Disney unveils initial design for Hong Kong theme park

**pjbs35a** · 06-27-2002, 10:25 AM

Disney unveils initial design for Hong Kong theme park
Thu Jun 27, 6:25 AM ET

HONG KONG - The Disney theme park being built here will look a lot like other Disneylands, with a sleeping beauty castle and a main thoroughfare depicting America at the turn of the 20th century, according to initial plans rolled out Thursday.

One difference: The Walt Disney Co. said it is consulting a feng shui master as it puts up the park Hong Kong is banking on to bring in more tourists when it opens by 2006.

Most of its plans have met with the master's approval, Disney executives told a briefing on Thursday.

The Disney executives also said special parades and decorations will be staged during traditional Chinese festivals, including the Lunar New Year.

Thomas K. Morris, vice president and executive producer in charge of creative development of Hong Kong Disneyland, said the park will also feature an Adventureland that imitates parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.

The $3.55 billion project has been financed mostly by Hong Kong taxpayers.

Hong Kong hopes it will rejuvenate an economy that has been sagging badly the past few years.

**mjstaceyuofm** · 06-27-2002, 01:03 PM

Maybe WDW needs its own Feng Shui master to help give the parks a "good vibe"...

**Brian** · 06-27-2002, 11:45 PM

Originally posted by pjbs35a:
The $3.55 billion project has been financed mostly by Hong Kong taxpayers.

That's unfortunate. I wonder if they'll get special discounts when it opens?

**roses** · 06-28-2002, 01:41 AM

It'll be good for their economy, don't be sad.

I can't wait to see the pictures when they start building it! Maybe even one day I'll go over to see it for myself! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

**DisneyFanaticDargon** · 06-28-2002, 12:16 PM

Wasn't there talk for a while that Hong Kong wanted the castle centerpiece to be modeled after the Emperor's Palace from Mulan?

**Jusjuice** · 07-07-2002, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by DisneyFanaticDargon:
Wasn't there talk for a while that Hong Kong wanted the castle centerpiece to be modeled after the Emperor's Palace from Mulan?

I heard that too, but i guess Disney just decided to clone Sleeping Beauty instead.
Something like the Beast/Belle's castle or Snow White's castle would be cool since they've never been done before.
It's kind of sad they haven't done any different castles since WDW opened, since Walt picked Sleeping Beauty castle because it was the newest, even though the movie Cinderella had already come out. (sleeping beauty came out 4 years after Disneyland opened)

[ July 07, 2002, 01:09 AM: Message edited by: Jusjuice ]

**Daveyk** · 07-08-2002, 02:26 PM

At the risk of sounding dumb....DL has Sleeping Beauty's castle, WDW has Cinerella's castle, Disney Paris has Sleeping Beauty's castle, and Tokyo has, uhhh, a different one (?)