The HKDL Source

 

 

News Update & Commentary - Update for February 5 to February 11

 

One may have been able to accuse the Disney press machine of failing to adequately hype the events of Hong Kong Disneyland in the past, but the last week has seen a flurry of press over the Resort’s February events, none of which have involved Michelle Kwan in any way. Could it be that 2007 will be the year in which Hong Kong Disneyland makes its mark on the world with a giant black semi-permanent non-washable marker pen? If such a pen existed, would anybody be able to lift it?

 

Primarily, this press flurry has taken the form of Chinese New Year hype. The Disney Mothership in the US has even gone so far as declaring 2007 the Year of Piglet, after the famous Winnie the Pooh character. This seems like a nice bit of synergy with Hong Kong Disneyland’s Chinese Year of the Pig events that kicked off this week in Hong Kong Disneyland (huzzah!). Despite the fact that the Hong Kong campaign seems to be based largely on the Three Little Pigs from Disney’s 1933 animated short of the same name, it is pleasing to see Hong Kong Disneyland’s current marketing campaign dovetailing nicely with Disney’s wider global focus. Perhaps we have the new Vice President of Marketing, Jill Estorino, to thank for Hong Kong Disneyland’s limelight-hungry position at the moment. One thing is for sure: we here at HKDL Source have been very busy replicating Disney’s official press for you all the read. However, those wishing to protest the lack of The Black Cauldron's Henwen the pig can do so with pitchforks and torches at the next town meeting.

 

By the same token, some of our other sources – who we largely cited in last week’s column regarding the future of expansion for the park – said the primary focus Disney has until 2011/2012 is on ‘beefing up’ the Resort. Part of this would be establishing a retail presence at the resort, which many have assumed to be located around the Promenade. Something resembling a Downtown Disney area wouldn’t go astray at the park, and would certainly give guests a reason to hang about the Resort a little longer. On this timeline, Pirates of the Caribbean still looks set for 2010 with Haunted Mansion following within a two year period. The fate of Raging Spirits remains undetermined, but if even half of these plans come to fruition within the next four or five years, we may finally see our little Hong Kong park on the map.

 

Speaking of maps, our Tom Pacy is in Hong Kong Disneyland at the moment. Despite that being possibly the worst segue in the history of segues, Tom reports that he is digging on the Chinese New Year vibe and will provide us with a full report (with photos) upon his return. He’s also hinted that in addition to showering his co-workers with gifts upon his spectacular arrival back in fair Australia, he has procured a few goodies for as-yet-to-be-announced contest. Yes, HKDL Source will host a little contest later in the year, but more on that closer to the date (which looks to be set for our first anniversary in July). However, before then you’ll see plenty more changes to the site. We hope to make some of the pages a little more user-friendly, especially the ‘lands’ and the ‘attractions’ pages, filling them with things we know you all love: photos! This will involve a bit of a tweak to our galleries as well, so don’t expect us to roll it all out at once. More of a going concern at the moment is whether Travelling Tom and Belinda have stolen the hat trend set forth by Fiona and I late last year:

 

 

If you are also in Hong Kong Disneyland this week, be sure to check out the Come and Celebrate Stage Show. Held at 7:00PM every night on the Sleeping Beauty Castle stage (the one that hasn’t really moved since New Year’s Eve), it promises to be a combination of Disney magic and traditional Chinese dancing. One special family will be selected each evening to help with the traditional eye-dotting ceremony and interact with the Disney characters. Of course, the park is alive with celebration at the moment, so look out for the lively dragon dancers spiraling their way through the park. Brace yourselves, at any rate, because next week is going to be HUGE. Expect large crowds in and around the park, and make sure you have your tickets well in advance.

 

Remember, as always, if you have any news, photos, trip reports or just a question, feel free to contact us. Another way you can help out the site is by voting for us on The Disney Portal. They rank all of the Disney sites on the web according to popularity and numbers of hits, and we are slowly making our way up the ranks. If you want to help us move up even higher, please use the link below to vote for us.

 

 

Current Closures/Refurbishments

 

• The Disneyland Story (Main Street): Disney wasted no time in taking down the Christmas trappings, but The Disneyland Story is still not as it was originally. The penguin figures from the forthcoming it’s a small world attraction will be temporarily housed in the Opera House.
• Fantasyland: No closures in Fantasyland, but there is constant construction going on ‘beyond the berm’ for the forthcoming it’s a small world attraction (Coming 2008).
• Recent photos of Space Mountain in Tomorrowland has shown several roof panels completely devoid of paint, hopefully as the result of a repainting and not neglect! Some construction work is evident, although no disruptions to the ride have been reported.
• Land appears to be cleared behind Adventureland and the Promenade for as-yet-undisclosed project. While some contend that this land has always been in this state, we have reports that some construction was seen to be going on in this area.

 

Events

 

If you know of any events that should be listed here, official or otherwise, please let us know. 

 

February

• Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year Festival (February 2 to March 4): One of the most important celebrations on the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Pig begins on February 18 and the park will be celebrating with a visit from the God of Wealth, but the park will run the Festival from the start of February to the beginning of March. From Saturday 17 February to Saturday 24 February, the park will be under Special Ticket Day conditions. Expect large crowds if last year’s infamous guest chaos is anything to go by. Special decorations and shows will be seen throughout the park.
• The HKDL Source’s Tom Pacy will visit Hong Kong Disneyland. Expect to see lots of photos and a trip report upon his return
• St. Valentine’s Celebrations (February 14 and 15): Hong Kong Disneyland will be offering a Spring Getaway Package for couples, including blessings; photos; meals and hotel packages. Full details here.

 

Current Discounts/Promotions

• Spring Getaway Package: From 31 January to 30 April 2007, Standard Chartered Visa Cardholders/ MANHATTAN Visa Cardholders can enjoy 1 night stay at our hotels and a breakfast or dinner buffet, starting from just HK$1,380 for 2 persons. The official site has all the details. See also the St. Valentine’s listing in events (above) or press release here.
• New Year Annual Pass Deal: Two big deals – either Buy 4 Annual Passes and Get 1 Night’s Stay Free at a Garden View Room in either hotel. Buy 2 or 3 annual passes, and get 50% off a buffet meal at either hotel. For full details, see our report here.
• Interest Free Installment when Purchasing Annual Passes: Purchase Annual Pass now with a Standard Chartered VISA Card or MANHATTAN VISA Card to enjoy a 12-month interest free installment. Offer Period: 1 December, 2006 – 31 May, 2007. See here for details. 
• Stay and Play for 2 Days: Book a hotel stay and enjoy an extra day at Hong Kong Disneyland when you purchase a one-day ticket! The offer has been extended until 29 September 2007!
• Dining Deal: Book breakfast in advance and receive 30% off. Conditions apply.

 

Park Hours/Schedule/Annual Pass Block-out Days

 

From February 1, park hours will extend to 10:00AM to 8:00PM for most of the month, with the Lunar New Year Festival kicking off. All weekends are presently classified as ‘Peak Ticket Days’. However, all dates between 17 February and 24 February inclusive are ‘Special Ticket Days’ in an attempt to alleviate congestion. Hours will extend from 9:00AM to 9:00PM during this time.

Value Annual Passholders will have all weekends blocked to them during February. During the Lunar New Year week (17 February and 24 February inclusive), both Value and Deluxe Annual Passholders will have those dates

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