Hong Kong legislative council approved HKDL expansion plan

[loaloa55]

Breaking News: Hong Kong legislative council approved Hong Kong Disneyland expansion plan

Hong Kong legislative council approved today the Hong Kong Disneyland expansion plan...but the government insists to build Toy Story land, and claims that the concept art disclosed last month were not the final version.

Right now the president, Mr. Kam, is doing his press conference, and i will let you know about it later as soon as infos will be available! Come back soon!

Edited 3.10 PM Paris Time: Reuters press agency confirms that HK lawmakers approved the $468 mln Disneyland expansion. Here is Reuters text:

HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - Hong Kong lawmakers approved a government plan on Friday to spend HK$3.63 billion ($468 million) expanding the city's Disneyland theme park with Walt Disney (DIS.N), boosting the smallest of Disney's five resorts.

With attendance falling short of targets, the government has been seeking ways to boost the number of visitors in the long term, given the threat from a rival Disney theme park planned for Shanghai.

Hong Kong will convert a significant amount of its HK$6.89 billion outstanding loan to the park into equity, while Walt Disney will invest HK$3.5 billion to help finance the construction cost and also convert its outstanding HK$2.76 billion loan to the theme park into equity. [ID:nHKG53329]

After Disney's new investment and Hong Kong's debt-to-equity swap, Hong Kong's stake in the park will fall to 52 percent from 57 percent. (Reporting by Nerilyn Tenorio and Alison Leung; Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = HK$7.75)

More news about this approval in the D&M article, as well as artwork of the rival project to WDI Glacier Bay concept here:

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2009/07/breaking-newsabout-hong-kong.html

[Dustysage]

So they actually like the Toy Storyland idea? Just one reason why lawmakers shouldn't be Imagineers, and why Imagineers should only present good ideas to those making final decisions.

More bad news for this struggling park.

[yoyoflamingo]

Originally Posted by Dustysage

So they actually like the Toy Storyland idea? Just one reason why lawmakers shouldn't be Imagineers, and why Imagineers should only present good ideas to those making final decisions.

More bad news for this struggling park.

I think they like it because it was cheap, nothing else.

I will say this is better than nothing, and hopefully this is either temporary/will change/will surprise everyone.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Originally Posted by Dustysage

So they actually like the Toy Storyland idea? Just one reason why lawmakers shouldn't be Imagineers, and why Imagineers should only present good ideas to those making final decisions.

More bad news for this struggling park.

It's entirely possible this will be their own twist on ToonTown, with characters beloved to Chinese children who know the Toy Story characters. Their parents made them all and I'm sure they snuck home a few freebies to their own kids.

I agree it looks lame in the concept art, but considering it's probably going to be superior to Bugs Land at DCA or the Honey... Set at DHS/Florida, perhaps it will be a needed element for today's Disneyland park for that demographic. Just a thought.

[Dustysage]

Generally, concept art makes things look better than it will actually be, not the other way around. I'm just so disappointed in this concept. It would be fine for a studios park, but just doesn't belong in the Magic Kingdom. Heck, I'd be fine with a Toy Story ride in Fantasyland, but how are they getting away with this?

So now they'll have a Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland, and even more Toys behind Adventureland. Yuck, yuck, yuck. It just ruins all the wonderful concepts they have planned for the two little lands next to crapville USA.

CHEAP!

AWFUL!

TACKY!

Have the Imagineers lost their minds?

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Please, tell us how you really feel!