HKDL gets new castle, frozen land and marvel land.

[616.1314]

HK$10.6 billion plan to bail out Hong Kong’s ailing Ocean Park

Blueprint will transform park into an adventure-themed resort, grounded in nature, with seven new zones and 20 attractions over the next seven years. Park blames poor performance on ongoing civil unrest roiling city

www.scmp.com

Hong Kong Ocean Park will get an HK$10.6 billion multi-year expansion plan, including Ocean Park version’s “Downtown Disney”. However, based on the concept art, none of them can be compared to the avengers' e-ticket or even Frozen Ever After.

It also said the current financial year‘s attendance may drop to 3.3 million. Anyone know how the attendance in HKDL since Oct 2019 (this financial year)?

Concept Art:

海洋公園大改造！Ocean Park 七大全新景區率先睇【多圖】 - ezone.hk - 網絡生活 - 生活情報

海洋公園即將進行大革新！近日關於海洋公園（Ocean Park）的新聞，都是關於樂園向政府尋求注資過百億，以進行全新的發展計劃。今日，海洋公園管理層聯同政府商務及經濟發展局局長邱騰華等，舉行記者會，除

ezone.ulifestyle.com.hk

omg what a joke...
the past OP expansion was already a total disaster - not following the concept art at all
and this time, even the concept art looks tedious
it will be an insult to Disney if we continue calling OP a rival of HKDL

 

[HKDLer]

It also said the current financial year‘s attendance may drop to 3.3 million. Anyone know how the attendance in HKDL since Oct 2019 (this financial year)?

The next LegCo panel on economic development which will cover HKDL fiscal year 2019 operations is scheduled to be held on Feb 24, 2020.

 

[HKDLer]

Some great updates from HKMSG:

Park map updated with new castle and viewing area. I'm so glad that Snow White's grotto remains.

New artworks featured on cast exclusive calendar

Cast exclusive commemorative mug prints

New logo?

Full link: https://hkmsg.blogspot.com/2016/11/20171122.html

 

[ToTBellHop]

The castle is getting more and more magical looking. It does not have the real feeling like the Cinderella castles but sort of like an image of imaginations all put together. Will it turn out to be the best looking castle of all?

No. Still Paris.

 

[Stripes]

No. Still Paris.

Still. It's miles better than the original plan and the castle that was ultimately built.

 

[616.1314]

Some great updates from HKMSG:

Park map updated with new castle and viewing area. I'm so glad that Snow White's grotto remains.

New artworks featured on cast exclusive calendar

Cast exclusive commemorative mug prints

New logo?

Full link: https://hkmsg.blogspot.com/2016/11/20171122.html

omg thats breaking news
thanks for the update!
wonder if the change in colour of the castle walls will cause major visual disturbances in F-land tho

 

[halbjobri]

Some great updates from HKMSG:

Park map updated with new castle and viewing area. I'm so glad that Snow White's grotto remains.

That is a really tiny moat right there

 

[IMDREW]

 

[HKDLer]

The next LegCo panel on economic development which will cover HKDL fiscal year 2019 operations is scheduled to be held on Feb 24, 2020.

Recently delayed to March 2020

https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english/panels/edev/papers/edev20200120cb4-257-1-e.pdf

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

It kind of stuns me how little design relation the new construction seems to have to the existing castle.

The design appears to be well executed in the construction, but the design itself . . . woof.

There's room to "break the rules" for the sake of making something unique, but you'd think they'd make sure it's also good.

 

[Stevie Amsterdam]

It kind of stuns me how little design relation the new construction seems to have to the existing castle.

The design appears to be well executed in the construction, but the design itself . . . woof.

There's room to "break the rules" for the sake of making something unique, but you'd think they'd make sure it's also good.

Isn't that in the eye of the beholder? I love the new design and still see the relation to the original castle.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Isn't that in the eye of the beholder? I love the new design and still see the relation to the original castle.

The woof part? The "good" part? Sure, that's just my opinion. I have no interest in shouting down anyone who feels otherwise.

The relation between the old design and the new? That's a little more objective - the only meaningful design elements I see in the pictures above that relate to the architecture of Sleeping Beauty Castle are the mansard roofs and their shingles, the flying buttresses (which demonstrate no reasonable application of their function), and . . . the fact that the main tower has a central stained glass window, I guess? Outside of that, everything else looks just as tacked on as it actually is and creates no illusion that the building is a complete whole and was designed this way from the beginning. Which, maybe is the point? But what a weird, convoluted point for your central icon, especially since it impacts its visual appeal.

There doesn't appear to be any real architectural grounding here, unlike Paris which is highly fantastical while still appearing plausible. Castles in the real world don't look like Le Chateau, but Le Chateau balances that out wisely by appearing to be built the way real castles are built. The Mulan tower on this castle is pure ornament - what are we supposed to believe is in there? There are no windows, no doors, no balconies . . . it's a tower for the sake of putting a tower on a fake castle, not one that puts forth the idea that not only does this place look cool but things HAPPEN there. The elements appear cherry-picked from a list of what makes a cool castle but assembled with no discernible logic. It's a ransom note of architectural features put together by someone who doesn't seem to know how to spell.

For as weird as Shanghai's Castle is (and I think it is - those proportions are booonkers), it at least avoids the trap of featuring elements that don't look like they could be practical.

I'm not saying anyone can't love it - lord knows there are a good many things in this world that I love that either don't make sense or aren't objectively "good" . . . but given the generally high standard of design for Disney Castles this one seems to reject every lesson in the book in favor of something that doesn't offer as strong a notion of what a Disney Castle could be. All built on the back of what is the most iconic and charming of all Disney Castles. What a weird thing to choose to clash with.

 

[Stevie Amsterdam]

The woof part? The "good" part? Sure, that's just my opinion. I have no interest in shouting down anyone who feels otherwise.

The relation between the old design and the new? That's a little more objective - the only meaningful design elements I see in the pictures above that relate to the architecture of Sleeping Beauty Castle are the mansard roofs and their shingles, the flying buttresses (which demonstrate no reasonable application of their function), and . . . the fact that the main tower has a central stained glass window, I guess? Outside of that, everything else looks just as tacked on as it actually is and creates no illusion that the building is a complete whole and was designed this way from the beginning. Which, maybe is the point? But what a weird, convoluted point for your central icon, especially since it impacts its visual appeal.

There doesn't appear to be any real architectural grounding here, unlike Paris which is highly fantastical while still appearing plausible. Castles in the real world don't look like Le Chateau, but Le Chateau balances that out wisely by appearing to be built the way real castles are built. The Mulan tower on this castle is pure ornament - what are we supposed to believe is in there? There are no windows, no doors, no balconies . . . it's a tower for the sake of putting a tower on a fake castle, not one that puts forth the idea that not only does this place look cool but things HAPPEN there. The elements appear cherry-picked from a list of what makes a cool castle but assembled with no discernible logic. It's a ransom note of architectural features put together by someone who doesn't seem to know how to spell.

For as weird as Shanghai's Castle is (and I think it is - those proportions are booonkers), it at least avoids the trap of featuring elements that don't look like they could be practical.

I'm not saying anyone can't love it - lord knows there are a good many things in this world that I love that either don't make sense or aren't objectively "good" . . . but given the generally high standard of design for Disney Castles this one seems to reject every lesson in the book in favor of something that doesn't offer as strong a notion of what a Disney Castle could be. All built on the back of what is the most iconic and charming of all Disney Castles. What a weird thing to choose to clash with.

Thank you for the detailed reaction. I actually feel smarter after reading your reply and I agree on some of the things you wrote. A tower needs to have a purpose, even if it would only be a stairs or something (not every tower can be a bedroom lol).

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Thank you for the detailed reaction. I actually feel smarter after reading your reply and I agree on some of the things you wrote. A tower needs to have a purpose, even if it would only be a stairs or something (not every tower can be a bedroom lol).

Well, I'm sure that's overly generous of you to say, but I appreciate it!

And to be sure, there are things about this design that I enjoy - I just came across this picture of the construction and find it quite flattering. If the whole thing were being created from scratch in line with what we see here I think it would make for a handsome departure from other Disney Castles:

This picture does also remind me of another Sleeping Beauty Castle design element that's carried over into the new - the "Notre Dame" Spire from SBC is echoed by the golden spire on top of the central roof. I forgot to mention that in my earlier post!

That said, it does also highlight another strange feature of the new design - both the Spire and Flying Buttresses that are echoed in the new construction are larger than the originals they are echoing, which speaks to the idea of trying to create an impressive new addition but works against any notion of forced perspective which is traditionally used to make the castles appear even taller than they are.

I understand not wanting to feel hemmed in by the scale of the castle that already existed if its size was one of the problems that drove this project into being, but then maybe find a way to incorporate those elements that doesn't disagree with one of the historic base principles of Castle Design. Maybe put those features around back where they can't be directly compared to the original and upset the scale?

 

[RandySavage]

Just for fun, wondering what it would be like if they carried architectural elements (towers, turrets, windows & corbels) from the Old Castle to the New Castle, rather the out-of-left-field onion domes: (Left shows my photoshopped version, right is actual)

 

[HKDLer]

Latest satellite images from Google

Land for Avengers E-ticket has almost been cleared.

 

[hkdisky]

It looks like there is construction near RC racer, or they are building frozen coaster structure there?

 

[PymParty]

Latest satellite images from Google
View attachment 443005
View attachment 443006
View attachment 443007
Land for Avengers E-ticket has almost been cleared.

if they dont use the plot on the other side of the railroad tracks, the E-ticket is going to be much smaller in scale than expected...

Also I guess we can definitely say goodbye to the 2021 reimagining project

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

if they dont use the plot on the other side of the railroad tracks, the E-ticket is going to be much smaller in scale than expected...

I don't think they are finished clearing land yet? The original plans seem to indicate they are going to use that area.

 

[hkdisky]

if they dont use the plot on the other side of the railroad tracks, the E-ticket is going to be much smaller in scale than expected...

This should be the viewing angle from the concept art. There will be enough space for the building as shown in the concept art, but smaller in scale than I expected.