Jay Rasulo, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, spoke with Sentinel reporter Beth Kassab just days before Monday's opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. Here are excerpts of his comments.
Question: What does the park represent as far as Disney's global strategy goes? Are you more optimistic than you were earlier this year that a park on mainland China will be possible?
Answer: This is a pivotal moment . . . It's the first true family vacation destination of its kind in China. We see it as the culmination of [our] 50-year celebration and the launching pad of the next 50 years. You know, China is a growing country, particularly economically with leisure time and leisure expenditures . . . Our hope is that some day there might be a second Disney destination on the mainland. Now, this won't be in this decade.
Q: Will park capacity be lowered to 20,000 from 30,000 to help avoid long waits for food and rides? Was there some trouble [during a preview last] Sunday with bottlenecking?
A: I saw the reports about crowding and the fact that the park was full. That was, for us, very much by design. I don't think it will be a typical day at Hong Kong Disneyland. It really is just those few days of the year.
Most of what we learned has been very reinforcing to what we thought going in. When guests enter, a lot of them are going into Tomorrowland as their first choice. That's very hard to predict. . . . Over time, partially through what we do and partially through word of mouth, it'll all even out. . . . We did anticipate how important fireworks are for guests. What we're finding is that, compared to the U.S. and Europe, a far higher percentage stay in the park for the fireworks. For us that's terrific -- we love our guests to consume our entertainment and have a full day.
Q: How have the employees local to Hong Kong picked up on the concept of Disney traditions and heritage?
A: The greeting that they give and the way they host our guests is unmistakably Disney, and I think guests will recognize that immediately.
Q: Hong Kong is beginning with substantially fewer hotel rooms than the Paris park. [About 5,000 rooms in Paris versus 1,000 in Hong Kong.] Was that a lesson learned?
A: I think that we have to remain market-sensitive. We opened to the appropriate size in Hong Kong for the market that we see. Once again, we're very able and ready to expand as quickly as the market demands, both in terms of the park and the hotels.
Question: What does the park represent as far as Disney's global strategy goes? Are you more optimistic than you were earlier this year that a park on mainland China will be possible?
Answer: This is a pivotal moment . . . It's the first true family vacation destination of its kind in China. We see it as the culmination of [our] 50-year celebration and the launching pad of the next 50 years. You know, China is a growing country, particularly economically with leisure time and leisure expenditures . . . Our hope is that some day there might be a second Disney destination on the mainland. Now, this won't be in this decade.
Q: Will park capacity be lowered to 20,000 from 30,000 to help avoid long waits for food and rides? Was there some trouble [during a preview last] Sunday with bottlenecking?
A: I saw the reports about crowding and the fact that the park was full. That was, for us, very much by design. I don't think it will be a typical day at Hong Kong Disneyland. It really is just those few days of the year.
Most of what we learned has been very reinforcing to what we thought going in. When guests enter, a lot of them are going into Tomorrowland as their first choice. That's very hard to predict. . . . Over time, partially through what we do and partially through word of mouth, it'll all even out. . . . We did anticipate how important fireworks are for guests. What we're finding is that, compared to the U.S. and Europe, a far higher percentage stay in the park for the fireworks. For us that's terrific -- we love our guests to consume our entertainment and have a full day.
Q: How have the employees local to Hong Kong picked up on the concept of Disney traditions and heritage?
A: The greeting that they give and the way they host our guests is unmistakably Disney, and I think guests will recognize that immediately.
Q: Hong Kong is beginning with substantially fewer hotel rooms than the Paris park. [About 5,000 rooms in Paris versus 1,000 in Hong Kong.] Was that a lesson learned?
A: I think that we have to remain market-sensitive. We opened to the appropriate size in Hong Kong for the market that we see. Once again, we're very able and ready to expand as quickly as the market demands, both in terms of the park and the hotels.
