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Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is the third international version of the Walt Disney Company theme park franchise, fifth worldwide and the second in Asia. Officially opened on September 12, 2005, it currently is the smallest of all the theme parks, but is said to be larger than its California counterpart when it first opened.

The park occupies Penny's Bay on the territory's largest outlying island, Lantau Island, and is connected by a special branchline extending from the MTR's Tung Chung Line at Sunny Bay Station, and runs non-stop to Disneyland Resort Station with a specially decorated train. The line is run by the MTR Corporation. The Park is controlled by the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Walt Disney Company, share ratio 51:49. Its largest and sole local competitor is the long-established Ocean Park, which is approximately twice the size of the current Disneyland.

The resort consists of just one theme park, as compared to the California and Florida resorts, which are essentially a collection of theme parks. Due to the lack of land in the territory and public awareness concerning reclamation, the park had become quite compact, similar in this respect to the urban area of Hong Kong. The design of the park remains loyal to the original's design, with Main Street, USA being almost exactly the same design, in exception to the street made of bricks instead of asphalt.

HistoryEdit

ConstructionEdit

Hong Kong Disneyland had the shortest construction period among all Disneyland-style theme parks. On January 12, 2003, more than 400 guests celebrated the groundbreaking of Hong Kong Disneyland after the finishing of land reclamation in Penny's Bay. The audience included Tung Chee Hwa, then Chief Executive of Hong Kong; Michael D. Eisner, former Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company; Robert A. Iger, President of The Walt Disney Company; and Jay Rosulo, former president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. On September 23, 2004, a special "castle topping ceremony" was held in the park to commemorate the placing of the tallest turret on Sleeping Beauty Castle. Hong Kong Disneyland opened to public at 13:00 local time on September 12, 2005.