The HKDL Source : This Week in Hong Kong Disneyland

Story

This week in Hong Kong Disneyland, it looks like the Resort finally has a little more room to splash about in, with restrictions lifted on their loan conditions, and a government that seems more willing to prop up the park. Plus, we've got an exclusive new trip report from our Chief Spy (and some exclusive new Christmas photos to exclusively go with the exclusive trip report); a small army of squirrels and the countdown we had to have.

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News This Week: Viva La Hong Kong? | Chief Spy Trip Report/Christmas Photos | Top Things

Last week, I complained that it was getting harder to write weekly columns. It seems to be a regular bitch of mine. However, some weeks, the columns just write themselves. This week is a shining example of that. Well, that and the fact that we have a small sweatshop in South-East Asia writing all of our material for us. At any rate, Hong Kong Disneyland has been in the news over the weekend, with reports all over of financial investment; restructuring and possible Disney-infused cash. Add to that the crazy seasonal road to Christmas, and you've got a busy couple of Hong Kong Disneyland fans for the rest of the year. So let's get into it, shall we?

Viva La Hong Kong?

Things might actually be turning around for our favourite little park. After flip-flopping on the whole HKDL proposition for some time - and let's face it, who could blame them when the park has been outwardly underperforming - the Hong Kong SAR government announced last week that it was considering injecting some more cash into Hong Kong Disneyland. For those of you not familiar with the history of the park, the Hong Kong SAR government is a 57% stakeholder in the project, and was instrumental in raising the initial capital for the venture. However, since the opening of the park in 2005, the consistent disappointments with the gate statistics has seen the HKSAR declare more than once that no more taxpayer money would be going into the Resort. This was coupled with taxpayer pressure who felt that the government had already invested too much into a park that simply wasn't meeting targets. However, the statement that the HKSAR would be willing to help boost the park's attraction count is the most comittment we've seen in the last year or so. If that were all, we'd probably just say "That's nice", turn around and go back to our respective dwellings for tea and biscuits. It's not all, though, with more pieces moving into place for the rapid expansion of HKDL.

Disney's investors in the park, to whom the company owes an estimated $US293 million, have agreed to "to remove debt conditions on its...loan for one year to allow it to make further investments in the park". This was announced by Disney's CFO Tom Staggs, as part of an announcement indicating that Disney profit rose on the theme parks generally. Another part of the impetus for change seems to be the HKSAR telling Hong Kong Disneyland to get its act together. Disney CEO Bob Iger has since commented: ""Hong Kong Disneyland has been less successful initially than we'd hoped...However, we continue to believe in the potential of this property and we anticipate additional investment in the park to help drive its success."

This admission of failure on the park of Disney comes shortly after their US billion-dollar re-investment in the similarly maligned Disney's California Adventure (DCA), which is part of Disney's original Anaheim Resort. Many saw this move as an admission of failure, or at least misjudgment, on the part of the global company. So what does this all mean for Hong Kong Disneyland? Long story short, it shows us that a great many people have a lot invested in the park, and there is a feeling that it shouldn't be allowed to go down without swinging. With the HKSAR willing to invest more in the park to see bodies through the gates, and Disney now in a better position to concentrate on Imagineering without having to worry about certain conditions for a year or so, the park may finally be in a position that it should always have been. We expect bigger and better things over the coming years, and while that can be said of any park, I think the events of the last week may be the most positive of all the rumours of the last two years.

Chief Spy - Trip Report, 10 November 2007

Our Chief Spy spotted some of the Christmas decorations already up and around the park, and we can bring them to you here exclusively, along with her shiny new report. We've also launched a brand-new Christmas 2007 Photo Gallery, where we'll be posting all the latest and greatest photos from the park. Remember, if you have some, let us know!

My daughter and I went over to Disney yesterday, and it was quite busy. In reference to the last couple of articles in the SCMP, I don't see fewer people. For the past 6 months, It seems like more to me, but then I guess October is past the year, and maybe I've just chosen the wrong days and times to go.

The Festival of the Lion King at 4:30 was a full house, and as usual, it broke down. This time Poor Simba was stuck. Show stopped and started again. Scar didn't even take a chance, he walked onto stage, and the dancing bird (which usually comes out during a break down) flew! Now that was a neat trick! The lights on Simba and Nala during their "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" song were very bright, I wondered why, and happened to glance over and see them bringing in the bird. Very well done. She was surrounded by male lions with their darker costumes, so you could hardly see any of her white. She lay in a crouched up 'crash' position with the male lions on the floor around her until it came time for her to fly. Then...magic! Lift off! Very well done!

Halloween is all but gone, minus some of the rose backdrops from Nightmare in the Main Street Mercantile. Little Bug was telling me that Christmas was up because she saw it on the web. I tried to convince her it wouldn't be because it isn't Thanksgiving yet. Ugh! Commercialism! We got to the front gate, and I heard "See mom, I told you so!" (Where do they learn this language from?) Anyway, here are the pictures to prove it. They are ahead of the ball game. The castle didn't light up though. Must be waiting for the unveiling on the 22nd-23rd. Oh, and guess what? It's Thanksgiving, so you'll have to get one of your other spies to go over and take photos for you. (How dare they do an opening event on a holiday?) Main Street looks the same as last year, the shops have some decorations up as per the pictures, but it's not finished yet. There is still a lot to do. None of the merchandise is out yet. On the web, they advertise "special discounts on merchandise, ask a sales clerk". I saw signs at the registers saying the same thing yesterday. I'm sure that helped boost sales. We saw one lady in front of us at a register purchase HK$3000 worth of t-shirts! Nothing amazing happening yesterday. Just lots of people, and lines of 15-20 minutes. Fantasyland was the worst, and Tomorrowland was relatively slow by comparison. Lots of restaurants closed.

They have kept the Ice cream shop in Adventureland, and have changed out the coins in the coin press machines. Exciting stuff, huh?

NB: More photos from this report can be found in our brand-new Christmas 2007 Gallery, but here is a sample:

Christmas Gates