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Hong Kong Disneyland Resort can be found on Lantau Island, located in Penny's Bay on the northeast end of the island, 10 minutes from Hong Kong International Airport and less than 30 minutes by train, ferry or motorway from downtown Hong Kong. Hong Kong Disneyland is Disney's first theme park in China. It is the 11th Disney theme park worldwide, joining parks and resort locations in California, Florida, Tokyo and Paris.
Feng shui played a large role in the design of Hong Kong Disneyland. In the resort's Grand Plaza, located at the intersection of the landscape area and the park entrance, is a large whimsical fountain featuring bronze statues of the six most famous Disney characters -- Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck. Moving with the waves, Mickey rises while riding his surfboard on a huge spout of water from a whale. The placement of the large character fountain is meant to accumulate the flow of guests and wealth. Fountains have also been placed in additional plazas to accumulate good fortune.
The Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad is comprised of three locomotives and two passenger trains. The engine pictured above is the Frank G. Wells. The other two are named Walter E. Disney and Roy O. Disney. Passenger cars on Train No. 1 are named for places important in the history of The Walt Disney Company -- Anaheim, Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles and California. The cars are painted pale green with dark green trim. Cars on Train No. 2 have dark red sides trimmed with forest green, and are named for places important in the life of Walt Disney -- Chicago, Marceline, Kansas City, Hollywood and Orlando. Each five-car train on the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad can carry 250 guests. There are two stations on the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad, one at Main Street and the other in Fantasyland. Unlike the other Magic Kingdoms around the world, the engines are not steam powered but rather run on gasoline.
Disney custodial host Stanley Chan polishes a plaque at the tunnels under Main Street Station leading into Hong Kong Disneyland Park. Signs and audio-recorded messages thoughout the resort are in several languages. To help all guests feel welcome, three languages will be spoken by cast members throughout the park: Putonghua, Cantonese and English.
Cherries Shek, three-year-old Chloe Shek and Louis Shek take a special ride down Main Street U.S.A. as honorary Grand Marshals of the daily Disney parade. The Sheks were chosen as "First Family" after a two-month search on a TVB televison special. The First Family is a time-honored tradition that has been a special part of every Disney theme park grand opening dating back to the original Disneyland in 1955.
Zeng Qinghong (second from left), Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China, shakes hands with Michael D. Eisner (second from right), Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer. Also participating in the ceremony were Robert A. Iger, Walt Disney Company President, Chief Operating Officer and CEO-elect (right), and Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) (left). The opening-day ceremony on September 12 featured a traditional Lion Dance ritual in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in which the Lions were “brought to life” when their eyes were dotted with brushes and red ink.
"We warmly and wholeheartedly welcome the Disney family to Hong Kong" said Donald Tsang (left), Chief Executive of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as he addressed the invited guests Monday at the official grand opening ceremony for Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. The project, a joint project between The Walt Disney Company and HKSAR Government, opened in a gala ceremony that featured Chinese tradition joined with Disney heritage.
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