Hong Kong Disneyland


Hong Kong Disneyland is a theme park located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It opened to visitors on Monday, September 12, 2005, at 13:00 HKT, the second Disneyland in Asia to open after Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, with Shanghai Disneyland later opening in 2016. Hong Kong Disneyland is located inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned jointly by Hong Kong International Theme Parks and the Walt Disney Company. It is the most visited theme park in Hong Kong, followed by Ocean Park Hong Kong. Disney attempted to avoid problems of cultural backlash by incorporating Chinese culture, customs, and traditions when designing and building the resort, including adherence to the rules of feng shui. Notably, a bend was put in a walkway near the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort entrance so good qi energy would not flow into the South China Sea.
The park consists of eight themed lands: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, and World of Frozen. The newest themed land — World of Frozen, opened on 20 November 2023. There are single tickets and annual passes, called Magic Access, that are available for tourists who visit Hong Kong Disneyland. The theme park's cast members speak Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. Printed guide maps were printed in traditional and simplified Chinese as well as English. Guide maps are now available on the Hong Kong Disneyland mobile app as well as the ability to reserve park visits and other related information for park visits.
The park has a daily capacity of 34,000 visitors — the lowest of all Disneyland parks. The park attracted 5.2 million visitors in its first year, below its target of 5.6 million. Visitor numbers fell 20% in the second year to 4 million, inciting criticisms from local legislators. However, the park attendance jumped by 8% in the third year, attracting a total of 4.5 million visitors in 2007. In 2009, the park attendance again increased by 2% to 4.8 million visitors. The attendance continued to surge and received 5.23 million guests in the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Since the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, the theme park has hosted over 100 million guests. As of 2009, Hong Kong Disneyland occupies and hosts 6–7 million visitors annually, with 7.9 million guests in 2024 making it the 17th-most visited theme park in the world. The park capacity will increase to handle up to 10 million visitors annually over a 15-year expansion period. The park first turned an annual net profit of million for the year ended 29 September 2012. It operated at an increasing loss from 2015 to 2023 before returning to a record net profit in 2024.

History

Early history

was filled in to provide land for the construction of Hong Kong Disneyland. The bay was previously undeveloped except for the Cheoy Lee Shipyard, which opened in the 1960s.
The city's chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, was instrumental in introducing the Disneyland project to Hong Kong. When the SARS epidemic devastated the city's economy in 2003, it was hoped that the new Disneyland would help boost confidence in Hong Kong's tourism industry.
Hong Kong Disneyland had one of the shortest construction periods of any Disneyland-style theme park. On 12 January 2003, more than 400 guests celebrated the groundbreaking of Hong Kong Disneyland after the finishing of land reclamation in Penny's Bay. The audience included Tung Chee-hwa; Michael D. Eisner, former chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company; Bob Iger, president of The Walt Disney Company; and Jay Rasulo, former president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. On 23 September 2004, a special "castle topping ceremony" was held in the park to commemorate the placing of the tallest turret on Sleeping Beauty Castle.
File:Sleeping Beauty Castle at Hong Kong Disneyland 200705.jpg|thumb|Sleeping Beauty Castle, the original centerpiece of the park until 2018, being replaced by the Castle of Magical Dreams.
On 12 September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland was officially opened to the public. The opening ceremony was officiated by Zeng Qinghong, who was then the vice president of China. To help Hong Kong Disneyland grow, the Chinese government had deliberately slowed down the development of Shanghai Disney Resort, which was first conceived in the early 2000s.

Expansion

In January 2012, Hong Kong Disneyland has been in the process of negotiating with the Government of Hong Kong to invest its HK$5 billion profit for new attractions. Further details of the expansion would be announced within a 12-month period from January 2012. A shopping complex and new hotels would be taken into consideration for the new expansion plan.
In Hong Kong financial secretary John Tsang's 2013–14 budget speech, he announced that a new night time parade: "Disney Paint The Night Parade", as well as an area featuring characters from the Marvel Universe, will be built in Hong Kong Disneyland. On 8 October 2013 then Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Thomas O. Staggs confirmed the development of the Iron Man Experience.
On 17 February 2014, Hong Kong Disneyland announced its 2012–13 financial results as well as a plan for the third hotel at the resort. The third hotel would be the largest hotel at the resort, featuring 750 rooms with an adventure and exotic theme, and would cost to build. The third hotel, Disney Explorers Lodge, opened on 30 April 2017.
Hong Kong Disneyland was also built with the space for a second park directly across from the entrance to the current park. Disney has not yet announced that the second park is in development. Land is also available for additional hotels other than the three current, but the common thought is that the second park will be built before a fourth hotel. However, it was announced in September 2020 by the Hong Kong Government that Hong Kong Disneyland's option to purchase the 60-hectare expansion site next to the existing park will not be extended after its expiry on 24 September 2020 as it is unable to commit to using the site in the near future.
On 22 November 2016, the Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong Government announced plans for a multi-year, expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland. The proposed expansion includes a Frozen-themed land, a Marvel-themed land, a redesigned castle to succeed Sleeping Beauty Castle and hub, a reimagined attraction, a new Moana stage show, and live entertainment.
On 24 May 2018, Hong Kong Disneyland opened the first project part of the multi-year expansion: Moana: a Homecoming Celebration, an atmosphere stage show performed daily at the newly built Jungle Junction venue in Adventureland. The park also gave more information on the coming projects as well as the revised dates for these projects: the shooting dark ride Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, replacing Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, opened in 2019 and the new expanded castle will be unveiled in 2020, in time for the park's 15th anniversary. Park officials also confirmed the rumors that the future Frozen-themed land will feature a copy of Epcot's Frozen Ever After and a family roller coaster named Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, replacing the previously announced Dancing Sleighs ride, and that the area was opened in 2023.
On 26 January 2020, the park closed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic along with Ocean Park Hong Kong and Shanghai Disneyland Park. It remained closed for nearly five months, reopening on 18 June 2020. It was the second worldwide Disney park to reopen after Shanghai Disneyland. It reopened with similar strict rules as Shanghai Disneyland, which included limited guest attendance, social distancing, temperature checks, and mandatory wearing of face masks. Hong Kong Disneyland closed again from 15 July to 25 September 2020 due to a heavy upsurge in domestic cases. After reopening for approximately two months, it was announced the park would close for a third time on 2 December 2020 due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the region. The park reopened on 19 February 2021. The park closed for the fourth time on 7 January 2022 due to the rising number of cases of the Omicron variant, and reopened on 21 April 2022.
In 2023, Hong Kong Disneyland expanded again and created the world's first and largest "Frozen" theme park – "World of Frozen", which officially opened to tourists on 20 November of that year. Visitors can experience the adventure journey of Arendelle here.

Timeline

  • 1998
  • * August – The Walt Disney Company and the government of Hong Kong announce their intention to construct a themed entertainment park in Hong Kong, the second in Asia, the first in China
  • 1999
  • * February – Penny's Bay, Lantau Island is announced as the future site of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
  • * 10 December – Disney and the Hong Kong Government sign an agreement for building the second Disney Resort in Asia
  • 2003
  • * 1 January – Construction on Hong Kong Disneyland Resort begins
  • 2004
  • * 22 November – Disney announces that the opening day of the park has been rescheduled from 2006 to 12 September 2005
  • 2005
  • * 12 September – Hong Kong Disneyland officially opens to the public.
  • 2006
  • * June – HKDL announces to release Summer Passes to boost its first year attendance
  • * 13 July – Autopia, Stitch Encounter and UFO Zone opens in HKDL as first part of its expansion
  • * August – Exclusive treats are provided for Summer Pass holders so as to further boost the park's attendance
  • * 4 September – More than 60,000 Summer Passes have been sold since 1 July. However, Hong Kong Disneyland has missed its target of 5.6 million in the first year of operation, with only about 5 million guests entered the park since the opening
  • * 28 September – HKDL launches its annual pass
  • * 30 September – Disney's Halloween celebration held for the first time through 31 October 2006
  • * 14 December – HKDL announced three new attractions to be added to the park in 2007–2008
  • 2007
  • * 26 June – HKDL revealed its attractions for the park's 2007 summer – "Mickey's Summer Blast" and announcement of Mickey's Water Works Parade and Animation Academy's opening date – 14 July 2007
  • * 19 December – HKDL revealed 4 new attractions and entertainment venues to open in 2008 with "It's a Small World": Muppet Mobile Lab, High School Musical Celebration, Turtle Talk with Crush and the Art of Animation
  • 2008
  • * 28 April – "It's a Small World" opens in HKDL as first extension of Fantasyland
  • 2009
  • * 10 July – The Legislative Council of Hong Kong approved the three land expansion of HKDL
  • * 13 December – Groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the three land expansion
  • 2010
  • * 12 September – HKDL celebrates its 5th year milestone
  • 2011
  • * 21 January – HKDL hosts the year-long 5th anniversary programme "Celebration in the Air"
  • * 18 November – Toy Story Land opens
  • 2012
  • * 14 July – Grizzly Gulch opens
  • 2013
  • * 17 May – Mystic Point opens
  • * 7 October – Iron Man Experience is announced
  • * 6 November – Disney Paint the Night parade is announced
  • 2014
  • * February – Construction of Iron Man Experience begins
  • * 1 October – Nighttime parade Disney Paint the Night starts to run
  • 2015
  • * 12 September – HKDL celebrates its 10th year milestone
  • * 17 November – HKDL hosts the year-long 10th anniversary programme "Happily Ever After"
  • * 17 December – Fairytale Forest, a new attraction in Fantasyland, opens
  • * 21 December – Mickey and the Wondrous Storybook replaces The Golden Mickeys as the new flagship live stage show of Fantasyland
  • 2016
  • * 11 June – Star Wars: Tomorrowland Takeover, a Star Wars-themed seasonal event, launches
  • * 22 November – HKDL announces its new expansion and development plan, which includes the construction of a Frozen-themed area, introduction of Marvel-themed rides, redesigning of the Sleeping Beauty Castle and more
  • 2017
  • * 11 January – Iron Man Experience opens
  • * 30 April – Disney Explorers Lodge opens
  • * 31 August – Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters closed to be replaced by Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!
  • * 13 October – Construction begins on Moana, Frozen, and Marvel attractions
  • * 14 December – Royal Princess Garden opens temporarily at Main Street, U.S.A.
  • 2018
  • * 1 January – The Sleeping Beauty Castle closed for reconstruction, causing the Disney in the Stars fireworks to be discontinued as well.
  • * 15 March – We Love Mickey! debuts at Main Street, U.S.A.
  • * 25 May – Moana: A Homecoming Celebration opens at Jungle Junction in Adventureland
  • * 7 November – We Love Mickey! Birthday Edition debuts at Main Street, U.S.A. as part of Mickey Mouse's 90th Anniversary
  • 2019
  • * 16 February – The "Heart" Gazebo at Fantasyland closed to give way for the Frozen Land
  • * 31 March – Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! opens
  • * 21 June – Royal Princess Garden and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Main Street, U.S.A. has closed for relocation to Fantasyland
  • * 1 July – Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Fantasyland has officially opened to the public
  • 2020
  • * 26 January – The park closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • * 18 June – Following a nearly five-month closure, the park reopened to the public with new and enhanced health and safety measures.
  • * 15 July – The park closed for the second time due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
  • * 12 September – While closed, the park celebrated its 15th anniversary.
  • * 24 September – Hong Kong Disneyland's option to purchase the adjacent expansion site expired and will not be renewed
  • * 25 September – The park reopened to the public, implementing reduced operations, including closures on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • * 21 November – The park's centerpiece castle, now called Castle of Magical Dreams, was officially unveiled.
  • * 2 December – The park closed for the third time due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
  • 2021
  • * 19 February – The park reopens for the third time.
  • * 17 November – The park closed for one day following a single COVID-19 exposure from a park guest.
  • 2022
  • * 7 January – The park closes for the fourth time due to fears of a COVID-19 surge of the Omicron variant.
  • * 21 April – The park reopens for the fourth time.
  • * 18 June – Momentous debuts.
  • 2023
  • * 1 September – The park increased operations to be opened 6 days a week, with closures occurring on Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays.
  • * 20 November – World of Frozen is opened to the public, in honor of the film's 10th-anniversary celebration and as part of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder celebration.
  • 2024
  • * 25 April – A new daytime show, Find Your Super Power: Battle for Stark Expo, and a new nighttime show, Find Your Super Power: Battle in the Sky, were both debuted in Stark Expo within Tomorrowland, as part of the "Marvel: Season of the Super Heroes" celebration.
  • * 10 August – Stark Expo which was originally set to be completed by 2024. However, at D23 2024 on 10 August 2024, it was cancelled to make way for new unnamed Spider-Man Attraction.
  • *1 December – Mickey's PhilharMagic at Hong Kong Disneyland was closed for maintenance from 1 December 2024 to 23 April 2025, to undergo a digital upgrade and introduce the new "Coco" scene.
  • 2025
  • * 5 February – Let's celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Hong Kong Disneyland with a special edition of "Momentous," a new Castle Stage Show, and the biggest parade ever at HKDL, called the "Friendtastic!" Parade. This unique anniversary version will boost the party mood and make unforgettable memories. This summer, you're all invited to be part of "The Most Magical Party of All," a year-long celebration packed with happiness and magic.
  • * 9 February – Orbitron, along with the Rafts to Tarzan's Treehouse and the Treehouse itself, has been closed for maintenance due to "operational adjustments" until further notice.
  • * 18 February – It's a small world has been closed for maintenance from 18 February 2025 to 9 March 2025.
  • * 25 February – Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has unveiled plans for another significant expansion of their theme park, featuring a Pixar entertainment experience and additional Marvel attractions. An "all-new, exclusive Pixar entertainment experience" is set to debut at the park. A map released by Hong Kong Disneyland highlights the location of this experience between Toy Story Land and the World of Frozen. This offering will be a first-of-its-kind addition exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland, although specific details have not yet been disclosed. Furthermore, Hong Kong Disneyland has confirmed that an expansion is still in the works. At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event last year, they announced the introduction of a new Spider-Man attraction. The Marvel area is positioned adjacent to Tomorrowland.
  • * 25 April – A new nighttime show, Join the Mission: Scarlet Skies were debuted in Stark Expo within Tomorrowland, as part of the "Marvel: Season of the Super Heroes" celebration.
  • * 28 June – HKDL hosted the year-long 20th anniversary programme "The Most Magical Party of All", with new daytime parade, castle stage show and other festivities.
  • * 12 September – HKDL celebrated its 20th anniversary.
  • Future
  • *Stark Expo
  • *Pixar Entertainment Experience