Originally Posted By Scottydem grizzly train sounds amazing with animatronics and all! I love the new Haunted Mansion style. The Toy Story land will be aweome, too. I love anything Toy Story and have high hopes for this land, unlike others. Kids LOVE To Story, and so do adults. I think the biggest success will be the new Fronteirland or Grizzly Trail.
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Actually the projected attendance figures for the park before it first opened were 7 million annually. There are 7 million residents in the HK SAR. All the other parks, with the exception of WDW, have annual attendance that roughly matches the local population... which I take to mean repeat local visitors combined with tourists to the park. It seems to me that HKDL could be a successful locals park if only it had been better designed from the beginning. With its space so limited, you would think that pre-planning how the space would be used ahead of time would be even more important. For some reason this park just doesn't feel like the space has been put to the best use, especially in regards to what kinds of attractions have been built. - Anatole
Originally Posted By HongKongDisneyLand according to Hong Kong Local Newspapers, the proposed new land "Glacier Bay" was rejected by HK Gov't.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Well 4 years later and on the talk about future expansion and this is it huh? Well, I PROMISE to stay positive of course and its always better than nothing, but I have to agree with other posters. For one thing, all the lands sort of just look like they been tacked on, which is strange since I always assumed they had ideas from the very beginning if not implemented. Didnt we always hear about a HM going into AL? And yeah, for them to ALL be outside the train tracks is odd, but that's what happens when you build a MK park the size of DCA . As for the lands, they look okay. I like the Grizzly trail the most I guess even if it still looks pretty small for a Frontierland. The ride sounds cool at least! Mystic Point one seems a little strange to me, I can't figure out what its suppose to be. What it says on the press release is very vague, just a rain forest with supernatural powers. Uh, okay. And yeah, it does seem pretty disconnected for an MK park, but they are being creative at least! And the HM sounds really cool! Toy Story land, eh...I dont mind it being there, but yeah, I would say it would be muuuuch cooler if they made it in the style of Toontown instead of the carnival look and yes, what's wrong with ONE E-ticket attraction to anchor it, like Roger Rabbit does in Toontown? TSMM is the obvious choice, but if not that, then SOMETHING!! At the moment, it seems strictly a kiddie area like FFF, but the rides look a little better at least. But all said and done, they are adding 3 lands with two major rides basically and a bunch of carnies. Doesnt something seem wrong with that picture to you? I dont know, I was hoping they went with the POTC land, that sounded really cool!! If I was in charge, I wouldve just added ONE land, like Grizzly Peak, expand that out a lot, added at least one more E ticket, threw HM in AL and maybe a few more C tickets in FL instead of the Toy Story land. They couldve just found a way to add some of those attractions in that area, why not? So instead of all these little lands, create one big well thought out one and spread the love of some well themed rides in a few of the existing lands, mainly AL and FL. Maybe use the money to make the theming a little stronger where it could be used in existing areas. More pathways, fountains, etc. Again though, just me . It shows the difference in the upcoming projects. I'm still pretty excited for DCA and honestly couldnt believe the changes when I saw it! This stuff, I will definitely go, but not wating with abated breath . BTW, when is all this suppose to be done? Will it open all at once or just rolling openings like they are doing with DCA?
Originally Posted By Britain This is just conjecture here, but the New York Times article talked about the need for exclusive attractions for HKDL in order to help it compete against Shanghai Disneyland. I wouldn't be surprised that a mega-Pirate attraction/land was being designed for both HK and Shanghai, but when HK govt officials dug in their heels about exclusivity, it was removed from HKDL. Like I said, all conjecture here. I have no real info. I dig the new Haunted Mansion! Of course, the trackless system will be perfect for ghostly doombuggies! And I love the cross-pollination going on with Grizzly+Big Thunder. One wonders if WDI is playing a weird game of "design chess" with Jay Rasulo ensuring future projects? By this I mean, if they tie a new Haunted Mansion very close to the TDS Tower of Terror theme, then when the time comes to build a Tower of Terror, they will say, "Can't do Twilight Zone in China, and gee, we can't do that eccentric explorer story either! Guess we'll have to do something new!" "What's that? Time for a raft ride? Let's just clone Grizzly River Rapid... d'oh! How about Kali Riv... hmph, too close to home? Okay, I guess we'll do something new. (Snicker snicker!)" Toy Story Land? Meh, it obviously wasn't designed to attract me. But hey, Hiemlich's Chew-chew Train is one of my kids favorites at DCA. I think we older-Disney fans can get too snobbish and full of ourselves. Now if the ONLY HKDL expansion was Toy Story Land, I'd be disappointed, but check it out, new ideas! I mean, there's NO Little Mermaid ride! No Carsland! Here are two freshly conceived (I'm not going to quite say "brand-new") E-tickets going in. This is great news!
Originally Posted By Anatole69 I don't mean to complain, the etickets sound really interesting... it's just that it comes off to me as too little too late. - Anatole
Originally Posted By irishfan The Runaway Mine train does sound fun, guessing it's going to be a milder version of Everest, as it includes a backwards section and a blast out of the Mountain element.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Man, I have such mixed emotions about this. I love the idea of a trackess HM mansion going in, and this Grizzly Mountain sounds superb!!! So those are now enough to get me saving my pennies to go to HKDL. But TSL, it is as bad as I feared. This is the rubbish they are also putting into WDSP - basicly a disco coaster (has no place in a Disney park IMHO), a parachute ride like Jumping Jelyfish, and a slinky dog themed spinner. No thanks. Yes, I am disappointed about no PotC, and it does seem strange to build 3 minilands, but I am far more stoked about these additions than everything in DCA bar the new Cars E-ticket. I am glad to see them trying to think a little outside the box, and I am serious, it is worth saving up to go now. Any idea on an opening date?
Originally Posted By WorldDisney <<Toy Story Land? Meh, it obviously wasn't designed to attract me. But hey, Hiemlich's Chew-chew Train is one of my kids favorites at DCA. I think we older-Disney fans can get too snobbish and full of ourselves.>> Dont get me wrong, the idea is fine, but like everything at Disney, its the execution that really matters at the end of the day. Like I said, I really dont like the carnival style of the place. It just looks kind of cheap and a throwaway area. I mean Toontown doesnt target me either, but its such a much more richer place, I can still go there, all 35 years old of me, and still enjoy and appreciate it. THAT'S the kind of place Disney use to build. It was still a 'kiddy' area, but one where its fully thought out. Mermaid lagoon at TDS is also another great example. Its all childs stuff, but its so amazing of how it was designed, kids and parents can both enjoy it alot. Now of course, Disney has went closer to the Six Flaggs route with these areas basically just making the theme a cheap layover frankly. No hate though, it is what it is, but I just miss the Disney of old when they still wouldve went all out for these areas. Maybe the actual thing will be stronger than the concept art that shows it.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy I wonder if the rumors flying during the past year about a small train ride being added to the Grizzly Peak area of DCA were really based on people who mistakenly got a glimpse of the Grizzly Trail work being done for HKDL?
Originally Posted By Mr F What the Heck, No Pirate of the Caribbean? It does look like they are leaving room for it either, in Adventureland at least. I don't think I like these new expansion ideas, I'd rather see a traditional style Magic Kingdom Park, verses a Complete deviation from one.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Wouldn't it have been fun if they could make a Grizzly Peak that incorporated both the mine train and a whitewater ride all in one integrated mountain footprint? I expect they will add some sort of water attraction at some point, and I think they miss an opportunity to make something really unique by not doing two attractions here instead of just one.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Well 4 years later and on the talk about future expansion and this is it huh? Well, I PROMISE to stay positive of course and its always better than nothing, but I have to agree with other posters.>> Try and stay positive ... try ... BTW, where's Malin my fellow HKDL lover? They made some major problems when they built the place and they aren't going to be fixed overnight. But at least they have an amazing template to work from. The fundamentals are strong as compared to DCA or DSP (and for the record I enjoy both of those parks as well). <<For one thing, all the lands sort of just look like they been tacked on, which is strange since I always assumed they had ideas from the very beginning if not implemented. Didnt we always hear about a HM going into AL? And yeah, for them to ALL be outside the train tracks is odd, but that's what happens when you build a MK park the size of DCA .>> I am not surprised about the area where Mytsic Manor is going ... and really not surprised about TSL either ... looks like it will branch off just before the transition to A-Land and the infamous fishball cart! But the long thin Grizz area is a bit surprising ... and I certainly get the 'tacked on' opinion ... I thought more room had been set aside inside the berm, but I realized when I visited that that isn't the case. Except the show buildings and castle interior in F-Land, there really isn't much space ... and I think the whole 'moving the train tracks out' was largely a bill of goods almost in the vein of simulator attractions never going stale since they can be frequently reprogrammed (see Imagineer'exec interviews after Star Wars and Body Wars debutted). <<As for the lands, they look okay. I like the Grizzly trail the most I guess even if it still looks pretty small for a Frontierland. The ride sounds cool at least! Mystic Point one seems a little strange to me, I can't figure out what its suppose to be. What it says on the press release is very vague, just a rain forest with supernatural powers. Uh, okay. And yeah, it does seem pretty disconnected for an MK park, but they are being creative at least! And the HM sounds really cool!>> Those are my feelings as well. They are very kewl unique attractions that aren't connected to toons. I'm thrilled with that, especially as I sit here packing for 11 days in Orlando where there is very little getting me excited about visiting. <<Toy Story land, eh...I dont mind it being there, but yeah, I would say it would be muuuuch cooler if they made it in the style of Toontown instead of the carnival look and yes, what's wrong with ONE E-ticket attraction to anchor it, like Roger Rabbit does in Toontown? TSMM is the obvious choice, but if not that, then SOMETHING!! At the moment, it seems strictly a kiddie area like FFF, but the rides look a little better at least.>> To me, I have no problem with this if it isn't really cheap. I wouldn't even be surprised if WDI proposed this as a way of sticking additional funds into the other two 'lands' ... <<But all said and done, they are adding 3 lands with two major rides basically and a bunch of carnies. Doesnt something seem wrong with that picture to you?>> You have to start somewhere. And how much in this economy was Disney going to spend. I have no idea where all the cash/credit is coming from ...and I can't help but think this bodes ill for any major spending to ever come to Orlando's stale parks. <<I dont know, I was hoping they went with the POTC land, that sounded really cool!! If I was in charge, I wouldve just added ONE land, like Grizzly Peak, expand that out a lot, added at least one more E ticket, threw HM in AL and maybe a few more C tickets in FL instead of the Toy Story land. They couldve just found a way to add some of those attractions in that area, why not? So instead of all these little lands, create one big well thought out one and spread the love of some well themed rides in a few of the existing lands, mainly AL and FL. Maybe use the money to make the theming a little stronger where it could be used in existing areas. More pathways, fountains, etc. Again though, just me . It shows the difference in the upcoming projects. I'm still pretty excited for DCA and honestly couldnt believe the changes when I saw it! This stuff, I will definitely go, but not wating with abated breath .>> If I could go to HKDL tomorrow, I would. But that's me. They get all the little things right and that's something they haven't done at MK in well over a decade. So, these new additions will just give me more reasons to visit one of the most amazing, dynamic cities in the world. <<BTW, when is all this suppose to be done? Will it open all at once or just rolling openings like they are doing with DCA?>> I'd bet they will get TSL open the fastest. I wouldn't be shocked to see it open by next year. ... And the other stuff ... later.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<This is just conjecture here, but the New York Times article talked about the need for exclusive attractions for HKDL in order to help it compete against Shanghai Disneyland. I wouldn't be surprised that a mega-Pirate attraction/land was being designed for both HK and Shanghai, but when HK govt officials dug in their heels about exclusivity, it was removed from HKDL.>> I'll bet you anything that Pirates will be added down the road ... and that it likely will be very similar to the one that Shanghai will open with. These attractions are going into HKDL because they won't be going in Shanghai (or likely anywhere else except for the TSL in DSP). The SAR wanted unique items and Disney wasn't going to make the mistake of opening another MK without Pirates so my guess is that it came off the table quickly. Perhaps, Leemac knows the scoop?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I wonder if the rumors flying during the past year about a small train ride being added to the Grizzly Peak area of DCA were really based on people who mistakenly got a glimpse of the Grizzly Trail work being done for HKDL?>> I'm fairly certain those are very different projects although similar in theme, obviously.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Wouldn't it have been fun if they could make a Grizzly Peak that incorporated both the mine train and a whitewater ride all in one integrated mountain footprint? I expect they will add some sort of water attraction at some point, and I think they miss an opportunity to make something really unique by not doing two attractions here instead of just one.>> I'd be shocked if that wasn't considered. The original park plans had a raft ride in Frontierland (albeit the one planned for Disney's America). Prior to the announcement, I speculated with a Disney pal that an integrated mine train coaster/raft ride might be where they were headed if they added a Gold Rush era Frontierland. When I first looked at the plans yesterday I almost thought that was what they were doing.
Originally Posted By jmuboy Could a raft ride (themed to marc davis's Western River Expedition) be added to HKDL? Are the Chinese unhappy about getting wet on amusement rides like the Japanese? If so, it would not work. if they don't care, this park could use a ride that would help people cool off during the day! I can see a rapids ride with a limited number of western scenes adapted from marc davis's ideas. Radis rides can be designed to have sloer / tame section. The AA's could be used in these areas with periods of bumpy wet rapids in between.
Originally Posted By jmuboy I meant to add that the Grizzly / Frontier area is prime for expansion with the large expansion site right there next to the area. Plus all the frontier themed ride ideas that Disney already has.
Originally Posted By leemac <<These attractions are going into HKDL because they won't be going in Shanghai (or likely anywhere else except for the TSL in DSP). The SAR wanted unique items and Disney wasn't going to make the mistake of opening another MK without Pirates so my guess is that it came off the table quickly. Perhaps, Leemac knows the scoop?>> I'm not going into specifics. Naturally the HKSAR government wanted an incredible Disney resort to draw visitors to Hong Kong as tourists. Just being able to draw more visitors from SEZ would be sufficient. I have never seen Shanghai as a direct competitor for Hong Kong - they draw different demographics. That said it would not be smart to have two identical MKs in the same country. The plans need to go before LegCo next week and then Disney will be commenting directly. At present WDP&R has only discussed the specific additions rather than the deal itself.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Naturally the HKSAR government wanted an incredible Disney resort to draw visitors to Hong Kong as tourists. >>> I thought that had been the plan all along, way back to the original announcement in the late 90's. <<< Just being able to draw more visitors from SEZ would be sufficient. >>> I still can't get over that new visa scheme for migrant workers temporarily living in the SEZ: you can get the visa you need to visit HK that you ordinarily can't get, but only if you include HKDL in your tour itinerary (with no other specific-destination restrictions).
