The HKDL Source

 

 

 

News Update & Commentary - Update for April 16 to April 22

 

 

When it rains, it pours. We joked a few weeks back that in order to get things happening in Hong Kong Disneyland, we simply have to run out of ideas for these weekly columns. After giving ourselves a week off for Easter – and all the recovering from the chocolate overdosing we indulged in (not to mention the after-effects of a birthday party your dear columnist attended over that weekend) – we were surprised as anybody to receive a last-minute email from Disney telling us to look to Victoria Harbour for a special announcement the very next day. After whipping the online community into a frenzy, we all hoped that this would be the long-awaited announcement of a new E-ticket ride for Hong Kong Disneyland, one that would finally put them on the map.

 

A few press releases, and a spectacular display of piracy in the waters of Hong Kong, later; it was announced that the Pirates Land we have all be drooling over since the teaser image appeared earlier this year was finally to come to fruition. Well…almost. In fact, Pirates Land was to be the Adventureland overlay that we exclusively revealed a early last month. This ‘new’ announcement merely confirmed the details of this ‘Pirates Takeover’, adding the exact details of the two-month event. There will be Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Boot Camp, which sounds similar to the successful Jedi Training Academy that the US parks have been doing lately. There will be midway games; pirate processions; interactive guest elements; Voodoo drum shows and the appearance of Captain Hook and the crocodile “Tic Toc” from 1953’s Peter Pan. Perhaps the most exciting thing for regular guests and new visitors alike is the Jungle River Cruise, Pirate Takeover, which will feature piratey additions to the existing ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The announcement has garnered a mixed response from the fan community. On the one hand, this was an unprecedented media event for the tiny park. One thing the park has been consistently accused of is not plugging its own assets, and this is just the kind of gimmicky media event that is fun and in the spirit of Disney. Even the language of the press releases reflected a whimsical attitude that would not have been out of place in Walt Disney’s day. However, the negative side of the fan commentary cut straight to the heart of their gripes: when all the hoopla dies down, and June comes to a conclusion, the park goes back to looking pretty much the way it did before this one-off event started. In other words, this seasonal event will no doubt draw in a huge number of people during the promotion, especially riding on the back of the sure-fire blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, but will remain the same single E-ticket park it was when it opened in September 2005. What those fans, and many other commentators (ourselves included), contend is that in order to maintain a sustainable flow of customers over the coming decades, the park must offer and continue to offer unique and crowd-pulling attractions, such as the famous dark ride Pirates of the Caribbean, from which this one-off event derives its name. Perhaps it was said best by our Chief Spy’s Daughter, who to get down to the event and made the following report: “There was lots of loud music and shouting between the pirates and the guys who look like mommy...Then the pirates jumped off the boat and started dancing. There were too many pirates and one came over and growled at me. I was scared. But I growled back and he laughed then went away. Then the pirates walked away and everything was quiet again.” There you have it – out of the mouths of babes: the pirates walked away and everything was quiet again. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

 

Regardless, we are still excited that something is happening as early as next month in the park, and it sure to be a winner of an event. Who knows? Perhaps this is a precursor to something more permanent in the park. One fan commented in one of the many forums we visited this week that some of the Jungle River Cruise overlay could remain to add some additional flair to the already unique ride, and this isn’t such a bad idea. There is also a bit of construction going on behind Adventureland that we are still suspect about, although it could be related to the above promotion in some way. Given that only last week, the Laughing Place asked if “Hong Kong Disneyland's Pirates Project is Dead?” - citing a ‘reliable source’ as saying the project was off the table due to a lack of financial commitment from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (a 57% stakeholder in the Resort) – perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised at the lack of any further development being announced. We still remain cautiously optimistic that another major expansion is just around the corner.

 

Speaking of which, one of the other bits of news from last week that got almost overlooked over Easter were the rumours of a second park still on the table for China. Wing T. Chao, vice-chairman of Asia Pacific Development at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, announced on Easter Sunday that "We are sure to build a second park in China in the long run, but we are now reviewing the market and yet to work out the location and specific construction plans". (Source: Xinhua Online). In a bit of encouraging news for fans, Chao went on to say that the focus was still on “development and expansion” of the Hong Kong theme park, and I think I speak for all of us when I hope there is an emphasis placed on the latter. With Disneylands around the world running the risk of becoming franchises with identical menus, we have all felt that it is better to consolidate and improve upon the existing parks than dilute the brand further and extend too far. Even if that does mean we never see a Disneyland in my home town of Sydney, Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just to end this week’s column on a positive note, another scrap of info that got lost in a literal sea of pirates was Disney’s Hollywood Hotel being named the Best Themed Hotel in China at the 2007 China Hotel Industry Summit Meeting. Commenting at the event, the very busy Wing T. Chao said ““Hong Kong Disneyland strives to strengthen the competitive advantages in discrepancies, blending factors like cultural features, geographic characteristics together as a vivid theme to the hotels’ infrastructures, operations and services…Concept and business model of Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, which wins Best Themed Hotel in China are recognized by the hotel industry. Disney’s Hollywood Hotel and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel will continue show their own uniqueness, not only communicate the Disney history and culture to each guest, but also drive the positive and harmonious development of hotel industry in China.” It is a wonderful Hotel we can all happily recommend, and HKDL Source would like to extend its congratulations to Hong Kong Disneyland and everyone involved at the Hotel – especially those kind Cast Members – who all make it such an authentic and fun experience.

 

While it is in my mind, I’d also like to extend some thanks to the Internet Community, who have supported us since we first launched this site almost a year ago. We had a big week this week, and it took a lot of cooperation to get the word out about this major Pirates Event. In particular, we’d like to extend our thanks to Mousevine, as they were especially helpful in relaying our information to the public and making features of our top stories this week. The great thing about the Disney online community is that there are very few egos, and it is all about information sharing. If you are surfing the net, and if you really can’t get enough of Pirates this week – and it seems nobody can – the Official Site has been updated to include some facts on pirates, details of the overlay and, of course, some games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of the good Disney Internet Citizens of the World, the other thing I wanted to mention again this week is HKDL Source’s support of the Disney Online Community's charity drive, led by MiceAge columnist Kevin Yee, to Give Kids the World. Give Kids the World is a magical resort where kids who face life-threatening illnesses can be kids.

 

To make a donation to this very worthy cause, you can do a number of things. The most obvious is clicking on the banner below and making a donation that way:

 

 

 

Please donate. Every little bit helps.

 

 

Remember, as always, if you have any news, photos, trip reports or just a question, feel free to contact us. Another way you can help out the site is by voting for us on The Disney Portal. They rank all of the Disney sites on the web according to popularity and numbers of hits, and we are slowly making our way up the ranks. If you want to help us move up even higher, please use the link below to vote for us.

 

 

 

Current Closures/Refurbishments

 

• The Disneyland Story (Main Street): Disney wasted no time in taking down the Christmas trappings, but The Disneyland Story is still not as it was originally. The penguin figures and concept sketches from the forthcoming it’s a small world attraction will be temporarily on display in the Opera House.
• Fantasyland: No closures in Fantasyland, but there is constant construction going on ‘beyond the berm’ for the forthcoming it’s a small world attraction (Coming 2008).
• Land appears to be cleared and built upon behind Adventureland and the Promenade for as-yet-undisclosed project. While some contend that this land has always been in this state, we have reports that some construction was seen to be going on in this area. Others still say that this is prep-work for a Downtown Disney style area and the Pirates extension to Adventureland. Time will tell.
• Construction work is being carried out near the main gates, allegedly for some new toilets.

 

Events & Important Dates

 

If you know of any events that should be listed here, please let us know. 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS WEEK IN HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

• 903 Disney Attack (April 21): Radio station CR2 hosts this dance party in a transformed Tomorrowland, with top DJs including Sammy and the I Love You Boyz. Admission is HK$200. Doors at 7:00PM, with fireworks at 8:00PM and the whole thing tucking in for bed at 12:00AM. Tickets are available now.

 

May

• Buddha’s Birthday (May 24): The birthday of this spiritual leader is celebrated as a public holiday in Hong Kong. Another Peak Ticket Day.
• Pirates Overlay (May 4 to June 30): Disney has announced that they will be celebrating the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End in grand style, with pirates taking over Adventureland and the hotels. See here for more details.

 

June

• Tuen Ng Festival (June 19): Also, known as the Dragon Boat Festival. It is a day for patriotic remembrance, eating cakes and dragon boat races. It is yet another Peak Ticket Day.

 

July

• Summer attractions: While no official date has been announced as yet, we expect the Mickey’s WaterWorks parade and the Animation Academy to open sometime in July.
• Hong Kong SAR Anniversary (Confirmed): Disney confirms that they wish to celebrate with a series of events to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Hong Kong returning to China as, well as the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region Government on 1st July 2007.
• First Anniversary of HKDL Source: We turn 1 in July, and you know we aren’t going to let it slide. There will be street parades; fireworks…well, ok, maybe not. The budget won’t cover that. However, stayed tuned for competitions; more member interactivity and a whole makeover for the site!

September

• Hong Kong Disneyland’s Birthday: Hong Kong Disneyland turns two. No official word on any celebrations, but given that the First Anniversary was relatively low-key, we can’t imagine any huge events on the horizon. Don’t quote us though.

Current Discounts/Promotions

• Spring Getaway Package: From 31 January to 30 April 2007, Standard Chartered Visa Cardholders/ MANHATTAN Visa Cardholders can enjoy 1 night stay at our hotels and a breakfast or dinner buffet, starting from just HK$1,380 for 2 persons. The official site has all the details. See also the St. Valentine’s listing in events (above) or press release here.
• Annual Passholders: From April 1 to June 30, 2007, this exclusive benefit allows Annual Pass holders to enjoy a soothing Victorian Indulgence Massage (50 minutes) or a relaxing Victorian Timeless Facial (50 minutes) for just HK$699, up to 35% off the standard price. Additional benefits for Premium Passholders, as well as more benefits for all, can be found here.
• Interest Free Installment when Purchasing Annual Passes: Purchase Annual Pass now with a Standard Chartered VISA Card or MANHATTAN VISA Card to enjoy a 12-month interest free installment. Offer Period: 1 December, 2006 – 31 May, 2007. See here for details. 
• Stay and Play for 2 Days: Book a hotel stay and enjoy an extra day at Hong Kong Disneyland when you purchase a one-day ticket! The offer has been extended until 29 September 2007!
• Dining Deal: Book breakfast in advance and receive 30% off. Conditions apply.

 

Park Hours/Schedule/Annual Pass Block-out Days

 

This week and all of April, park hours will be from 10:00AM to 8:00PM. .

 

 

Value Annual Passholders will have all weekends blocked to them during April. Additionally, April 30 will be a Peak Ticket Day. Deluxe and Premium Annual Passholders get to go crazy, as no dates are blocked to them.

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