Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland's first two years of operation were unsatisfactory, and the government -- which holds a majority stake in the $3.5-billion theme park -- will push for improvements, an official said Wednesday. The theme park, which opened Sept. 12, 2005, missed its attendance target for the second year in a row, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma said without disclosing any exact figures.

It already looks like 2012 will prove to be a good year for globetrotting ride enthusiasts as theme parks in Asia, Europe and South America are planning to roll out major new attractions. > Photos: Best new international theme park rides for 2012 Theme parks around the world are preparing a highly anticipated slate for 2012 that includes record-setting roller coasters, one-of-a-kind attractions, pulse-quickening thrill rides and family-friendly themed lands. Since it is still early, I'll update my Top 20 over the coming months as new projects are announced.

When Hong Kong Disneyland opens in 2005, the layout will seem familiar to anyone who has been to Walt Disney's original: a Main Street, a castle, "lands" surrounding a central hub. But the "best of Disney" lineup of attractions will include some never seen in Anaheim, if the final version resembles the concepts released last month by Disney and the Hong Kong government.

Disney's $4-billion deal for Marvel Entertainment isn't simply an acquisition. It's a reinvention. The future of Chairman Bob Iger's media conglomerate had been turning increasingly cloudy as family entertainment, especially in the movies, has evolved from old-fashioned, squeaky-clean Disney fare to the edgier, more unsettling PG-13 universe populated by Marvel's arsenal of comic superheroes. But Monday's purchase gives Disney access to Marvel's voluminous library of superheroes, which include Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men, Captain America, Thor and the Fantastic Four and about 4,995 other comic-book characters.

Walt Disney Co.'s new theme park here is said to be lucky, nestled as it is between one hill shaped like a white tiger and another that resembles a dragon. But when its fabled Imagineers set out to create Hong Kong Disneyland, there were a few things even they could not foresee -- things like beetles chomping on the hotel furniture, environmentalists putting the bite on plans for shark fin soup and wild dogs coming down from the hills to menace the newest House of Mouse.

It already seems like 2013 is shaping up as a great year for ride enthusiasts around the world, as a number of new theme parks are planned for Asia and several major attractions are in the works for Europe. > Photos: Best new international theme park rides for 2013 Consider this a tentative and fluid list of new attractions on tap at international parks (outside the United States). A number of oft-delayed projects have been given new 2013 opening dates that could get postponed again, while several recently announced theme parks may never advance past the planning stages.

Walt Disney Co., facing slower earnings at theme parks in the United States, is stepping up efforts to get China to grant more access for its movies and other products, Chairman Michael Eisner told reporters in Hong Kong on Sunday. "China is very important to Disney -- it will be the No. 1 market for our growth going forward," Eisner said at a ceremony marking the start of construction of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Walt Disney Co. on Wednesday said Hong Kong Disneyland was on track to meet its long-term attendance goals, saying Chinese news reports of a slower-than-expected start for the resort were overblown. Disney said the Hong Kong resort had drawn more than 1 million visitors since opening Sept. 12. The attendance numbers are the first that the Burbank-based company has provided for the Hong Kong resort. The park, which was jointly developed with the Hong Kong government, had been expected to draw 5.

Attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland has fallen below expectations, but the park's finances are solid, Walt Disney Co. said Thursday. The park, Disney's latest, has been hit by a slew of bad publicity and reports of poor attendance since its opening in September. Park officials recently offered free entry to more than 40,000 taxi drivers to promote the theme park. In a statement, Hong Kong Disneyland said the park was in good financial shape.

Actors who dress up as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other characters to greet visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland are getting pay raises and longer breaks, the park said Sunday, following complaints of work-related injuries, low pay and quick turnarounds between shifts. Hong Kong Disneyland said in a statement that it would increase the monthly base pay of the character performers by 11% from $1,160 to $1,300 starting June 1.

Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government said Tuesday that they had agreed to a major expansion of the Hong Kong Disneyland theme park, a move that would boost an attraction that has struggled to meet expectations since it was opened in 2005. Disney will pay about $450 million for the construction and convert its outstanding loans totaling about $340 million into equity in a joint venture company, Hong Kong International Theme Parks, officials said. The deal would expand the park by increasing the number of theme areas from four to seven over the next five years, tackling criticism that the world's smallest Disneyland did not offer enough attractions.

Hong Kong Disneyland unveiled new Chinese New Year outfits for Mickey and Minnie Mouse created by designer Vivienne Tam on Monday as part of the park's efforts to boost its appeal to Chinese tourists after a dismal second year. Disney's two iconic characters strutted their stuff down a red carpet -- Mickey in a bright red Mao suit and Minnie in a cherry blossom red dress with a bouquet-like bottom. Tam, a Hong Kong native, said the outfits would be available at her stores in March or April.

Hong Kong Disneyland's first two years of operation were unsatisfactory, and the government -- which holds a majority stake in the $3.5-billion theme park -- will push for improvements, an official said Wednesday. The theme park, which opened Sept. 12, 2005, missed its attendance target for the second year in a row, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma said without disclosing any exact figures.

Mickey Mouse may have met his match -- the giant panda. It was supposed to be a one-sided battle. Instead, in the nearly two years since Disneyland came to town, people in Hong Kong have rediscovered a theme park that's been sitting in their backyard for three decades, weathering all the ups and downs the territory has faced, from British colonial rule to its return to China to the deadly illness known as SARS.

Actors who dress up as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other characters to greet visitors at Hong Kong Disneyland are getting pay raises and longer breaks, the park said Sunday, following complaints of work-related injuries, low pay and quick turnarounds between shifts. Hong Kong Disneyland said in a statement that it would increase the monthly base pay of the character performers by 11% from $1,160 to $1,300 starting June 1.

Attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland has fallen below expectations, but the park's finances are solid, Walt Disney Co. said Thursday. The park, Disney's latest, has been hit by a slew of bad publicity and reports of poor attendance since its opening in September. Park officials recently offered free entry to more than 40,000 taxi drivers to promote the theme park. In a statement, Hong Kong Disneyland said the park was in good financial shape.