HKDL gets new castle, frozen land and marvel land.

[moe598]

From MiceChat user Westsider : " I got a buddy in Facilities who told me yesterday about all the problems going on in Hong Kong even before the Corona Virus arrived. Basically all Hong Kong park expansion except for the Castle remake has been indefinitely delayed or outright cancelled. Frozen Land is delayed to later in the decade, Avengers E Ticket in Tomorrowland is cancelled for now, etc. There were DLR Facilities managers working on these projects for the Hong Kong team - and a month ago those managers were recalled back to Anaheim because all of their Hong Kong projects were being iced for at least the next few years.

This all happened for Hong Kong before Christmas - long before the Corona Virus broke out last week. But my buddy said the Facilities managers were told to keep ultra quiet on it and that Disney has already delayed a fiscal report on the Hong Kong property that was supposed to come out next month. Except for the Castle remake - almost all future Hong Kong Disneyland projects were iced by Colglazier and Cheapek back in December once the park attendance in Hong Kong collapsed because of the anti-Communist protests by the people there. Business in Hong Kong Disneyland is really bad and that was even before the Corona Virus showed up."

What do you think about this news ? I can't believe its true, Frozen seems to be progressing at a good pace and land has been cleared for Avengers already. But on another side, it wouldn't surprise me...

I appreciate the report but cannot help but feel it is just a rumour and nothing more. I was at HKDL for the first two weeks of January and construction was in full swing both at the castle and for Arendelle. The cranes were there and clearly moving.

Autopia's queue was demolished literally over December/January.

As others have stated here - this agreement is likely secure as far as funding goes. Not to mention that the construction is outsourced to contractors.

Most importantly, to hit the pause button on HKDL's expansion now would be disastrous in the long term and does not fit with the Iger-era decision making. Yes Galaxy's Edge suffered from budget cuts etc. but this expansion is literally HKDL's make it or break it moment.

 

[ThemeParkTraveller]

I would be more worried about long term plans post 2023 than anything already announced.

 

[moe598]

I would be more worried about long term plans post 2023 than anything already announced.

100%. Especially with the latest problems from the govt pressuring Disney to give up the 2nd gate land.

TBH with the only competitor in HK going pretty much bankrupt (Ocean Park is so badly in trouble), HKDL would really benefit from becoming a full-fledged resort.

Time will tell! I can imagine we are still years away from any announcement regarding plans post the current redevelopment plan.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I would be more worried about long term plans post 2023 than anything already announced.

Agreed. A number of Disney parks have major rides, but lack smaller experiences to pad out the day. HKDL has the opposite problem. It needs not only more headliners, but ones that deliver in a big way. Frozen will be nice, but if Avengers isn't amazing the park will still struggle. It really needs at least the equivalents of Splash Mountain, Pirates and Shanghai's Peter Pan.

I'm also starting to think getting rid of Autopia was a mistake too. The park shouldn't be closing the rides it already has.

 

[moe598]

Agreed. A number of Disney parks have major rides, but lack smaller experiences to pad out the day. HKDL has the opposite problem. It needs not only more headliners, but ones that deliver in a big way. Frozen will be nice, but if Avengers isn't amazing the park will still struggle. It really needs at least the equivalents of Splash Mountain, Pirates and Shanghai's Peter Pan.

I'm also starting to think getting rid of Autopia was a mistake too. The park shouldn't be closing the rides it already has.

Yeah - this expansion was the right step in terms of E-Tickets. Most importantly IMO is the castle - it really represents a rebranding for the whole park that has been ridiculed by locals for SO long for being small and a cheap copycat.

Autopia was good but it was simply taking up TOO much room for an already small park. It also had severe capacity issues. Why HKDL didn't do anything with that land for all this time is beyond me but oh well. It is at least finally gone.

 

[Asa]

I wonder how HKDL can stop work on Arendelle construction when it is clear contractors are already hard at work. The contractors, as their names suggest, have contracts in place to do the work, even if HKDL decide not to go through with it they still have to pay.

 

[HKDLer]

Agreed. A number of Disney parks have major rides, but lack smaller experiences to pad out the day. HKDL has the opposite problem. It needs not only more headliners, but ones that deliver in a big way. Frozen will be nice, but if Avengers isn't amazing the park will still struggle. It really needs at least the equivalents of Splash Mountain, Pirates and Shanghai's Peter Pan.

I strongly concur. Yet they still can’t figure it out even after 15 years of operation. Amazing.

I'm also starting to think getting rid of Autopia was a mistake too. The park shouldn't be closing the rides it already has.

While popular with guests, Autopia was a capacity and staffing nightmare for HK, not to mention the huge space it used. Getting rid of Buzz Lightyear was a mistake though, given how almost everything in the AMATW is a downgrade.

 

[HKDLer]

Expect the park to be closed at least until Feb 15. Construction is in full swing though.

 

[hkdisky]

I wonder how HKDL can stop work on Arendelle construction when it is clear contractors are already hard at work. The contractors, as their names suggest, have contracts in place to do the work, even if HKDL decide not to go through with it they still have to pay.

In fact, they are hiring a control support engineer. I think this position is related to frozen expansion as it is a 18-month contract, and the frozen expansion will complete as scheduled.

Working at DISNEY | Jobs and Careers at DISNEY

Synonymous with quality entertainment and cutting-edge technology, The Walt Disney Company impacts a global audience every day. View all of Disney’s jobs and career opportunities across media networks, parks, experiences and consumer products, studio entertainment, direct-to-consumer and...

jobs.disneycareers.com

Does anyone know when the CFO left HKDL?

Working at DISNEY | Jobs and Careers at DISNEY

Synonymous with quality entertainment and cutting-edge technology, The Walt Disney Company impacts a global audience every day. View all of Disney’s jobs and career opportunities across media networks, parks, experiences and consumer products, studio entertainment, direct-to-consumer and...

jobs.disneycareers.com

 

[hkdisky]

My inside source said a ToT-style ride (not Mission Breakout) is coming to the plot where the Autopia station sits.

When did you get this information?

 

[IMDREW]

Expect the park to be closed at least until Feb 15. Construction is in full swing though.

Oh bummer. Now we won’t have construction updates on the castle in these last phases. Good to know construction is going on though!

 

[HKDLer]

When did you get this information?

Actually long before the civil unrest started.
See #525

 

[halbjobri]

In fact, they are hiring a control support engineer. I think this position is related to frozen expansion as it is a 18-month contract, and the frozen expansion will complete as scheduled.

Working at DISNEY | Jobs and Careers at DISNEY

Synonymous with quality entertainment and cutting-edge technology, The Walt Disney Company impacts a global audience every day. View all of Disney’s jobs and career opportunities across media networks, parks, experiences and consumer products, studio entertainment, direct-to-consumer and...

jobs.disneycareers.com

I spoke with a theme painting contractor working on the castle and Arendelle last year, and he told me that his contract will be up specifically after the construction of Frozen Ever After, aka 1.5 years later.

 

[SweetDuffy101]

From MiceChat user Westsider : " I got a buddy in Facilities who told me yesterday about all the problems going on in Hong Kong even before the Corona Virus arrived. Basically all Hong Kong park expansion except for the Castle remake has been indefinitely delayed or outright cancelled. Frozen Land is delayed to later in the decade, Avengers E Ticket in Tomorrowland is cancelled for now, etc. There were DLR Facilities managers working on these projects for the Hong Kong team - and a month ago those managers were recalled back to Anaheim because all of their Hong Kong projects were being iced for at least the next few years.

This all happened for Hong Kong before Christmas - long before the Corona Virus broke out last week. But my buddy said the Facilities managers were told to keep ultra quiet on it and that Disney has already delayed a fiscal report on the Hong Kong property that was supposed to come out next month. Except for the Castle remake - almost all future Hong Kong Disneyland projects were iced by Colglazier and Cheapek back in December once the park attendance in Hong Kong collapsed because of the anti-Communist protests by the people there. Business in Hong Kong Disneyland is really bad and that was even before the Corona Virus showed up."

What do you think about this news ? I can't believe its true, Frozen seems to be progressing at a good pace and land has been cleared for Avengers already. But on another side, it wouldn't surprise me...

So let me get this clear, that person said that he had heard from a friend to a friend who works at Disney and an Insider says this and that without even having a legit source because of this ALLEGED Delays at Chinese parks and it will affect at US parks........ I think ive heard and read the same plot of storyline before, Even During the Shanghai Disneyland Construction, That Allegedly went overbudget and Affected domestic parks.

It’s kinda hilarious to read when everything is in full swing construction they maintain to create this crazy rumor because it came from an ALLEGED inside Source, With no track record whatsoever.

 

[RandySavage]

Pic from https://twitter.com/hkdl_of_fantasy

Some things I found interesting in this pic:
1. We see some of the artificial trees going on the walls.
2. The lower front of the New Castle is uncovered.
3. The new lower walls being detailed meticulously match the existing wall. For a while I've wondered if They (WDI/HKDL) realized the two styles of castle don't mesh. This latter pic makes it clear - if it wasn't already - that if Disney wanted to seamlessly extend the style of the Old Castle to the New Castle they could have, just as in the new gate wall.

So it follows that the specific intention was to create two distinct castles. Maybe there was an internal debate: Keep the Existing Castle vs. Create a New Castle (a tall, fantasy one, in the vein of Tangled). The solution they landed on: do both.

My instinct would have been to create a singular castle, either by tearing down the original, or making the extension in the same style. But this is quite a unique phenomenon: a castle park with TWO sandwiched central castles as its centerpiece.

I'm trying to think of examples of European castles that were built & rebuilt over centuries, where distinct styles are as overt as this...

 

[BrianLo]

Agreed. A number of Disney parks have major rides, but lack smaller experiences to pad out the day. HKDL has the opposite problem. It needs not only more headliners, but ones that deliver in a big way. Frozen will be nice, but if Avengers isn't amazing the park will still struggle. It really needs at least the equivalents of Splash Mountain, Pirates and Shanghai's Peter Pan.

I'm also starting to think getting rid of Autopia was a mistake too. The park shouldn't be closing the rides it already has.

Just to play Devil’s advocate, a Peter Pan like experience is not a headliner. Frozen’s two attractions are sort of filling the similar niche.

I doubt we’d even see Pan as HK seems mostly motivated to distance itself from Shanghai comparisons.

But yes, it could use another headliner or two. Hopefully before 2027/8 so they can make a call on go, no-go second gate.

 

[mickeyfan5534]

I'm trying to think of examples of European castles that were built & rebuilt over centuries, where distinct styles are as overt as this...

Versailles completely changes its style of layout halfway through the palace. That's about it as far as I know.

 

[IMDREW]

I would loove a neverland-land for hkdl. Like the new fantasy springs section. Give hkdl its peter pan, but in a big way! Very random thought, I know! Xd

 

[Robbiem]

Versailles completely changes its style of layout halfway through the palace. That's about it as far as I know.

there are a few but it tends to be different buildings in a castle complex made by different monarchs rather than additions to a single structure.
a couple of other examples would be Buckingham Palace in London- the front facing side is relatively new compared to the rest of the building and is built in completely different stone and the Tower of London where the buildings cover about 800 years of different architecture

 

[616.1314]

Pic from https://twitter.com/hkdl_of_fantasy

View attachment 445105

Some things I found interesting in this pic:
1. We see some of the artificial trees going on the walls.
2. The lower front of the New Castle is uncovered.
3. The new lower walls being detailed meticulously match the existing wall. For a while I've wondered if They (WDI/HKDL) realized the two styles of castle don't mesh. This latter pic makes it clear - if it wasn't already - that if Disney wanted to seamlessly extend the style of the Old Castle to the New Castle they could have, just as in the new gate wall.

So it follows that the specific intention was to create two distinct castles. Maybe there was an internal debate: Keep the Existing Castle vs. Create a New Castle (a tall, fantasy one, in the vein of Tangled). The solution they landed on: do both.

My instinct would have been to create a singular castle, either by tearing down the original, or making the extension in the same style. But this is quite a unique phenomenon: a castle park with TWO sandwiched central castles as its centerpiece.

I'm trying to think of examples of European castles that were built & rebuilt over centuries, where distinct styles are as overt as this...

the new castle starting to look great, tho I still think the upper part of the castle is a bit too "yellow"
wonder if WDI/HKDL will surprise us with great progresses after the park reopens haha