Hawai’s first Disney Resort can be seen taking shape at Ko Olina — concrete proof that the resort/entertainment company has faith in the future of the Islands’ embattled tourism industry.
“"It’s a visual affirmation that they’re continuing to invest," state tourism liaison Marsha Wienert told the Honolulu Advertiser. "It confirms Disney’s commitment to the Islands and the future of the Islands."
Disney expects to invest about US$800 million in the project, completing the first phase in the fall of 2011.
At a time when visitor arrivals have plummeted and the tourism industry has seen more layoffs than grand openings, Disney’s budding resort is not just a Mickey Mouse venture, said the Advertiser.
"Disney is the No. 1 brand in family vacations," Wienert said. Combine that with the state’s "fabulous reputation as a family destination" and there’s reason for optimism for the visitor industry, she said.
As it builds the new resort, Disney is also preparing to blend Hawaiian culture into its own magical kingdom.
Disney Resorts chairman of parks and resorts, Jay Rasulo, recently spoke in Waikiki on cultural lessons learned by Disney after some early mistakes.
In 1992, when Disney opened in France, Rasulo said, the company discovered that the French really didn’t care for the hot-dog carts scattered around the park. "And they were insulted when we didn’t serve wine with our meals at the Magic Kingdom," Rasulo said. "Bon appetit: Now we do."
The Disney team also learned that Europeans prefer to eat breakfast at home, or in a hotel restaurant, before going into the parks.
So the early entry specials that succeeded in the United States didn’t work there, he said. And they found that while many adults in Europe are comfortable in English, their young children preferred to hear their native language, so more shows are multilingual.
Rasulo said the company took these cultural lessons to heart in establishing Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005 by consulting with a feng shui master so the park’s walkways feature a bend near their entrances, and the doorways are set at the correct angles.
By David Wilkening
