Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) Discussion Thread

[jjeerr]

So the rollercoaster is an Everest clone?

 

(edit: nah, but I'm guessing the same ride system)

[cfc]

Pretty interesting/cool new lands. Wonder why Pirates got nixed though?

 

That's too bad, as the whole pirates-themed land sounded great. Maybe they figure that the POTC craze has run its course?

 

The new lands sound good, though--particularly Grizzly Gulch.

[disneylanddork50]

Well, I think eventually they'll bring in POTC...there's room behind Mystic to put a warehouse. I was wondering that myself....also, What about Splash Mountain? Think they'll add it to Grizzly?

[FitchCoaster]

Yeah, I'm really excited to see how Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point turn out. It's really intriguing that they aren't just building another Frontierland or New Orleans Square, which is something I would of expected. I'm not too fond of Toy Story Land however, but we'll see.

[HugoRR]

Well, lets hope Paris will get its LPS (trackless) ride with the Ratatouille theme as Hong Kong gets this Manor thing.

If this "Mystic Manor" turns out to be as good as the Winnie the Pooh Honey Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland will, for the first time ever, finally write a (good) part of the Disney Theme Parks history with a unique and inovative ride.

What's curious about the "Toy Story (Play)Land", we're going to open next year in Paris too, is that this concept seems totaly misplaced in a Magic Kingdom. While I personaly think it will work well in Europe, this looks like a good way to "save" money by replacing the Pirates of the Caribbean Land with this cheaper Toy Story project.

[Hattuchili]

^ Hugo, that is exactly what I was thinking. The whole Toy Story Land thing dosn´t really fit into a Magic Kingdom park. But let´s see how it will turn out, maybe it is not that bad at all. In total I think any addition to Hong Kong Disneyland is an advantage.

[Schmoofy]

Looks like we now know where the Adventurers Club stuff is going to...

[packfanlv]

^^I was thinking the same things about the Toy Story Land until I thought about Toon Town and I guess it would fit in a similar way. I am glad this park is getting some new areas, but I agree it is weird how they were all added behind Adventureland.

 

Lets hope that when this is completed they don't forget about the existing lands, which also need to grow in size. Adventureland seems to have some empty space left for growth and that is something I think is still needed.

 

Since I love this park I am glad to see them adding some unique attractions. This is definitely a step in the right direction. I can't wait to go back and see the park in a couple of years! A Haunted Mansion type ride with the trackless Pooh ride system makes me smile. Hopefully they spend the money and pull it off.

 

Edit: I just noticed the railroad tracks running through Mystic Point (in the art) with a mysterious building next to them. Since these areas basically lie just beyond the tracks, hopefully we will see the addition of a third train station as well!

[Erik_73]

It seems that Toy-story land will get a Intamin half-pipe coaster

 

ehhh Robb... will you help me to close the restraint

[coasterfreak914]

I don't know, these new lands just don't feel right to me.

 

Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch just seem to have only 1 main attraction, unlike Fronteirland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland which have several attractions to keep the area alive. They're more like mini lands. And Toystory Land looks like a carnival with theming, kinda like Dinoland at Animal Kingdom.

 

Idk, maybe once they're built, they'll add more to them as time goes on. They sound really cool, they just need more substance.

[SharkTums]

^Have you been to HKDL?

 

I'd say having a land with one attraction and some nice theming is better than missing that whole land altogether!!!

 

There were parts of HKDL just SCREAMING for another land or ONE ride!

[coasterfreak914]

^ No I haven't been to HDKL, but I do know that it really was lacking the the attraction department.

 

I'm not complaining about the new lands, it's better than them not adding anything at all. I just think adding one new land with 2-4 quality attractions is better than 3 new lands, 2 with one attraction and the 3rd looking like a carnival.

[SharkTums]

^I get what you're saying, but to be a true Magic Kingdom, I feel that Hong Kong NEEDS more 'Kingdoms'. It needs more lands, even if they had nothing in them, just to have some more space, more stuff to look at, more to walk around, etc.

[packfanlv]

^^My guess is that this is in response to the more traditional Disneyland park supposedly being built in Shanghai. With these new lands and unique attractions, they are probably hoping to make HKDL unique to any other Magic Kingdom style park.

 

They have plenty of room for expansion behind Fantasyland and Adventureland and I am sure that will be held aside for the future. I'm guessing that adding to an existing land won't get them as much press as adding three new lands.

 

Also, since all of the lands are already mini lands, adding more fits right in. To be honest, I am surprised at the amount of crap that this park gets. While it is small, I was blown away with how nice it is. While they did cut back on lands and attractions to save money, the areas they did build were up to Disney quality. Now with more heavily themed areas going in, we will have a top notch park when it is built out. They won't have to go back and fix anything like in other parks.

[jackskellington101]

All I have to say is at least they're getting something new, unique, interesting, and mostly not tied to any other property, both physical and intellectual. With that I'm pleased. It also seems like it's 5 years down the line, so things can change.

[coasterfreak914]

Yeah, HKDL really did need more "kingdoms" so this isn't bad at all. Maybe its best they start out small and maybe Disney will add more to them as time goes by.

[packfanlv]

^^I think the completion is 5 years down the line, but construction should start almost immediately. They have already cleared the land back there and built a rail bridge to get back into the area. While the whole thing won't be completed until 2015, the first land will probably be done within one to two years.

 

I wanted to know if someone can clarify one things for me. I saw it mentioned somewhere that these updates will include 30 new rides and attractions. Obviously the announcements don't elude to this many. Do you think that they meant this will bring the total of all R&As to 30?

 

Edit: I went to their site and looked and they actually list the total attractions now at 30, so maybe they were saying these would add to the 30 attractions they already have. Who knows.

[Jim1013]

This slate of original attractions seems like a way of attracting crowds who normally go to Tokyo Disneyland. If the rides deliver, they will come.

[packfanlv]

It appears Google Maps has half of an updated satellite view that could give people more of an idea of where these new lands will be. Up until recently the only satellite view was from during construction.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hong+kong&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.310476,114.169922&ie=UTF8&ll=22.312503,114.041959&spn=0.007087,0.013937&t=h&z=17

 

The one thing I noticed is how large the area for a future 2nd park is compared to the original. They certainly have plenty of room to build a second gate whenever they decide to, not to mention a lot of land left behind Fantasyland and Adventureland for expansion.

Satellite with an overlay from the art.

[FitchCoaster]

^Thanks for the satellite image, that kind of cleared up for me where the new lands will be placed.

 

The more and more I read about these lands, I get more excited for Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch, and less enthusiastic about Toy Story Land. A lot of the recent Disney rides have been based on characters from movies, and I've been waiting for them to come out with a ride with an original theme. Although the ideas of both rides from Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point are pretty much 'borrowed' from existing rides (Haunted Mansion and BTMRR), I'm just glad there's no movie overlay on either one.

 

However, I just can't get excited about Toy Story Land. I want to think that it's going to be great, but I just keep picturing A Bug's Land with a Toy Story theme. Still hoping that Disney proves me wrong.

[packfanlv]

^Just think of it as more of a ToonTown. Any way they go, it has to look better than Toon Town Faire at the Magic Kingdom.

[ECZenith]

I'm loving the new e-tickets! Especially the Everest/Thunder concept. It's also good to see another application of the trackless GPS dark ride system, I'm surprised they went with that given the high capacity of the omnimover. I'm hoping the trackless technology will grace one of our Disney parks in the near future.

 

I'm even more surpised to see they didn't go for the Splash Mountain/Pirates attraction but I'm sure it's day will come, along with an Indy ride.

 

Can't wait to see the new mountain rise! Yeehaw!

[RCFreak]

I haven't read anything that says it's the same trackless system from Pooh in Tokyo. I'm wondering if it'll be the same or if it'll be something along the lines of somethign similar to the trackless system's Sally uses. Eiter way, very intresting ride concepts that hopefully I'll get to experience one day.

[Nrthwnd]

Well, I think I'll certainly be able to tackel "all of the above," that they're going to offer by 2015.

 

 

So, will wait for Hong Kong Disneyland visit till after that time arrives.

 

It will be worth the wait.

 

I'd like to also add, that sometimes our little coaster riders-to-be need something for their own fun and enjoyment, and speed. ToyStoryLand is for them mainly, with a bit of a thrill thrown in for us ~ The Racer half-pipe ~ parents and non-.

 

And I can't wait to ride the train with stuff on both sides of the track to look at, lol!

[DBJ]

That's a cool shot with the art overlay.

 

I'll be interested to see if the Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Mansion ride systems are cloned over to Paris, Tokyo or to CA one day. Seems like GC especially is an attempt at a less expensive version of Everest. There was an off the wall rumor about adding another ride to DL behind the rivers years ago. Maybe this GC could be that ride?

 

I agree with everything about Toy Story Land. It doesn't really fit with the natural feel of the two new lands, or with the Jungle Cruise. And it's clearly is a land on the cheap if they are not including Toy Story Midway Mania in TSL, and instead throwing in a generic set of themed carnival rides. Worked out so well for them at AK and DCA!

 

At this point, they might as well scrap TSL, and focus on expanding the two lands. Surely if they are going to do themed carnival rides in TSL, they could be adapted to the themes of MM and GC?