Is Hong Kong Disneyland not so bad?

**grvtydefy** · 06-19-2005, 10:34 AM

Ok, I'm probably going to get slammed for this, but here goes. I think the Disney Co.'s plans for Hong Kong actually made some sense. Of course, I fully developed park is ideal, but after the devastation caused by Paris' failure (which would not have been nearly as devastating had Eisner not poured TONS of money into it,) I can see why they are reluctant to open a park overseas, in an area where they don't know yet what the reaction will be, that is extremely well developed. And so I think they may have made the right choice by choosing to build what everybody is saying is a gorgous, yet small park. As we have seen by Autopia, they are going to be able to build outside the berm, and it seems that the land Disney has purchased is a very large chunk. So adding to the park later should not be a problem. See, I think DCA's problem was that the atmosphere was not great. Many people thought it felt junky. And so now, even with the addition of a great ride like TOT, people's initial reaction of "oh, that park is all junky" has not been erased. It doesn't matter that new rides are being added, people still feel that the lack of detail makes it not worthwhile. For Hong Kong, it seems like the initial reactions will be "wow, this place is beautiful, I love the way everything looks, too bad there is not much to do here." But that is much easier to change by adding rides. When people see that there is now a Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and Autopia, they will probably think, "Great! That's a good reason to go back and spend more time there." (Note: there is no proof of either a HM or POTC being added, this is just a hypothetical example). So I think that this may have actually been a pretty smart idea. Any thoughts? (Let the stone-throwing begin...)

**TDLFAN** · 06-19-2005, 11:12 AM

I don't see why you would need to be slammed over posting your opinions. You have some valid points of view to offer.

**Witches of Morva** · 06-19-2005, 01:21 PM

ORGOCH: That's what I says, TDLFAN, ducklin'! If'n they's gonna' be any slammin' 'round here, it's gonna' be done by ME--an' I won't HAVE ta do no slammin' long as ev'rybody minds their P's 'n Q's and let's grvtydefy have his say!!

**grvtydefy** · 06-19-2005, 03:26 PM

Well thanks! I guess I figured that people were so intent on blaming Eisner for this "cheap" park that I would get slammed for suggesting that Eisner might have done something right. Glad to see that I was wrong, though! Thanks for the support!

**tloolgb** · 06-19-2005, 05:47 PM

grvtydefy, you are right on the money. When Rasulo came in his big fixes to the park have been details and such. Compare some of the older maps to the new ones, things like the river have become a bit more complicated and such. Plus the rides get all the new effects like the Tiki canyon on the Jungle River Cruise.
They are at least trying to make sure what people see they find pretty, and what they ride they are wowed by. It's not a huge quantity of rides, but they are quality from all we can see.

**figment1986** · 06-19-2005, 06:37 PM

Verry good points.. and begfore i saw the photos.. i thought this park might nt be well.. but after seening photos of a mostly completed park.. I thought this was amazing...

it is small.. has room to grow.. and if it fails they wont loose as much money as a full park...

**grvtydefy** · 06-19-2005, 07:54 PM

Exactly, tloolgb. It's quality over quantity here. From what I've seen, and like you said, it seems new effects and twists are being added to old classics. And DCA may have had quantity over quality (the park actually does have a fair amount to do, but so much of it is such poor quality everybody forgets about it, for example: Jumpin' Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr.) I think that the high quality of the park will end up being a strong point of the park, and over time the quality will begin to match.

**Cousin Orville** · 06-19-2005, 08:01 PM

It's funny that the opinion of DLP was prior to opening that there wasn't enough to do. In HK I'd say the same thing. but they will remedy that with a second year of more stuff as usual.

**Speedway** · 06-20-2005, 07:40 AM

I completely agree with you grvtydefy. I wouldn't say the park looks 'stunning' as such, but it is very beautiful. I would not travel to the other side of the world JUST for the park, like I would for Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, its not worth the expense, but it looks extremely promising. And you should never be afraid to express your views on MiceChat, if someone doesn't like what you think then its their problem.

**TDLFAN** · 06-20-2005, 09:07 AM

I agree with you Speedway...you gotta go to Hong Kong FOR Hong Kong! Awesome city that deserves to be visited at least once in a lifetime, then after that...do HKDL is you have the time. Same way I feel about DLP. Go see Paris first.

**WDW1974** · 06-20-2005, 01:30 PM

I'm as much as Disney fan as anybody, but I wouldn't make a trip overseas just to visit a Disney park. I don't see the sense after spending so much of my time at WDW and DL. THAT said, I want to visit Tokyo ... and Paris ... and HK ...and if I'm traveling that far, you can bet I'll devote a few days (well, in HK's case, one day at present) to visit the Disney outposts there.

I know Disney geeks do it, but I can't imagine going to Paris or Tokyo and NOT seeing the cities.

**Morrigoon** · 06-20-2005, 02:22 PM

I highly doubt anyone excluded the city from their visits, but what's wrong with planning a trip to see the park and using that as your motivation to get out and see the city itself while you're there? In the end, it's really a matter of semantics. Personally, I've been to Disneyland Paris on two separate trips, both of which were "trips to Paris", however, if I ever get to Tokyo, it'll be a "trip to Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea" during which I'll also get out and see the city. The Disney park would be my main reason for going out there, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity to see the city itself. We're not talking Orlando here.

I'd like to see HKDL, but I don't know when that would happen. The closest alternative reason to go over there would be my sister-in-law's family, but they're in Taiwan, I wouldn't go without my brother and his wife, and they're so unlikely to want to go to a DL while there as to make it a near certainty they wouldn't.

Would like to see Hong Kong though, had the opportunity last summer but not the funds