Originally Posted By SuperDry From Tuesday's South China Morning Post: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/cbn2z8" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/cbn2z8</a> <<< The Walt Disney Company has halted all creative and design work on the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland, cutting more than 30 jobs. ... Contracts with several architectural and consulting firms would also be suspended as a result... Yesterday's job cuts reduced the size of Walt Disney Imagineering's Hong Kong-based team to a skeleton crew of about 10 staff. Those laid off included two Americans and three or four Britons, while the rest were local employees... "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 Hong Kong Disneyland," Walt Disney parks and resorts spokesman Leslie Goodman said. "The uncertainty of the outcome requires us to immediately suspend all creative and design work on the project." A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said ... "We consider that The Walt Disney Company's laying off of Walt Disney Imagineers who have been working on the design of Hong Kong Disneyland's expansion will not be conducive to the discussions, and are puzzled by the company's decision," the spokesman said. "We have expressed grave concern about the decision and urged the company to reconsider." >>> Not good.
Originally Posted By Mr X Could this be the first Disney park to end up closing its' doors? Had to happen sometime! Yikes. I'm not a big fan of the park, but I certainly *was* hoping things would improve over time (after all, it's the second closest Disney resort to my home, and I love Hong Kong so I want good reasons to return!)! This seems like a big step backwards.
Originally Posted By RockyMtnMinnie When I first heard that the Disney Co was building the park with the Chinese Government, I had bad feelings about the eventual outcome of this one.
Originally Posted By SuperDry HKDL is not built with the "Chinese Government" but with the local Hong Kong government, which operates independently and without tax money flowing in either direction between it and the central Chinese gov't. It's a totally different situation than what will happen in Shanghai.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I do wonder how this will affect Shanghai. If they can't get this park to work out well with one government, what makes them think that they will have much success with another? Theme parks are a luxury item. From my understanding, China does not really have the disposable income for a lot of luxury items. It may be getting better, but if the people of Hong Kong don't think it's worth it, why would people with far less money be willing to pay for a Disney park? And is HKDL really doing that poorly? I knew that it has been below the goals, but I thought it was still managing to do respectable business. With the addition of TDR-style events and festivals, it seems like it's becoming a fairly successful locals' park. I would be very surprised to see the park get shut down, but I'm also a little surprised to see them completely stop all creative work. I'm sure that this is a business/bargaining move/threat as much as anything, but it still seems pretty drastic. I hope things work out better, because it really is quite a charming park that they have there. "Could this be the first Disney park to end up closing its' doors?" Nope, River Country beat them to it. : )
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<"We have expressed grave concern about the decision and urged the company to reconsider." >> Working in China last year, I learned very quickly that it was never a good sign when officials used the term 'grave.' I have no idea what this means (paging Leemac to the thread ... ) but it certainly doesn't sound good. The park is a beautiful little place that desperately needs expansion. Playing hard ball isn't smart on either side.
Originally Posted By Anatole69 >>I do wonder how this will affect Shanghai. If they can't get this park to work out well with one government, what makes them think that they will have much success with another? Theme parks are a luxury item. From my understanding, China does not really have the disposable income for a lot of luxury items.<< For one, they built the park on the cheap with a lot of film based attractions. So already there was little reason for the locals to visit the place more than once... and yet many of them have, despite the lack of things to do past the first visit. Also HK Disneyland has really good merchandise sales, second only to Tokyo if I remember the statistic correctly. The market could support a Disney park, just one that was better built from the get-go. Now that the economy has soured, it's a bad time to find funds to reinvest in the park... at least from a government source. DisCo only has itself to blame for the fix it is in now. So Shanghai is a different story. Though I second the reservations about getting into bed with the Chinese government. - Anatole
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Also there is a growing middle class in Shanghai and a extremely large population. Not to mention that it is an international tourist destination... so the market is there. - Anatole
Originally Posted By Mr X ***it was never a good sign when officials used the term 'grave.'*** Is it EVER a good sign when ANYONE uses the term 'grave'? Sorry, but this reminds me... Cruise: Was Private Santiago, in your estimation, in danger? Nicolson: Yes. Cruise: Grave danger? Nicolson: Is there any other kind?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Is it EVER a good sign when ANYONE uses the term 'grave'? >>> Kind of like the term "dire."
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Wow, that's awful!! So I wonder what does this mean for the park now? How the hell do they expect to apprvoe attendence beyound the 4 million something they have gotten the last few years besides continuing to discount the hell out of the thing? I mean, they have to expand it ONE day right?? Are they just going to wait 5 years or make it a park with nothing but seasonal events and cheap B ticket attractions like Stitch and UFO Zone? Yeah, that will bring in the crowds {sarcasm}. I'm with X, I'm not the biggest fan of this park, but of course you want and hope it gets better, especially it being in one of my favorite cities to visit. I think DCA sucks but its obviously getting better now because SOMEONE finally saw the need to expand it to at least bring it to a more exciting and fully experienced place. With HKDL, it DESPERATELY needs to be improved on or its going be in mothballs in a few years, especially if the Shanghai park really happens, its going to dry up all the people from the mainland who were going to Hong Kong just to visit that park. So if it doesnt improve by then, then what? I managed to enter that park 4 times and it has never been anywhere close to crowded. I think maybe the first time I went was the biggest and that was about 3 months after it opened and I doubt it was more then 10,000 people in it. I'm guessing at this point Disney and the HK government probably regret building this thing. If none of them cant even bite the bullet and inject some capital into a sitting turkey, maybe they will just sadly let the thing run as a skeleton park, pray the eek out some tiny profit and call it a day. Meanwhile the rest of us will be heading to REAL Disney experiences . I hate to say, 'I told you so.', but I did ;D.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Recessions don't last forever. Historically .. the world has come out of them. Disney needs to see beyond that immediately troubled hill. Or it's going to be the death of them. So, how many attractions does the park have now? 12? 13? Woop-tee-doo!
Originally Posted By oc_dean Pardon here .. for a moment. Got to count it out: 1. Disneyland Railroad 2. Festival of the Lion King 3. Jungle Cruise 4. island/Tarzan's Treehouse 5. Mickey's Philharmagic 6. Pooh 7. carousel 8. Dumbo 9. 'it's a small world' 10. Space Mountain 11. Buzz 12. Stitch Encounter 13. Astro Orbitor 14. Autopia Okay .. so I missed one. And I'm not counting Main St. Vehicles, or the children's playzone in FantasylandSciFiToontown (other known as "Tomorrowland") or that garden area in Fantasyland. Those things are more "side shows" than 'Headliner Attractions'.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Sad little line-up ... for a park that really needs to 'take off' like gangbusters! It opened in late 2006, right? Three years later ... this is it, and they want to leave it, as is, for a several more? Not good.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***4. island/Tarzan's Treehouse*** Hey buddy. These happen to be two DIFFERENT attractions (and the 2 second raft ride out to the island is yet another!).
Originally Posted By Mr X (it was a funny moment when WD and myself were standing there in Adventureland counting attractions and he pointed that out to me...yikes)
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Actually, HKDL opened up in September 2005 which makes it more sad. This park will be 4 years old soon. I mean yes, thats a sad line up. They have added a few since, about 3 from your list including IASW last year of course which tells you this park started off with around a dozen attractions at opening. Thats pathetic. I'm guessing this is the smallest start up MK park ever created. Its even more sad when the park was originally announced, the park started off at around 25 attractions and TWO additional lands, Toontown and Frontierland. Now look where we are. I think Disney should make a rule when they build these parks, especially in a new market like Hong Kong, that EVERY park should have at least around 20 attractions at opening (and I'm not talking about character ops or UFO zone, but REAL attractions) or dont bother. Also, have a SET plan of additions over the next few years so the same people will have a reason to keep coming back until the park until the park is fully built up to an accptable level within a decade after opening (Take notes guys in Shanghai ). I'm not talking about WDW or even DLR, I'm saying NEW markets here, I mean this should be a no-brainer. I still laugh when some people complain TDS doesnt have enough to do even though it opened with 30 attractions, some highly original and innovative ones to boot, on opening day and is next to a full day MK park. Seriously, if they are complaining about THAT, I cant imagine how people feel about a park with 12 measely attractions with the biggest headliners being JC and SM. But yes, I think the real problem and what was needed in many of these half day parks was to have a REAL plan to expand these parks within 1-2 years of opening, a second phase if you will , which Disney USE to do at least, but even that doesnt happen anymore. I mean look at DAK, DCA, WDSP and this park. NONE of them had any real plans at opening on how to expand after opening even though they CLEARLY were lacking enough to do, but it took years for most of these parks to get real additions. It shouldnt take more then 5 years to get an E ticket ride when these parks barely had one at opening. The fact these people built a half @$$ park, never put aside the funds and plans from day ONE to have a second phase in place is pretty sad. Cut to 2009, they built Autopia and IASW, two things that shouldve been a no brainer and there on opening day with about another 10 additioanl attractions. Now the park is severely hurting, the two parties keep pointing the fingers at each other why its in such a dire mess and no one wants to foot the bill to bring the park up to the level it shouldve been waaaay back in 2005. I have a feeling HKDL is going to be the albatros around the companies neck for a long time to come.
