23 Nov 2016
Frozen and Marvel attractions coming to Hong Kong Disneyland as part of US$1.4bn expansion
BY Tom Anstey
Disney will plough US$1.4bn (€1.3bn, £1.1bn) into upgrading its Hong Kong attraction with Frozen and Marvel zones in an attempt to make the theme park profitable again.
Despite the operator having already added more than US$600m (€565m, £484.5m) in new rides and attractions over the past few years, Hong Kong Disneyland has failed to break even in 2015, with the park recording losses of US$20m (€18.8m, £16.1m) and a decline in visitor numbers by 9.3 per cent to 6.8 million.
Its general manager, Andrew Kam, also left the company in March, later joining Disney’s Asian rival Wanda to lead its theme park division. For wider Hong Kong, the economy has also slowed thanks to a sharp decline in tourism from mainland China.
As part of the development plan, a new Marvel-themed ride will debut in 2018, as will a new complex based on Disney’s latest release Moana. The castle - currently Disney’s smallest at 77-feet-tall (23.4 metres) will be “supersized” to compete with Disney’s existing properties.
The entire themed Frozen area – to debut in 2020 – is a first for Disney parks, with the brand’s largest presence currently at its Epcot park in Orlando following its debut in June. A recreation of Arendelle, the new area at the park will feature a lake, ice mountain, two rides, shops and restaurants.
The new announcements are in addition to pending projects, including the Iron Man flight simulator debuting in January and a 750 bedroom hotel, to open later in 2017. Further Marvel expansions are also planned during the development, including a ride based on The Avengers.
Hong Kong’s government is the majority owner of the park, with a 53 per cent stake. Funding for the development will as such be split between the government and Disney at that ratio.
Subject to approval, construction on the six-year expansion will begin in 2018, with work scheduled to be completed by 2023.
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