Hong Kong Disneyland on helter-skelter

Wednesday, 27 Mar, 2008 0

HONG KONG – Hong Kong Disneyland has fallen nearly to the bottom of the world’s 25 most popular theme parks last year – five places behind major rival Ocean Park – according to a survey by Themed Entertainment Association and Economics Research Associates.

The Standard newspaper said Mickey Mouse and his friends in Hong Kong dropped from 18th place in 2006 to 21st last year. Ocean Park, ranked 21st in 2006, jumped to 16th.

The survey assessed various theme parks internationally by attendance.

Ranked in the world’s top five are Magic Kingdom in Florida (17 million visitors), followed by Disneyland in California (14.8 million), Tokyo Disneyland (13.9 million), Tokyo DisneySea (12.4 million), and Disneyland Paris (12 million).

Hong Kong Disneyland recorded just over four million visitors from October 2006 to last September, compared with 5.2 million in the first year after its launch on September 12, 2005.

Travel Industry Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung criticised the facilities at Hong Kong Disneyland for being “too primitive” and for not bringing in the latest attractions from their overseas counterparts.

“The facilities and games in Hong Kong Disneyland are like the first- generation US Disney theme parks. But Ocean Park has been very aggressive in making changes from time to time to give visitors a fresh experience,” Tung told The Standard.

TEA is the leading trade alliance for creators of themed experiences such as museums, zoos and theme parks, while ERA is a top global consulting firm providing economic analysis for the entertainment and leisure industry

Ian Jarrett

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