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  • 4 weeks later...

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=2&art_id=4856&sid=5301781&con_type=1

 

Ma startles lawmakers after detailing $25b spent at park

For the first time, a government minister gave a detailed breakdown of the HK$25 billion it has spent so far to get the Disneyland Hong Kong theme park up and running, and then startled lawmakers by saying the government might ultimately sell its share.

 

Less than two months after Disneyland Hong Kong opened, Frederick Ma said Wednesday that the government could sell off its 57 percent share in the theme park.

 

"In the long run, the government may consider, in the light of the big market, [the] small-government principle to divest its shareholdings in the company [Hong Kong International Theme Park Limited, a joint venture between US-based Walt Disney Corporation and the Hong Kong government], at an appropriate time when it is in the overall economic interests of Hong Kong to do so," Ma said during a Legco meeting.

 

But Ma's statement gave no timetable or any indication that the sale would be any time soon.

 

"The park has opened for [less than] two months. We should wait until the park is running smoothly before we consider any move [to sell]. Up to now we don't have any plans about selling off the government's stake," he said.

 

At the meeting, Ma broke down the government's expenditure on construction, saying that reclamation and other infrastructure works cost HK$13.6 billion - including road projects, cleaning of contaminated soil and compensation for affected fishermen. Land acquisition and clearance accounted for HK$1.6 billion.

 

Another HK$3.3 billion was for equity injection and a HK$6.1 billion loan will go to Hong Kong International Theme Park Limited.

 

So far, Disneyland has not said how successful the park has been since it opened and has refused to divulge attendance figures.

 

Since the September 12 opening, a string of incidents has troubled the park. In the first month alone, a reported 50 rides were brought to a halt by technical issues which triggered the safety system. On October 11, a former worker climbed to the top of a rollercoaster and held a knife to his neck to protest against his dismissal a week earlier.

 

Other workers have complained of unfair treatment and 10- to 13-hour workdays.

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Well, if the Walt Disney Company was smart, they would do everything they can to own this park. When they built TDL in 1983, they foolishly let most of the ownership of the park go to Oriental Land Company who is now making money hand over fist.

 

You would think when they opened Tokyo DisneySeas in 2001 that they would not make the same mistake, but they did. I would think they are kicking themselves for that business mistake as well since the Tokyo parks are the most profitable parks in the world.

 

Just my two cents!

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  • 2 months later...

According to the Chinese government, "the park's ticketing arrangement could be improved." Hmm--but can the manners of the Chinese public?

 

Bet they won't try that "open-date" ticket arrangement again.

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Haha. And now riots

 

What a farce.

I wonder if Disney research into their proposed building sites in any other aspects besides finance.

I'd have thought the boycotting actions of the French to the Paris park would have taught them a lesson to build into the attitude and favour of the locals more in future.

 

"Hey Mr. Board Director guy, there's a lovely sandy coloured country called Afghanistan where we can put another one of our parks. Plenty of room for patriotic shows there, they never stop talking about the west, they must love us!"

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I like how all the press I've read about the park is NOTHING like the park we experienced. And from what I hear from the people that I know that work there, they feel the same way.

 

--Robb

 

It's not unusual that the experience people have is very different than the one they fear and it's normally for the better.

 

It's like DLP when we went there for the first time we were warned off,

 

Groups of french teenagers being abusive

People pushing in queues

rude CM's

free for all when characters appear with pusing and arguments

 

but the truth was far from all the fears.......

 

I wouldn't be put off visitng any Disney park because of the press reports

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I like how all the press I've read about the park is NOTHING like the park we experienced. And from what I hear from the people that I know that work there, they feel the same way.

 

--Robb

 

Of course! It's American press, and they report what Americans want to hear! And that is that China is much worse!

In defense: EVERY press is that way. In the US, in Europe, China, Japan or whereever.

I HATE them!!!

 

Only believe BBC

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I like how all the press I've read about the park is NOTHING like the park we experienced. And from what I hear from the people that I know that work there, they feel the same way.

 

--Robb

 

Of course! It's American press, and they report what Americans want to hear! And that is that China is much worse!

In defense: EVERY press is that way. In the US, in Europe, China, Japan or whereever.

I HATE them!!!

 

Only believe BBC

 

Even the BBC is guilty of hamming things up a bit! But they're far more reputable than a lot of other media groups.

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I think this is really sad. As someone who grew up in Florida I can say first hand how excited I would get when I got to go to Disney. Like the guy said on the video, his kids were crushed. I can't imagine what I would tell a kid if I brought him to the front gates of Disneyland and then said we have to go home. The kids who were being lifted over the gates and pushed around in the riot must have been terrified, and I think that's really upsetting.

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I mean look what the Griswold's (sp) on National Lampoon's Vacation did... it can get pretty ugly when the kids are involved.

 

But seriously. Probably one person blew up and then it was a chain reaction. Chaos broke loose (according to the press).

 

vac-punchingmarty.jpg.80fdd37f7454915ddc68d5d262278620.jpg

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