March 29, 2017

What Will Save Hong Kong Disneyland? Pirates?

Think Pirates of the Caribbean, and exactly what do you think about? The new film series? The stunning new film based Disney park attraction in Shanghai Disneyland? Did you think about a groundbreaking land full of attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland? I didn't think so.

But the Imagineers did! Here's a great piece of concept art by the very gifted Tim Delaney to show such a place was on the radar for the little park that should have opened grander than it did. 

Was it truly just a bit of Bargain Basement Imagineering that led to the small roster of attractions at opening or was it early planning for Shanghai Disneyland that brought about attraction interruptus? In some ways, it's not beyond imagination to think that there was no way the Chinese government was going to let the former British colony be home to such a grand Magic Kingdom when one should be preeminent in an ancient mainland city.

Regardless of the reason behind it, the beautiful little park is now struggling to survive. Is Disney going to pull a Disneyland Paris here, letting it come to near ruin before they swoop in?  Probably not. The Chinese don't play as nice as the French or the Japanese. Make no mistake however, whether it is Frozen or Marvel or something entirely different, if the park is going to survive, it needs more than just one new unique attraction the quality of Mystic Manor! Perhaps Pirates...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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