HKDL gets new castle, frozen land and marvel land.

[616.1314]

I have finally seen the castle and the exhibition in person today, and my conclusion is that the castle looks great!

 

[616.1314]

Beautiful stone carvings on the pillars

 

[HKDLer]

Magic dust effect

Another great video of CMD

 

[Disneysea05]

The side view is just not good. It looks very much like two buildings grafted together when it should look more like one structure.

I do very much like the front view, as one can not see the large physical gap between the old castle and the new section.

 

[HKDLer]

The colours have never been an issue. I’m glad they didn’t go with grey which would make the castle look very gloomy as it previously did under HK’s overcast skies. It’s the mix of different architectural styles that makes the castle less appealing to some but on ground level you won’t notice much. Here’s some pictures taken last Sunday. Hope it’s not the last time before another potential reclosure.

Inside the jewellery shop

 

[HKDLer]

This is the best part. The castle breezeway frames the view with the castle stage gate, fountains and viewing area adding layers to it.

 

[HKDLer]

 

[kb paris]

Agree with u !

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[DDLand]

As a critic earlier, I have to admit that this nightime walkaround in 4K paints the castle in a pretty spectacular light. I like the narrowness of the alleys directly behind the castle:


From this Exhibit vid, we get a closer look at the early development along with a preview of the Projection mapping show:


Sorry if these vids were already posted.

Some interesting screengrabs from the above:
1. Early idea with the addition matching the style of the original castle:
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This version had Fantasy Faire from DL:
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Now it gets taller but matching the original turret style:
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Enter the onion domes:
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Close to final:
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painting:
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I feel the paths to get up and through the castle into Fantasyland aren't super obviously demarcated. Like you could be walking and hit the dead-end stage/fountain if you aren't careful. The same issue is also present in Shanghai Disneyland. The two walkways are also sort of tight looking IMO. Cinderella's Castle has a stage, but the two paths are super obvious, partially by being elevated. This is oddly not super obvious, and not curving. I suspect that there will be increased crowding in the central plaza as people try to figure out where to go. The lighting does look good on Sleeping Beauty's Castle. But dang, why didn't they just put it out of its misery? It should have been a total rebuild. The two have different styles...

Interesting promotional video to say the least.

It's good to see the president of Hong Kong Disneyland has learned from Josh how to use self promotion... What the heck is she doing in a Disneyland ad? She's not a spokesperson, she's an executive. Josh is having a bad influence...

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Iconic quote. Imagineers, "were not bound by specific architectural styles or landmarks." No one needed help figuring that out... When designing a bridge, engineers were not bound by specific laws of physics or industry norms. When designing a medicine, drugmakers were not bound by specific safety standards or regulations. Obviously, that is a little extreme. No one will die because of the Castle of Magical Dreams, but come on. Using a consistent style and executing it throughout is not being "bound," but instead liberates. It gives a framework to work within. Is Cinderella's Castle not "rich in story and character?" Of course it has both. Hong Kong's new castle is like a post-modernist castle.

We must all take a moment to appreciate that Imagineering is now using Disney Junior tv shows for their inspiration. There was a time when Disney searched for inspiration at Alcazar de Segovia, now they get it from watching Elena of Avalor... Score for Disney Television Animation!

"Taking inspiration from 13 stories of Disney princesses and queens, The Castle of Magical Dreams signifies a celebration of diversity, inclusion, and dreams. "

Two minutes later...

"For this castle signifies courage, hope, and possibility, inspiring all who dare to dream big."


So which one is it? Man, Disney's recent marketing has turned up the vacuous level significantly. They can't even keep their vacuous statements straight in one video. Say what you will about Iger, he never forgot that Shanghai Disneyland was "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese."

Also, listen to the last 15 seconds of the video. Is it just me, or is the orchestration almost creepy?

I do think the fountains should be fun though!

 

[kb paris]

we love it so much !

 

[Jalatto]

I saw this from a blogger.
The webpage of Castle of Magical Dreams Special Audio Tour features two never-before-seen concept renderings of the upcoming daytime and nighttime spectaculars: “Follow Your Dreams” and “Cherish the Memories”.

These look amazing!

 

[kb paris]

Building a Dream

Building a Dream

www.hongkongdisneyland.com

Making of

 

[Sir_Cliff]

As an aside, HKDL is looking busier than I think I've ever seen it look in photos.

Are crowds particularly healthy lately?

 

[kb paris]

迪士尼城堡揭秘｜新城堡由15大組件過千小單元組裝而成 首名香港人任監製 一石一木全由人手上色 ｜ 蘋果日報

香港人熟悉的睡公主城堡隨着香港迪士尼樂園踏入15周年變為香港人的共同回憶，睡公主城堡搖身一變，變身成「奇妙夢想城堡」。 奇妙夢想城堡其實是在原先的睡公主城堡上加建而成，從設計草圖，以VR技術製作新城堡4D模型用作預計施工可能遇到的困難，再到選好顏色在樂園以外製作組件，當中牽涉...

hk.appledaily.com

The secret of the making of and the WDI

 

[kb paris]

As an aside, HKDL is looking busier than I think I've ever seen it look in photos.

Are crowds particularly healthy lately?

Hongkongers wear mask when going out and Keeping social distance inside the restaurant, the park is full of happiness

 

[HKDLer]

As an aside, HKDL is looking busier than I think I've ever seen it look in photos.

Are crowds particularly healthy lately?

Although no exact numbers are disclosed, they’ve been hitting capacity every weekend since the October reopening. Right now the allowed capacity is 75% but even if they operate at 50% capacity it's still busier than previous years since Hongkongers can't travel to anywhere due to the restrictions.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Although no exact numbers are disclosed, they’ve been hitting capacity every weekend since the October reopening. Right now the allowed capacity is 75% but even if they operate at 50% capacity it's still busier than previous years since Hongkongers can't travel to anywhere due to the restrictions.

That sounds like very good news for the resort. Hopefully this helps them build their loyal local customer base and, post-pandemic, the resort really turns the corner.

Haven't been to either HKDL or SDL, but from all the pictures and videos HKDL appeals a lot more to me as it looks a lot more like a Disney resort than SDL and the setting is beautiful.

 

[kb paris]

That sounds like very good news for the resort. Hopefully this helps them build their loyal local customer base and, post-pandemic, the resort really turns the corner.

Haven't been to either HKDL or SDL, but from all the pictures and videos HKDL appeals a lot more to me as it looks a lot more like a Disney resort than SDL and the setting is beautiful.

Trust me ! It’s a really Disneyland than SDL , u will love it when u visit the park !

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Haven't been to either HKDL or SDL, but from all the pictures and videos HKDL appeals a lot more to me as it looks a lot more like a Disney resort than SDL and the setting is beautiful.

Despite being so small, it's the nicest looking Disney resort complex thanks to its location between mountains and sea. Stay at HKDL Hotel or Explorer's Lodge and pay extra for a "sea view" room. It's now a full day park IMO (especially once Frozen is done) and very much worth visiting.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

That is the ugliest castle I have ever seen.