose how many people have been visiting. Many local media reports have said that attendance has been disappointing.

On Tuesday, Wong said the park has no plans to disclose attendance numbers because they are confidential commercial information.

This has angered some lawmakers who argue that the public should be privy to the information since the Hong Kong government is the biggest investor in the park.

The government paid US$2.4 billion for the park's construction, while Disney paid over US$314 million, according to official figures.

^^^^Is the ticket price too expensive for local?^^^^^

There are many Disneyland themeparks around the world. What is Disneyland in HK special?

There are many Disneyland themeparks around the world. What is Disneyland in HK special?

Becuase it's the newest and it's still expanding, thus the location of this thread...

and by my personal standard 5 parks around the world isn't many. Six Flags is the definition of "many" :-D

^^^^Is the ticket price too expensive for local?^^^^^
I paid about HK$300 for my ticket during a weekday. I think the price is reasonable.

Some photo galleries :
http://www.pbase.com/bono/disneyhk
http://www.pbase.com/philip_kwong/disney
http://www.pbase.com/iagrafx/disneyland_hong_kong
http://www.pbase.com/syling/disney


Those pictures changed my view on Hong Kong Disney. I'd love to go visit it now. It looks kinda interesting.

Discount fails to draw rush of locals
Disney offer to Hongkongers discriminates against us, say mainlanders
9 November 2005
South China Morning Post

The $50 discount offered by Disney to Hong Kong residents did not have a noticeable impact on the first day of sales yesterday, while some mainland visitors were not happy with the discount for locals.

According to a park staff member, the attendance was "quite usual". "We have nearly the same number of visitors on Tuesdays and Wednesdays," he said. "The effect of the discount will not work so quickly. Maybe this weekend the attendance will increase."

As Hongkongers took advantage of the discount yesterday, some mainland visitors complained it amounted to discrimination against them.

A woman from Guangzhou, who gave her name as Ms Wu, said it was unfair for the park to offer the discount to Hongkongers only.

She had tried unsuccessfully to get a discounted ticket before she went to the park. "Hong Kong has returned to China, right? All of us are Disney's visitors and should be equally treated," she said.

But whatever they paid, visitors did not have to wait long for rides yesterday. The longest queue appeared to be at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. A woman at the head of the queue said she had been waiting for 40 minutes.

People only had to wait 15 minutes for the popular Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and there were no queues at restaurants or toilets.

A Ms Ng, who was at the park with her eight-year-old daughter for her third visit, said she chose yesterday to visit because she knew there would be fewer people. "I find it difficult to bear the crowd on Sundays. Today is fine," she said.

Some local families went to the park yesterday because of the discount. "The most important thing is that our little girl enjoyed the visit very much," said Winson Ngai, who was at the park with wife Tiffany and seven-year-old daughter Ngai Sin-yee enjoying the discount.

However, many locals at the park yesterday were not attracted by the discount, having planned their outing before it was announced. "I bought the ticket the day before the discount was announced and got my $50 refund. It is really a surprise," said a man busy shopping in the Winnie the Pooh shop with his family. "I didn't know about the discount at all until I arrived. It is quite a big surprise. We got a total of $200 back."

A Disney spokeswoman said attendance figures, merchandise incomes and operation costs would not be published in the park's annual report for commercial reasons. The company would not comment on revenue projections, but the past two months had been "successful", she said.

A Tourism Commission spokeswoman said the government would also not disclose the information for the same reason.

Legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing, who chairs the finance committee and has asked the government to released detailed Disneyland accounts, said the government should explain the true picture to the public.

"The recent ticket price cut, combined with the lack of transparency, are sending out negative messages to the public," she said.

"We don't want to teach Disney how to do business, but it looks so bad on the surface, and it's about billions of public money."

Disney chiefs feed cynics' doubts by refusing to reveal gate numbers
9 November 2005
South China Morning Post

ABOUT 15 MONTHS before the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, executives from the capitalist icon took it upon themselves to educate the communist youth league in the ways of Mickey and Minnie.

Through activity-based sessions, the national network of more than 1,000 youth associations, or "youth palaces", would sing, dance and clap their way to Magic Kingdom recognition thanks to the efforts of Disney disciples.

Behind the storytelling and performances was an interesting case study in grassroots brand-building, given the potential pool of 60 million park visitors the youth league represented.

It is thus not surprising that recent news of the park slashing its admission price for Hong Kong locals by $50 as an act of sheer altruism has been greeted with a degree of scepticism.

Nor do anecdotal tales of mid-week malaise give much credence to Disney's insistence that this is not an attempt to boost visitor numbers, and all is well in Fantasyland.

There is, however, one simple way to silence the cynics: show the attendance numbers, or even better, publish the accounts of Hong Kong International Theme Parks (HKITP), the joint-venture company set up with the Hong Kong government to develop the park.

Legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing made an attempt last week to glean the visitor numbers, but was swiftly rebutted. Although the government has a 57 per cent stake in the venture, its partner, Walt Disney, is a commercial enterprise, she was informed. The government must thus "respect the company's interests as an investor'' and make sure commercial principles are not compromised by revealing the attendance numbers.

The partnership may be courtesy of the public bourse with a $3.3 billion equity injection and a $6.1 billion loan thrown into the package, but taxpayers are not privy to such "commercially sensitive information'' as how many punters pass through its gates.

A more straightforward way to gauge whether the park will be restocking the public coffers any time soon is to get a snapshot of its financial health from a published set of accounts. This has, however, not happened in the case of HKITP.

As a private company, it is not required to do so. This is despite a move four years ago for Hong Kong to rectify this, notes David Webb, the editor of Webb-site.com.

It is not without a hint of irony that he points out this particular stab at bringing corporate governance up to scratch was under the watch of then financial secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. The Standing Committee on Company Law Reform proposal to require private companies to file their financial statements was promptly dropped.

There is a chance in future of abridged accounts making their way into public hands, as happened with the Cyberport project.

This was another venture with a private company the government unilaterally embarked on with public funds, releasing a limited set of figures six years after the deal was struck.

The timing happened to coincide with a property rebound, the jewel in the crown of the "cyber" project being an adjacent residential development that improved the numbers considerably.

In both cases, much criticism has focused on whether there has been optimal use of precious land. The hollow echo of half-empty buildings speaks for itself at Cyberport. With Disneyland, the likelihood is that more land will be forfeited or reclaimed for development before a published set of accounts emerges.

It is not just an extension of the park that has critics worried. Lantau residents who have been following the government's sudden interest in the green island are decidedly wary of satellite development close to the park that has been mooted.

The government's concept plan for Lantau, released in November last year, includes a "tourism node" around Sunny Bay, Disneyland being an "anchor" for further tourism development on the island.

In what seems to be a mini Tsim Sha Tsui, the concept plan suggests building entertainment and dining facilities, "fashionable stores", performance venues, theme attractions and an indoor beach. The proposal "could create synergy" with Hong Kong Disneyland, the government contends.

The idea is presumably to get as many people across to the vicinity as possible, and funnel them to the park: create a flow of traffic to the north Lantau coastline.

Without a clear picture of the park's bill of health, it is hardly surprising the possibility of such fringe attractions has some cynics wondering if all is rosy on Main Street, USA.

Wong under fire as Disney escapes action in FEHD case

Disneyland should be prosecuted for preventing Food and Environmental Hygiene Department inspectors from carrying out their duties around the time the theme park opened, legislators said.

Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, November 10, 2005

Disneyland should be prosecuted for preventing Food and Environmental Hygiene Department inspectors from carrying out their duties around the time the theme park opened, legislators said.

Failing to do so, they said Wednesday, will send the wrong message to the public that Disney has received favorable treatment.

However, the government does not have enough evidence to make a prosecution, Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung said. Different and conflicting versions of events given by the inspectors and the theme park's management made a prosecution difficult to justify, he said.

FEHD inspectors went to the theme park on August 30 and September 6 to investigate complaints of suspected food poisoning.

The inspectors said they were asked to remove their caps and badges by a Disney staff member and the park's director of security, safety, fire and health services to "avoid causing distress to the park visitors."

If not, the inspectors said, they would not be allowed to enter the park to carry out their inspection.

The inspector who went to the park on September 6 said he did not proceed with the site visit as he could not agree to Disney's request.

However, Disney's director said he simply requested the inspector remove his cap and badge. He denied refusing entry to the inspector to any part of the resort.

Unionist legislator Lee Cheuk-yan was not satisfied with Wong's explanation. "Why do we have to believe what Disney said, but not our inspectors?" Lee asked.

This would only give the public an impression that the government is giving preferential treatment to Disney, he added.

Democratic Party legislator and barrister Martin Lee, responding to Wong's claim that prosecution was not justified because of the conflicting versions of events, said: "It happens all the time in courts. You can never judge if you don't pass through examination."

He said common sense indicated that the government inspector had no reason to lie.

Wong replied: "So does every case have to be judged in the court?

"If there is no reasonable prospect of conviction, it is waste of public funds," he said, adding that he would not rule out the possibility there had been a verbal misunderstanding.

However, legislator Audrey Eu, also a barrister, said: "Even though we take the Disney version into account - that it was just a polite request - it was undeniably wilful conduct, not accidental. The request is an interference of law enforcement, undoubtedly. A uniform is a symbol of authority."

The government sent the wrong message to the public on this issue, she said, adding, "now the government said it is not a serious breach of law. In the future, however, if anyone wants to do the same and says it is just a polite request, will this also be a legitimate excuse?"

Both the FEHD and Disney said they respected the justice secretary's decision, with Disney adding it had earlier apologized to the government.

There are many Disneyland themeparks around the world. What is Disneyland in HK special?

There is a dedicated rail service to the Park, as well as the only Disney Park that can be reached by ferries. It also has a mountainous backdrop and is right next to the sea. Can you imagine one minute you are in the famous HK harbour viewing the skyline and within 20 minutes you are in the Disney Park. :)

HK park cuts Walt Disney earnings by US$100m

Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in September, cut Walt Disney's earnings by about US$100 million (HK$780 million) in the year ended October 1, the US entertainment group revealed.

Mark Lee
Hong Kong Standard
Saturday, November 19, 2005

Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in September, cut Walt Disney's earnings by about US$100 million (HK$780 million) in the year ended October 1, the US entertainment group revealed.

"The order of magnitude of impact because of the pre-opening of [Hong Kong Disneyland] was about US$100 million on [the group's] consolidated income in [fiscal] 2005," Walt Disney chief financial officer Thomas Staggs told analysts in a telephone conference on the firm's full-year results.

The entertainment giant, whose portfolio includes the Pixar and Miramax film studios and the ABC cable television networks, in addition to several other theme parks, reported net profits rose 8 percent to US$2.53 billion in the year ended October 1 after sales increased 3.8 percent to US$31.94 billion.

"We are not making any predictions for the profitability of Hong Kong [Disneyland] in 2006," Staggs said. "It is still very early days."

Walt Disney has so far declined to disclose any information about visitor numbers to the park, though its recent move to reduce ticket prices by HK$50 had been interpreted by some market watchers as a sign that visitor numbers failed to meet company's targets.

In the three months to October 1, combined revenues at Hong Kong Disneyland and Euro Disney in France were US$404 million, compared to US$383 million for the same period last year, when the Hong Kong theme park had yet to open. However, a comparison of the numbers is difficult, as it is impossible to deduce the size of Hong Kong Disneyland's contribution, and Euro Disney's figures are subject to currency fluctuations.

Walt Disney paid US$314 million for its 43 percent stake in Hong Kong Disneyland, a joint venture with the SAR government, whose contribution was more than US$2.1 billion. The park, which cost US$3.5 billion in total, also took on US$1 billion in borrowings from banks and the government.

There is a dedicated rail service to the Park, as well as the only Disney Park that can be reached by ferries. It also has a mountainous backdrop and is right next to the sea. Can you imagine one minute you are in the famous HK harbour viewing the skyline and within 20 minutes you are in the Disney Park. :)Yeah I can imagine my total disinterest in the Disney Park and my urgent desire to return to Hong Kong Harbour as soon as possible. ;)

HK PRESS: HK Disneyland Attendance Lower Than Forecast
20 November 2005

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--The number of visitors to the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park is running below government forecasts two months after its opening, the South China Morning Post reports.

Four SCMP reporters counted 12,972 visitors passing through Disney's turnstiles Sunday, Nov. 13, and 11,399 Wednesday, Nov. 16, the report says. The government has said it expected 5.6 million visitors to the park in its first year of operation, equating to an average daily attendance of 15,342, the report says.

Rail operator MTR Corp. (0066.HK) said its Disneyland Resort line usually carries 10,000 riders a day on weekdays and 20,000 on Sundays, though not all of those may pay for entrance to the theme park, the report says.

A Disney spokeswoman called the Post's count 'flawed,' but declined to give the company's own figures, the report says. A Tourism Commission spokeswoman said the Hong Kong government, which is the majority owner of the park, won't disclose attendance figures for commercial reasons, the report says.

The government paid US$2.4 billion for the park's construction, while Walt Disney Co. (DIS) paid over US$314 million, according to official figures.

Hong Kong Disneyland Lures 1 Mln Visitors Since Debut

Nov. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Co.'s first theme park in China, attracted more than 1 million visitors in its first 100 days of operation, putting it on track to achieve attendance goals, the company said.

Disney expects the Hong Kong resort to attract 5.6 million visitors in its first year, Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo, 49, said today in an interview. The attendance numbers are the first that Burbank, California-based Disney has provided for the park since Hong Kong Disneyland opened Sept. 12.

The park, which has faced local publicity over pollution from its fireworks displays and working conditions for its staff, cut admission prices by HK$50 ($6.45) for the city's residents between Nov. 8 and Dec. 8. Weekend prices were cut to HK$300 and weekday prices were cut to HK$245.

"For a new theme park, you may need more time to build up people's interest," said Tai Hui, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong. "The Disney effect on Hong Kong's retail and tourism industry has not been as strong as we originally expected," he said.

Disney's full year visitor forecast is equivalent to a daily attendance of 15,342. Its 1 million number for 100 days is equivalent to 10,000 visitors a day.

Since the Hong Kong resort opened, 49 percent of visitors have been local residents. Twenty six percent came from mainland China and the remaining 25 percent arrived from other countries, Disney said.

`Not a Peak Period'

"Our business in Hong Kong, like everywhere else, is seasonal," Rasulo said. "November is not a peak period."

Rasulo reiterated a company forecast that visitors from Hong Kong, China and other parts of Asia would each constitute about one-third of attendance.

Hong Kong Disneyland may help the company expand in Asia, spurring sales of movies, television and Internet programming. Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger in September said the company may open another park in Shanghai after 2010.

"Hong Kong Disneyland has become a successful launching pad for Disney," said Laura Martin, an analyst at Soleil Securities Corp. in Pasadena, California, who rates the company "buy" and doesn't own shares. "Success at Hong Kong Disneyland accelerates Disney putting more assets in Asia."

Shares of Disney, which have fallen 10 percent this year, rose 2 cents to $24.96 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.

Disney spent HK$2.45 billion for its 43 percent stake in Hong Kong Disneyland. The Hong Kong government, which owns the remainder, invested HK$3.25 billion. It spent another HK$13.6 billion on roads and other infrastructure, and extended a HK$6.1 billion loan.

Tokyo Disneyland Park and Tokyo DisneySea Park, run by Oriental Land Co., for the year ended March 31 attracted 25 million guests. Disneyland Paris, run by Euro Disney SCA, had 12.3 million visitors in its year ended Sept. 30.

Union launched by Hong Kong Disney staff

HONG KONG, Nov 28 (AFP) - Employees of Hong Kong Disneyland will launch a union to protect workers' rights and campaign for fairer treatment like Disney workers elsewhere in the world, a union spokeswoman said Monday.

The group, called Hong Kong Disneyland Cast Members' Union, would be launched on Tuesday and at least 100 people were expected to join, said union spokeswoman Elaine Hui.

She said complaints from the park's employees have increased since its opening in September and over 100 employees had complained about long working hours and unfair overtime payments from Disney's newest park.

"Our workers in Hong Kong seem to get the worst treatment compared with the other Disney employees in Paris, Japan and the United States," said Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions.

"We hope that the union will have more dialogues and help improve working conditions for the employees," he said.

Lee said the Hong Kong staff members have a 15-minute break every four hours while the staff from other Disney theme parks get a break every two hours.

Hui said Hong Kong workers get their overtime payment based on monthly work hours of 195 while it was calculated on daily eight work hours for all the other Disney workers.

"Sometimes our workers may be required to work five hours a day or sometimes up to 13 hours a day which is a very cunning thing to do," Hui said.

LCQ6 : Construction works of Hong Kong Disneyland
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (November 30) :

Question:

It has been reported that the construction costs of the facilities in Hong Kong Disneyland ("HKD") are excessively high, which casts doubt on whether the Government, being the major shareholder of the joint venture company of HKD, has closely monitored the relevant expenditure. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the details of the construction costs of various facilities in HKD, to enable the public to assess whether such facilities are good value for money;

(b) of the criteria and procedure adopted for vetting and approving the estimated expenditure on the construction of the various facilities; and

(c) whether it will strengthen its efforts on monitoring the expenditure on the future extension works in HKD; if it will, how they will be strengthened; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

The financing of the Hongkong International Theme Park Limited (HKITP) comes to a total of HK$14.1 Bn, comprising equity injection made by the Government and The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), as well as loans provided by the Government and commercial entities. The portion related to the Government was approved by Finance Committee of the Legislative Council in 1999, and construction works of Hong Kong Disneyland were completed on schedule and within the approved financing arrangements.

According to HKITP, TWDC undertook the planning of all facilities in Hong Kong Disneyland with over 50 years' experience of building and operating theme parks. In doing so, TWDC has taken into account local circumstances whilst reflecting its own unique style and character. The construction materials and workmanship for every element within the park are subject to stringent quality standards to ensure that the design concept could be brought to life.

Hong Kong Disneyland is being run in accordance with the usual commercial principles and model of TWDC. In order to ensure that HKITP could secure the most favourable terms from contractors in future tendering exercises and that its bargaining position will not be affected, construction costs in the contracts should not be released.

During construction stage, the management company of Hong Kong Disneyland is required to report on work progress and expenditure to the HKITP Board of Directors. Under close monitoring of the Board, construction of Hong Kong Disneyland was completed on schedule and within the approved financing arrangements.

加強培訓新入職員工
迪士尼允改善職安
03/12/2005
太陽報

http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/news/20051203/img/sn18120302_big.jpg

【本報訊】有鑑於香港迪士尼樂園開幕以來，經常被投訴罔顧樂園表演人員的職業安全，立法會議員王國興及工聯會權委副主任葉偉明等，昨日與迪士尼高層會面近一小時研究改善措施，樂園方面答應願意改善，並承諾日後會定期與工會會面。

承認招聘過程有不足
王國興與迪士尼樂園行政總裁（營運）安明智，及人力資源服務總監莫家樂會面後表示，樂園答應展開多項改善，包括給予表演人員足夠時間進行熱身、減輕戲服重量，在聘請新員工時會依其體格安排工作，又會研究為員工安排兩套戲服更換，又表示已向員工提供化妝用的止汗劑及頭巾，以防溶妝影響眼睛。

對於員工投訴合約沒有列明工作範圍，王國興引述樂園指，樂園傳統希望各員工熟悉園內各項工作，以有效發展人力資源及培訓人才，就以跳舞人員為例，他們一天只有兩場巡遊，工作量不足，才會安排他們兼任接待員。

樂園承認，招聘過程存有不足之處，同意在日後培訓時，向新入職員工清楚說明工作範圍。至於僱員政策手冊的修改，只適用於一般的政策，如員工購買樂園禮品的折扣率，並不涉及僱傭條例。

HK disneylad is the most famous theme park as of today..

Disney park helps boost tourism in Hong Kong
Still, the city-island faces street protests and the potential threat of bird flu.
Jerry W. Jackson, Sentinel Staff Writer
7 December 2005
Orlando Sentinel

Hong Kong Tourism Board representatives were in Orlando on Tuesday to tout the Chinese territory and promote a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign that starts next year.

Among the pluses: Gross domestic product surged by 8.2 percent in the third quarter, boosted by the new Hong Kong Disneyland, hotels and development. That followed a 7.3 percent growth rate in the second quarter, revised upward from 6.8 percent.

Tourism increased 5.9 percent in September compared with the same month a year ago, and 7.6 percent to 16.9 million people for the first nine months of the year.

But Hong Kong faces challenges as well, with calls for more democracy filling the streets with protesters, and preparations for the possibility of a bird flu pandemic that could smash the golden egg of tourism.

"The protests were peaceful. It's another example of how Hong Kong really is working very well" since the handoff of full control from Great Britain to China eight years ago, said Jeffrey Shubert, regional director of the Americas for the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

Shubert said China has afforded Hong Kong considerable self-control, with no media censorship and the ability to start businesses and enjoy other freedoms. "People see that things have not changed for the worse," as many feared, said Shubert, who lived in Hong Kong for three years in the mid-1980s.

As for the threat from bird flu, Hong Kong is perhaps better prepared than any major city in the world because of its experience with SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, Shubert said. SARS brought international travel to a virtual halt in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia in 2003, when the mystery disease struck with little warning.

"They learned their lesson," Shubert said. "Hong Kong is much more aware of the realities of what can happen. They have taken major steps not only to prevent this [bird flu] but to prepare for it. They monitor everything that crosses the border, and they are obsessed with doing everything possible to deal with it."

SARS infected 1,755 in Hong Kong and killed 299 there before fizzling out for unexplained reasons.

Bird flu so far is mainly a killer of fowl, but scientists fear it might develop human-to-human transmission and kill millions of people. Some researchers say that still is unlikely, however, and the longstanding scientific thinking that pandemics occur with regularity has now been largely discarded.

Lillibeth Bishop, another Hong Kong Tourism Board representative from Los Angeles, said Hong Kong has more to offer than many world travelers might think, beyond the shopping and dining for which the city-island of 6.8 million people is best known. The recent opening of Disneyland grabbed headlines, but other new attractions and infrastructure have been added or are in the works, she said.

"Hong Kong is the only city in Asia in the top 10 world destinations for tourism," she said, and a new television ad campaign featuring Hong Kong is now running in cable-TV markets in key U.S. markets, including the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. "Florida is very important to us, especially South Florida," Bishop said.

Among the new features in Hong Kong is the Ngong Ping 360, a cable-car-style "skyrail journey" attraction that opens in early 2006. It will give visitors a stunning view of the green mountain scenery of Lantau Island and access to the Po Lin Monastery and the Giant Buddha.

The new Hong Kong Wetland Park, near the Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve, offers bird watchers a chance to see some of the more than 300 species that frequent the area.

Jerry W. Jackson can be reached at 407-420-5721 or jwjackson@orlandosentinel.com.

BOX: Hong Kong Location: On southeastern coast of China. Size: More than 683 square miles, including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and 235 outlying islands. Population: More than 6.8 million. Language: Cantonese and English. Typical U.S. Traveler to Hong Kong: Singles and couples traveling without children, 45-60 years old with family income of $75,000 or greater. More information: www.discoverhongkong.com/usa SOURCE: Hong Kong Tourism Board.

it looks nice but small :(

Discovering Disney
Books, 'outreach programs' were needed to ready the Chinese for Asia's 'happiest place on Earth'
But Disney's newest theme park on Lantau Island has made 'Mickey Mao' a hit
Bill Taylor
Toronto Star
26 November 2005

HONG KONG -- The little girl in the angel suit, complete with wings, halo and celestial pink boots, is cute but no cherub.

The cellphone dangling from her waist is a dead giveaway as she gallops hither and yon, turning from time to time to yell at her parents to hurry up! She's speaking Cantonese but there's no mistaking her message.

It is a small world after all, and getting smaller. There are times when the new Hong Kong Disneyland feels claustrophobic but, then again, the original Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. isn't very big either.

When it opened 50 years ago as "the happiest place on Earth," it was all about bringing different world experiences, albeit candy-coated, to Americans. Today, with Disney theme parks on three continents, it's all about selling candy-coated middle-America to the world.

But Disney is what Disney is. You either check your cynicism at the gate or go into sugar-shock as you board the Disneyland Express at the appropriately but coincidentally - named Sunny Bay MTA station. The transit authority is totally onside - the government has a 57-per-cent stake here. You can buy entrance tickets at Hong Kong station and the trains for the one-stop ride from Sunny Bay have windows and hand-holds with Mickey Mouse ears.

The park, a half-hour, $26 Hong Kong ($4 Cdn.) ride from the city centre, is on Lantau island, best known up to now for its gigantic statue of Buddha and Chek Lap Kok airport. This is close enough to the park that the thunder you hear isn't an approaching storm, but jetliners on final approach.

Visitors from mainland China are important to the success of the new park - though Hong Kong officials are said to be less than thrilled by plans to have a Shanghai Disneyland up and running by 2010.

Children in Hong Kong, which still has a strong Western presence, are far more familiar with Disney than kids in China. But the corporation did its homework well ahead of the Hong Kong park's opening, with a series of "outreach programs" on the mainland to introduce what some critics have called Mickey Mao. With Chinese government co-operation, some schools introduced Disney stories into their curriculum.

Pop star Jacky Cheung was hired to host a TV program showing classic Disney movies in Hong Kong and on the mainland. And a clothing chain, with more than 600 stores in China, started carrying Disney clothing.

When Hong Kong Disneyland opened its gates, everyone knew what the park and its characters was all about.

This is the smallest of the Disney parks, with a maximum capacity of about 30,000 visitors. It has three themed areas - Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland; and Tomorrowland. There are two hotels with a total capacity of 1,000 guests.

Many visitors, it seems, are unfamiliar with the whole theme-park concept, especially the Fastpass, which lets you book a ride time and bypass the line. In the first days after the park opened Sept. 12, many thought they needed a Fastpass simply to get on a ride. (Sept. 12 was chosen as auspicious by traditional Feng Shui consultants).

There have also been problems, in the first few days at least, of visitors smoking where they shouldn't - reportedly even in Sleeping Beauty's castle - spitting, going barefoot and letting their kids urinate in the flower beds.

On the day I'm there, business is brisk, everything is moving smoothly and the longest line is for pictures with Mickey and Minnie. There are far more adults than kids. Trains arrive full and people are snapping away before they're out of the station.

There's a Space Mountain rollercoaster with the usual warnings about not riding if you're pregnant or have a heart condition but, otherwise, the handful of rides are on the tame side.

The chance to get married here is reportedly already popular: "Begin your forever today," says the blurb. "Stage your intimate ceremony under the fanciful gazebo in the romantic surroundings of Hong Kong Disneyland."

There are three packages - Crystal, Emerald and Diamond, which costs $10,888 (about $1,650 Cdn.), "plus 10 per cent service charge per table of 12 persons. Minimum spending requirement applies." Included are "a comprehensive range of Disney background music; eight-tier fairytale wedding cake for photographs; a choice of Disney-themed fresh wedding cake; one luxurious night's stay at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel; six regular day tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland."

If you're really lucky, that little angel in pink boots might show up to bestow a blessing. Just remember - that halo isn't real.

Ticket prices go up in July and August, weekends and public holidays. Adult day tickets go from $295 to $350 HK ($45-$53 Cdn.); children 3-11, $210-$250 HK ($32-$38 Cdn.), seniors, $170-$200 HK ($26-$30 Cdn.). For information, visit www.hongkongdisneyland.com

Bill Taylor is a feature writer at the Star.

it looks nice but small :(

Yes Sharpic20, I was there few weeks ago sadly to say it is very small and not as same as going to DisneyWorld. BUT I do like how they focus on detail, it is much better detail and layout on this one that ...let say Japan one, and the MTR Disney Line is very new and fun, it bring you right to the front door, Hotel part is nice but didn't check the price guess will be very pricy, food is good too and they have dim sum inside LOL...Overall is okay for a small park, remember when they just start building DisneyWorld in Orlando, people think Disney was crazy, but look at it right now. So I guess I just need to wait for it totally done before I reture again :)
Next time I go back to Hong Kong again, I think I going to OP, it is a better park.

If anyone can tell me where I can have free space to post pictures, I can show you guys my picture in Hong Kong

Philippine SEA Games gold winners get trips to Hong Kong Disneyland

MANILA, Dec 11 (AFP) - Filipino athletes who won gold at the just-ended Southeast Asian Games are getting an additional reward -- trips to Hong Kong Disneyland, courtesy of their corporate sponsors -- a spokesman said Sunday.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, who organized a foundation for the country's athletes, will give each a three-day trip to Hong Kong, including a Disneyland visit, said the spokesman of Arroyo's husband, Jesus Santos.

About 228 Filipinos won gold medals in 113 events during the games that were held in the Philippines from November 27 to December 5. Some 175 of them had already confirmed they would join the trip to Hong Kong.

Disneyland sells out for the first time
14 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland sold out for the first time yesterday since its opening in September, and the tourism sector believes it could be attributed to the World Trade Organisation meeting.

The theme park made the announcement in a statement but refused to release the numbers. Spokeswoman Esther Wong Wing-han said walk-in tickets had sold out in three hours from when the park opened at 10am.

"We immediately released a statement to the media when we received news that tickets to the park had sold out at 1pm," Ms Wong said, adding that visitors who had already pre-purchased tickets were still able to visit the park.

But she did not reveal how many tickets were sold, nor did the company have numbers indicating whether hotel bookings had increased yesterday.

"We also do not have the maximum number of tickets available for visitors in a day," she said.

The park received much criticism last month for refusing to reveal attendance numbers. A count of visitors entering the park, carried out by the South China Morning Post last month, recorded 12,972 visitors on Sunday, November 13, and just 11,399 on Wednesday, November 16. It has said it has a maximum capacity of 30,000 visitors.

Travel Industry Council director Joseph Tung Yao-chung said the high demand could be attributed to the school holidays and the WTO conference.

"Mainland tours are not allowed to visit the Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Convention and Exhibition Centre because of the WTO, so I believe they have all flocked to the theme park," Mr Tung said.

A visitor to the park yesterday said she had had to queue for at least two hours for rides and some souvenir shop shelves were nearly emptied by shoppers.

LCQ6: Management of HK Disneyland
Government Press Release
Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Following is a question by the Hon Margaret Ng and a reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (December 14):

Question:

In late 1999, the Government and The Walt Disney Company set up a joint venture company - the Hong Kong International Theme Parks Limited ("HKITP") to build and operate the Hong Kong Disneyland. In its paper submitted to the Finance Committee of this Council for its meeting on 26th November 1999, the Administration stated that two non-executive independent directors mutually agreed by both shareholders would be appointed to the Board of Directors of HKITP. It has been reported that such appointments have yet to be made. Concerning the governance of HKITP, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the reasons for its failure to-date to appoint the independent directors and not regularly keeping this Council informed of the progress in this respect;

(b) of the action it has taken, since the establishment of HKITP, in regard to appointing the independent directors; and

(c) whether, in accordance with the principles of transparency in and accountability for public finance, it will publish all the directors' reports and audited financial statements of HKITP since its establishment; if it will, of the timing for that; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

In 1999, the Government and The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) formed a joint venture company, the Hongkong International Theme Park Ltd (HKITP), to develop and operate the Hong Kong Disneyland.

While the Hong Kong Disneyland Management Limited is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the theme park, the Board of HKITP exercises a supervisory role. The Board of HKITP currently has nine members. Five of them are appointed by the Government. They are the Financial Secretary, Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works and Commissioner for Tourism. The other four members are appointed by TWDC. The Government and TWDC may, if they so agree, appoint up to two independent non-executive directors to the Board.

Upon the establishment of HKITP, the Government and TWDC have discussed the question of the appointment of independent non-executive directors. We consider that the primary objective during the construction stage of the theme park is to ensure the timely completion of the works within budget. Other than monitoring the project through the Board, we also set up a Steering Committee on the Implementation of Hong Kong Disneyland under the chairmanship of the Financial Secretary, which meets monthly to monitor the progress and expenditure of the Government's infrastructure works, construction of the theme park and other complementary arrangements. Under the Steering Committee, a works progress committee was set up to monitor the progress of the construction of the theme park and the Government's infrastructure works and deal with works-related matters. The Disneyland Readiness Committee set up in May 2004 coordinated interfaces of the work of various stakeholders in preparation for the opening of the theme park and monitor works progress. In view of the focus of the construction stage, both parties agreed in 2000 that it was not the appropriate time for the appointment of independent non-executive directors. The Board of Directors decided in 2000 that the appointment of independent non-executive directors should be made at a later stage. The Government briefed the Economic Services Panel of this Council in October 2000 of this decision.

Under the supervision of the Board and the Steering Committee, the Hong Kong Disneyland was completed on time and within budget.

Now that the Hong Kong Disneyland has entered the operation stage, there is a wider spectrum of matters for the Board to supervise. In line with our original plan, the Government considers it opportune now to consider the appointment of independent non-executive directors. The Government is in the process of discussing with TWDC the appointment of independent non-executive directors to the Board.

HKITP is a private company, there is no requirement under the Companies Ordinance for a private company to publish its directors' reports and audited financial accounts. Although TWDC invests jointly with the Government in HKITP, the Government has to respect the company's interests and its operation under commercial principles will not be compromised due to the disclosure of commercially sensitive information. As an international financial and business centre, we have to respect the right of a private company to protect its commercially sensitive information. The directors' reports and audited financial accounts of HKITP contain commercially sensitive information regarding the operation of the Hong Kong Disneyland. In accordance with its way of commercial operation, TWDC would not disclose individual accounts of its theme parks. But being a listed company, TWDC will disclose information on the performance of its theme parks in its annual report.

Thank you.

More Flexibility Makes Hong Kong Disneyland Easier to Visit

HONG KONG, Dec 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ - Experiencing the magic of Hong Kong Disneyland will soon be easier than ever with the introduction of flexible date tickets. Starting January 3, 2006, guests may purchase non-date specific tickets and use them during a 6-month period following their purchase.

The new tickets are part of Hong Kong Disneyland's commitment to making the guest experience as seamless and magical as possible, while allowing greater flexibility in planning a full day of fun at the park.

"Our parks are always evolving and we receive a steady stream of feedback which allows us to adapt in order to make a great experience even better. Our guests and travel industry partners around Asia have told us they want the opportunity to buy tickets that are not date specific. As a result, we're happy to introduce new flexible tickets that will make planning a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland easier and more convenient," said Roy Tan Hardy, Vice President, Marketing, Hong Kong Disneyland.

The Honorable Howard Young, Legislative Counselor representing Tourism Functional Constituency, said, "The new strategy enhances and widens the partnership with the tourism industry. I am confident it will bring win-win results."

Hong Kong Disneyland will offer three types of park tickets (for more information, guests can visit hongkongdisneyland.com ):

Regular days -- Monday - Friday
(Adults HK$295, Kids HK$210, Seniors HK$170)

Peak days -- Weekend and certain vacation periods
(Adults HK$350, Kids HK$250, Seniors HK$200)

Special days -- Holidays or other date-specific special occasions
(e.g. Christmas Day, New Year's Day and days during Chinese New Year and Golden Week). Peak days and Special days (priced the same) are expected to be very popular with guests.

Guests who purchase Regular day and Peak day tickets can visit the park on the same day type within six months of their ticket purchase. Guests who purchase Special day tickets will receive a date-specific ticket for their chosen date.

For guests who already have purchased date-specific tickets, they can exchange the original tickets for the new flexible tickets at Guest Relations window at the Main Gate at the front of Hong Kong Disneyland Park.

"This new ticket offering means our travel industry partners will be better able to provide options to Mainland China and overseas guests who will want flexibility when visiting Hong Kong Disneyland," said Hardy.

Tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland are available through a variety of channels: Travel agents, online at hongkongdisneyland.com , the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express at MTR Hong Kong Station, the Main Gate at the front of Hong Kong Disneyland Park and Group Sales office for groups of 100 and larger.

About Hong Kong Disneyland

Located on lush Lantau Island overlooking Penny's Bay, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a brand-new, world-class family entertainment and recreation center consisting of a magical, Disneyland-style theme park of shows and attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel (400 guestrooms), Disney's Hollywood Hotel (600 guestrooms) and Inspiration Lake, a public area featuring boat rentals and a 3.5 hectare arboretum. Offering guests of all ages a full day immersed in imagination and creativity uniquely Disney, Hong Kong Disneyland is home to Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Mulan and other Disney characters beloved the world over.

A joint venture of The Walt Disney Company and Hong Kong SAR Government, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort employs 5,000 cast members. The HKSAR Government estimated the first phase of the project will generate a present economic value of HK$148 billion (US$19 billion) in benefits to Hong Kong over a 40-year period. The project was announced in 1999 and construction began in 2003.

More photos : http://www.pbase.com/hmlai88/20050830hkdisneyland

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Very nice pics, the castle looks smaller than the one in Paris..

In fantasy country
18 December 2005

Essential tips for a day tripper to Hong Kong Disneyland

Disneyland has always been a land of the imagination whether it be in Florida, France or Tokyo. And even in the newbie theme park in Hong Kong, the charm of fantasy isn't far away.

Hong Kong Disneyland is the smallest Disney park and has the least number of rides. And one day is enough to experience the 16 rides and shows in all three zones of the theme park - Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

The park is open from 10am to 7pm on weekdays and until 9pm on weekends, so, you have a maximum of 9.4 hours to complete all you may want to do in a day.

One way of speeding up things is to pay double and get a "Fast Track" ticket.

However, it's probably not the fairest thing to do because while you're on the "Fast Track", hundreds of people are queuing out there trying to get in.

Well, to spend a day in Hong Kong's Disneyland without regret, here are some pointers to what you shouldn't miss.

When you step into the park, you see Main Street USA, a typical American town of the early 1900s with a variety of charming shops and restaurants, as well as lively marching bands.

At every corner, several Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto, hang around to pose for pictures with the visitors.

Age is no barrier here. Kids, adults and even old people queue up to have a few photographs taken with the friendly looking characters.

Next, walking through the Sleeping Beauty Castle and turning to Adventureland, you see the Jungle River Cruise.

A guide takes you on an exotic journey along a river where intrigue, surprises and jungle humour wait at every turn.

Disneyland has guides who speak three languages - Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Since the opening, thousands of people from the mainland have flooded the theme park. Therefore, taking the English-language ride would be wiser because the queue for it is far shorter.

Another highlight is the Festival of the Lion King. Visitors can witness a colourful pageant of music and dance, celebrating Disney's animated classic "The Lion King".

The 30-minute show takes place at noon, 2, 4.30 and 6pm.

The next spectacle worth witnessing is The Golden Mickeys in Fantasyland.

It takes place at Disney's Storybook Theatre and is an event in which awards resembling the Oscars are presented to doyens in the world of animation. The 30-minute show takes you back to Disney's well-known animated films, including "Tarzan", "Mulan", "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast".

Next on the list is Mickey's PhilharMagic where Mickey and his friends take you on a three-dimensional journey. Seeing the animated characters close up with surround sound and other special effects is truly impressive.

The next two attractions are in Tomorrowland, called Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Space Mountain. At Astro Blasters, players can spin their Star Cruisers 360 degrees while firing hand-held laser cannons. You blast enemies and amass points, then compare the score with other Space Rangers. Space Mountain has roller-coasters that ride into space.

Even Napoleon's army travelled on its stomach. So do the visitors to Disneyland. There are eight restaurants in the park , each decorated in the style of a Disney cartoon town, and 11 souvenir shops along the Main Street, smothered in the aroma of fresh-baked goods.

205 gold medalists prepare for HK trip
Some people probably thought it was a joke when First Gentleman Mike Arroyo promised that if the country won the Southeast Asian Games overall championship the gold medal winners will be treated to a Hong Kong Disneyland vacation
17 December 2005
Manila Bulletin

It seems the joke is on the skeptics as the preparations for the HK trip were completed yesterday for the grandest vacation for top Filipino athletes.

The SEA Games gold medalists and other sports officials, including Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez, will be leaving for Hong Kong on Monday and will return on Wednesday.

"This is a good Christmas gift to all the athletes who helped us win our first overall SEA Games title," said Ramirez. "At last, after all the hard work of our athletes, First Gentleman has fulfilled his promise and I’m happy about it."

"After this vacation we are now looking forward to the training of our athletes for this year’s Asian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics. Each gold medalist really deserves to enjoy this memorable Hong Kong trip," he added.

A total of 205 SEA Games gold medalists – 39 from traditional boat race men and women team, 18 from men’s baseball, 34 from men and women’s softball team, 10 from Wushu, 7 from aquatics, 9 from athletics, 8 from archery, 7 from Arnis, 5 from Billiards, 10 from boxing, 2 each from cycling and bodybuilding, 3 from dance sport, 10 from fencing, 4 each from bowling, golf, judo, muay thai and shooting, 5 from wrestling, 6 from tae kwon do, one each from sailing, Pencak Silat, gymnastics, lawn ball and equestrian – will be enjoying the Hong Kong trip.

The all-expenses paid trip will also include a $300 pocket money for each athlete from the First Gentleman’s fund.

South China Morning Post
December 28, 2005
Mousekeeping
A few rocky starts taught Disney some valuable lessons. Only time will tell if Hong Kong will get its money's worth
Robin Kwong

There was a palpable excitement when the new Disneyland theme park opened, but the sceptics and critics were not so easily impressed. Press reports described the first few months as a "rocky start". Controversy arose over the cultural sensitivity of the park's food, and some locals called the park's management policies "absurd".

Then there was the matter of attendance. Two months after opening, the number of visitors was just over half of what Disney had estimated. Questions arose as to whether the park's prices were too expensive. Others questioned its finances, particularly in view of its costly construction.

Any of that sound familiar? Perhaps, but the above description was reconstructed from old newspaper articles of Tokyo Disneyland's opening in April 1983. By summer, the crowds were streaming in, and on August 13, the park drew a record 94,378 visitors. When September rolled around, a reporter from The New York Times was already writing that the park "may become as big a success as its big brothers in California and Florida".

In its first year, Tokyo Disneyland attracted 10 million visitors, and this was despite the fact that there was no direct train service to the park at the time. Attendance hovered at just above the 10 million mark for the next three years, before it started a more or less steady climb upwards - benefiting along the way from the opening of a second park, Tokyo DisneySea, and a new monorail line - to more than 25 million visitors last year.

If Tokyo Disneyland's eventual success could serve as an encouraging model for Hong Kong Disneyland, park and government officials in Hong Kong can also take some consolation, of a different kind, from comparisons with Paris' EuroDisney venture.

Local press lauded Disneyland, in comparison with the US$4.4 billion EuroDisney's opening in 1992.

A year before its opening, EuroDisney's then chairman, Robert Fitzpatrick, said: "My biggest fear is that we will be too successful." Those words would soon come back to haunt him.

The first sign of trouble was a controversy over Disney's strict staff dress code during the hiring phase before the park's opening. But unlike Hong Kong, where the code merely raised eyebrows, in France it sparked the indignation of local unions and prompted a government labour inspector to lodge a complaint against EuroDisney.

The conflict, in particular with the communist-led Confederation Generale du Travail, escalated with the unions carrying out a strike on the commuter rail line linking Paris with the theme park on its opening day. By mid-afternoon on opening day, 12,000 parking spaces at EuroDisney - which has a capacity for 60,000 - had not been filled. Disney officials did not release attendance figures for that day.

French intellectuals also lambasted the "invasion" of Mickey and Minnie. Prominent theatre director Ariane Mnouchkine dubbed EuroDisney a "cultural Chernobyl". It hardly helped either that the park initially failed to offer wine in its restaurants.

By the end of the second month, only 1.5 million had visited the park, hardly up with Disney's ambitious projection of 15 million in the first year. EuroDisney seems now to have found its feet, attracting 12 million visitors a year, and it is now the No1 European destination, although it still falls far short of original estimates.

It is, however, EuroDisney's finances that are still a worry. Euro Disney SCA, the listed theme park operator that was 49 per cent owned by Disney, saw its shares lose more than half their value within the park's first year, partly because of the company's high debt and rising costs.

On December 23 that year, Euro Disney's auditors warned that the park may have to be shut down. Euro Disney has since gone through two debt restructurings to stave off bankruptcy, in 1994 and last year.

John Ap, associate professor in tourism management at Polytechnic University, said Hong Kong Disneyland was unlikely to repeat Euro Disney's mistakes. "The Disneyland Paris park itself was very successful," Professor Ap said. EuroDisney's finances were dragged down by large loans taken out to develop more than 5,000 hotel rooms - far more than demand could support. "[Disney] truly got their fingers burnt," he said. "I think they learned a lesson from that experience."

In Hong Kong, Disney built only two hotels, with a total of 1,400 rooms.

Given the fortunes of the Tokyo and Paris Disneylands, it is hardly surprising that the general consensus of those keeping an eye on Hong Kong Disneyland is that it is still too early to tell. As Roy Tan Hardy, Hong Kong Disneyland's vice-president of marketing and sales, said: "Judging success now is like watching the opening credits for a movie and deciding right then if it will be an Oscar winner."

Richard Foglesong, a political science professor at Rollins College in the United States and author of Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando, said: "There is some precedent for a slow start followed by a rush of visitors ... It may take five years to know for sure whether the park is economically successful."

Both Hong Kong Disneyland and the Tourism Commission, however, were upbeat about the park's performance and the benefits it promises to bring to Hong Kong. They said there was little worry that the park would fail to attract sufficient mainland visitors. "We know that Hong Kong Disneyland is clearly resonating with people from Hong Kong, mainland China and other parts of the region," Mr Hardy said.

That was echoed by Paul Leung, chairman of Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association, who predicted Disney would reach its target of having one third of its visitors from the mainland. "The new open tickets scheme from Disney helps a lot," he said. "Unlike Ocean Park, many tour operators did not build Disneyland into their itinerary originally, because it was too risky to commit to fixed-date tickets."

He said, however, that the big boost would not likely come until next year, when the Ngong Ping 360 cable car opened. "Then tour operators will be able to offer both attractions in one package. As it is, Hong Kong Disneyland is not enough to occupy a full day." Professor Ap added that brand recognition and pricing were two factors that would determine Hong Kong Disneyland's popularity north of the border.

However, legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing said initial impressions of the park among legislators were not good. She criticised that projection of economic benefits as being too distant. "I worry about whether we'll see any benefits in the next four years, let alone 40," Ms Lau said.

Professor Foglesong said that apart from time, paucity of information also hampered any assessment of Hong Kong Disneyland's success. "It's very hard to tell whether Hong Kong Disneyland is meeting expectations, because the Disney Company is even less transparent than the Hong Kong government," he said.

Andrew Work, executive director of the Lion Rock Institute, a local free-market think-tank, said more than just attendance or revenue figures would be needed to measure the success of Disneyland for Hong Kong. "Aside from direct consumption at the park, it's very difficult to estimate how much off-site tourism spending is attributable to those who came only because a Disney exists," he said. There was also no information on whether tourists stayed in Hong Kong longer because of Disney, or what Hong Kong Disneyland's profits were after remittances to its parent Disney Company.

These were all questions that "should have been considered before asking Hong Kong taxpayers to bear the majority of the financial risk for the project", Mr Work said.

At the end of the day, the discussion may be moot for the government and Disney, Mr Work said. "Will missing targets be a problem?" he asked. "Only Disney and the Hong Kong government know. Disney gets a guaranteed management fee. The Hong Kong government doesn't have to worry about Disney - it's off books. So who cares if it makes money or not?"

Hong Kong's taxpayers should, for one.

Hong Kong a roller coaster for Disney
By Kent Ewing
Asia Times
January 6, 2006

HONG KONG - There was good end-of-year news for the Walt Disney Co in this newly crowned Disney city: finally, three months after its much-heralded opening, Hong Kong Disneyland sold out twice in December. The bad news, however, may be that the World Trade Organization had to come to town for its sixth ministerial conference, which culminated in street rioting and 1,000 arrests, to fill the park the first time. And nothing less than the birth of Christ was required for the second full house.

The holiday season has been kind to Disney. Overall, however, the company's first four months in Hong Kong have been like one of its more exhilarating roller-coaster rides - full of dips and rises and marked by sharp, exciting and sometimes even frightening turns. For the record, Disney executives express beaming satisfaction with their Hong Kong takeoff. But they also have no doubt written up a list of new year's resolutions for the Hong Kong park, chief of which must be to boost the so-far-disappointing attendance.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, which owns 57% of the US$3.2 billion resort, is counting on 5.6 million visitors in its first year, or an average of 15,342 a day. A head count over a two-day period by four reporters for a local newspaper, however, tallied 12,972 on one day and 11,399 on the other. Disney's vice president of marketing and sales in Hong Kong, Roy Tan Hardy, dismissed the count as inaccurate and misleading, adding: "We're actually very happy with the attendance ... so we are not concerned."

But Tan Hardy also refused to reveal the company's own attendance figures, which goes to the heart of Disney's public relations problems in Hong Kong. Surveys show that as many as 80% of Hong Kong residents support Disneyland's presence here. But most also chafe at the company's lack of transparency - especially since Hong Kong taxpayers footed 90% of the cost of constructing the resort in a sweetheart deal that gave Disney a 43% share of the profits for a 10% investment. The lopsided arrangement shows just how badly the Hong Kong government wanted to bring the Magic Kingdom to the city. Just as badly, the government now wants the deal to pay off.

So far, reviews are mixed. Although Disney plans to expand the park, its present size of 130 hectares makes it by far the smallest Disneyland in the world. Consequently, many Western visitors find Hong Kong Disneyland cramped and, on those infrequent occasions when large crowds do turn out, claustrophobic. Westernized Hong Kong Chinese also complain.

But for visitors from mainland China, Disney's biggest target audience in Hong Kong, the experience is very different. For the most part, they appear to be having a great time, but there is a twist: they do not spend as much money as Disney would like, because they take so much time snapping photos and lingering over meals. Some of them make the short trip on the special Disney train line that runs from the city to Lantau Island, where Disneyland is located, and spend all their time taking photos in the beautifully landscaped public area, which features a lake and a large arboretum, without ever actually entering the park.

Other strange tales emerging from these opening months include reports of mainland visitors taking photos of themselves on the monitor image of the Space Mountain roller-coaster ride, instead of purchasing the photo from Disney; jumping out of the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups as the ride begins (to snap pictures, of course), thus halting the ride for everyone; photographing their children standing beside the balloon seller, but not buying any balloons; and occupying restaurant tables for as long as an entire day.

Disney may not have anticipated every cultural challenge from the mainland, but the company has nevertheless gone to great lengths to make the Hong Kong park attractive and culturally sensitive to Chinese visitors. After all, it is not Hong Kong's population of nearly 7 million that has Disney executives so excited; rather, the potential audience of 1.3 billion on the mainland is the company's biggest target. Disney, for example, consulted feng shui masters - that is, experts in the Chinese art of harmonizing people and their environment - about the design of the resort, which faces the South China Sea with mountainous Lantau serving as a striking backdrop. The only eyesore in the area, the three stacks of Lamma Island's power station, are hidden behind hectares of parking lots.

In addition, signs throughout the park are written in both Chinese and English, and there are bilingual how-to explanations for each of the park's 13 rides. While Westerners complain that other Disney parks offer more rides and bigger thrills, Disney's research showed that mainland visitors desire a tamer experience. You will still find Disney standards such as Space Mountain, the problematic Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, the Jungle Cruise and the Buzz Lightyear Astro-Blasters. But it seems such creations as Fantasy Gardens - where visitors can mingle and pose for photographs with Mickey, Minnie and other Disney characters - are more appealing to mainland visitors.

Disney has also clearly been attentive to local tastes in its choice of food. There is a wide variety of international cuisine on offer at the Hong Kong park, but Chinese staples abound. Disney even took (yet another) public relations hit, this time from conservationists, when it put shark's fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy served to mark big occasions, on the wedding-banquet menu at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. (Because of fears of overfishing and revulsion against the brutal way in which the fins are harvested, the dish is illegal in a number of countries, but not in Hong Kong or on the mainland.)

With all this effort to attract mainland visitors, why, then, are the results so far modest at best? There could be a number of reasons.

First of all, the 17 test days on which Disney opened the park gates for selected visitors before the official September 12 opening were generally considered a disappointment, receiving unfavorable reviews in both the Chinese- and English-language media in Hong Kong. One particular test day - a charity day that filled the park to its supposed capacity of 30,000 people - was a notable fiasco, with visitors suffering waits of more than two hours for rides and restaurant tables. Government officials were alarmed enough by what happened to question whether Disney had overestimated the number of people the park could hold.

And then, once the park opened, it did not help the company's image when a former security guard, sacked by Disney for allegedly using foul language on the job, climbed to the top of the building housing Space Mountain and threatened a suicide jump in protest against his release. In November, Disney employees, complaining of unfair treatment, launched a union, taking some more of the "magic" out of Hong Kong's Disney experience.

In fairness to Disney, however, Euro Disney (now Paris Disneyland) faced more controversy and teething problems than Hong Kong Disneyland when it opened in 1992. You can be certain that Euro Disney did not have 80% support from the French when it opened, one reason being that the park initially did not serve wine - in France! Disney has a track record of learning from its mistakes, and demonstrated this during the past month when the company proved that the Hong Kong park could hold 30,000 and run smoothly. Now Disney executives must figure out a way to make that happen on a more regular basis.

Some observers have wondered whether the hotel and ticket prices at the resort are too high to lure the mainland hordes across the border. The resort's two hotels, with the cheapest room going for $128, are expensive by any standard. To Hong Kong residents, however, admission prices to the park are quite reasonable: on week days, it is $38 for an adult ticket and $27 for children; on weekends, the respective prices go up to $45 and $32. That makes Hong Kong Disneyland the cheapest of any of Disney's five parks around the world, but it is still a costly proposition for many on the mainland - where, despite roaring economic growth, the gross domestic product per capita is only $5,600, as compared with $30,000 in Hong Kong and $40,000 in the United States.

Coming off an attendance bump over the holidays, Hong Kong Disneyland starts the new year with fresh resolve and optimism. "The biggest challenge of bringing a Disney park to this part of the world," said Disney marketing strategist Tan Hardy, "is that not all audiences grew up with Disney stories and characters, so there are varying levels of familiarity and understanding. Our priority has been to introduce audiences all over the region to the classic Disney experience ... through TV, road shows and interactive media events."

Although the results to date are somewhat underwhelming, Disney executives are betting the bank on linking the success of Hong Kong Disneyland to continued economic growth on the mainland. And, despite a few public relations glitches, it remains a very good bet - especially after Hong Kong taxpayers put down 90% of the $3.2 billion ante.

Kent Ewing is a teacher and writer at Hong Kong International School.

YES YOU CAN TRAVEL ON A FERRIE TO DISNEYLAND IN FLORIDA

Hong Kong Disneyland Promotes Bull Ernest
Mon Jan 9, 10:58 PM ET
AP

HONG KONG - Bill Ernest has been promoted to executive vice president and managing director of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, the company said Tuesday.

Ernest, a 12-year Disney veteran, replaces Don Robinson, who's leaving the company to be president of the Baha Mar Resorts in Nassau, Bahamas, according to a Disney statement.

Ernest has been managing director of operations at the Hong Kong park. He helped launch the Disney Cruise Line in Florida in 1998 before transferring to Hong Kong.

He had also managed resort operations at Walt Disney World in Florida and other Disney resorts since he joined the company in 1994.

Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened last September, is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the local government.

I hope this park proves to be a success. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't there two more large phases of the park to be completed. My first impression was that this park is only 1/3 completed. They should put some spectacular rollercoasters, a tall observation tower and something grand like Epcot Center. I've never been to a Disney park but I thought it would have been really nice if they built a full fledged castle like ones you see in Europe. Something large and grand like the city it self.

Hong Kong is a spectacular place all by itself. It's nice to see it complemented with a Disney park.

桃花王迎賓 售米奇揮春
迪士尼變身賀狗年
14/01/2006

http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/news/20060114/img/sn14011409_big.jpg

http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/news/20060114/img/a140114_big.jpg

充滿美國文化色彩的香港迪士尼樂園，今年春節將變身為富有中國節慶色彩的主題公園。這也是全球迪士尼樂園，首個舉辦慶祝農曆新年的活動，迪士尼大小卡通主角在農曆新年期間，都會穿上應節服裝；美國小鎮大街更會擺放十四呎高「桃花王」迎賓，迪士尼精品店亦首見米奇揮春、食肆更供應發財年糕。迪士尼最大規模的本土化活動，將在這個春節為市民帶來驚喜。

迪士尼商品發展、旅遊、特別項目及聯盟市務總監林寶彤指出，是次乃全球迪士尼樂園首次舉辦農曆新年活動，狗年大年初一，「奇妙新春」賀歲活動正式拉開序幕，為了尊重中國傳統，進入樂園的樂迎道上，燈柱都會掛上色彩鮮豔的揮春，由樂園正門通往美國小鎮大街的拱門上，會貼上桃花樹枝為背景的春聯，而兩旁的樓房亦會掛上大紅爆竹及貼上精緻的剪紙工藝，寓意迎接春天來臨及為樂園帶來好運。米妮昨日更督促工人在園內擺放花卉，裝飾樂園每一角落。

每晚舞龍舞獅表演
由大年初一至正月十五日（本月二十九日至下月十二日），樂園為遊客準備了一系列特別的賀歲活動。在這段期間每晚六時三十分，銅鑼鼓聲將徐徐響起，配襯精采奪目的舞龍舞獅表演，在睡公主城堡前的舞台載歌載舞。每晚將有一個幸運家庭獲邀上台為三隻醒獅點睛，而迪士尼多名卡通人物亦會穿上一身傳統應節服飾，加入表演隊伍。

炮製招財進寶盆菜
樂園廚師亦趁農曆新年炮製了多款傳統應節食品，小鎮大街上的小賣亭及市集餅店會售賣各種可口小食，如年年有餘脆米餅及米奇賀年曲奇等。樂園及酒店內的餐廳亦會推出多款新春佳餚，如河景餐廳會供應「招財進寶盆菜套餐」；香港迪士尼樂園酒店內的中菜廳晶荷軒，則會推出集大江南北特色的九道菜新春菜譜。

香港迪士尼亦特別在農曆新年期間，推出過百款獨家發售的中式精品，包括印有中文吉祥語句的揮春、利是封及徽章、中式應節服飾、布偶及糖果禮盒等。其中一套以穿中式禮服的米奇老鼠、米妮老鼠及布魯托為造型的特別版徽章，更是限量二千六百套，但中國人重「好意頭」，徽章將不會有與「四」字相關的編碼出現。 http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/img/endmarker.gif

LCQ3: Employment of PWDs by HK Disneyland
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Government Press Release

Following is a question by the Hon Dr Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung and a reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (January 18):

Question:

Regarding the employment of persons with disabilities (PWDs) by the Hong Kong Disneyland ("HKD"), will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the number of PWDs currently employed by HKD, with a breakdown by the modes of employment and job nature;

(b) of the respective longest and shortest employment periods among the former and existing HKD employees who are PWDs; and

(c) whether the Administration will request HKD management to set an indicator for employing PWDs; if it will not, whether it has assessed if this runs contrary to the Government policy of assisting PWDs in securing jobs?

Reply:

Madam President,

The Hongkong International Theme Parks Limited (HKITP)'s employment policy is to provide equal opportunities to all applicants, including persons with disabilities (PWDs). If an applicant, who is a PWD, possesses the necessary skills and qualities for a job, HKITP is very willing to employ him. To ensure that potential PWDs are aware of job opportunities at HKITP, apart from its normal advertising channels, HKITP has since August 2005 developed a process to disseminate recruitment information to PWDs. It passes a monthly update on all job openings to the Social Welfare Department (SWD), Labour Department (LD) and Hong Kong Council of Social Services. HKITP has undertaken to review every application referred by these channels.

In addition, HKITP has arranged site visits for representatives from SWD and LD to introduce the operation of the theme park to them so that the two departments can better explain the job opportunities offered by HKITP to their clients. Representatives of the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, SWD and LD have met with the Hong Kong Disneyland to introduce to them the employability of PWDs and the support services provided by government departments for the employment of PWDs, e.g., job matching and referral services and how to make use of the services and products of non-governmental rehabilitation organisations. This two-way communication will continue.

Since August 2005 over 100 PWDs have expressed interest to HKITP in employment opportunities at Hong Kong Disneyland. Currently, 25 PWDs are working full-time in various positions across different lines of business in the theme park, including cleaning, hotels, food and beverage, and clerical and administration support. They joined the company at different points in time since park opening. In addition, HKITP has contracted out short-term projects to rehabilitation organisations through the Marketing Consultancy Office (Rehabilitation) under SWD. This has provided job opportunities to PWDs. Between August and December 2005, a total of 66 employment opportunities for PWDs have been provided through this channel.

It is the Government's policy to assist PWDs to develop their personal capabilities for securing jobs in the open market, so as to enable them to become self-reliant and integrate fully into society. The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, SWD and LD encourage and help employers to employ PWDs. The Government has also launched a series of measures to encourage and assist employers in the public and private sectors to employ PWDs. For example, SWD and LD have provided funding to non-governmental organisations to provide employment-related training to PWDs. LD itself will also provide training of similar nature to some of its clients, e.g. job interview skills.

The Government will not require a particular employer to set up a specific employment indicator for the employment of PWDs. Hon Lee Cheuk-yan asked a question on employment of PWDs by the Government on 4 May 2005. The Secretary for the Civil Service’s reply stated our long-standing policy: "The Government, and indeed the whole community, should help PWDs to find jobs on the basis of their abilities rather than disabilities. Under a compulsory employment quota system, PWDs will be perceived as a liability, making them difficult to be accepted by their peers at work. A mandatory employment quota system is therefore unlikely to be effective in achieving the desired results." On the same occasion, the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food also said, "A majority of the countries which used to implement the quota system, the United Kingdom, for example, have already given up the system since 1995 as it was not reckoned as a good measure. A lot of European countries deem that combating discrimination is the most important task presently. ....From the point of view of PWDs generally, especially those PWDs having a job at the present moment, they think that they have to be treated equally with other staff at work. They should enjoy no special status, nor should they enjoy any status simply because of compliance with certain legislation."

We believe that the prevailing policy and arrangements, which place emphasis on vocational rehabilitation, promotion and practical assistance, are appropriate for the objective of promoting employment opportunities for PWDs.

Celebrate the Magic of Chinese New Year at Hong Kong Disneyland
Corporate Press Release

(HONG KONG, January 9, 2006) - Thundering drum beats, swirling dragon dancers, striking red and gold Chinese outfits and blossoming flowers will all herald the start of a magical Chinese New Year celebration at Hong Kong Disneyland.

From January 29 to February 12, 2006, a series of special activities will take place throughout Hong Kong Disneyland to welcome the start of the Year of the Dog.

Every day, the park will come alive to the sound of drum rolls, cymbals and gongs and a wave of bright color as dragons, lions, dancers and musicians dance their way around a specially designed stage in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Special guests will be chosen to bring the three lions to life in an eye dotting ceremony on stage. As the live percussion grows louder the lions and dragons will perform a lively dance to welcome the start of Chinese New Year, before being joined on stage by Disney friends Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto and Chip and Dale all looking elegant in their new Chinese outfits.

The Disney friends will offer their Chinese New Year greetings to an excited crowd before welcoming one lucky family to receive a special gift. As popular Disney tunes sound through the air, streamers will cascade from the top of Sleeping Beauty Castle onto the crowd below for a vividly colorful finish to the ceremony.

A visit to Hong Kong Disneyland at Chinese New Year would not be complete without a special photo with beloved Disney friends, who will be dressed up in their specially tailored Chinese outfits just in time to create memorable photos for every guest.

Adding to the Chinese New Year atmosphere, blossoming plants will welcome guests as they enter the park and stroll along Main Street USA. In Town Square, a delicate plum blossom tree will flower throughout the first 15 days of Chinese New Year.

The lampposts on the entranceway to the park will feature brightly hued fai chun (red couplets) wishing guests a happy Chinese New Year while over the archway leading into Main Street USA a large greeting decorated with sprigs of plum blossoms will welcome the arrival of spring and good fortune into Hong Kong Disneyland.

Long strings of red firecrackers will dangle from the stately columns of the buildings along Main Street USA, while the windows overlooking the main thoroughfare will be beautifully ornamented with paper cutting designs in the shape of flowers and leaves.

Inside the many stores at Hong Kong Disneyland there will be plenty of special Chinese New Year-inspired gifts available for family and friends.

Guests will be able to choose from Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Pluto stuffed toys wearing traditional Chinese outfits and decorative wall hangings featuring a range of Disney friends with Chinese New Year greetings, which are sure to add a festive sparkle to every home.

Children will delight in wearing the Disney-inspired Chinese outfits over the Chinese New Year holiday. For little boys there is a royal blue satin jacquard outfit woven with Mickey Mouse and small red firecrackers, while little girls will love wearing a red long-sleeved Chinese-style satin, jacquard jacket and matching skirt embellished with the smiling face of Winnie the Pooh and gossamer white dragonflies.

Wafting through the air of Hong Kong Disneyland will be the scent of delicious treats as chefs whip up tantalizing traditional menus to bring guests together during this very special holiday.

Outdoor vendors will be dotted throughout Main Street USA selling an assortment of Chinese New Year snacks including savory turnip cake, corn in sweet honey butter sauce and deep fried fish skin chips.

At the nearby Market House Bakery, guests can select from Mickey-shaped mango pudding, Fortune Fish crispy rice cakes and a delicious selection of take home goodies including Mickey's Chinese New Year cookies all tied up in a golden gift bag.

Traditional Chinese meals for lunch and dinner can be enjoyed at restaurants throughout the park, including Riverview Cafe in Adventureland, Plaza Inn on Main Street USA and the Royal Banquet Hall in Fantasyland from January 27 to February 12.

For guests who extend their Hong Kong Disneyland experience and choose to stay in one of the two hotels, the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney's Hollywood Hotel, the magic never ends. Special set menus, decorations, balloon crackers and dragon dances will ensure an immersive experience like never before. And, to commemorate the start of the Year of the Dog, every night children will be told a different tale about a famous Disney dog.

Whether guests choose to celebrate in small or large groups, Hong Kong Disneyland is the place to gather for a truly magical start to the Chinese New Year.

Disneyland may change ticket system after protests
Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Saturday, February 04, 2006

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Hong Kong Disneyland is considering changing its ticketing system following three days of chaos outside the park sparked by ticket holders being turned away because the park was full.

A Disney spokeswoman said Friday that the company has learned from the unruly behavior over the Lunar New Year, and will consider making changes to ticket arrangements for peak holidays.

Some mainland visitors queued outside the Magic Kingdom from 5.30am hoping to get in Friday after hundreds of ticket holders were locked out Wednesday and Thursday, and then tried to storm the gates.

All visitors Friday were allowed inside even though Disney said the park was full.

One of the main criticisms of the park has been that, unlike for the first few days of the Lunar New year, Wednesday and Thursday were not deemed special days, which would have required tickets valid only for that day.

The debacle over the holiday period has drawn strong condemnation.

Legislator Fred Li said: "Disney keeps making mistakes, so I think we should send non-government and non- Disney people to sit on the board of directors to represent the Hong Kong people and monitor its management. It's time for the government to review [the situation]."

Li also quoted Financial Secretary Henry Tang as saying he is unhappy about the problems at Disney, and agreed that it has ruined Hong Kong's image. The park is 57 percent owned by the city and the rest by the US entertainment giant.

Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Sandra Lee said: "The government has already ordered [Disney] to solve the problems as soon as possible."

Friday, visitors complained of long queues for rides and for facilities such as washrooms. Mr Tan, a home decoration company owner who came with eight friends and relatives from Guangdong, said the theme park had left a bad impression. "There are too many people and the park is too small," he said. "We didn't enjoy our time here, so we just left at 10am."

Michael Wu, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents, anticipated the theme park would return to normal Saturday, as the holiday peak would be over.

Thousands queue at Hong Kong Disneyland after chaos

HONG KONG, Feb 3, 2006 (AFP) - Thousands of people queued outside Hong Kong Disneyland before dawn on Friday, hoping to get in after two days of angry scenes between park staff and ticket-holders who were denied entry.

The park apologised for the chaos, which saw crowds try to storm through the gates on Thursday after guards said Disneyland had been sold out even though hundreds of visitors, many from mainland China, had purchased valid tickets.

Scores of people scaled the fences to get to the rides after the gates were locked, and some disappointed customers scuffled with security personnel at the site. Many ticket-holders were also locked out on Wednesday.

"We are very sorry some of our guests have not been able to visit Hong Kong Disneyland over the past few days, and fully understand their disappointment," managing director Bill Ernest said in a statement.

"But to ensure guest safety and preserve the unique guest experience, we have had to limit guest entry at certain times," he said.

Disneyland recently introduced "flexible" tickets which customers can use on any one day during a six-month period but which do not guarantee entry if the complex, which is majority-owned by the Hong Kong government, is full.

"Disney's decision to refuse holders entry was a breach of contract," said Hong Kong lawmaker Ronny Tong.

The park's reported daily capacity is 30,000, and tickets cost 300 Hong Kong (38 US) dollars.

Hong Kong television showed thousands of people waiting outside on Friday morning, with the first arriving at 5:30 am (2230 GMT Thursday) to ensure they were allowed in. The company said it would stay open later than usual.

It also said demand was higher than expected due to a large number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting during the Lunar New Year holiday week.

The park has suffered several public relations setbacks since opening in September.

A row over plans to serve shark's fin soup prompted an international outcry from conservationists. The plan was dropped.

The park also ran into trouble with labour leaders after staff complained of being overworked and underpaid.

Hong Kong Disneyland to adjust ticketing system after crowds tried to storm park
4 February 2006

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong Disneyland will adjust its admission system after hundreds of ticket holders from mainland China were turned away and tried to storm the park, a Disney executive said Saturday.

The problem stemmed from a system in which most tickets sold are valid for six months, but do not guarantee entry on any given day. Hundreds of Chinese New Year holiday-makers who held such tickets, many from the mainland or Taiwan, were barred from the park Wednesday and Thursday because it was already full.

Television footage showed crowds rebuffed trying to push through the entrance gate, while others clambered over the iron fence.

Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest said the park will not scrap flexible-time tickets, which the tourism industry had demanded.

But the park may set aside peak days for date-specific ticket holders only, Ernest told a news conference.

Turned-away holders of flexible tickets can ask for refunds, he said.

"I personally apologize to the people of Hong Kong, as well as the people of mainland China, for the experience," Ernest said. "We are still learning in this market. This our very first Chinese New Year, frankly."

Ernest said visitor numbers during the holidays have been "unprecedented," but declined to provide an attendance figure.

Hong Kong Disneyland, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, opened in September to lukewarm demand. Officials have said the lower-than-expected initial attendance was because many tourists believed that the park would be too crowded in the first few months.

Ernest said keeping crowding under control in the park is important for public safety.

South China Morning Post
February 5, 2006
Disney chief chokes on his words, but gets out an apology
May Chan

The head of Hong Kong Disneyland yesterday made an emotional public apology over the ticketing chaos during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Bill Ernest, executive vice-president and managing director of the Lantau theme park, also conceded the entertainment giant needed to improve its understanding of Chinese culture.

He had to pause between sentences as he choked back his words during a press conference.

"We regret that anyone may have been inconvenienced. No one is more disappointed than we are. As a father, I understand how frustrating it is to disappoint your children," he said, his voice tailing off as he spoke.

Mr Ernest, who has been in the top job for less than a month after the surprise departure of Don Robinson, then bowed his head and remained silent before continuing: "But our first priority is to protect our guests."

A Disney spokeswoman later said Mr Ernest had become emotional because he was thinking about his daughter, who had just celebrated her birthday.

The park drew fire from government officials, travel agents and the Consumer Council after hundreds of ticket holders were turned away on Wednesday and Thursday because the park was full.

Critics say a dual system of flexible tickets, which allow one visit within a six-month period, and date-specific tickets was at the heart of the problem. Date-specific tickets are issued for special event days and holidays, but those issued before the introduction of the flexible-ticket system on January 3 do not guarantee entry.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were deemed "regular" days, even though the Lunar New Year holiday on the mainland runs for a week. Many of those turned back were mainland tourists.

Mr Ernest said the park had no plans to scrap the flexible ticket system but would look at adjusting it.

When asked if Disney needed to better understand Chinese culture, he replied: "That's a good question [and] we're still learning."

Hundreds of visitors queued outside the park before it opened at 8.15am yesterday, but the chaotic scenes of last week were not repeated. Disney refused to release figures on park admissions or the number of tickets sold during the Lunar New Year.

Consumer Council chief executive Pamela Chan Wong Shui said the park could be in breach of contract by denying entrance to ticket holders. She urged the park to meet the council to discuss refunds and compensation.

Mandy Tam Heung-man, of the Legislative Council's economic services panel, said the apology was too late. "And it's ? meaningless because [management] fails to be accountable to the public."

Hong Kong leader says city 'disconsolate' over Disneyland chaos
By HELEN LUK
5 February 2006

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong's leader Donald Tsang said Sunday his city is "disconsolate" over the chaos that erupted when hundreds of mainland Chinese tried to storm Hong Kong Disneyland after they were refused entry despite having tickets.

"We feel disconsolate, but we have learnt a lesson," Tsang said on a radio program.

"I feel sorry for our mainland compatriots who were disappointed by the incident," Tsang said. "I hope there'll be no repeat of what happened."

Hundreds of angry Chinese New Year holiday-makers, mostly from mainland China or Taiwan, tried last week to force their way into the park after they were denied entry because it was full.

They had earlier bought tickets that were valid for six months but did not guarantee entry on a specific day. Some of the rebuffed patrons tried to push through the entrance gate, while others clambered over an iron fence.

Tsang said Sunday the government has expressed its concern to the Walt Disney Co.

At a news conference a day earlier, Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest emotionally apologized to turned-away tourists and promised to adjust the park's admission system.

Ernest said visitor numbers during the Lunar New Year holidays were "unprecedented."

"As a father, I understand how frustrating it is to disappoint your children," he said.

However, he defended the use of the open-date tickets, saying there was a high demand for them.

He said the park may set aside peak days for date-specific ticket holders in the future, and will offer refunds to flexible ticket holders who are turned away.

Hong Kong Disneyland, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, opened in September.

That's not a good news for HK disneyland and its image.

I say when the park is full then the park is full. You can't go crashing into a carpark if a carpark is full! You can't go squashing into an elevator when it's taking the maximum load!

I'm quite ashamed with the immature way of our compatriots acting. That's something to deface our race. Can't they just get civilised?

In America, something being "full" is usually based on local fire codes dictating how many people are allowed in a building or park for safety reason. Is the same true in Hong Kong? Or was this limit set by the park owners themselves?

Full is full, but this is a lesson learnt by Disneyland regarding the way it sells tickets.

If they had built the park bigger, they wouldn't have this problem. Hong Kong Disneyland filled to its capacity of 30,000 guests, with 1000 people denied entry on the Chinese New Year.

Disneyland in California has a capacity of 50,000, and Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld has a capacity of 55,000.

Hong Kong Disneyland, SOOOO SMALL !!!
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If they had built the park bigger, they wouldn't have this problem. Hong Kong Disneyland filled to its capacity of 30,000 guests, with 1000 people denied entry on the Chinese New Year.

Disneyland in California has a capacity of 50,000, and Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld has a capacity of 55,000.

Hong Kong Disneyland, SOOOO SMALL !!!

again, it's only phase 1 of phase 1... meaning not only there's a phase 2 coming, phase 1 isn't complete by itself.

LA/OC has a lotta land to sprawl, but HK doesn't.

again, it's only phase 1 of phase 1... meaning not only there's a phase 2 coming, phase 1 isn't complete by itself.

LA/OC has a lotta land to sprawl, but HK doesn't.

HK does if they do more reclamation and it's gonna be costly!

HK Disneyland has enough land to proceed with the next phases. I don't think there will be any more reclamation.

Only reclamation for the next park right?

They filled much more land than what the current Disney park occupies. There is a lot of room for expansion, and I say expansion is needed badly to quell local (HK) disappointment with the size of the park.

^^i thought Phase II has begun s.?? :)

Hong Kong Disneyland gets lost in translation
Theme park hits snags in its effort to tap China market
By Geoffrey A. Fowler in Hong Kong and Merissa Marr in Los Angeles
9 February 2006
The Wall Street Journal Asia

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD Chinese tourist Li Zeng wandered Hong Kong Disneyland yesterday -- and left after two hours. Mr. Li isn't that familiar with Mickey Mouse and his companions, and he and his father didn't ride any rides, buy souvenirs or eat food. "We don't understand this park," said Mr. Li, waiting for his tour bus. "We gave up looking at the map."

Five months after Walt Disney Co. opened its Hong Kong theme park in a bid to tap the booming China market, the cultural divide that separates Mickey and Mr. Li is emerging as a major challenge. It is one that the company is now trying hard to bridge, though with mixed results.

The need to adapt was on full display here last week. After Disney underestimated the number of people who would visit during mainland China's week-long Lunar New Year holiday, vacationing crowds poured in, filling the park to its maximum capacity. Disney officials ordered the gates shut, and hundreds of angry Disneyland guests from China who held valid tickets found themselves unable to enter. Some engaged in shouting matches with park staff and at least one excluded family tried to pass a child over the park's wrought-iron fence.

Before last week, Disney's bigger problem wasn't too many visitors, but too few. It drew public rebuke over low attendance from local politicians, who questioned the wisdom of the Hong Kong government's 57% stake in the park. Local retailers said they didn't get the sales boost they were expecting from the new tourists Disneyland had promised to draw.

While Disney maintains that the park is overwhelmingly popular with most visitors, some travel agencies report confusion. "Many customers complain they do not know how to enjoy Disneyland," says Chen Mei, the international tours manager of the Ju Cheng agency, which brings groups to the park from the city of Zhongshan in southern China.

Some tourists show up at the park only to wander aimlessly around Main Street U.S.A., snap a few photos with Marie the Cat -- a character from the 1970s film "The Aristocats" -- and then leave. Marie is familiar to some from the movie's repeat showings in southern China, and also happens to look like another Asian favorite, Hello Kitty. However, Disney officials say their research indicates that in Asia, "the mouse beats the cat."

Disney trumpeted attempts to accommodate Chinese culture, some of which later drew fire. Conservationists attacked the company for planning to serve environmentally unfriendly shark's fin soup at banquets, and Disney later decided to forgo the practice. Efforts to woo local celebrities backfired when some complained of mistreatment by American Disney executives. Disney designed the park for Chinese tourists, who the company said preferred photo opportunities over roller coasters, yet many visitors now criticize the park for being too small.

The company is "still learning" about Chinese culture, said the park's managing director Bill Ernest on Saturday during an emotional public apology for last week's ticket fiasco. Said Jay Rasulo, the head of Disney's theme park division: "Part of the way we make people happy is that we listen, learn and adjust as necessary."

These lessons are crucial for Disney as Chief Executive Robert Iger holds what he calls "ongoing negotiations" to open a third Asian park in Shanghai and seeks to build the company's consumer products, movie and television business in China.

To help confused visitors like Mr. Li, since November Disney has started producing special "one-day trip guides" in Chinese, beyond the basic maps, to explain in clear terms exactly why to do -- and what to do inside -- Disneyland. "You can get together with family to relax and improve communication and relationships with the people you love," reads the guide. Disney hands out the fliers inside the park, and at other Hong Kong tourist attractions.

Mr. Rasulo says the guest experiences at the park are "some of the best in the world," with more than 90% of guests Disney interviewed last week saying they had a positive experience.

Making sure the Chinese travel industry is satisfied, too, remains a cultural challenge. When the Ju Cheng agency publicly threatened to sue over last week's ticket problem, Disney offered a conciliatory tone -- and refunds for people who couldn't come back on another day.

Even before last week's incident, Disney was changing the way it does business at the park. Disney has given VIP treatment to a new group of Chinese celebrities at its park to help woo fans. It cut the cost of tickets for local residents during a low period for tourists, and added a local promotion, snow, to Hong Kong's subtropical climate. Disney also now produces marketing that includes the testimonials of people who have visited the park, instead of slick studio shots.

Perhaps most significantly, Hong Kong Disneyland is changing the way it works with Chinese travel agents, some of whom have been reluctant to sell tickets. Zhang Jian, communications director of Jiangsu Overseas Travel Agency, complains that selling Disneyland tickets doesn't earn her company any money, "and when there are problems, we have to eat the cost and other troubles."

Most mainland Chinese still take vacations through package tours, and they currently make up about 50% of the Chinese visitors to the park. The guides who direct these tours frequently select hotels, restaurants, shopping stops and even tour destinations based on where they share in the profits. Because of lucrative deals with tour operators, one Hong Kong transvestite cabaret brags that its five-times-a-day $20 show draws more Chinese tourists on a regular basis than Disneyland.

Mr. Ernest says Disney, which doesn't have much experience with those sorts of financial arrangements, now realizes changing something as simple as how it offers dinners can make a big difference to the local travel industry. Currently, Hong Kong Disneyland doesn't offer tour packages for visitors from China that include pre-arranged dinners, standard fare for China. Without group dinner deals and considerable commissions, Disney wasn't offering guides much financial incentive to funnel tourists into the park. "We just weren't competitive," Mr. Ernest says, compared to the commissions and deals offered the industry at other attractions in Hong Kong.

Now Mr. Ernest says he is considering starting a "dining with Disney" program. That would be a good way, he says, to entertain guests after the nightly fireworks. Special group breakfasts with Disney characters are another option, he says.

To build relationships, Disney is also giving Chinese travel agents a 50% personal discount if they come visit its park and hotels. Disney also beefed up incentives for tour operators to build a Disneyland visit into packages by increasing the margin it offered them to about US$2.50 per adult ticket. It also changed its sales packages to include open-ended instead of just fixed-date tickets so that operators wouldn't have to eat the cost of returned tickets. It was that ticketing system combined with unexpected crowds, says Disney's Mr. Ernest, which created the problems last week.

Disney declines to release specific attendance figures. When Hong Kong legislators demanded some public accountability in late November, two months after the park's mid-September opening, Disney said that it had hosted more than one million guests. While that on average looked set to put the park behind its 5.6 million forecast for the opening year, Mr. Rasulo says the park still expects to reach that level.

With these changes, Disney officials say overall attendance is "ramping up," particularly among mainland Chinese tourists, whose attendance during the Lunar New Year period more than doubled compared to another week-long Chinese holiday in October.

Understanding the peaks and troughs of attendance is another thing Disney concedes it has yet to master. On last week's overload, Mr. Rasulo noted that Disney had a similar experience with the EuroDisney park based in Paris: after the first summer, the park was inundated in September with locals who had been putting off their trips to avoid the early wave of tourists.

Juying Qin in Hong Kong contributed to this article.

Disney will do better, says Tang
Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, February 10, 2006

Financial Secretary Henry Tang said Thursday he is confident the Disneyland management will improve operational arrangements to avoid a repetition of the chaos that occurred during the Lunar New Year when hundreds of ticket holders were denied entry.

Tang made the comments after a four-hour meeting with the theme park's management at Central Government Offices. He said the government had expressed concern over the incident and the effect it would have on the tourism industry.

"Disney promised to learn from that incident and said it will adopt measures to improve admission arrangements during holidays and to communicate with the local and mainland travel industries," Tang said.

Disney managing director Bill Ernest said both sides had agreed to hold regular meetings since Hong Kong Disneyland was a joint project between Disney and the government.

"We talked specifically about the peak seasons, such as Christmas and Chinese New Year, and we talked about the ongoing success of Hong Kong Disneyland. We had a great meeting," Ernest said.

Meanwhile, Disney's public relations and sales team held a separate meeting with the travel industry in a bid to seek solutions to problems.

Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents chairman Michael Wu said Disney had promised to set up a hotline for travel agencies with regard to park admission arrangements.

"There's also to be a notification mechanism as well as arrangements enabling us to book in advance specific dates for our tours," Wu said.

Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association chairman Paul Leung confirmed the discussions but did not elaborate.

However, he said those who had pre- booked tickets and had not been able to enter the theme park could ask travel agencies for refunds.

Disney's Mobbed Kingdom
Besieged by would-be patrons, Hong Kong Disneyland had to turn many away. A PR debacle, it also has execs eyeing a second park in Shanghai
Bruce Einhorn
6 February 2006
BusinessWeek Online

The folks at Hong Kong Disneyland can't seem to catch a break. For months, the problem was that there were too few visitors at the new theme park, Disney's (DIS) first in Asia outside of Japan. Now there are too many. With China on a week-long holiday to celebrate Chinese New Year, tens of thousands of visitors from mainland China have descended on Hong Kong for a "Golden Week" of eating, shopping, and getting their picture taken with Mickey, Goofy, and the rest of the Disney gang.

The Hong Kong park, which opened in September, measures just 100 acres, making it Disney's smallest. But local officials -- the park is joint venture between the Hong Kong government and Disney -- hope that it will eventually grow to rival that of the original Magic Kingdom in Anaheim, Calif.

SELF-INFLICTED TROUBLES. To keep crowds from spilling out of Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland, and Main Street USA, Disneyland officials have set a maximum capacity of 30,000 visitors for the Hong Kong park. Until recently, that wasn't much of a problem. But during the Chinese New Year "Golden Week," the park has maxed out after just a few hours.

That's turned into a public relations disaster for Disney, as furious tourists denounce the Mouse. The top official of the park tried to control the damage on Saturday. "Unfortunately, because of the high demand, we were not able to accommodate everyone who came to the park," Bill Ernest, executive vice president and managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland, told a news conference. "No one is more disappointed about this than we are. And we apologize to those who have been inconvenienced."

It's partly a problem of Disney's own making. In early January, the Hong Kong park introduced a new ticketing system that gives a ticket holder the opportunity to visit for one day within a six-month period rather than on a specific day.

This move away from date-stamping tickets was in response to concerns from local travel agents and others that selling tickets that were limited to a set day wasn't flexible enough for Chinese tourists. Since admission is on a first-come, first-serve basis, if the park fills up quickly, many people who purchased their tickets in advance find themselves stuck outside with tearful children and nowhere to go.

OVER THE TOP. On Feb. 2, some irate ticketholders took matters into their own hands, scaling the fence surrounding the park. Newspapers quoted angry visitors denouncing Disney and Hong Kong. With visitors from China playing such an important role in Hong Kong's tourist and retail industry, the Hong Kong government has been quick to try to show the mainlanders that it cares about their gripes.

Following the fence-scaling on Thursday, the Hong Kong government issued a statement calling for Disneyland executives to do a better job. "We are concerned that this advance sales arrangement has caused a lot of inconvenience to guests who could not enter," read the statement. "We consider that there are areas for improvement such as the ticketing and guest-entry arrangements. We have reflected these concerns to the senior management of the theme park and requested them to make improvements."

The good news for Disney: people want to get in, which is a nice change from a few months ago. The park got off to an inauspicious start in late summer, when Hong Kong was in the grips of a heat-and-smog wave that made visibility poor and locals grumpy [see BW Online, 9/13/05, "Disney's Not-Do-Magic Kingdom"].

HITTING ITS NUMBERS. The launch was accompanied by some major public-relations problems, involving everything from serious overcrowding during the pre-launch test runs to the alleged mistreatment of stray dogs captured at the site. "It was a mess," says Allan Zeman, chairman of Ocean Park, the other government-owned theme park in Hong Kong. Adds Zeman: Many of the problems "were things that somebody who did their homework should have realized and understood."

Disneyland hasn't released attendance numbers, but Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, says that the park is on course to hit its first-year target of 5.6 million visitors. In early January, there was a shakeup of top management, with managing director Don Robinson leaving the company. He was replaced by Bill Ernest, a Disney veteran who had served, among other positions, as vice-president of resort operations at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

While the Hong Kong part is certainly smaller than what visitors familiar with other Disney parks might expect, Rasulo says the plan is to eventually double its capacity. And, he adds, Disney is still talking with the Chinese government about opening a second Chinese Disney park. Despite a recent report in the South China Morning Post that the Beijing government was interested in hosting a Disney park, Rasulo says that Disney is eyeing another metropolis. "Shanghai is one of the most appealing places to us," he says.

"MIDCOURSE CORRECTIONS." A Shanghai park would still be many years off, though. The focus right now is on making Disney's Hong Kong offering work. The park will be adding several new attractions this year, including the Autopia car-driving ride in Tomorrowland. Rasulo also stresses that Disney is working more closely with travel agents specializing in arranging visits from mainland Chinese. "We've shifted a little," he says, "but these are not out-of-the-ordinary midcourse corrections."

If the crowds this week are any indication, the Chinese certainly seem to be interested in hanging out with Mickey and friends. Still, as the Golden Week problems demonstrate all too well, Disney has some work to do in order to make sure its first foray into China is a success.

Disneyland Photo Thread
http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051010/IMG_0198.jpg (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=316671)

By "GeForce3" from a Hong Kong photography forum :

#1
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5200.jpg

#2
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5201.jpg

#3
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5202.jpg

#4
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5203.jpg

#5
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5204.jpg

#6
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5205.jpg

#7
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5206.jpg

#8
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5207.jpg

#9
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5211.jpg

#10
http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/apollo/disney/IMG_5217.jpg

Disneyland additions raise mixed reactions
Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Hong Kong Disneyland has aroused mixed reactions from the travel industry after announcing it will expand to include three new attractions by the summer.

Speaking at the Legislative Council economic services panel meeting, the park's managing director, Bill Ernest, said Monday that Disneyland, built largely with public funds, will use its own operational revenue to pay for the new attractions.

This was the first time the park officially announced it will go ahead with the interactive show Stitch's Encounter, and UFO Cool Zone, a water-themed play area the park began building last December, according to a filing with the Buildings Department.

Even before opening last September, Disney said it would push ahead with the third attraction, the classic car ride Autopia, but Monday was the first time they put a firm timeline on it.

Predicting the attractions will boost ticket sales for the park by 20 percent this summer, Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents chairman Michael Wu said it will especially appeal to "visitors from overseas and the mainland."

But Inbound Tours Operators Association chairman Charles Ng played down the new attractions since they "are mostly just for kids."

Also at the panel meeting, Tourism Commissioner Eva Cheng said Disney and the government are reviewing the existing facilities, which were found to be inadequate for a chaotic few days during the Lunar New Year.

Ernest, who took charge shortly before the holiday anarchy, said during the meeting "we won't have the problem again," predicting the May "golden week" holiday will be successful.

But he would not commit on whether the park will extend the number of special days - when only dated tickets gain entry - during the holiday.

On the fourth and fifth days of the Lunar New Year, the park turned away a large number of visitors who had tickets, because those days were deemed "special," sparking criticism that the park lacked understanding of traditional Chinese culture.

He said to ensure this does not happen again, the park is working with travel trade partners and doing surveys in the mainland to decide how many special days to designate for the coming golden week.

Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip, who with Financial Secretary Henry Tang meets regularly with Disney officials, warned: "if [a similar chaotic episode] happens again, we will deal with it very strictly."

^^ great firework pics!

What doesn't have HK? It's like a little world :tongue3:

Hong Kong Disneyland to adjust admission system to prevent chaos during holidays
By HELEN LUK
1 March 2006

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong Disneyland announced Wednesday it has adjusted its admission system to prevent chaos that erupted during the Chinese New Year holiday when hundreds of visitors tried to storm the park after being denied entry.

The adjustment involves setting aside 11 extra days -- around Easter and China's Labor Day holidays -- when only visitors holding date-specific tickets can enter the park, Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest said during a telephone conference call.

The newly designated "special days" run from April 14-21 and May 4-6. The decision came following consultations with the tickets' wholesalers and travel industry representatives, Disney said.

Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in September, now sells three types of tickets: "regular days," "peak days" and "special days." The first two types are valid for six months but do not guarantee entry on any given day, while only the third type is date-specific tickets for holidays when the greatest number of visitors is expected.

During the Chinese New Year in late January, the Hong Kong Disneyland shut its gates after hundreds of mainland Chinese and Taiwanese ticket-holders tried to force their way in after being turned away as the park was already full. Some clambered over the park's iron gate.

The embarrassing incident prompted a public apology from Ernest, who promised to improve the admission system. Hong Kong's leader Donald Tsang also publicly criticized the company.

On Wednesday, the executive said he believes the new measure will help prevent such incidents from occurring in future.

"We do not want to close the gate again," Ernest said. "That is not an experience we want to repeat."

"We do believe that with these new special date, it really adds a sense of order and a lot more predictability when it comes to numbers of our guests on any particular day," he said.

Earlier this week, Disney said it planned to add three new attractions to the theme park as part of its expansion plan.

The additions are the Autopia electric car ride, Stitch Encounter, an interactive theater show, and UFO Zone, made up of water-squirting robot, rocket ship and flying saucer.

The three attractions, located in the Tomorrowland section of the park, will be open to the public this summer.

Ernest said July and August are already designated as peak months -- when ticket prices are 19 percent higher -- and the company has no immediate plan to set aside "special days" during those months.

Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, which shouldered the bulk of the construction fee.

Hong Kong Disneyland too crowded: Chinese official
8 March 2006

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong Disneyland is too crowded, a senior Chinese tourism official said Wednesday, hinting that another Disney park is necessary to accommodate demand from China's huge population.

The comments by Shao Qiwei, director of China's State Administration of Tourism, came a day after Shanghai's mayor Han Zheng said the city was preparing to build China's second Disney theme park.

"China has a very large population. We now have 1.3 billion people. The market is very large. As far as I know, Hong Kong Disneyland is now very crowded," said Shao, whose comments were broadcast on Hong Kong's Cable TV.

The Hong Kong theme park, which opened in September, was widely criticized in January when it turned away hundreds of Lunar New Year holiday makers from mainland China because the park was full. Chaos erupted when angry crowds tried to force their way into the park.

The embarrassing incident prompted a public apology from Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest and a dressing down from Hong Kong's leader Donald Tsang.

Authorities are carefully studying the issue of overcrowding in preparation for the possible building of the Disney park in Shanghai, Shao said.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that no agreement has been reached on the park in Shanghai, quoting senior vice president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Leslie Goodman.

Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the local government, which shouldered the bulk of the park's construction fees.

HK sees no threat in Shanghai's plan for Disney park
14 March 2006
Xinhua's China Economic Information Service

HONG KONG, March 14 (CEIS) -- Hong Kong tourism's competitiveness will not be threatened by Shanghai's proposal to build a new Disney theme park, Hong Kong economic development chief said on March 14.

There is no worry about Hong Kong Disneyland's attractiveness to tourists, even a new theme park is opened in Shanghai as proposed, said Stephen Ip, secretary for Economic Development and Labor of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The HKSAR government has long heard of Shanghai's plan to builda Disney theme park, though an agreement has yet been reached between the city authorities and Walt Disney Company, Ip told the Legislative Council (LegCo).

On the other hand, Hong Kong Disneyland still has an edge to attract visitors, for it has been in operation for less than one year and would project more new games in the future, said Ip.

Last week, during the annual session of the National People's Congress, Mayor of Shanghai Han Zheng confirmed that the city is making preparations to build a Disney theme park and waiting for the permission from the State Council.

The news has raised Hong Kong media's attention, though Han stressed that the two cities have long benefited and will continueto reap interests from cooperation rather than competition.

Since it opened seven months ago, Hong Kong Disneyland has attracted large number of visitors, many of whom from China's mainland, despite a series of public relations crisis.

During the Chinese New Year holidays in February, the park had to close its gate to hundreds of visitors holding pre-purchased tickets for it reached the maximum accommodation capability soon after opening.

^^

With all the people in China a new park in Shanghai would be a huge benefit. At this point you can't have too much Disney entertainment to go around.

Disney offer criticised for failing to give tourists what they want
21 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Disneyland is offering free photographs, meals and souvenirs to lure more mainland and overseas visitors. It is also offering Hong Kong residents two visits for the price of one.

Tour operators, however, say the theme park has yet to catch up with what tourists really want.

From now until September 30, mainland or overseas guests buying tickets through a travel agent will get a souvenir, a "buy one, get one free" main-course meal, or a free photo on Space Mountain or from "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" feature.

During the low season, from now until June, a special "Double the Magic" offer also entitles Hong Kong residents who buy a one-day ticket to visit the park a second visit free of charge. The second visit should be the same ticket type as the original and must be made by the same person.

The offer is not applicable to "special days", which include April 14 to 21, April 30 and May 1 to 6.

Senior vice-president of marketing Roy Tan Hardy said the special offers were based on tourists' needs. But Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association chairman Paul Leung Yiu-lam said the new arrangements were not very attractive to travel agents or visitors to Hong Kong.

"I don't think more people will go there just to get a free photo or a free meal," Mr Leung said. "Also, in most of the mainland cities, Ocean Park is still the icon of Hong Kong.

"Disneyland should work closely with travel agents on how to make the park a valuable part of the travelling experience in Hong Kong. People don't come to Hong Kong just because of Disneyland.

"Travel agents are not employees of Disneyland, and we have no responsibility to promote the park unless it can benefit the industry as a whole."

Legislator Fred Li Wah-ming welcomed the new incentives, but said the park should give more special offers to the disadvantaged.

"It makes sense to me to let more local people enjoy the park during low season," Mr Li said. "I wish the park would consider offering free or cheap tickets to low-income families, disabled people and senior citizens as well, because Hong Kong people have all invested in the park."

Disney a poor communicator: survey
Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Local residents generally still strongly support Hong Kong Disneyland, but most believe the company could communicate better with the public, a tourism academic said.

And while most Hong Kongers recognize the theme park's contribution to the economy and tourism industry, many are still concerned about the fairness of the deal to attract Disney to Hong Kong, the company's accountability, and the park's impact on the environment, said John Ap, an associate professor at Polytechnic University's School of Tourism and Hotel Management.

A survey conducted by the university last month and released Tuesday found mixed opinions about the park.

Of the 524 respondents, 86 percent expressed "continued and strong support" of Hong Kong Disneyland, with only 5 percent strongly opposed.

This is the highest figure recorded among similar surveys conducted by the university. The same number of people also welcomed the increase in tourists the park has been attracting to Hong Kong.

Nearly two thirds said "the benefits outweigh the costs" - compared with 76 percent who thought so when the last survey was conducted in 2004.

And regarding the administration's HK$13.6 billion deal to provide reclamation and infrastructure to attract Disney to Hong Kong, only 27 percent thought it was fair while 56 percent thought it was not.

Of the theme park's impacts on Hong Kong, respondents were most supportive of benefits such as employment and the economic contribution, but most critical of environmental issues such as noise and air pollution from nightly fireworks displays, and the effect on Chinese pink dolphins. Some 70 percent agreed that "opinions toward Hong Kong Disneyland have become more negative due to problems ... since opening."

Sixty-one percent said media coverage of the park was negative, while 11 percent said it was positive.

However, 46 percent said the coverage was fair while 29 percent believed it was not. But 71 percent claimed media reports had "no influence in shaping their opinions."

The theme park needs to address its governance, respondents said. Only 28 percent agreed that "Hong Kong Disneyland is a socially responsible company" while 47 percent disagreed.

Ninety-three percent agreed that "as a publicly funded project, the management of Hong Kong Disneyland should be accountable to the Hong Kong public," and 95 percent agreed that communication with the public should be improved.

Just under a third of respondents had visited the park, of whom 56 percent were satisfied with the experience while 22 percent were not.

Two thirds believed Disneyland would "complement rather than compete with Ocean Park" and 80 percent said both parks would offer comparable enjoyment.

"The interview opinions are more negative compared with previous survey results," Ap said.

"Knowing how the the community perceives the benefits and costs of a major tourism attraction such as Hong Kong Disneyland is essential to the development, viability and sustainability of this joint venture."

There must be a thread of 'de Efteling' aswell. that's one of the best parks from europe.

Disneyland has failed to make mark, poll finds
6 April 2006
South China Morning Post

Mainlanders and Taiwanese have voted Ocean Park as the top entertainment destination, but Disneyland has not even been shortlisted in the category, a poll has found.

The two-month poll of mainland visitors was conducted in December by marketing company Just Events, along with the Hong Kong Association of China Travel Organisations, the Chamber of Hong Kong Computer Industry and Ho To (HK) Commercial.

Voters came from more than 10 mainland cities and provinces, including Shanghai and Guangdong, and some were from Taiwan.

In the entertainment category, Ocean Park, Lan Kwai Fong and the Jockey Club were rated the top three brands from five shortlisted entries. The two others shortlisted were Star Cruises and activities on Lantau Island including the Big Buddha, a Chinese village and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car project.

A detailed breakdown on the votes in the "PRC Provinces Tourists' My Best Hong Kong Brands" poll was not available.

Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung said mainlanders viewed Disneyland as an icon of American culture instead of a Hong Kong brand.

"It does not mean that mainlanders don't find Disneyland attractive," Mr Tung said. "But it is true that they don't find it as unique as Ocean Park, Lantau Island and Lan Kwai Fong which are products of local culture."

A Disneyland spokeswoman said the park was less than a year old and it was no surprise that mainlanders were more familiar with established brands.

The survey also covered cosmetics retail stores, which were topped by Sasa, Bonjour and Aster. The best three shopping centres were APM Mall in Kwun Tong, Times Square in Causeway Bay and Langham Place in Mongkok.

Disneyland has failed to make mark, poll finds
6 April 2006
South China Morning Post

Mainlanders and Taiwanese have voted Ocean Park as the top entertainment destination, but Disneyland has not even been shortlisted in the category, a poll has found.

The two-month poll of mainland visitors was conducted in December by marketing company Just Events, along with the Hong Kong Association of China Travel Organisations, the Chamber of Hong Kong Computer Industry and Ho To (HK) Commercial.

Voters came from more than 10 mainland cities and provinces, including Shanghai and Guangdong, and some were from Taiwan.

In the entertainment category, Ocean Park, Lan Kwai Fong and the Jockey Club were rated the top three brands from five shortlisted entries. The two others shortlisted were Star Cruises and activities on Lantau Island including the Big Buddha, a Chinese village and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car project.

A detailed breakdown on the votes in the "PRC Provinces Tourists' My Best Hong Kong Brands" poll was not available.

Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung said mainlanders viewed Disneyland as an icon of American culture instead of a Hong Kong brand.

"It does not mean that mainlanders don't find Disneyland attractive," Mr Tung said. "But it is true that they don't find it as unique as Ocean Park, Lantau Island and Lan Kwai Fong which are products of local culture."

A Disneyland spokeswoman said the park was less than a year old and it was no surprise that mainlanders were more familiar with established brands.

The survey also covered cosmetics retail stores, which were topped by Sasa, Bonjour and Aster. The best three shopping centres were APM Mall in Kwun Tong, Times Square in Causeway Bay and Langham Place in Mongkok.

What do you except. One thing, HK Disneyland is small. Also, I think HK DL is attracting more to South East Asians than the mainland especially to Filipinos since they always have competitions where HK Disneyland is the grand prize. Definitely not to Koreans and Japanese.

The problem isn't so much Disneyland's size, but rather some communication gaps between Disney officials and visitors. They have been quite secretive about their attendance numbers and didn't do enough PR right from the start, which has angered a lot of Hong Kongers since the government paid a substantial investment for the park. The ticketing scheme also had problems, and visitors' emotions boiled over when some mainland tourists tried to storm the gates of the sold-out park on the last major holiday break.

Disneyland's image has soured since its opening
5 April 2006
South China Morning Post

The public's impressions of Disneyland have soured since it opened in September, probably because of operational problems, a survey has found.

Disney put on a brave face yesterday, saying people were generally positive but had probably been influenced by widely publicised chaos, such as mainland visitors being denied entry during the Lunar New Year.

Seventy per cent of 524 randomly selected respondents to last month's phone survey by Polytechnic University's school of hotel and tourism management were more negative about the theme park now than before it opened.

The survey, carried out every year since 2000 except last year, found that 63 per cent of respondents thought the park's benefits outweighed its costs, down 13 points from 2004.

While 61 per cent said media coverage had been negative, 71 per cent said they had not been influenced by such reports. On a more positive note, 56 per cent thought the government's $13.6 billion investment in Disney was fair value - the highest rate since the annual study began.

But when asked if Disney was a socially responsible company, 47 per cent said no, and 95 per cent agreed it should improve communication with the public.

Comparing Ocean Park with Disneyland, two-thirds agreed they would complement, rather than compete with, each other. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 per cent.

Survey researcher John Ap, an associate professor at the school, said Disney needed to better cater to the behaviour and habits of mainland tourists.

"What is unpredictable is human behaviour. This is what Disneyland has to sort out - the way the mainland visitors are," he said.

A park spokeswoman said the poll results were probably affected by the "incidents in Lunar New Year", when thousands of frustrated ticket-holders were stranded outside the park because it was full.

"The overall response to the park has been positive," she said. "Disneyland has been talking to a wide range of stakeholders {hellip} We will continue to provide quality entertainment to our guests."

Hong Kong Inbound Travel Association chairman Paul Leung Yiu-lam said most mainland tourists were more concerned with park facilities than bad news coverage. "Tourists have said they wish to see more attractions," he said.

Disney boss eager to add attractions
Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Disneyland managing director Bill Ernest said Tuesday the government should speed up the reclamation work for phase two of the theme park.

However, he agreed that several phase-one attractions have still to come on line, but will soon.

Ernest said concrete plans for phase two have still to be agreed between the two sides and will take some time.

He said that, apart from three "coming soon" attractions, there is room for other shows and exhibits in phase one. "It is not the number of attractions, but their size," Ernest said, adding that designing the various attractions was similar to fitting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Ernest said that, when completed, phase one will be able to handle 10 million guests annually.

He said the most popular attraction is the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad, which runs from Mainstreet USA through Fantasyland.

In order to avoid the chaos that occurred during the Lunar New Year holidays, Ernest said the park will be adding 11 more "special days" for Easter and the May Day holidays, during which sales of tickets will be limited to prevent overcrowding.

During the Easter holidays the park will adopt a "cross utilization" system whereby back office staff will help those at the front line handle the crowd.

Disneyland unfazed by Ocean Park ranking news
Wendy Leung
3 June 2006
Hong Kong Standard

Note : it seems the Forbes ranking does not include a large number of US parks with high attendance, so the rankings are not entirely accurate.

Hong Kong Disneyland has reacted cautiously to news that Ocean Park has been ranked the world's seventh most popular amusement park in a survey by Forbes magazine, urging critics to wait and see before passing judgment on Disneyland.

With its 4.03 million record- breaking year in 2005, Ocean Park ranked the seventh best-attended park in the world.

If Hong Kong Disneyland reaches its first year projected attendance of 5.6 million visitors, it will rank fifth this year.

"We're confident of reaching 5.6 million this year. The next four months this summer, with the school vacations, are critical,'' Disney managing director Bill Ernest said Friday.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said: ``It is difficult to believe they will, but who knows? I hope they do.''

Several Chinese-language newspapers have made comparisons between the two theme parks.

"It's unfair to compare this year,'' said Ernest, noting Hong Kong Disneyland was only open for 3 months in 2005. "After a full-year's operations, the real story will come out.''

It is the first time Ocean Park has been listed in the Forbes ranking, Zeman said, adding the park had not enjoyed good attendances in recent years. "It was a huge surprise when I got the call,'' Zeman said. "I am also happy for Hong Kong, because Forbes is a worldwide magazine, so it's a great honor. It puts Hong Kong on the map.''

Given that Ocean Park is a home- grown theme park, the honor was a tribute to Hong Kong people's innovative spirit, Zeman said. He agreed that Hong Kong Disneyland has the potential to get on the list before long.

"Hong Kong Disney is a new park. It has just opened, so it's too early to tell. Disney parks in the US, Tokyo and Paris are all on the top of the list. It's good news for them too,'' he said.

"I won't predict figures for next year, because it depends on many factors, such as the weather and economy. But we will have many attractions to help us stay in the running.''

An article published in Forbes on Thursday, titled "The World's Most Popular Amusement Parks,'' said Ocean Park's new rides, discounts and other incentives helped pull in summer crowds.

Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida, Tokyo Disney and Disneyland Paris ranked the top three parks this year.

Forbes.com worked with trade publication Amusement Business and consulting firm Economic Research Associates to rank the top 10 international amusement parks by attendance last year.

HK Disneyland tries best to attract mainlanders
29 May 2006
China Daily

Their intentions are crystal clear. Simplified Chinese characters are everywhere, and regional products such as Inner Mongolian milk are on sale at food and beverage stands. Travel agents offer customized promotional packages, and special tickets were issued for the Golden Week peak travel period in May.

Hong Kong Disneyland has been doing everything it can to attract more visitors from the Chinese mainland, says Bill Ernest, vice-president and managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

The scripts written in simplified Chinese characters available at two shows Golden Mickey and the Lion King help mainlanders understand the storylines, Ernest tells China Business Weekly. In the past, all the shows at the theme park were in English, and Chinese-language scripts were simply unavailable, according to Ernest.

Visitors can also opt for familiar Meng Niu dairy products, providing a welcome alternative to other famous beverages such as Coca-Cola. Ernest says Hong Kong Disneyland signed an agreement late last month with domestic milk producer Meng Niu, making it the theme park's official dairy supplier.

The vice-president says Disneyland has been actively seeking co-operative opportunities with other mainland companies.

"It is always nice to have our visitors see brands from their own region."

He says that offering familiar food and beverages is very important, since visitors will immediately feel comfortable in the park.

"Mainland visitors enjoy our food, especially the noodles, dim sum and barbecue."

Mainland visitors like to take a lot of pictures when they travel, so Disneyland has set up five locations throughout Fantasyland where visitors can meet characters and take pictures with them at any time of day.

"We set these locations aside, because we know our Asian guests, especially mainlanders, love to take pictures. This only happens at the park in Hong Kong, but not at other Disneyland parks," Ernest says. "Guests from the Chinese mainland are wonderful. They are curious about what our park looks like and what the attractions are. And they love to take photos."

The park has also launched a special promotion, "Extra Magic", which is exclusively targeted at mainland visitors.

Visitors can choose their own "Extra Magic" when they book a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland through a travel agent. The offer includes a photo on Space Mountain or The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a 2-for-1 meal deal, or a Disney-themed souvenir. The promotion is available until the end of September.

Ernest mentions another promotion, "Double the Magic", that provides Hong Kong citizens with a second free trip to the theme park.

"Our friends from the mainland can't visit Hong Kong as frequently, so we offer them something else."

More and more mainland visitors have been coming to the theme park since it opened six months ago. Ernest says word-of-mouth has been a huge help. "Our visitors always tell their friends about their great experiences here."

Ernest says that between 85 and 90 percent of visitors have provided positive feedback. He adds that Disneyland offers guests a unique experience.

"We spend a lot of time thinking about the storytelling, costume design, the parades, the attractions and the different theme products. We want our visitors to really immerse themselves in the whole experience."

With two Broadway-style shows, unique Disney attractions, a nightly fireworks display, and two spectacular hotels, there's always something for everybody in the family, Ernest tells China Business Weekly.

The park was swamped with visitors during the Chinese New Year in late-January, and it had to shut its gates after hundreds of mainland ticket-holders tried to force their way in after being turned away when the park reached full capacity. But Ernest says they managed to successfully cope with the crowds during the May Day holiday.

The park sold special entry tickets from April 30 to May 6, in order to guarantee that guests come to the park on specific days, he says.

Mainland travellers currently account for one-third of the park's visitors, with another third from Hong Kong. Most other park-goers are from elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a joint venture between Walt Disney Co and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government. It employs 5,000 people.

The SAR government estimates the first phase of the project will bring up to HK$148 billion (US$19.0 billion) to Hong Kong over the next 40 years.

Earlier reports have quoted Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng as having confirmed that the city is preparing to build its own Disney theme park. It is currently waiting for permission from the State Council.

Hong Kong Disneyland declines to comment on the possibility of competition from the mainland's most developed city, however.

Monday, May. 08, 2006
Disney's Hong Kong Headache
The launch of its new theme park got off to a rocky start, but Disney's still got an appetite for the China market
BY MICHAEL SCHUMAN

http://img.timeinc.net/time/asia/magazine/2006/0515/micky.jpg

Disneyland is supposed to be "The Happiest Place on Earth," but Liang Ning isn't too happy. The engineer brought his family to Disney's new theme park in Hong Kong from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou one Saturday in April with high hopes, but by day's end, he was less than spellbound. "I wanted to forget the world and feel like I was in a fairytale," he says. Instead, he complains, "it's just not big enough" and "not very different from the amusement parks we have" in China. His seven-year-old daughter Yaqin disagrees, calling the park "fantastic," but her father grumbles: "If she wants to come again, "I'll send her with somebody else."

Hong Kong's Magic Kingdom has so far been a little short on magic. The $1.8 billion theme park, which opened last September, was touted by Disney executives as its biggest, boldest effort to build its brand in China, a potentially vast new market for its toys, dvds and movies. The Hong Kong government—which aggressively wooed Disney and is the park's majority owner"hoped Disneyland would help secure the city's reputation as one of Asia's top tourist destinations. However, the conservative approach of Disney and its partner has produced a pint-sized park that so far hasn't matched visitors' lofty expectations. Hong Kong Disneyland has a mere 16 attractions—only one a classic Disney thrill ride, Space Mountain—compared to 52 at Disneyland Resort Paris. Meanwhile, management glitches involving everything from ticketing to employee relations have further tarnished the venture's image. In a recent survey conducted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 70% of the local residents polled said they had a more negative opinion of Disneyland since its opening. "Disney knows the theme-park business, but when it comes to understanding the Chinese guest, it's an entirely new ball game," says John Ap, an associate professor at the university's School of Hotel and Tourism Management.

Nonetheless, Disney executives insist the park is on track. Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, says: "I feel great about how Hong Kong Disneyland is doing." Disney's own surveys of park visitors show an 80% satisfaction rate, among the highest of any of the company's parks, says Rasulo: "People feel this is a great experience."

The Burbank, California, headquartered company knows what it is talking about; it welcomed its 2 billionth visitor last week. And it is no stranger to tempestuous beginnings at an international park, at times caused by imposing a very American sensibility on foreign guests. When Disneyland Paris opened in 1992, Disney famously banned wine from park restaurants, much to the dismay of European bons vivants. In Hong Kong, Disney went out of its way to tailor the park to local tastes. Its "imagineers" installed Main Street's first Chinese eatery, along with Fantasy Gardens where Mickey Mouse, local favorite Mulan and other Disney characters reside so tourists can readily snap pictures with them—a priority for many Chinese visitors. Ironically, Disney's most high-profile stumble resulted from being too local. When executives decided to serve shark-fin soup, a Hong Kong favorite, environmentalists howled and Disney ignominiously yanked it from the menu.

Another embarrassment came over the Lunar New Year holiday beginning in January, a popular vacation time in China. Disney neglected to block off the entire week as "special days" for which visitors required specific tickets. Tourists with valid tickets got turned away at the front gates after the park quickly filled up; the jilted travelers screamed at park employees, while TV cameras filmed one family trying to pass a child over the fence. Henry Tang, the city's Financial Secretary, voiced concern that this disarray "might affect the image of Hong Kong's tourism industry." Bill Ernest, Hong Kong Disneyland's managing director, says the company "had no idea" that demand would spike so sharply at that time and adds that Disney has since expanded the number of "special days" to improve crowd control during holidays: "We don't make the same mistake twice."

Disney has also strained its relationship with Chinese travel agencies, which play a crucial role in funneling tourists into the park. Victor Yu Limin, a general manager at China CYTS Outbound Travel Service in Beijing, complains that Disney originally demanded several weeks' notice when the agency wanted to reserve a guaranteed number of rooms"a nearly impossible deadline, he says, as Chinese travelers often don't finalize trips more than a few days in advance. Agents also say they make so little money organizing Disneyland trips that they don't have any incentive to market the park. Disney has tried to improve its ties to travel agents by, for example, boosting the commission they earn on selling tickets and reducing the advance notice needed to secure hotel bookings. "We're listening to everything they have to say and adjusting where we can," says Josh D'Amaro, Hong Kong Disneyland's vice president for sales and travel-trade marketing. But, Yu says, Disney is "still far from understanding the real market in China. They started off doing business the American way, so they have encountered problems."

Some workers assigned to play the parts of supposedly cheery characters like Mickey and Tigger have also complained. In April, the Hong Kong Disneyland Cast Members' Union made public a litany of gripes over poor pay, excessive work hours and, most of all, the sweltering conditions inside their costumes. Disney counters that the complaints are an "inaccurate representation" of the work environment at the park, that staffers have been granted extra rest days beyond those mandated by their contracts, and that their costumes are no different to those worn at its hot park in Florida.

Given the complexity of the Hong Kong operation, such "teething pains" are hardly surprising, says Rasulo. What may be tougher to solve, though, are the yawns the miniature park is generating among tourists. Rasulo says the park wasn't built on a grand scale because the Chinese didn't grow up with Disney and don't know the characters as well as Americans and Europeans do, which acts as a constraint on its potential audience. Ernest calls it a "great introductory park." They also point out that the company plans to keep adding new attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland, including an updated version of Disney's classic Autopia racing game, scheduled to open this summer. The government is reclaiming land on an adjoining site to expand the park further. But James Zoltak, editor of Amusement Business, a trade magazine for the theme-park industry, says Disney isn't moving quickly enough: it needs to "get on a crash course in terms of expansion. The rate of building it up has to be swifter than anything they've done at any of their parks."

While Ernest concedes that attendance is "a little behind" expectations, Disney is sticking to its target of 5.6 million guests in its first year. To hit these numbers, Disney is running aggressive promotions. Last month, the park offered free tickets for 50,000 Hong Kong taxi drivers, says Susan Chan, Hong Kong Disneyland's director of publicity, so they "can experience the Disney magic themselves [and] better share it with their passengers." And even if attendance lags for a while, Disney says the park is already benefiting its other businesses in Asia. Andy Bird, president of Walt Disney International, says there's been "a noticeable lift in our brand and character awareness" in China since the park's opening—for example, sales of Buzz Lightyear merchandise have jumped, in part because the character features in Disneyland's popular Astro Blasters ride. David Miller, an analyst at investment-banking firm Sanders Morris Harris in Los Angeles, agrees: "Hong Kong Disneyland has been a solid success in terms of opening up the brand in China."

Indeed, Disney continues to bet that its long-range investment plans in China will pay off, regardless of the recent headaches in Hong Kong. The firm is still in talks with Chinese officials about opening a mainland theme park, possibly in Shanghai, says Rasulo. "Have we made some mistakes?" he asks. "Absolutely. We are in a brand-new market. We have to keep listening and keep learning." Restoring Tinkerbell's health only requires a round of applause, but Hong Kong Disneyland will need a bit more work.

With reporting by Jeffrey Ressner/Los Angeles and Jodi Xu/Beijing

From TIME Asia Magazine, issue dated May 8, 2006 Vol. 167, No. 18

I really want to go there!

Hong Kong Disneyland Gets Set to Drive to the Future on July 13
Three new family attractions to offer more magic in Tomorrowland
Corporate Press Release

(HONG KONG, July 3, 2006) - Hong Kong Disneyland announced today that guests will soon experience more magic this summer as the Park unveils three new attractions in Tomorrowland - Autopia, Stitch Encounter and UFO Zone.

From July 13, 2006, guests will be able to cruise along the highways of tomorrow in innovative electric cars in Autopia, talk in real time with the mischievous blue alien, Stitch, in an intimate theatre at Stitch Encounter, and cool off from the summer heat with the water spraying and squirting UFO Zone.

A region-wide advertising campaign will provide a taste of the magic in store for guests at Tomorrowland from July 4.

READY TO ROLL: Buzz Lightyear, who makes regular meet-and-greet and photo appearances with guests in Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland, watches closely as cast members (Disney parlance for employees) put the final touches on the convertible scale model cars at Autopia, the newest Tomorrowland attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Buzz Lightyear, who stars in the adjacent attraction, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, is the popular character made famous in "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," both Walt Disney Pictures presentations of Pixar Animation Studios films.

Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland has been expanded this summer with the addition of Autopia, Stitch Encounter and UFO Zone. The three attractions will open to guests July 13, 2006.

STITCH SPOTS HIS NEW HOME AT HONG KONG DISNEYLAND: The tiny and talkative alien known as "Stitch" spots the gleaming spires of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Hong Kong Disneyland on his space cruiser's radar screen.

With the help of young park guests, the animated Stitch sets the coordinates of his spaceship for a "landing" in Tomorrowland as he prepares for the July 13, 2006 Grand Opening of his new attraction, Stitch Encounter.

The blue alien, who debuted in Disney's hit animated comedy "Lilo & Stitch," stars in the new cutting-edge attraction where park guests, seated in an intimate theatre, carry on real-time conversations with the famous animated character.

The jaw-dropping technology allows for Disney fun like never before - Guests visiting the Space Traffic Control Center discover Stitch, aka "Experiment 626," tuned in on the Center's massive video screen. Stitch can talk to guests, play games and interact with them in surprising new ways. Stitch Encounter will be presented daily in three languages - Cantonese, English and Putonghua.

Hong Kong Disneyland is the first and only Disney theme park in the world where guests can experience Stitch Encounter.

SPLASH-TASTIC FUN: An alien oasis in the heart of Tomorrowland, the new UFO Zone (which stands for "Unbelievably Fun Objects") delights Hong Kong Disneyland guests amidst a futuristic spaceport where keeping cool is the number one rule. Water-full good times are always on tap whether guests want to get soaked or just enjoy a little sprinkling to keep cool from the Hong Kong sun.

Bathed in bright colors, UFO Zone is an interactive, alien landscape replete with splash-tastic fun bursting from water pop jets, bubblers, misters, thrusters and quirky squirters. Outer space sound effects combine with water effects to provide even more H2O-hijinks.

UFO Zone is just one part of a Tomorrowland expansion taking place at Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition, guests this summer are able to enjoy new attractions including Autopia, an outer space-themed, automobile driving attraction and Stitch Encounter, an intimate theatre featuring an immersive adventure into the wacky world of the tiny blue alien, Experiment 626, aka Stitch.

Disneyland 'predicts 500,000 shortfall'
31 July 2006
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong Disneyland is forecasting a potential attendance shortfall of about 500,000 in its first-year target of 5.6 million, according to sources close to finance and public relations staff at the theme park.

"Whatever the result of our first year, Hong Kong Disneyland is here for the long term. We are rooted in Hong Kong and we are part of the Hong Kong community now," said a spokesman, who added it was company policy not to disclose or discuss attendance figures.

The projection comes as the theme park gears up for the final two months of its first year of operation with hopes of an attendance boost from tourists and a strong summer showing. Average daily attendance so far this summer was between 13,000 and 14,000, said an operations source, half of the park's capacity of 28,000.

A pass offering unlimited visits during the summer break was launched on July 1 and sales have been higher than expected.

"We have taken into account the local seasonality and travel patterns of each region and are working to adapt our summer marketing and sales strategies to continue to build up attendance," the spokesman said.

Internally, before the theme park opened last September, Hong Kong Disneyland had forecast first-year attendance of 6.4 million, finance sources said. This is a daily average of about 18,000. But 5.6 million is the present forecast.

The launch of three new attractions at Disneyland about two weeks ago does not change its licensed capacity, which is partly based on washroom and toilet facilities.

The government confirmed the park is licensed to handle a maximum of 28,000 people at any one time. But during the Lunar New Year holiday, when the theme park was forced to shut its gates to visitors after quickly selling out, there were crowds of up to 36,000, the sources said.

"As the expansion of the theme park progresses, the handling capacity will also increase," an Economic Development and Labour Bureau spokesman said.

^^ I will say for first year it is better that Paris frist year already and keep in mind it is the smallest park (and "ONLY" 500K short of what?? 5.6M!!), so far so good I will say. Why people need to be so hard on Disney, give it some time.

I was a bit surprised when they said only 500k less than expected. Given the press coverage, I expected a 1/3 discount at least. Perhaps once the final numbers are released, it will show yet again how the media likes to jump on the smallest thing and make it into the next big bomb.

Disney in birthday gift to SAR
Wendy Leung
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Disney is planning to bring its special brand of magic to the city next month as part of the theme park's first anniversary celebrations.

Susan Chan Shou-shan, publicity director of Hong Kong Disneyland, said that instead of only holding programs and events inside the theme park, Disney is considering a series of celebrations, such as carnivals and lucky draws, in some busy spots in the city.

"Victoria Park in Causeway Bay is one of our options," Chan said, noting that it will be a celebration throughout the month, not just one day.

Unlike the grand opening ceremony last year, which dignitaries including Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen attended, Chan said the theme park will not invite political figures for the birthday celebrations.

"These events are aimed at thanking local residents for their support. We are still considering many options and working out the details," Chan said.

Hong Kong Disneyland opened on September 12 last year. The theme park had been expecting 5.6 million visitors to have attended by the time of its first anniversary. However, Disney managing director Bill Ernest said earlier that attendances were lagging behind the projected figures.

Chan said visitor numbers have been increasing by up to 30 percent since this summer started, but there is still a challenge to hit the projection.

An unlimited visitor summer pass introduced last month has helped contribute to the rise, Chan said, noting "the summer pass has been well- received."

Summer pass holders are now able to take advantage of extended operating hours and meet with Disney characters in Fantasyland exclusively, Chan said.

The theme park is considering introducing annual passes ranging in price from HK$375-HK$1,600.

Democratic party lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming does not expect Disney to reach its first year attendance target.

"It really needs to attract more tourists by expanding and adding more attractions as soon as possible," he said.

Hong Kong Disneyland falls short of 5.6 million visitor target in 1st year
By WILLIAM FOREMAN
4 September 2006

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong Disneyland missed its target of 5.6 million visitors in its first year as the park had "teething problems" while trying to attract masses of tourists from mainland China's booming economy, an executive said.

The park has been extremely secretive about its attendance figures since it opened last Sept. 12. There has been wide speculation that it was struggling to meet its conservative attendance goal.

Bill Ernest, the park's managing director, told reporters at a first-year review briefing on Monday that Disneyland would meet its target later in September or in early October.

"We have well exceeded the 5 million figure already," said Ernest, who repeatedly declined to provide an exact figure.

Ernest said the attendance figure included people who visited the park on "familiarization tours" using free or discounted tickets. He said these people made up a small percentage of the overall visitors, but he wouldn't provide a figure.

The executive also wouldn't provide specific information about revenue or net profit. "I think we are on solid financial footing," he said without elaborating.

Hong Kong Disneyland and its two resort hotels are surrounded by mountains on lush Lantau Island, just 30 minutes away by subway from central Hong Kong. The park is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the local government, and local taxpayers paid most of the US$3.5 billion construction cost.

The park marked the U.S. company's biggest push into the Chinese market. The strategy was to lure the growing number of Chinese who can afford to travel to Hong Kong.

Ernest acknowledged that Disneyland has had difficulty trying to figure out the mainland market.

"Like all new ventures, there have been teething problems and adjustments," he said.

He said the park learned that guests demanded more flexibility and choices, especially when it came to tickets. They also wanted more special events, he said, and the park plans to launch new promotions for Halloween, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

Ernest said many of the Chinese tourists didn't understand the park's themes because they didn't grow up with Disney characters and stories. He said Disneyland was preparing a "pre-show" that visitors could watch after they enter the park. The show, between 10 minutes and 15 minutes, would explain "how the stories and characters knit together," he said.

The 5.6 million attendance figure was a conservative estimate because it was made in 2002 when mainland Chinese could only visit Hong Kong in tour groups. The regulation was relaxed in 2003 when the tourists were allowed to come on their own. That change led to a big jump in arrivals from the mainland -- Hong Kong's biggest source of tourists.

Ernest said Monday that the number of Chinese tourists at Disneyland traveling as individuals exceeded those in tour groups.

He said the summer months saw the best attendance, with between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors on any given day in July and August. In recent weeks about 50 percent of the guests were from mainland China, he said.

^^ Long expected...

Tuesday September 12, 2:50 PM
Hong Kong Disneyland Marks Anniversary

AP - Hong Kong Disneyland marked its first anniversary Tuesday, overshadowed by poorer-than-expected visitor figures, bad publicity and chaos at the gates.

Braving heavy rain, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy helped piece together a large puzzle that resembled a birthday cake, surrounded by park workers waving large Mickey-style gloves. Pop star Jacky Cheung, a celebrity spokesman for the park, applauded.

The cake was emblazoned with the words, "Thank you Hong Kong."

The Hong Kong government invested massively in the first Disney theme park on Chinese soil on hopes it would tap the huge China market and transform the territory into a regional family tourism hub.

Hong Kong taxpayers shouldered most of the $3.5 billion construction cost and own a 57 percent stake in the joint venture with The Walt Disney Co.

Hong Kong Disneyland, however, hasn't been an instant success. It missed its first-year target of 5.6 million visitors.

The park's managing director, Bill Ernest, said a week before the anniversary that attendance had exceeded 5 million but won't hit 5.6 million until later in September or in early October.

Adding to worries, that goal was conservative because it was made in 2002, when China only allowed its citizens to visit Hong Kong as part of tour groups. Beijing authorized individual travel to this semiautonomous former British colony in 2003.

In a ticketing miscalculation that became a major publicity debacle, the park had to turn away thousands of Chinese tourists with tickets during the peak Chinese New Year holidays in February. Angry guests tried to storm the park gates, with some climbing over them.

The park has also been dogged by negative publicity. Environmentalists protested shark's fin on the menu, and it was eventually dropped.

Critics accused park management of abusing its jurisdiction by asking health officers to remove identifying parts of their uniform in the park, and complained about the park's secrecy on attendance figures despite Hong Kong's huge public investment in the project.

Ernest called the initial slip-ups "teething problems."

He acknowledged not doing a good job of educating mainland Chinese tourists who haven't been exposed to Disney characters and themes in the past. The park plans to launch a "pre-show" briefing for visitors. It will also launch new promotions during Halloween, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

"They should understand they can't just bank on the Disney brand and not have to do any publicity or promotion. They shouldn't be so complacent," opposition lawmaker Sin Chung-kai said.

"I think they have learned their lesson after this year," he added.

John Ap, professor of hotel and tourism management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said it's too early to deliver the final verdict on Hong Kong Disneyland.

"It's going to take 10, 15 years for us to really say 'yeah, was it worth our while?'" Ap said. "No business is necessarily going to be operationally successful and viable in the first year of operation."

He said the park's record was still outstanding by local standards.

"How many attractions in Hong Kong can get 5 million plus visitors in its first year of operation?" Ap said.

The Hong Kong government has defended its investment, saying it's already seen signs of increased family tourism. Official figures show over 40 percent of overnight visitors to Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2006 brought their children, compared to 20 percent in the same period last year.

The government said in a statement ahead of the anniversary, Hong Kong Disneyland has created jobs and "provided a very good training ground for tourism practitioners."

"The government considers its stake in the Hong Kong International Theme Park Ltd. (Hong Kong Disneyland) as a long-term investment," the statement said.

"We know we've got a lot of work to do, but we're very pleased about the momentum," Ernest said at the anniversary celebration Tuesday.

Disney balks as Hong Kong seeks transparency
Lawmakers want more specific figures
Joshua Fellman
Bloomberg News
13 September 2006

Walt Disney is facing demands from Hong Kong lawmakers to reveal attendance and earnings figures at its theme park in the city, after missing its first-year target of 5.6 million visitors.

The park, in which the Hong Kong government invested $2.2 billion, has had more than 5 million visitors, Disney said last week. Bill Ernest, the group managing director said that the park had missed its target but declined to give exact figures, saying the park is on a "solid financial footing."

The world's biggest theme park operator is struggling to rebuild the image of Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened a year ago with the aim of tapping tourists from China. The park suffered a series of problems, including a mistimed ticket promotion that forced it to turn away thousands of people during Lunar New Year holidays.

"This involves a lot of public money and everyone is concerned the government has made a big mistake," said Emily Lau, a Legislative Council member who belongs to the pro-democracy Frontier group. "I would have thought that Disney is in favor of transparency and accountability, but apparently I've been mistaken."

The Hong Kong government invested $418 million for a 57 percent stake in the park and a further $1.8 billion on landfill, roads, sewers and a rail link. It has not released details of its agreement with Disney, despite the investment of public money.

The government of a former Hong Kong chief executive, Tung Chee- hwa, agreed to the park deal in November 1999, when the economy was recovering from its worst recession on record and unemployment was rising. Donald Tsang, then financial secretary for Hong Kong and now its chief executive, touted the park's economic returns to secure funding.

"The Tung administration wanted to do more to stimulate the economy and was keen to present a success," said Joseph Cheng, who teaches politics at the City University of Hong Kong. "There was also a general perception that we hadn't done much to develop our tourism industry compared with, say, Thailand and Macao."

Disney, which invested $320 million for a 43 percent stake in the park, and receives management and franchise fees, was also subject to negative media coverage and criticism from labor activists and travel agents. Ernest, who came from Disney's cruise line business, replaced Don Robinson in January.

"The management came in right from the U.S. They didn't really understand Hong Kong people's thinking and didn't communicate well with tourist agencies," said Fred Li, a Democratic Party of Hong Kong legislator. "It was a terrible beginning. It really brought disasters."

During the Lunar New Year, a weeklong holiday for mainland Chinese, hundreds of visitors were locked out of the park due to a ticketing mix-up. That resulted in televised scenes of mainland tourists scrambling over gates to enter the park.

Ernest told reporters at a ceremony marking the park's first anniversary on Tuesday that Disney had improved marketing in China and mainlanders made up about half of the about 1 million visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland in the third quarter.

Disney needs to enlarge the park, the company's smallest, lawmakers Li and Lau said. Disney has declined to disclose the size of the site, instead saying that the entire resort, including its two hotels, covers 310 acres, or 125 hectares. The park has added three attractions since it opened, and Ernest said it would announce additions in the next few months.

"Whether we like it or not, we're stuck with it, so we want to make sure it's run properly and it's going to be a success," Lau said.

Hong Kong attendance figures included people using multiple- entry tickets and non-paying guests, like those who visited on trial days before the official opening, Ernest said.

The park has not disclosed regular attendance figures and will not release targets for its second year, he said.

"Disclosure of commercially sensitive information may compromise the company's commercial interest," the park said Tuesday. "We are held accountable to the board to deliver good business performance."

The Hong Kong Tourism Commission said in an e-mail that the park's board would ensure the public interest, and that the park operates on commercial principles.

Hong Kong appoints five members to the park's 11-member board, Disney appoints four directors, and they jointly appoint two independent directors.

Park officials declined to comment on a report in Ming Pao Daily last Friday that it had breached the cash flow conditions for a 15- year, 2.3 billion Hong Kong dollar, or $296 million, loan and had obtained a waiver from the lending banks. Chase Manhattan Bank arranged the loan in 2000.

If they had spent two billion on the actual park instead of the landfill, they would have had a stunning showcase. This magic kingdom has three principal themed areas instead of the usual four, a big reason why it will always feel kind of cramped. There is certainly room to add attractions to Fantasy- and Adventureland, but they have left no space to expand Tomorrowland. Still, its a good thing the Disney imagineers chose to build a small, high quality park instead of a big, low quality one with the limited budget the company gave them. Otherwise HK could have ended up with the kind of banality found at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim or Walt Disney Studios in Paris. To see what Disney can build when money is not an issue, one has only to look at Disneyland Paris or Tokyo Disney Sea...which are as much works of art as much as they are theme parks.

Did the earth quake u guys had affect any of the construction?

Did the earth quake u guys had affect any of the construction?
It was only a 3.5 earthquake, which was very minor and there was no widespread damage.

Any plan for Adventure land expansion.??

it´s nice they are making a disney there before the chinese make their own Pirate version jajajjajajajajaj just kidding.:banana:

it´s nice they are making a disney there before the chinese make their own Pirate version jajajjajajajajaj just kidding.:banana:

!!! !!! !!!

With the addition of more than 30 new attractions, play and entertainment experiences, Hong Kong Disneyland’s total number of rides and attractions will increase by almost 50 percent and top one hundred. When completed, the expansion will increase HKDL’s physical footprint by approximately 23 percent; broaden the park’s appeal by adding more experiences for young adults; and place increased focus on universally-understood stories. Using Guest feedback as a guide, these three new themed areas will create memorable guest experiences, drive strong word of mouth and repeat visitation, and offer many unique only-available-in-Hong-Kong attractions that feature Disney’s immersive storytelling and innovative technology.

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Grizzly Trail
Grizzly Gulch, Frontier Gold-Mining Town

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The path along Grizzly Trail offers high-spirited frontier fun in an abandoned mining town called Grizzly Gulch, set amidst mountains and woods. The town was founded August 8, 1888 – the luckiest day of the luckiest month of the luckiest year – by prospectors looking to discover gold. Bears have now started causing havoc at the Big Grizzly Mountain Mining Company.

Key Technology and Creative Elements
• Guests visiting Grizzly Gulch are part of the action, experiencing hands-on water features, massive geysers and various leaking structures in the abandoned town.
• Life-size Audio-Animatronic® bears set the story in motion on Big Grizzly Mountain Coaster, an adventure aboard a runaway mine train through town. Guests careen backward down an incline that propels them through twists and turns, before a launch sequence “blasts” the mine train out of the mountain.
• A Wild West stagecoach, an old time Jail House, and the world’s largest nugget of gold provide fun photo opportunities.
• Guests can relax with a Wild West refreshment at the old Saloon or shop for mining supplies and souvenirs at the Bear Necessities merchandise stand.

Mystic Point

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Mystic Point is the site of mysterious forces and supernatural events in the heart of a dense, uncharted rain forest.

In Mystic Manor, home to an eccentric world traveler and adventurer and his collection of exotic international artifacts, strange things are afoot as an enchanted music box releases its magical powers, thanks to a mischievous monkey.

Key Technology and Creative Elements
• Inside Mystic Manor, a trackless ride system enables vehicles to move “freely” about the attraction as the story unfolds. Audio-Animatronic® figures and special visual and audio effects help tell the story of mystical phenomena.
• Within Mystic Point lies a beautiful garden full of relics and mythological figures, where guests discover a hidden world of illusions and mysteries that trick the eye.
• Guests can dine at the Adventurer’s Club amid a vast collection of unusual artifacts from around the world or purchase exclusive curiosities and collectibles at the Archive Shop.

Toy Story© Land
Disney·Pixar-themed Play Area for Kids of All Ages

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Andy, the young boy from the Disney·Pixar Toy Story films, has left his toys unattended in this immersive and highly themed environment, based on one of Disney·Pixar’s most popular film series. While Andy is away, the toys come to life and play...and Guests are invited to join!

Key Technology and Creative Elements
• Oversized outdoor rides and photo opportunities allow Guests to experience the different perceptions of scale, and shrink to the size of a toy.
• One attraction includes a shuttle coaster which propels Guests along a U-shaped style track.
• A drop-style parachute attraction lets Guests join a “training mission,” plunging from a 25m tall tower.
• Guests will enjoy fun, immersive and interactive environments with life-size toys.
• A themed food kiosk provides a barrel of fun snacks and refreshments and Guests can shop for Toy Story inspired collectibles at the merchandise location.

Source: Micechat (http://micechat.com/forums/hong-kong-disneyland-resort/118897-hkdl-expansion-concept-art.html)

Looks interesting!!! :banana: