The HKDL Source

IASW Opening Report

Story

Hong Kong Disneyland staged a big attraction launch event for it's a small world this week, and the HKDL Source's Chief Spy was able to score a press access to the big event. Come with us as our Chief Spy takes you through the events of the day, with over 100 EXCLUSIVE photos from the long awaited affair!

The best way to convey the excitement and events of the day is to leave it up to our fabulous Chief Spy's own words, so read on below to sample what the day had to offer.

I promised the little one we would go to Disney today to take the horticulture tour.  Too bad I don’t know what day it is.  Never mind, every day at Disney is worth the trip.  We were a bit slow getting out of the house and didn’t arrive at the park until just after 10.  First stop was the bathrooms and then I got the bright idea to use www.hkdlsource.com to try and get a press pass.  I didn’t have a business card, and my name wasn’t on the list, but they let me in anyway.  I guess that Loomis must pester them enough that they expected someone to show up.  You will be glad to note that they recognized the web page and I had no problems getting the pass to take photos and report on today’s events for you.  We were given a nifty environmentally friendly Small World bag complete with media pass, and press release packet.  Now, the first thing I did was open it up to see the events of the day.  It really didn’t start until 3:00 so I had the morning to play around a bit.  The press kit included a Small World music box, the usual press releases, a cd of pictures that we have all seen before, a fold out Small World pamphlet that I’ve been told will be given to guests starting tomorrow, and a single of the Small World song sung by Miriam Yeung (Hong Kong Singer and Actress), Michael Wong (Malaysian singer-song writer), Nikki Gil (Filippino singer) and TWO (Thai singer).

IASW Hong Kong Poster

(Click on the image to view it full-sized)

Since we didn’t eat any breakfast before leaving, our first stop was to find something to eat.  Restaurants in the park don’t open until 11:30 so we stopped at the sandwich kiosk in Tomorrow Land.  We both had corndogs!  A new item on the menu.  Not bad for HK$15.  Next stop Autopia for a new sticker and space mountain for another.  That collection of ours is coming along nicely now.  From here it was over to JRC for a quick trip around the lake, then on to Main Street for the parade.

With our lovely Media Pass, we ventured into the press pits to take some shots of the Grand Marshal(s) of the day.  Many Disney children and the characters as well!  It was the kids Disney flew in for the press event.  The order of children was: China (Mickey Mouse), Malaysia (Minnie Mouse), Singapore (Pluto), Chinese Taipei (Honest-that’s what the sign said)(Goofy-I wonder if that was done on purpose?), The Philippines (Donald Duck), Hong Kong (Daisy Duck), Australia (Stitch) and Korea (Marie).  During this time, the Small World loop that is on the ride played over and over.  Once the children were gone, it was the normal Disney on Parade.  I don’t know if it was just me being overly positive, or if it was real, but the costumes looked brighter and I am positive some of the floats were given a new paint job.  Everything looked so bright and well, new.  While there, we asked an event host for a sticker and were given a set of all three special Small World stickers.  The people at Disney are amazing!  There were around 10 people that came over to make sure we had the set.  We were told there are a total of 45 new stickers just for Small World.  We had our mission for the day!

Children of the World

(Click on the image to view it full-sized)

Lunch came with the press kit so we decided on Tahitian Terrace in Adventure land.  We had a vegetable dish and fruit salad.  It was surprisingly good.  I don’t normally go for Chinese food, but the little one saw the mushrooms so why not?  I was surprised when I went to pay, one of the staff members saw my press coupon, and sent me to the head of the queue.

In addition to the corndogs, we also saw three different colors of cotton candy today; pink, orange and blue.  The blue tasted delicious!

Over to Small World at 3:00 for the Disney Children’s Fund Ceremony.  The people on stage at various times were Bill Ernest, Dave Vermeulen, Ursule Wong, Jasmine Law, And Jay Rasulo.  In the beginning, they played “Bippidy Boppidy Boo”, but when Dave came on stage, the background music changed to “When You Wish Upon a Star”.  They Presented Ursule Wong with a plaque for her father’s work in introducing Small World to Asia in 1975.  A bit of trivia, in that year Disney brought a musical production to HK and James Wong produced all the music for it.  The plaque was to represent the Love, Friendship, and Mutual respect Disney has and we have for one another.  During this time, my little one was behind me so I glanced back to make sure she was ok and noticed a teleprompter behind the press.  I thought they had all memorized some very long speeches.  (A bit of the magic gone).

More Media Throng

(Click on the image to view it full-sized)

Jay Rasulo came on stage to announce the winners of the first round of awards for the Disney Children’s Fund.  It is the first of its kind in the world.  They donated HK$940,504 in grants to Life Workshop, Industrial Evangelistic Fellowship, Neighborhood Advice-Action Council, Playright Children’s Play Association, Po Leung Kuk Sunrise Court, The Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights, and TREATS. Some of the children benefiting from this fund came on stage for a photo op with Mickey and Minnie, and then they got a ride on Small World.  No announcements were made for future development.

We decided to go get a drink before the 4:30 English Press tour.  Big mistake, when we tried to get back in, they wouldn’t let us back because the little one didn’t have her own media pass.  We talked to a cast member and were allowed back in.  On the tour, we had Dave M. (I didn’t ask for the spelling of his name so I won’t attempt it) for a tour guide; He is the creative arts director for HKDL Small World.  He told me it took 3 years from idea to opening.  He spent 14 months in HK working on the ride.  The castle and Cinderella/Prince Charming scene that is getting so much flack was put in because of the Original Mary Blair design for Cinderella’s Castle in the movie.  “It was what Walt would have wanted”.  While many of the scenes can be seen in the other Small World rides around the world, this was the first time all of the areas were united by continent.  (Is that correct?)  The order is different, and a few areas have been added.  Asia is twice as large as any other Small World ride.  All the parts have been restaged and recolored.  The Philippines, Cambodia and Korea have been added, as have China and Hong Kong.  He told us that Small World is as the world should be seen through the eyes of a child.  There are lots of additional lightings, the rainforest is the only one that is lit by black light, the flowers in the ending have been polarized so as my little one was happy to announce to everyone, they change colors.  I was right, the eyes of the dolls and the eyes of the sun in the Polynesian scene follow you as you pass.  If you look carefully, you can see a hidden Mickey on the shoe of one of the can-can dancers.

Worldly Pavement

(Click on the image to view it full-sized)

I asked about mosquito control, and the water is chlorinated, and flushed just like a swimming pool would be.  The size of the switchback was not known, but get this, on a hot summer day in HK when people want to get out of the sun it will hold 12,000 people!  How’s that for boosting the number of guests you can get in the park.

The lighting was different today.  Darker but brighter.  That sounds strange, but it was great!  The rooms were darker, the main lights were dimmer, but the lights within the scenes were brighter.  Even my little one noticed the difference.  As you enter each area, there is now a sign saying what the area is.  That wasn’t there last week.  All of the dolls in the finale were working today so that was new for me as well.

Local Interest

(Click on the image to view it full-sized)

As we left the ride (after only four times around today) we had collected some of the stickers that we were looking for.  Just outside the press area, after the underpass of the bridge, we saw janitors painting.  They painted the world, and the Small World characters from the merchandise.  It was great.  One man told me it would be finished in twenty minutes.  It really took around 2 hours.  But the staff was great!  They let the children in the area help paint the characters

Sadly, I couldn’t stay for the evening event: the dedication with the celebrities.  I was asked to leave the little one outside the press area because of the number of invited guests, or to get someone to watch her.  Dad was working, it’s Miss N.’s day off, so the nighttime was a no-go for me.

Other news of note, I was told by an unnamed source with an imaginers badge that Disney has plans for expansion very soon.  At least one attraction a year for a long time.  With the proviso that our wonderful Government approve it.  And we all know where that may lead.

Changes for the Day

(Click on the image to view it full-sized)

A bit of trivia.  The façade has 16,776 lights on it.  It is 107 metres long and 24 metres high.  22,000 hours to create the costumes for the 241 dolls.  2000 pounds of glitter were used inside.  There are 24 boats with 23 people per boat. (That’s a lot of people per hour!)  11 scenes inside the ride: Welcome, North Pole, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Americas, Asia, Islands, Rainforest, Finale.

From a very happy Chief Spy (with a Small World loop in her head).

For a complete look at the pictures taken on the day, see our IASW Opening Event Gallery.

Comments

Leave a Comment

You Must Be Logged In to Post a Comment