Tag: Hong Kong

Marvel’s Iron Man Experience Set to Open Late 2016 in Hong Kong Disneyland

Finally! After getting so ecstatic about the latest installment from the Avengers series Captain America: Civil War, kids and kids-at-heart will get to enjoy one of the first Marvel ride-through attractions in Hong Kong Disneyland late this 2016 as HK Disneyland recently announced that ride system tests have begun for Marvel’s Iron Man Experience.

It doesn’t matter which side you are on, but we’re sure even non-Iron Man fans will love the Disney experience when cult favorite Mr. Stark finally ushers in the Stark Expo, Tomorrowland’s new Marvel-themed area where interactive activities await the eager market. Visitors can experience how it is like to be in the iron suit in the interactive experience “Become Iron Man.”

Before guests get to challenge the evil forces of Hydra, the experience begins when the energetic billionaire industrialist and inventor Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) decides to bring the Stark Expo to Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland. From here on, one can imagine the adventures that will follow next.

Just like in the movies, guests can visit the Expo and explore the latest and greatest innovations from Stark Industries. Tourists can then go aboard an Iron Wing vehicle, the latest flying transport invented by Stark Industries, and journey through Hong Kong’s streets, which will look like the West Kowloon and Causeway Bay.

During the ride, familiar landmarks will be seen in the attraction like the Tsing Ma Bridge, the city’s pristine mountain ranges, iconic urban taxis and the harbor front. But the ride won’t be as smooth as expected because the guests will battle against the forces of Hydra.

Marvel’s Iron Man Experience is estimated to have cost more than $100 million to build. With the amount of money and effort put into it, fans will definitely get the experience of a lifetime – with everyone waiting for the time when it finally opens to welcome its first riders.

For information on attractions and vacations at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, visit hongkongdisneyland.com, hongkongdisneyland.tmall.com or call (852) 3550-3388 or download the mobile app Hong Kong Disneyland both available for Android and iOs users.

From The Standard

Hong Kong Disneyland Reports Loss for 2015

HK Disneyland

At Hong Kong Disneyland, the fairy tale just got a reality check.

The theme park posted a net loss of $19 million in fiscal 2015 (which ended in September), according to a new report this week by the Hong Kong government, a part owner of the resort. A decreasing number of mainland Chinese visitors as well as “overall market condition and sentiment” were to blame, the report said.

More difficult days may be on the horizon. The Shanghai Disney Resort is scheduled to open in June, sparking concerns that mainland Chinese, who make up more than 40% of the visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland, will opt for a closer-to-home experience.

The $5.5-billion Shanghai park is almost three times bigger than Hong Kong Disneyland. Market analysts estimate that Shanghai park will attract 15 million to 25 million visitors in its first year, compared to 6.8 million visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland last year. (Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a semi-autonomous Chinese territory.)

Disney executives have stood by their decision to open two parks.

“There is a certain amount of the fan base that insists on visiting both, but for the most part they draw from the regions they’re located in. So we see the advantage in having a park in Shanghai to draw from this region, and [in the meantime] continuing to develop Hong Kong and invest in new attractions,” Bob Weis, executive vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering, said last summer.

Despite Disney’s optimism, the numbers in this week’s report offer a sobering picture:

  • Visits are down: Hong Kong Disneyland received 6.8 million visitors in 2015, 9% fewer than in 2014.
  • Mainlanders are staying away: In the fiscal year of 2015, mainland visitors accounted for 41% of total attendance, down from 48% in the previous fiscal year.
  • Revenue is dropping: Hong Kong Disneyland’s total revenue in fiscal 2015 was $655 million, a year-on-year decrease of 6%.
  • Profit is off: Fiscal 2015 also recorded a net loss of $19 million, as compared to a profit of $43 million in fiscal 2014.
  • Hotel rooms are emptier: Hotel occupancy dropped from 93% in fiscal 2014 to 79% last year.

To boost its appeal, Hong Kong Disneyland has announced several initiatives, including a new hotel and an ambitious park expansion. A new “Iron Man”-themed area scheduled to open in late 2016 will feature the Iron Man Experience, a motion-based ride presenting the American superhero in the streets of Hong Kong.

“In view of the intensifying competition in the region, and the opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort in June this year, the Hong Kong Disneyland has planned a series of developments in the pipeline in order to give full play to its international features, and maintain its distinctiveness and competitiveness,” the report said.

Iron Man, apparently, has a new rescue mission ahead.

From the Los Angeles Times

Hong Kong Government Wants to Discuss with Disney about Expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland

HK Disneyland

The Hong Kong government plans to double the size of the Disneyland theme park with Walt Disney Co. in the city.

Financial Secretary John Tsang told lawmakers during his annual budget speech Wednesday that the city’s government will hold discussions with Walt Disney on further expanding the Hong Kong Disneyland resort, which is 52%-owned by the city’s government and 48%-owned by Disney. He didn’t specify when the planned discussion will take place.

The second-phase development will cover an estimated area of 60 hectares, like the first phase, with attractions, hotel development and retail facilities, according to Tsang.

Hong Kong Disneyland Continues to Grow with Third Hotel

HKDL Disney Explorers Lodge

This week, the resort broke ground on the Disney Explorers Lodge – a new 750-room hotel which is scheduled to open in 2017.

Based on an exploration theme, the new hotel will feature four gardens based on Asian, South American, Polynesian and African themes, along with a series of themed restaurants, a shop and a large outdoor swimming pool.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by John Tsang, the Hong Kong government’s Financial Secretary, Gregory So, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development, Bill Ernest, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts’ president & managing director for Asia, and Andrew Kam, managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

“This groundbreaking is another exciting milestone in Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s almost 10-year history,” said Ernest. “This expansion is key to continuing the resort’s growth and momentum, and it underscores the Walt Disney Company’s commitment to Hong Kong.

“This project, along with other upcoming expansion projects and new offerings, will continue to add to the appeal of Hong Kong Disneyland.”

The new hotel continues the rapid expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland that has taken place over recent years. Having opened in 2005, the park added three new zones, Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, between 2011 and 2013.

A new Iron Man-themed area is expected to launch in late 2016, before the opening of the Disney Explorers Lodge in early 2017.

The third hotel will increase the park’s total inventory by 75% to 1,750 rooms.

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