Expansion and development plan of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
Projected attendance and economic assessment
Mr CHAN Chun-ying considered that a detailed analysis was essential in considering the project feasibility given the long term of the investment. As such, he enquired if TWDC had any plans to build new theme parks in neighbouring cities in the coming decade, and the expected life span of the new attractions after which the attractions might become outdated. Similarly, Mr Holden CHOW asked if TWDC had any upgrading plans for SHDL in near future which would have impact on HKDL’s patronage and hence the investment returns of the project.
Mr Samuel LAU of HKDL said that the management company of HKDL was not privy to any theme park development or expansion plan of TWDC other than that for HKDL. He also said that as compared to SHDL, HKDL was a more internationalised theme park, with diversified market segments, and that HKDL would continue to make use of strong Disney intellectual properties to broaden its appeal to different visitors, including locals as well as international and Mainland visitors to ensure its balanced growth and competitiveness in the region. He highlighted that HKDL recorded a double-digit growth in attendance from international markets recently.
On Mr CHAN Chun-ying’s enquiry about the life span of HKDL’s attractions, Mr Samuel LAU of HKDL indicated that different attractions and entertainment offerings would have different product cycles for planning purpose. However, under the actual operation, some attractions/offerings might be refreshed during the product life having regard to the need for enhancing guest experience and keeping the products competitive and up-to-date. For instance, some existing attractions/offerings at HKDL had been re-themed with “Star Wars” recently, which had boosted the park’s attractiveness.