Hong Kong Disneyland Opening Date Unveiled

Hong Kong Disneyland Opening Date Unveiled

Hong Kong Disneyland will officially open its doors on 12 September 2005, and is set to thrill guests with its Main Street U.S.A entrance and three themed lands; Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland. One third of the estimated 5.6 million visitors in the first year of operation are expected to come from the mainland, one third from local Hong Kong residents and one third from the rest of Asia. Hong Kong Disneyland Vice President Marketing and Sales, Roy Tan Hardy, said, "We have been very encouraged by the significant number of enquiries we have received for meetings, conferences and incentive groups. These have ranged from parties of 50 to 1,500, with the largest being a party for 20,000 guests, and for events as far out as 2008. These enquiries are coming from Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, China and as far away as Australia, Germany and the U.S."

The Hong Kong Disneyland project was announced in 1999 as a venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong SAR Government. With the completion of reclamation for Hong Kong Disneyland Phase I by the Hong Kong SAR Government, theme park and resort construction began in January 2003. The Phase I build-out includes a projected 10 million annual visitor Disneyland-style theme park, 2,100 hotel rooms, and an area for retail, dining and entertainment. The project is estimated to create 18,000 new jobs at opening (both Disney and other employment) growing to 36,000 once the first park reaches build-out. The Hong Kong SAR Government estimated that the first phase of the project would generate a present economic value of HK$148 billion (US$19 billion) in benefits to Hong Kong over a 40-year period.