Disney halts Hong Kong expansion: Talks over theme park's financing break down

[disneyfan67]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001317.html?categoryid=19&cs=1

BEIJING -- Disney has put the long-delayed expansion of its Hong Kong theme park on ice after talks with the city government on a cash injection collapsed.
Talks between Disney and the park's majority owner, the Hong Kong government, became bogged down over financing the second phase of the first Disneyland on Chinese soil.

"After two years of Disney investment in creative and design work and extensive negotiations with our partner, the Hong Kong government, we have not yet reached a final agreement to expand HKDL," Disney said in a statement. "The uncertainty of the outcome requires us to immediately suspend all creative and design work on the project."

Disney also said it would fire 30 Hong Kong-based Imagineers that had helped conceptualize and plan the expansion.


Myself, I don't think this latest news speaks too well about the future of HKDL. I still believe it was a mistake to for Disney to get involved in this venture. They have been having problems with attendance since the place opened.

 

[ChrisFL]

Myself, I don't think this latest news speaks too well about the future of HKDL. I still believe it was a mistake to for Disney to get involved in this venture. They have been having problems with attendance since the place opened.

It would have been fine if it actually opened as a full park from the beginning...Hong Kong residents aren't dumb, they know when they're not getting the full park but being charged as if it was.

 

[disneyfan67]

It would have been fine if it actually opened as a full park from the beginning...Hong Kong residents aren't dumb, they know when they're not getting the full park but being charged as if it was.

True. A few years ago I played with the idea of visiting HKDL, but the more I read about how small it is and how little they have attractions wise, I nixed that idea.

 

[simzac]

Just another example of how badly things are run when the government is involved. JMO

 

[Uncleromulus]

I always wondered why they even opened it in the first place----.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Business Week has an article on the developments at HK Disneyland: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2009/gb20090317_923737.htm?campaign_id=yhoo

 

[ChrisFL]

True. A few years ago I played with the idea of visiting HKDL, but the more I read about how small it is and how little they have attractions wise, I nixed that idea.

I've been there, it's a nice park, but definitely lacking MANY things that are expected in a Disneyland style park, No POTC, No HM, No Peter Pan, No Tiki Room, No Thunder Mountain, No Splash Mountain. They finally got IASW but its not enough.

 

[ChrisFL]

Just another example of how badly things are run when the government is involved. JMO

Seeing as this is the same way that Disney decided to open MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, DCA and Disney Studios Paris, I don't think this is an HK government problem, or do you have info about the HK government that we don't?

 

[abw]

I visited two and a half weeks ago. The park was pretty empty, low or no wait times on rides (except Autopia, which loads slowly), your pick of space for fireworks or the parade.

It is certainly not worth a special trip to HK, but it's an interesting visit if you're already in town. You'll see some interesting wrinkles (such as hearing the guide on Jungle Cruise in Cantonese) and a few cultural clashes (people loading the rafts to Tarzan's Tree House like they're loading a tram downtown, not understanding that Disney limits the number on the raft and unloads on the same side you load on).

It's roughly a 6 hour park, unless you also want to see the Golden Mickeys, HSM in Cantonese, or Lion King.

The highlight is the Toy Story zoetrope!