Disney says company never promised Hong Kong not to build fun park in mainland China (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020727/ap_wo_en_po/hong_kong_disney_1)- AP, 7/27/02

QuikQuote: In a recorded teleconference with local reporters on Friday, Paul Pressler, Walt Disney parks and resorts chairman, confirmed Hong Kong's 1999 deal with the company to build a park there did not ban building another park in China.

Couple of comments:

(1) Expect headline shortly about Hong Kong official jumping off bridge because he forgot to read fine print of Disney contract .....

(2) Would be really funny if Shanghai project is for multipark resort with hotels (WDW type of concept) versus puny little park in Hong Kong built on a reclaimed island (DL with a couple of hotels concept)

(3) And what would OLC feel about having another Disney resort only a few hours away by plane? Would that eat into their audience somewhat? Would that be considered a potshot at their marketplace?

(4) What about parks in the states? Do we get the creative benefits of new attractions or do the new parks simply get recycled versions of existing attractions? Will USA cash cows get even less attention than they are getting now as Disney corporate focus shifts completely to international markets ......

Response:

1) :D

2) I could see this happening...

3) I doubt they care. Not too many Chinese tourists when I was at TDL, and I don't think many Japanese go to China on vacation.

4) The creative benefits of new attractions can't help but make it to the States, as the same Imagineers who design overseas rides work on domestic projects. As for corporate focus, that could be a problem...

China won't get another Disney park.HK DL is going to flop.And that 2nd park will vanish just like that 3rd park for Anihiem.

Malin: Sorry old boy but Hong Kong is the gateway to Asia and China at this point. It's a very easy place to travel to and to get around in and already a great tourist mecca for that part of the world. Much of the technology industry is using Chinese labor to build and develop products and this will create the kind of middle class consumer which Disney parks are aimed at. Add in proximity to Southeast Asia and Australia and you have a loaf of bread being plopped into a hungry marketplace for this kind of product.

Your right coronamouseman in saying that its in great place.But so was DCA and DLP but it hasn't stopped them from floping big time.

DCA has the world famous DL park next door.And if we a meant to belive what Al has said in his D I G Updates its still a big time flop.Ok it will improve with the new Flik and TOT attractions but those attractions take time to build and in that time DCA is still loosing big time money.

And DLP while it make be making money now it took them a few years to and lots of creative booking.And the company is still in debt on that park as well.

I really don't think location is a key factor for success here.Quality is.If people are getting there moneys worth here there will come.If there are not the guest will stay at home.

Hong Kong is a popular city.For business and tourist.Whats going to make them what to take a day away from the city to go to a 2nd rate Disney park.

Malin: When a region has no Disney park, any Disney park will do. DCA was a flop because residents of SoCal were expecting something at least as good as Universal, Knott's or, in their wildest dreams, something akin to Disneyland.

However, if you are in China, you are not that discerning about someplace like Disneyland which you have never seen - anything Disney will be fine.

So, in my opinion, they aren't going to have an issue with the park itself - just about anything they do (and it looks very much like they are going to build a small imitation of Disneyland) will be successful.

coronamouseman
I hope your right.I really do.Disney Theme Parks are drying up and we need at least one new park to be a success.We need Disney to regain confidence in its theme parks.Which it has sadly lost after the DLP mess.

Malin: Actually, I personally believe that the expansion plans of Disney, if all these rumors of a Shanghai park and rumored possible park/attractions in New York are true, will only serve to deflect Disney attention from current parks/resorts. Yes, DS in Paris, DCA and perhaps even DAK in WDW will get more attractions to build them into full-scale parks, but otherwise existing parks will be relegated to "cash cow" status as emphasis on worldwide expansion and "theme park domination" sets in.

As talked about elsewhere in a couple of the other threads, this could be the dawn of a new philosophy by Disney which is based upon less international travel and more regional travel in areas developing a middle class of consumers or already having that kind of population. It also could be a recent realization by Disney that Universal is in a complete shambles from an economic and creative perspective and now is the time for Disney to stake their claims and beat Universal to any of the marketplaces which would appear to be the best ones for theme parks in the coming years.

It will be fun to watch........

Originally posted by coronamouseman
Malin: Actually, I personally believe that the expansion plans of Disney, if all these rumors of a Shanghai park and rumored possible park/attractions in New York are true, will only serve to deflect Disney attention from current parks/resorts. Yes, DS in Paris, DCA and perhaps even DAK in WDW will get more attractions to build them into full-scale parks, but otherwise existing parks will be relegated to "cash cow" status as emphasis on worldwide expansion and "theme park domination" sets in.


I sure hope you're wrong, but I have a feeling that you aren't. It seems to me that the Company is only putting money in the areas that are having difficulties and bleeding money out of all of the successful portions of the company to pay for the short sighted mistakes. I am an optimist by nature, so I am certain that this trend will have to change, and that the company will start focussing once again on quality for all of it's products. Here's hopin'.

Well, if the latest reports of troubles within the Burbank "castle" are true, expansion plans for China will probably be put on hold for awhile .........

Originally posted by malin
Disney Parks are drying up and we need at least one new park to be a success.We need Disney to regain confidence in its theme parks.Which it has sadly lost after the DLP mess.

We DO have a succesful one.

TDS saw 10,000,000 pass through its turnstyles within its first ten months of operation.

And not ONE of these was there on some insipid "kids get in free with a token from a can of Yoo Hoo" or summer discount deal.


And forget the DLP debacle-that is over there, hidden away in Marne-La-Whatever in France.


DCA is a blight in the WDC's eye that will take DECADES to overcome.


Very sad all around.


OLC-buy Disney TODAY!!!!!!!!!

Brad: Give the place 5 years and it will be elevated to at least the status of DS or DAK in WDW (althouigh DAK does have a great execution of its jungle theme).

A few more E-tickets and DCA will be at least passable as a 2nd gate in the Disney tradition ..........

Brad Tokyo Disney doesn't really count in this dicussion as its not own by Disney themselfs.

I think that DCA is coming around nicely.Ok its still needs work to it.But I think this Fliks Fair will be an excellent edition.It may not boost atendance greatly but it will keep people in the park longer.And familys with small children may be more keen to go and spend a day in DCA now that its got more attractions for there kids to do.And it will be less crowded.

The TOT will help a lot as well.

DCA does not deserve the critism it sometimes gets.Its not perfect.But atleast its not as bad as some parks.And like what coronamouseman says give it 5 years.

A little off-topic, but before we rag on DCA's dearth of attractions, let's remember the following...

1. Disneyland opened in 1955 with EIGHT fewer attractions than DCA has.
2. When Disney-MGM Studios opened, the ONLY attractions were the Great Movie Ride (which they should update and bring to DCA) and the Studio Tour.
3. Disney Studios Paris just sucks. Don't even count it.

Well. We all know MGM is pulling out of the Studios at WDW so don't think too hard about the great movie ride being much of a great ride in the future. :eek: So if you want what is remaining after that to come out here to DCA then...

Originally posted by TweedlDee220
Well. We all know MGM is pulling out of the Studios at WDW so don't think too hard about the great movie ride being much of a great ride in the future. :eek: So if you want what is remaining after that to come out here to DCA then...

Just for the record, The Great Movie Ride is actually made up of scenes from all of the major Movie companies (except Universal, of course). RKO, Disney, MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and a few other studios. As a matter of fact, the only location at the Disney-MGM Studios that is solely based on a MGM film is (believe it or not) Min and Bills Dockside Diner. It's a counter service location.

Originally posted by Iceman
Response:

4) The creative benefits of new attractions can't help but make it to the States, as the same Imagineers who design overseas rides work on domestic projects. As for corporate focus, that could be a problem...


Hong Kong Disneyland isn't getting any new attractions though.

I guess this could change if the park does really well though.

OKAY EVERYBODY! YOU LOST ME on several things I discovered while reading this thread

1. the 3rd California park (that's a joke right)
2. the New York park (where in the world did that come from?!)
3. MGM pullout, anyone got the news story for that one?

2. When Disney-MGM Studios opened, the ONLY attractions were the Great Movie Ride (which they should update and bring to DCA) and the Studio Tour.

As someone who was an invited guest at the Grand Opening of the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park in 1989, let me say that statement greatly understates what was there on opening day. It may not have been a "come back tomorrow for more" park at that time, but it was a pretty good full day's experience which included the following attractions:

- The Great Movie Ride
- Backstage Studio Tour (AKA "The Tram Ride")
- The Special Effects Tour
- Indiana Jones Stunt Show
- Animation Tour
- Superstar Television
- Monster Sound Show

And very shortly after opening (hit some delays)...Star Tours.

Not to mention most of the shops and themed restaurants and many smaller live shows. I always felt it was pretty well done and a "money's worth" park at opening. Unlike Animal Kingdom and California Adventure.

Because it could easily be done in a day though, I recall a fast track "CAP" (Capacity EnhAncement Program) being kicked in to quickly "plus" the park with some additional attractions and shows and pump it up a bit, immediately after opening. But overall, I think it was much more "there" than a couple of later parks were.

OLC-buy Disney TODAY!!!!!!!!!




i am close to someone who has worked with them in the past and ive seen how OLC/OLM operates and seen the final product (TDS) they really know what they are doing

OK, just a couple comments on observations so far.

HK is already a tourist destination in a way that Shanghai currently is not and HK is much more of a gateway to that area of the world than Shanghai is. HK is also English friendly (amazing what 99 years of colonial rule will do ;-).

The Brits love DLP & WDW and I would be surprised if Australians & NZers don't take to DLHK. Just like Marne-le-valle, DLHK is very conveniently located from the city. For the fans, DLHK will be the destination with an add-on to HK, for others who might be interested, DLHK might be an add-on to HK visit.

But in order to not experience history again, disney will have to do DLHK well from the beginning. This means not only opening with a park better than with what EuroDisney opened with, but also working within the context and the culture of the area (a political structure which is in the midst of transition...difficult to do). Disney did that in Japan by franchising...the locals knew what the locals would want and there was a potentially *huge* local market. I don't think DLHK will have that size of local market (given current state of transportation infrastructure and future political relations between HK and mainland china), but instead (like Paris) will be relying on visitors from all over. Things have been made easier for DLP as Disney improved the park over time (learned some lessons) and the Eurostar brought a large audience that might not have come to the park before.

I would love to hear responses from people who have some direct experience with that area of the world to let me know if I don't know what I'm talking about. My only experience with HK was a one-week teaching gig and having professional contacts there.

I've been visiting Hong Kong at least 4 times a year since the 1970's (just returned from another trip a week and half ago) and actually lived as an expat there for 2 1/2 years several years ago just before the handover to the PRC. I lived at Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island, MacDonald Road if anyone knows the area and my rent was US$6000 a month for a place that you wouldn't pay $1200 for here in the Los Angeles area! I've traveled regularly to mainland China and most of the rest of Asia for just as long, too.

I'd say your assessment of the HK market is pretty spot on.

The only thing I'd disagree with is your assessment of Euro Disneyland Theme Park when they opened. There was nothing wrong or missing from that park on opening day! IMHO. It was a total gem from day one! And certainly that wasn't the cause of it's early financial woes. It was many other things that certainly weren't related to a sub-par Disney theme park, IMHO.

The only thing I'd disagree with is your assessment of Euro Disneyland Theme Park when they opened. There was nothing wrong or missing from that park on opening day! IMHO. It was a total gem from day one! And certainly that wasn't the cause of it's early financial woes. It was many other things that certainly weren't related to a sub-par Disney theme park, IMHO.
I stand corrected. There are a few current major attractions that had not been built yet, but this is pretty typical for a new park. How about saying that DLHK needs to be as good as DLP was on opening day in order to be successful. ;)