http://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/econ...el-attractions-planned-hk10-billion-hong-kong
Frozen and Marvel attractions planned in HK$11 billion Hong Kong Disneyland expansion
Construction of the new attractions is set to begin in 2018 as part of a six-year expansion plan for the theme park
Hong Kong Disneyland is set to embark on a HK$10.9 billion six-year expansion featuring attractions based on the
Frozen and Marvel series of films.
The project is scheduled to begin in 2018 with the Hong Kong government and Walt Disney injecting HK$5.8 billion and HK$5.1 billion respectively. The expansion will also see a transformed Castle and Hub area with new day and nighttime shows and “Adventureland Show Place,” which invites guests to “Moana’s Village Festival”.
A map showing the planned expansion. Photo: SCMP Pictures
“We are more excited than ever about the future of Hong Kong Disneyland,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
Hong Kong Disneyland will be first Disneyland park in the world to feature the
Frozen and Marvel-themed areas.
The park will have a Marvel super hero attraction. Photo: SCMP Pictures
“We are bringing the best of The Walt Disney Company to this wonderful tourist destination, giving guests from around the world an experience only Disney can deliver and an experience they can only have with us at Hong Kong Disneyland.”
The expansion also involves a major renovation of the park’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, which is expected to close to all visitors next year, Doris Woodward, executive creative director and producer of Walt Disney imagineering, Asia told the
Post.
She added the project would require two years to enlarge the scale of the castle to host more shows, and was scheduled to completed in 2019.
Samuel Lau, executive vice president and managing director at Hong Kong Disneyland suggested visitors visit its other attractions during the castle’s construction period.
The expansion comes after the park’s first descent into the red in five years and large-scale layoffs earlier this year. It lost a total of HK$148 million last year, while the number of visitors to the park dropped 9.3 per cent.
Shorter lines, more fun: Hong Kong Disneyland still draws fans as doors open at Shanghai counterpart
Apart from the city’s tourism downturn, which saw number of visitor dip 9.6 per cent in the first ten months of the year, Hong Kong Disneyland is also facing
stiff competition from its mainland counterpart.
Shanghai Disneyland –
which opened in June – had been flooded with visitors. . The mainland park is three times bigger, but ticket prices are similar to those charged by the Lantau park.