Hong Kong Disneyland facts for kids
{{Stack|float=right|
 |
|
|
|
| Location | Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 22°18′48″N 114°02′36″E / 22.31333°N 114.04333°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 12 September 2005 |
| Owner | Disney |
| Operated by | Hong Kong International Theme Parks |
| Theme | Fairy tales, adventure, America, future and Disney characters |
| Slogan | The happiest place on earth Believe in Magic |
| Website | Hong Kong Disneyland Homepage |
| Hong Kong Disneyland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front entrance of Disneyland
|
|||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 香港迪士尼樂園 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 香港迪士尼乐园 | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Hong Kong Disneyland (Chinese: 香港迪士尼樂園), also known as HKDL, is a fun theme park in Hong Kong. It is built on land created from the sea in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. This park is part of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. It is the biggest theme park in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Disneyland first opened its doors on 12 September 2005. When building the park, Disney made sure to include parts of Chinese culture and traditions. For example, they followed the rules of feng shui, which is about arranging things to bring good energy. A special bend was even put in a walkway so good energy would not flow away into the sea.
The park has seven exciting areas. These are Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land. The people who work at the park, called cast members, speak Cantonese, English, and Mandarin. You can also find maps in Chinese and English.
Hong Kong Disneyland can welcome 34,000 visitors every day. In its first year, 5.2 million people visited the park. Over the years, millions of guests have enjoyed the magic of Hong Kong Disneyland. In 2013, it was the 13th most visited theme park in the world. The park is mostly owned by the Hong Kong Government (53%) but Disney helps manage it.
Contents
History of Hong Kong Disneyland
How the Park Started
The land for Hong Kong Disneyland was made by filling in Penny's Bay. Before this, the bay was mostly empty.
The leader of Hong Kong at the time, Tung Chee-hwa, helped bring the Disneyland project to the city. After a health crisis in 2003, it was hoped that the new Disneyland would help bring more tourists and confidence back to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Disneyland was built very quickly compared to other Disney parks. On 12 January 2003, a special ceremony was held to start building the park. Many important people from Disney and the Hong Kong government were there. On 23 September 2004, the tallest part of Sleeping Beauty Castle was put in place.
The park officially opened on 12 September 2005. The then-leader of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang, and Disney leaders like Michael Eisner and Bob Iger were present. Even China's Vice President, Zeng Qinghong, came to show support.
Park Expansions
In January 2012, Hong Kong Disneyland started talking about adding new attractions. They planned to invest money to make the park even bigger. This could include new shops and hotels.
In 2013, it was announced that a new night parade, "Disney Paint The Night Parade," would be built. Also, a new area based on Marvel characters was planned. The "Iron Man Experience" ride was confirmed in October 2013.
On 17 February 2014, Hong Kong Disneyland announced a third hotel. This hotel, called Disney Explorers Lodge, opened on 30 April 2017. It has 750 rooms and an adventure theme.
The park also had space for a second theme park, but in September 2020, the Hong Kong Government decided not to extend the option to buy that land.
On 22 November 2016, Disney and the Hong Kong Government announced a big plan to expand the park over several years. This plan includes:
- A Frozen-themed area (opened in 2021).
- A Marvel-themed area (opening in stages from 2018 to 2023).
- A redesigned Sleeping Beauty Castle (opened in 2020).
- A new Moana stage show (opened in 2018).
On 24 May 2018, the "Moana: a Homecoming Celebration" show opened in Adventureland. More details were shared about upcoming projects. The "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!" ride opened in 2019. The new castle was unveiled in 2020 for the park's 15th anniversary. The Frozen area will have a ride like Frozen Ever After and a family roller coaster called Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs.
Park Closures During COVID-19
The park had to close several times because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- It first closed on 26 January 2020 and reopened on 18 June 2020.
- It closed again from 15 July to 25 September 2020.
- A third closure happened on 2 December 2020, with the park reopening on 19 February 2021.
- The park closed for a fourth time on 7 January 2022 and reopened on 21 April 2022.
When the park reopened, it had strict rules like fewer guests, social distancing, temperature checks, and mandatory face masks.
Park Layout and Attractions
The park is divided into different "lands," each with its own special theme. When you enter a land, you feel completely surrounded by its theme. This makes it feel like you are stepping into a different world. The public areas cover about 27.4 hectares (67.7 acres).
When the park first opened, it had four main themed areas:
- Main Street, U.S.A.: Looks like an early 20th-century American town.
- Adventureland: Features exciting jungle-themed adventures.
- Fantasyland: Brings to life characters from fairy tales and Disney movies.
- Tomorrowland: Shows an exciting vision of the future.
On 30 June 2009, the Hong Kong Government approved an expansion. The park gained three new themed lands:
- Toy Story Land: Based on the Toy Story movies. It opened on 18 November 2011.
- Grizzly Gulch: Looks like an old mining town. It opened on 14 July 2012.
- Mystic Point: A mysterious rain forest where strange things happen. It opened on 17 May 2013.
On 2 May 2017, another expansion was approved, adding two more new lands:
- Arendelle: The World of Frozen: Themed after the popular Disney movie Frozen. It is set to open in 2022.
- Stark Expo: Where guests can join Marvel superheroes to fight villains. It is set to open in 2023.
Throughout the park, you can find 'Hidden Mickeys'. These are subtle shapes of Mickey Mouse's head hidden in the designs of rides and decorations. An elevated Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad also circles the park.
Lands of Hong Kong Disneyland
The park currently has seven themed areas with rides, shops, restaurants, and shows.
Main Street, U.S.A.
This area is like the Main Street in Disneyland in California. It looks like a small American town from the early 1900s. It serves as the main entrance to the park. Some restaurants here mix American and Chinese styles, showing how different cultures can come together.
Adventureland
Hong Kong Disneyland's Adventureland is the largest among all Disney parks. It has a big island with Tarzan's Treehouse. You can also take a Jungle Cruise (Jungle River Cruise) around the island. The "Festival of the Lion King" show is also here. The new "Moana: a Homecoming Celebration" show opened here in May 2018.
Fantasyland
Castle of Magical Dreams is the main symbol of Fantasyland. This area has many attractions based on Disney movies. You can find rides like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and It's a Small World. There are also gardens where you can meet Disney characters and a Fairy Tale Forest.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland has a modern, metallic look with blue and purple colors. It has unique rides like Autopia and Stitch Encounter. The first ever Marvel attraction in a Disney park, "The Iron Man Experience," opened here in January 2017. The "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!" ride opened in March 2019, replacing an older ride.
Toy Story Land
Opened on 18 November 2011, Toy Story Land was the first new themed area added to the park. It is designed to make you feel like you've shrunk to the size of a toy. Giant bamboo acts like tall grass, and you'll see huge characters like Woody and Rex. This land was first unique to Asia, but now similar versions exist in other Disney parks.
Grizzly Gulch
Opened on 14 July 2012, Grizzly Gulch is like an old, abandoned mining town. It is surrounded by mountains and forests. The main attraction is the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars roller coaster. The town is said to have been founded on 8 August 1888, a very lucky day!
Mystic Point
Mystic Point opened on 17 May 2013. It is set in a mysterious rain forest where strange and supernatural things happen. The main attraction is Mystic Manor, which is the home of Lord Henry Mystic, a world traveler. His mischievous monkey, Albert, also lives there.
Future Areas
Arendelle: World of Frozen
This new land will be themed after the popular movie Frozen. It will have two rides: a sleigh-style family roller coaster and a Frozen dark ride similar to one at EPCOT. It was originally planned for 2020 but was delayed to late 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stark Expo
Part of Tomorrowland will become a Marvel-themed area. This big expansion will include the "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!" ride, which opened in 2019. A major new ride based on the Avengers will also be built, planned to be ready by 2023.
Entertainment and Celebrations
Hong Kong Disneyland holds special events for holidays. These include "Disney's Haunted Halloween," "A Sparkling Christmas," and "Disney's Chinese New Year."
Entertainment
Disney Paint the Night
"Paint the Night" is a colorful parade that started on 11 September 2014. It is the first Disney parade to use only LED lights. It has seven special floats with over 740,000 lights. The team spent over two years designing this amazing parade.
Follow Your Dreams and Momentous
After the Sleeping Beauty Castle was changed into the Castle of Magical Dreams, new daytime and nighttime shows were introduced.
Follow Your Dreams is a daytime show that started on 30 June 2021. It is the park's first outdoor castle stage show. Mickey Mouse and his friends inspire the audience to never give up on their dreams.
Momentous is a spectacular nighttime show that began on 18 June 2022. It tells stories about life using Disney and Pixar characters and music. Both shows were planned for 2020 but were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We Love Mickey" Projection Show
This nightly show projects colorful images onto the buildings of Main Street, U.S.A.. It celebrates important moments in Mickey Mouse's history. It was created to entertain guests while the castle was being transformed.
Park Celebrations
Hong Kong Disneyland organizes many shows and events for holidays to attract more visitors.
One special event was Disney's Haunted Halloween. It was the only Disney park to celebrate Halloween with scary walk-through attractions. These attractions were spooky but still kept Disney's family-friendly style. This event was later changed to the Disney Halloween Time event.
Amenities
Hong Kong Disneyland offers free birthday badges to guests celebrating their birthday. You can also ask cast members for special Disneyland-themed stickers. Each sticker features a different Disney character.
Hong Kong Disneyland: The Grand Opening Celebration Album
This album was the soundtrack for the grand opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. It includes Cantonese and Mandarin versions of popular Disney songs. The album also came with a DVD of music videos.
Public Transport
MTR
You can easily get to the park by MTR (Hong Kong's subway system). There is a special Disneyland Resort line that takes you directly to the Disneyland Resort station. From there, you can transfer to the Tung Chung line at Sunny Bay station to reach other parts of Hong Kong. The trains on this line are specially designed and run automatically without drivers.
Bus
_10-07-2018.jpg)
Several bus routes also serve the Disneyland Resort.
- Route R8 runs all day between Disneyland and the Lantau Link Toll Plaza.
- On weekends and public holidays, routes R33 and R42 offer direct service from other areas like Tuen Mun and Tai Wai.
- Special bus routes operate for big events at the park.
- Some trips of Citybus route B5 also go via Disneyland.
Criticisms
Overcrowding Problems
Before the park officially opened, some people worried it might not be able to handle all the visitors. This problem became clear on a special preview day in September 2005. About 30,000 people visited, and there were very long lines for food (45 minutes) and rides (up to 2 hours).
The park was asked to let fewer people in each day. They tried to help by staying open an hour longer and offering discounts on weekdays. However, visitors often stayed for a long time, which made the problem difficult to solve.
During Chinese New Year in 2006, many people with tickets were not allowed into the park because it was full. Some visitors even tried to climb over the gates. Because of this, Disneyland changed its ticket rules. For busy times like holidays, you now need a ticket for a specific date. They also changed prices to encourage people to visit on weekdays.
Public Relations
At first, Disney did not share how many people visited the park. This was because some news reports said the numbers were lower than expected. On 24 November 2005, Disney finally announced that over 1 million guests had visited in the first two months.
To attract more visitors, Hong Kong Disneyland offered discounts to Hong Kong residents. For example, from March to June 2006, residents could buy a two-day ticket for the price of a one-day ticket.
Attendance
| Worldwide
Rank |
Year | Attendance | Net change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 2006 | 5,200,000 | ||
| 21 | 2007 | 4,150,000 | −1,050,000 | -20.1 |
| 18 | 2008 | 4,500,000 | +350,000 | +8.4 |
| 17 | 2009 | 4,600,000 | +100,000 | +2.2 |
| 16 | 2010 | 5,200,000 | +600,000 | +13 |
| 15 | 2011 | 5,900,000 | +700,000 | +13.5 |
| 14 | 2012 | 6,700,000 | +800,000 | +13.6 |
| 14 | 2013 | 7,400,000 | +700,000 | +10.4 |
| 15 | 2014 | 7,600,000 | +200,000 | +2.7 |
| 19 | 2015 | 6,800,000 | -800,000 | -9.3 |
| 17 | 2016 | 6,100,000 | -700,000 | -10.3 |
| 18 | 2017 | 6,200,000 | +100,000 | +1.6 |
| 16 | 2018 | 6,700,000 | +500,000 | +8.1 |
| 21 | 2019 | 5,695,000 | -1,005,000 | -15.7 |
| 22 | 2020 | 1,700,000 | -3,995,000 | -70.1 |
Due to rules from the Hong Kong government, the park closed several times in 2020. This caused a big drop in visitors.
In Popular Culture
- In the 2012 Indian film Podaa Podi, a song about a father and son was filmed at Hong Kong Disneyland. This made it the first Tamil film to be shot there.
- The popular Indian TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah filmed several episodes at Hong Kong Disneyland. The characters explored the park's attractions.
See also
In Spanish: Hong Kong Disneyland para niños
- Shanghai Disneyland
- List of lands at Disney theme parks
