Walt Disney Company executives visit Hong Kong Disneyland construction
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HONG KONG - The Walt Disney Company's senior executives visited
the Hong Kong Disneyland site this past week to experience firsthand
the magical progress of the very first Disney theme park in China.
Bob Iger and Michael Eisner oversee construction on Hong Kong Disneyland's
Sleeping Beauty Castle. Photos (c) Disney
The Walt Disney Company's Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner,
together with President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Iger
were pleased to visit Hong Kong Disneyland to witness the exciting and
on-schedule progress of the Park's construction.
Accompanied by executives from Hong Kong Disneyland, Eisner and Iger
visited Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland,
Disney's Hollywood Hotel and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.
"When I first came here in 1999, Hong Kong Disneyland was a dream.
And then by 2001, when the reclamation began, all of a sudden you started
to see this land come out of the sea and it really became exciting.
"It is an amazing place, a place that will attract enormous, diverse
vacation going clientele, people that come from far away and close by.
The beautiful landscaping is fantastic, it transcends the boundaries
of all nations. It is consistent with what Walt started 82 years ago
with Snow White and the attention to detail and excellence. This is
the place to be and we really look forward to the opening - September
12th 2005 - a long process, a creative process, a building process and
a magical process," said Eisner.
Iger said, "Hong Kong Disneyland is the cornerstone of the company's
strategy to grow in Asia, it is an extremely exciting region of the
world with so many people and such vast potential. This park is going
to be a great immersive entertainment experience for families, for people
young and people old.
"What's nice about opening Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005 is that
this is the year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening
of Disneyland in California, a celebration that's going to begin on
May 5th and we know it's going to peak on September 12th when this park
opens up. This is the first time the company is opening a park in China.
Here we are, extremely excited and extremely happy that the opening
day is just a few months' away."
Hong Kong Disneyland will open on September 12th, 2005, as part
of Disneyland's 50th birthday, the "Happiest Celebration on
Earth," and has already started taking bookings for its two
hotels with the launch of the Hotel Reservation Hotline on February
15th.
