What's next for Hong Kong Disneyland?

[Asa]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/consumer/new-disney-cruise-ship-to-set-sail-from-singapore-from-2025

SINGAPORE - From 2025, a new cruise ship featuring Disney princesses and Marvel superheroes will call Singapore home, as part of a five-year collaboration between the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Disney Cruise Line.

The 208,000-gross-tonne vessel is expected to be the largest cruise ship calling here, as well as the largest ship in Disney’s fleet, said Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations S. Iswaran, who announced the collaboration on Wednesday.

Mr Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said: “We are incredibly excited to make Singapore the home port to our seventh-launched ship, which will sail from here year-round starting in 2025.”

The ship, which is yet to be named, is estimated to be able to carry 6,000 passengers and 2,300 crew members.

When launched, it is expected to feature attractions such as themed restaurants and interactive theatre shows.

It has the potential to add “millions of local and foreign cruise passengers” over the five-year period, including fly-cruise passengers arriving in Singapore by air, Disney and STB said in a media release.

As part of sustainability efforts, the vessel will run on green methanol, a low-emission fuel.

More details regarding the vessel’s maiden voyage and itineraries will be released at a later date.

The ship is expected to call at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, which is one of Asia’s largest cruise terminals.

A subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line currently operates fives ships to destinations including the Caribbean, Europe and Australia, with three more ships planned.

Disney Signature Experiences president Thomas Mazloum said the ship was acquired partially completed in 2022 from Dream Cruises, a brand under Genting Hong Kong, which was liquidated in October.

Construction will be completed at the MV Werften shipyard in Wismar, Germany, under Meyer Werft, which also built three other Disney cruise ships.

At a news conference at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Mr Iswaran said Disney’s decision to base its first ship in South-east Asia here “speaks volumes of our region’s significant potential for cruise tourism”.

Singapore can serve as a gateway to the rest of South-east Asia, he said, noting that the region has been described as the “Caribbean of the East”.

Singapore’s cruise industry is recovering after Covid-19. In 2022, 1.2 million passengers passed through Singapore’s ports.

That was about two-thirds of the numbers seen in 2019, when there were about 1.8 million cruise passengers, Mr Iswaran noted.

That year, the industry contributed $630 million to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), $350 million of which was spent by cruise lines on repairs, bunkering and other port-related services, said Mr Iswaran, who is also Transport Minister.

In 2022, STB said it expected Singapore’s cruise industry to return to pre-pandemic levels between 2023 and 2024.

While Disney and STB had been in talks for many years on possible collaborations, discussions to bring Disney Cruise Line to Singapore kicked into high gear in 2022, said STB chief executive Keith Tan.

The partnership with Disney Cruise Line is expected to provide a sizeable boost to the cruise sector’s contribution to tourism receipts and the country’s GDP, he said, without providing a figure.

In 2017, STB signed a three-year partnership with The Walt Disney Company South-east Asia to bring themed events and activities here.

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Hong Kong lost out on a big deal to Singapore, as Disney Cruise Line announced that they will base their biggest ship in Singapore cruise port for 5 years from 2025.

It goes to show the HK govt's campaign to bring back tourists is more talk than substance.

[Asa]

https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr2022/english/fc/fc/w_q/cedb-cit-e.pdf

In the above LegCo document, the HK govt gave financial information about the existing expansion plans.

• The total project cost of the Plan is estimated at $10.9 billion, being funded by both shareholders of HKDL (i.e. the Government and The Walt Disney Company (TWDC)) through equal and concurrent cash equity injection (i.e. $5,450 million each) into the relevant joint venture (i.e. Hongkong International Theme Parks Limited) based on progress of works.
• HKDL has been actively implementing the Plan. Various new attractions have been rolled out progressively since 2018, including “Moana: A Homecoming Celebration” stage show (2018), “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!” ride (2019), “Castle of Magical Dreams” (2020) and “Follow Your Dreams” daytime stage show (2021).
• As at end March 2022, the Government and TWDC each injected $2,445 million into the above-mentioned joint venture for implementing the Plan (i.e. $4,890 million in total).

That means the park has yet to receive something close to $500 million to be spent on its expansion. Obviously the plan is to build the Marvel E-ticket. But will it come to pass? Bob Chapek seems to have killed the idea but now Bob Iger is back in charge the plan might be revived.

[Asa]

The world's largest Legoland is scheduled to open next year in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. The whole resort occupies 580k sq m and will include 1 theme park, 1 water park and 3 hotels.

[manifest]

There is no way Legoland is going to do anything to Hong Kong Disneyland's attendance...if anybody cares about the quality of the park at least. Unless this one is somehow different than any other Legoland in the world it's going to be terrible.

BTW, Asa, I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your updates. It's the only reason I come on to this site. Keep up the good work.

[Asa]

Calling All Heroes: Avengers and Heroes of Tomorrow Assemble! Video courtesy Disney Magical Kingdom Blog.

Starting from TODAY (April 28) to June 22, 2023, they will recruit the next generations of superheroes in #HongKongDisneyland! Fresh from fighting throughout the Multiverse, various Marvel Super Heroes debut in a brand-new, immersive processional at Hong Kong Disneyland. The Tomorrowland Stage is the ultimate destination, as the “Calling All Heroes: Avengers and Heroes of Tomorrow Assemble!” processional arrives, led by the Avengers Deployment Vehicle. Join your favorite Marvel Super Heroes as they assemble in a super processional lineup. What's more, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents will welcome guests big and small to join the team as “heroes of tomorrow.”

Be sure to gear up in your best hero attire to grab the attention of the Marvel Super Heroes. In addition, don’t forget to drop-by the Expo Assembly Station, in costume or civilian clothing, to collect your Hero Badge* to walk side by side with Marvel Super Heroes in the processional and have a chance to appear on the giant LED screen at the Tomorrowland Stage. Surrounded by music and stage effects, you will answer the Marvel Super Heroes’ call and join the Avengers as a new hero!

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The show is kind of simple. All the Marvel characters are just posing around. This is quite childish and boring. It will be better to have a proper Avengers/Marvel superhero show.



I really hope HKDL can bring in the Dr Strange Show and build a proper theatre for it. The theatre could be themed to the Hong Kong Sanctum as depicted in the Doctor Strange (2016) movie.

[JPPT1974]

To be honest never been on a cruise before in my 48 years on this earth and going to a Disney one could be very cool.

[Asa]

HKDL Arendelle will feature enhanced animatronics according to HKDL Fantasy.

[Asa]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsH7P7VPCiN/

“Recently our Walt Disney Imagineering project team members and cast members at @hkdisneyland were among the very first people to ride Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, an exclusive attraction opening in the second half of this year at World of Frozen in Hong Kong. Check out their reactions in this #FirstLookfromHKDL!”

HKDL CEO Michael Moriaty shared a video of Disney personnel test riding the new Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleights.

[josh_kslow]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjD-aeP4Y0

[josh_kslow]

"Dream Makers" - Walt Disney & Mickey's statue unveiling in October 2023
World Of Frozen opening in November 2023

[josh_kslow]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsQXQCIoHEX/

[Asa]

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/252472/Disney-in-red---but-hope's-building-up

Disney in red - but hope's building up



Eunice Lam

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is in the red for the eighth consecutive year, although its net loss shrank 12 percent to HK$2.1 billion last year, when Covid's fifth wave hit.

And the theme park's management is confident its financial condition will improve.

Now open five days a week, the park will resume six or seven days of operation from the middle of next month, with the Hollywood Hotel - suspended during the pandemic - to reopen on July 14.

In November it will open the first-of-its-kind World of Frozen, which will recreate the Arendelle town of Elsa and Anna in the hit animated movies. It will feature two attractions: the Frozen-themed coaster and Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleighs.

Both ticket and annual pass sales reached historic highs, with the turnout rising 22 percent to 3.4 million, mostly locals, and revenue surging 31 percent to HK$2.2 billion.

The 18-year-old theme park on Lantau Island only operated for 190 days, about half of the calendar days in the last financial year, due to nearly three-and-a-half months of mandatory closure ordered by the government, social distancing curbs and the park's five-day operation week.

The overall occupancy of the resort's hotels edged up by 3 percentage points to 24 percent, despite the flagship Disneyland Hotel being the only one operating out of three hotels throughout the pandemic.

Walt Disney Co in the United States has deferred Hong Kong Disneyland's royalty payments for the financial year 2021-22, while the company has upsized its facility for the park from HK$2.1 billion to HK$2.7 billion since last November.

The never-disclosed royalties accounted for 5 to 10 percent of revenue.

Managing director Michael Moriarty said despite the headwinds the park is seeing improvements in its results. He added: "We are focusing on returning to profitability as soon as we can. We are optimistic about summer for both our business and the travel trade." The park has no plans to increase ticket prices in the short term, Moriarty said.

He said the park is making a strong comeback as the city reopens, with a strong Easter last month and the number of mainland and Southeast Asian visitors rebounding to prepandemic levels.

Moriarty hoped local visitors, and those from the mainland and overseas, could each account for one-third of visitor numbers in the coming financial year.

"The market is recovering and we don't have a crystal ball on where the market is going or how fast it's recovering. But what I can say right now is that we're better than the market," he said.

The park has been prudent in cost management but more flights into Hong Kong are needed to further boost visitors figures so the park could resume all-year-round operation.

The park would also retain its reservation system as it was effective in managing the park's capacity, Moriarty said.

The park is still looking for 1,000 extra staff to strengthen its services. About 300 employees were hired during a job fair in the park in February, while another job fair in March targeted vacancies in the three hotels.

The park plans to hire temporary staff during the summer holiday and will hold job fairs this year.

By September 30 last year, it had 6,100 staff - 4,700 full-time and 1,400 part-time.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Board said 2.89 million visitors came to Hong Kong last month, up 18 percent year on year and equivalent to 58 percent of prepandemic numbers. Almost 80 percent, or 2.3 million visitors, were mainlanders.

"With the last weekend of the month preceding the Labor Day Golden Week, the number of mainland visitors showed a remarkable increase," it said.

"For other markets, with the Easter holidays and the end of Ramadan, visitors from Southeast Asian markets also recorded a relatively large increase."

[email protected]

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As expected Arenedelle World of Frozen will open in November, the traditional low tourist season. It will help to attract more tourists to visit the park during that month. (BTW, It is also cheaper to fly executives, media and influencers over to HK in Nov.)

Also in other reports, the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue will open in October.

[Asa]

https://topick.hket.com/article/3527145/%E3%80%90%E8%BF%AA%E5%A3%AB%E5%B0%BC%E3%80%91%E6%B6%88%E6%81%AF%EF%BC%9A%E6%BC%AB%E5%A8%81%E5%9C%92%E5%8D%80%E5%BE%A9%E7%94%A6%E7%A9%A9%E5%AE%9A%E6%89%8D%E5%95%9F%E5%8B%95%E3%80%80%E4%B8%8B%E5%8D%8A%E5%B9%B4%E9%9B%86%E4%B8%AD%E7%81%AB%E5%8A%9B%E9%AD%94%E9%9B%AA%E5%9C%92%E5%8D%80%E9%96%8B%E5%B9%95?mtc=10012

The above report by Hong Kong Economic Times said HKDL has not given up on the Marvel expansion. They claim the money is already allocated and they are just waiting on how HKDL will recover post-pandemic, before deciding on how best to proceed. There are thousands of Marvel characters and they want to choose the most suitable ones for the market. Avengers was big in 2019 with Avengers Endgame but today is 2023 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is the latest success. So HKDL wants to wait a while and see.

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Honestly I don't think HKDL has much of a choice. I'm sure the Marvel ride that will be built will be a clone of something already built or being developed in the other parks.

• King Thanos vs Avengers (DCA)
• WEBslingers: A Spider-Man( Adventure DCA and WDSP)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind (EPCOT)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout (DCA)
• Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts

If I were to put a bet on it, then it will be the King Thanos Multiverse ride. For one thing I think it will be quite an expensive ride and I don't think DCA can afford it on its own. So HKDL's contribution on its design and filming costs will be very important. Personally I really hope that we can get the Dr Strange theatre show to go with the King Thanos ride.

[Asa]

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/252693/Magic-still-there,-says-Disneyland

Magic still there, says Disneyland



Eunice Lam

People should have confidence in Hong Kong Disneyland as it has delivered HK$116 billion in economic benefits since 2005, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung says, amid questions from legislators on when the theme park will break even after being in the red for eight consecutive years.

Speaking at a Legislative Council panel meeting on economic development yesterday, Election Committee legislator Andrew Lam Siu-lo said: "Since the park opened in 2005 it only got surpluses for three years, and the rest were all recorded deficits.

"When can the park make ends meet? We have been investing in the park for so many years, but it has remained in the red."

The 18-year-old Disneyland Resort on Lantau, which is owned by joint venture company Hongkong International Theme Parks with shareholders the Hong Kong government and Walt Disney Co, has just revealed a HK$2.1 billion deficit for last year.

But the park said its ticket and annual pass sales reached new highs and visitor numbers were up by 22 percent to 3.4 million - most of them locals - while revenue rose by 31 percent to HK$2.2 billion.

Yeung also said the park has raised HK$116 billion for Hong Kong over 18 years, accounting for 0.3 percent of the city's gross domestic product.

He added that the park will open a new feature, World of Frozen, in November.

"We can see they have expansion plans," Yeung said. "They have confidence in their future. Otherwise they would not inject more money. We want to be able to break even. If there is a profit that would be great.

"Second, it will drive Hong Kong's overall economic development."

Frozen World recreates the Arendelle town where animated movie characters Elsa and Anna lived. It will feature the first Frozen-themed coaster and Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleighs.

In response to legislators' questions about Disneyland's financial performance, managing director Michael Moriarty said recovery will take time as airline flight capacity and tourist numbers have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

"The recovery is just a few months old," he said. "We're still learning about the pace of our recovery and how fast that will go."

Currently only open five days a week, the park will resume six or seven days of operations next month, with the Hollywood Hotel - closed during the pandemic - to reopen on July 14.

A job fair was held at the park in February, and another fair in March targeted vacancies in the three Disneyland hotels.

The park is also planning to hire temporary staff during the summer.

As of September 30 last year Disneyland had 4,700 full-time employees and 1,400 part-timers.

[email protected]

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There were many interesting suggestions by LegCo members on how to improve the resort's finances, including a suggestion of property development in the second phase land. But I guess nothing will happen for the time being in that area.

[Asa]

Arenedelle doesn't look so great from the back.

[Asa]

Cast members test ride Frozen Ever After.

It looks really quite good so far. Just a shame that there apparently is no splashing at the end.

[Asa]

https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/4/253106/dream-makers-pass-on-magic

Dream makers pass on magic



Trevor Tang

Hong Kong Disneyland is looking for "new faces" to represent the theme park, interact with visitors and reach out to the community.

That comes as Lily Chan from Hong Kong and Tony Dick from South Africa are nearing the end of their tenures this year.

Their pathways to the ambassadors were not entirely smooth. Chan was initially an introvert from the park's human resources department without any stage experience, while Dick was a Disneyland performer and singer but encountered a huge barrier with Cantonese.

The unprecedented combination has made them learn from each other.

Chan recently emceed in the "Youth Dare to Dream" ceremony that provides occupational training for local and ethnic minority youths.

When push came to shove, she came out of her shell in a lively, cheerful and professional show.

She and two other young women wrote their own scripts, confidently taking more than 100 young people through their options.

Chan hopes to use her experience to encourage the youths to pursue their dreams: "Even though it is hard, as long as you have courage and persistence, a small wish can come true too!"

She was not the only one to make inroads as Dick, the first non-Chinese ambassador, had a steep learning curve in picking up Cantonese to get closer to the guests and cast members.

However, music is, for him, the most sophisticated language.

And that came through in one of his most significant responsibilities as an ambassador, which was to deliver the enchanting spirit of the resort to communities in need.

That saw Dick help Jarvis, a 10-year-old child with a rare disease, to hold a "mini-concert" at the resort in April.

"Through music, I connected with Jarvis. Music made Jarvis bravely face his illness, and music also made my dreams come true," he said.

In their past two years under Covid-19, Chan and Dick also filmed a creative series of educational and entertaining videos for free for those sick children and families in need.

They also visited Disneyland Resort in California to attend the "D23 Expo" and got to meet global Disney fans and the world's first Disney ambassador.

With Dick and Chan stepping down at the end of this year, the program is open to applicants and will close on Monday, and the two are encouraging all eligible full-time cast members to give themselves a chance to be dream makers.

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HKDL seems to be pushing its recruitment drive.