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Extreme Makeover: Disneyland Hong Kong Edition

It's a small world after all, and for the first time there’s actually some positive news to report about Hong Kong Disneyland. In the past, all we’ve heard about their situation is that no one is showing up to ride the rides and eat the churros, but that might be changing sooner than later. The park has gotten the green light to expand its offerings, and hopefully this will result in a steady stream through the main gates—instead of just a trickle.

The park has been approved for a cash infusion of almost $500 million. There’s a debt to equity exchange within the spending package, but the Hong Kong government will still be majority owner in the park; however, Disney will now have a little bit more ownership in their smallest plot. Over the next few years, the park will look to add more attractions within several new, themed areas. All this work should be done by 2014, so you'd be better off postponing your Disneyland HK vacay until then.

New areas like Grizzly Trail and Mystic Point will be exclusive to the park, but unfortunately there’s no real details about what these areas will offer. There will also be a land devoted to the Toy Story film franchise, and that sounds great to us, since we’re suckers when it comes to anything related to Buzz Lightyear and Woody. It’s nice to hear that despite the recession, officials recognize that this park has been a disappointment, and are trying to fix it up before it’s too late.

Related Stories:
· Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion Financing Approved [LAT]
· Hong Kong Votes for $468 mln Disneyland Expansion [Reuters]
· Disneyland Travel: Hong Kong Gets Aggressive [Jaunted]

[Photo: niallkennedy]