Disneyland Can Look To Bay Area, Says Professor

A tourism professor says Hong Kong Disneyland still has a bright future, despite potential expansion plans being torpedoed. On Wednesday, the government decided not to extend an option for Disney to buy a 60-hectare site next to the park.

But Professor Brian King, from the Polytechnic University's School of Hotel and Tourism Management, said the park could still do a lot more within its boundaries. He said although park visitation numbers peaked in 2014, Disney's location in the Greater Bay Area offered opportunities.

"The GBA infrastructure, the fast rail, the bridge offers some unfulfilled potential," he said, referring to the Express Rail Link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. "I think with theme parks, they always have to re-invent themselves."

King said even though Hong Kong was Disney's smallest theme park, it was still seen a premium tourism experience in the region. He said new rides and new themes had been brought in.

Disney says it's extremely disappointed that the government has ended the option for it to buy the adjacent piece of land in Penny's Bay. The land is currently being used for Covid-19 quarantine facilities.

Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Wan has said the government should now use the 60-hectare site for housing development - and forget about Lantau Tomorrow, the planned massive reclamation project.