Dec 28
2009

Thousands of people lined up to visit Mickey Mouse in Hong Kong this week. But when they could not get in, they got grumpy.

Crowds of angry Chinese, brandishing tickets after they were turned away at the Disneyland entrance, had shouting matches with the police and security guards. Some people clambered over the heavy green steel gates after guards closed them. In one scene played repeatedly on local television, one unhappy child had to be passed by the crowd over the spikes of the gates to his parents inside.

The culprit was a discount-ticket promotion gone awry. Disneyland had failed to anticipate the rush of vacationers from mainland China during the Chinese New Year. As the numbers of people trying to enter the park swelled, officials closed its gates and stopped admitting people who had bought tickets in advance.

Even the Hong Kong government issued a statement late Thursday calling on Disneyland to improve its ticketing and entry procedures. The park has issued an apology to disappointed ticket holders.

By Friday morning, the crowds had subsided, as most Hong Kong residents stayed away from the park and the flow of visitors became more orderly. But the lines in the park were still long, even by Disney standards, and the park announced that it would not sell more tickets at the gate for the day, and even Internet sales were temporarily suspended.

The problems began last month when Disney introduced a discounted one-day ticket plan that allowed the holder to use the ticket any time within the next six months except on designated “special days” when the park anticipated big crowds.

In Hong Kong, a four-day public holiday for Chinese New Year began last Saturday and ended Tuesday. The park designated those dates as special days. But in China, the holiday for Chinese New Year lasts a full week, so the mainlanders were able to use their discounted Disney tickets on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Chinese tour agencies had bought large batches of discounted tickets and brought in busloads of mainlanders to Hong Kong this week. The park said it would review its policies on what days to label as special.

Bill Ernest, the executive vice president of the park, acknowledged that “the numbers were larger than we anticipated.” The park, which has a capacity of about 30,000 people, has begun offering refunds to people turned away, but it is not reimbursing hotel and travel costs.

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Dec 1
2009

Disneyland is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, and for good reason.

Disneyland is where Disney magic comes alive with the famous characters walking around that you can meet (everyone from Goofy to Cinderella – and not forgetting Mickey!) and have their photos taken and collect autographs.

For the little ones especially this is the best part of the park and the excitement is something they’ll remember long after they’ve outgrown the animated movies and understand the reality behind the characters!
You can have a ride and other enjoyment in Disneyland:

In this Disneyland aside from the characters there are the rides.  Space Mountain and Splash Mountain in particular are rides for which Disneyland is famous – some rides in the Disneyland have height restrictions so make sure your children qualify before standing in line.

The park present in Disneyland is divided up into various themed areas such as “Tomorrow land” and “Critter Country” and each area is full of attractions, rides and side shows.

You could actually spend a day in the Disneyland just wandering around and looking at everything, without ever going on a single ride – unless you’ve got children with you!

There are parades in the park, and a fireworks display can be found at almost any major event in the park, which adds to the fun because you don’t have to stand in line for hours to watch it – check the park’s information area to find out what’s happening on the day you’re visiting and what time it begins.

Disneyland has an assortment of places to eat around the park, plan your day so that you are in the right area at the right time for your meals.  Some restaurants advise making reservations so check this out at the start of your day – or even before you get there if possible – to avoid disappointment.

Accommodation near to, or even within, Disneyland is popular during school vacations, so you need to reserve the hotel you want to stay at as soon as you make the decision to visit the park.  Once the high season gets into full swing, available hotel rooms become further away from the park and limited in choice.

Disneyland is pure magic and whether you’re 5 or 95, you’ll find there’s something to enjoy in this fabulous theme park!  Once you’ve experienced Disneyland fun, you’ll be sure to want to come back another time.



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