Hong Kong Disneyland promises full day of attractions

Hong Kong Disneyland, owned by Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government, said it will have a full day's worth of attractions upon opening, rejecting criticism the park won't have enough for visitors to do.

The faxed statement, received yesterday evening, was in reaction to Hong Kong newspaper reports that the park will have only one major attraction when it opens and therefore unlikely to attract repeat visitors or many guests at its hotels.

"Hong Kong Disneyland represents a significant investment for the Walt Disney Co. and a long-term commitment to Hong Kong," the statement said. It "will offer a full-day family experience featuring a carefully planned selection of Disney's most popular rides and attractions."

Walt Disney, the second-biggest U.S. media company, plans two hotels with 2,100 rooms, shops and a restaurant and entertainment complex on the 126-hectare (311-acre) site. The park, the first for Disney in Asia outside of Tokyo, is forecast to attract as many as 5.6 million visitors in its first year.

The $2.9 billion project, started in 1999, is scheduled to open in late 2005 or early 2006. Walt Disney has yet to set ticket prices, Hong Kong Disneyland Group Managing Director Dan Robinson said in July.

The Hong Kong Disneyland statement didn't given any details of planned rides, saying the park will include Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland, and will provide entertainment such as a "Broadway quality stage show."

Disney also confirmed a South China Morning Post newspaper report that it's closing some of its retail stores in Hong Kong for commercial reasons "to ensure that we meet the needs of our guests and shareholders," the statement said.