The long-awaited Iron Man Experience attraction has soft-opened in Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland! Below we have video of the queue and the attraction for you to enjoy:
The attraction will officially opening January 2017, along with an Iron Man meet and greet experience, a first for any Disney theme park.
New Hong Kong Disneyland Castle
HONG KONG (Nov. 22, 2016) – Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) announced a multi-year development plan to take the park to a new level of excitement, leveraging some of the most beloved and successful franchises of The Walt Disney Company. Plans include new themed areas, attractions and entertainment, launching almost every year from 2018 through 2023.
Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion Site Plan
Guests will experience Marvel and “Frozen” like never before as HKDL leverages the best of Disney to bring both these world-renowned franchises to life in their own immersive areas. The centerpiece of the park and the gateway to Fantasyland – the castle – will also be transformed to create spectacular entertainment experiences for guests.
“We are more excited than ever about the future of Hong Kong Disneyland,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We are bringing the best of The Walt Disney Company to this wonderful tourist destination, giving guests from around the world an experience only Disney can deliver and an experience they can only have with us at Hong Kong Disneyland.”
Some highlights of the new experiences that will delight Disney fans and guests from around the world include:
An epicenter of Marvel Super Heroes that will continue to unfold. From the launch of Iron Man Experience, the Marvel universe continues to grow at HKDL. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters will be reimagined into a brand new experience for guests to fight alongside the icons of the Marvel Universe. Further, another thrilling attraction dedicated to one of the most popular Marvel franchises will be added to expand the epicenter of Marvel Super Heroes as exciting events unfold in phases. These experiences will replace the Buzz Lightyear and Autopia attractions.
MARVEL Shooter Ride to Replace Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland
An exciting new “Frozen” themed area where characters and stories from the kingdom of Arendelle will come to life in ways guests have never experienced before at a Disney park. Guests will enjoy two new attractions and be immersed in Arendelle with uniquely themed dining, shopping, and entertainment.
A completely transformed Castle and Hub area to showcase brand new daytime and nighttime shows and entertainment offerings that will celebrate every prince and princess who ever wished upon a star and dared to follow a dream. An “Adventureland Show Place,” which invites guests to “Moana’s Village Festival” through a series of daytime entertainment offerings anchored around a lively stage show in a new interactive entertainment environment. In addition to experiencing live shows and immersive Disney storytelling, guests can meet Moana, heroine of the new Disney animated film that will be released globally starting November 2016.
The major development plans extend the excitement and amazing growth at HKDL, as the resort is set to open the eagerly anticipated Iron Man Experience officially on January 11, 2017 and the richly themed Disney Explorers Lodge resort hotel later in the first half of the year.
HKDL has continued to grow since its opening in 2005 and has broadened its appeal to families and young adults as well as diverse markets, including local, mainland China and overseas guests.
The three themed areas launched between 2011 and 2013, Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, have enhanced the park’s attractions and entertainment offerings and boosted the park’s attractiveness to different market segments. In 2013, Mystic Manor was awarded the prestigious Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement – Attraction, the equivalent of the Oscar in the theme park industry. In the following year, the nighttime parade “Disney Paint the Night” was launched and subsequently honored with a Thea Award.
In celebration of HKDL’s 10th Anniversary in 2015, the new stage show “Mickey and the Wondrous Book” and a new walk-through experience “Fairy Tale Forest” were introduced. This past summer, “Star Wars: Tomorrowland Takeover” presented attractions and offerings themed after another classic Disney franchise.
“The all-new developments will further reinforce HKDL’s position as a world-class tourist destination for everyone, including families and young adults, and help build lifelong memories across generations of families,” said Samuel Lau, executive vice president and managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland.
HKDL’s two shareholders – The Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong Government – have agreed on the development plans, subject to funding approval by the Company’s Board of Directors and Legislative Council for their respective share of investment.
I have heard some crazy rumors in my lifetime, but never in a million years could I fathom that a Disney theme park would remove its castle. Surprisingly, it seems that Hong Kong Disneyland park will be…
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Hong Kong Disneyland
Rumor has it that Hong Kong Disneyland is unhappy with the carbon copy of Sleeping Beauty Castle that they received from Disneyland back in 2005 when the park opened. While the small castle looks rather beautiful with the real mountains behind it, the castle itself is rather unimpressive.
2005 was a very different time at Walt Disney Imagineering and in the Walt Disney Company. Some might even call it the dark ages. The company was still under the direction of Michael Eisner, who was frightened by the failures of Disneyland Resort Paris, a project in which they spent time and money to build a gorgeous park that just never grew the audience they expected. He also was on his way out of the company as many shareholders were becoming restless with many of the company’s decisions.
In designing and executing Hong Kong Disneyland, the company wasn’t looking to break the bank. In fact, at one point in development, the Castle wasn’t even going to have a backside, it would be hollow like a movie set. Like I said folks, the dark ages.
Still, it was cheaper to just copy what had been built in California, a small Castle with little interior. It seems that Hong Kong is a little jealous of little brother Shanghai Disneyland’s giant Storybook Castle and wants a bigger and more impressive park icon of their own.
Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disneyland
If the plan comes to pass, a larger castle (smaller than Shanghai, but completely unique in design) will be built on the site of the current Sleeping Beauty Castle in Hong Kong. This would mark the very first time that a castle was torn down in a Disney theme park.
This project is part of a rumored second expansion phase of the park that would include new attractions as well. The last expansion phase added Mystic Manor, Grizzly Gulch, and Toy Story Land to the park.
An announcement from Disney is expected soon.
What do you think? Does this seem like a good idea or should the current castle be left alone?
While we still await the opening of Disney’s very first MARVEL ride attraction, the Iron Man Experience, the Stark Expo shop attached to the highly anticipated motion simulator ride has already opened to the public. Below we have some photos of the area to share with you, courtesy of TDRExplorer.
There is still no solid opening date for the attraction, but at least guests can shop at the adjacent Stark Expo shop, right?
The main marquee for the area is actually a giant screen. Currently, it plays a number of graphics that say “Coming Soon”.
The inside of the shop features tons of MARVEL character merchandise and plenty of images related to the upcoming attraction.
The attraction itself takes place in the city of Hong Kong, so it would need to be reanimated if it were to ever be cloned for any of the other Disney theme parks around the world.
The simulator vehicles fly side-by-side with Iron Man in many of the wall graphics.
The Stark Expo is a parody of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair which is a landmark moment in Disney Parks history, so it all kind of comes full circle with this being featured in a theme park.
The Moljinir of Thor and one of Iron Man’s repulser blasting hands on display in the shop.
As you can see in the video, there is also an experience where guests can digitally suit up as Iron Man and battle through the streets of Hong Kong.
Annual pass holders at Hong Kong Disneyland (called Magic Access Members there) can purchase the only piece of merchandise actually branded to the attraction so far: a limited edition junbo-sized pin.
Pretty neat, huh?
(HONG KONG, NOVEMBER 7, 2016) The much-awaited Disney Parks’ first Marvel-themed ride, Iron Man Experience – Presented by AIA, will launch at Hong Kong Disneyland on January 11, 2017. For the very first time, this new ride-through attraction is featuring a story based in Hong Kong. Guests will be able to soar through Hong Kong’s skies alongside Iron Man and battle the evil forces of Hydra in the multi-sensory immersive motion experience.
“Hong Kong Disneyland is excited to bring the first-ever Marvel-themed ride in a Disney Park to Hong Kong,” said Samuel Lau, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. “The Iron Man Experience is a unique immersive motion experience using Hong Kong as the story background for the very first time. We are proud to give local and overseas guests a different perspective and experience of Hong Kong while promoting our vibrant city to the world at the same time.”
The Resort today also announced a corporate alliance with AIA, which will be the presenting sponsor of the Iron Man Experience.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Hong Kong Disneyland in presenting Disney Parks’ first Marvel-themed ride, Iron Man Experience,” said Jacky Chan, Chief Executive Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau. “This initiative is in perfect alignment with the criteria of AIA Hong Kong’s sponsorship strategy. It is a popular world-class event that can be enjoyed by members of the public. The event will create happy memories with the community, it also strengthens our brand promise to be ‘The Real Life Company’ by bringing an exciting experience to people of all ages. Most importantly, it gives us the opportunity to make a positive difference by helping people live healthier, better and happier lives.”
The eminent innovator and pioneer, Tony Stark has selected Tomorrowland in Hong Kong Disneyland to host Stark Expo, where he will show off his latest high-tech creations in various exhibition halls – the Hall of Legacy, the Hall of Protection, the Hall of Energy and the Hall of Mobility. Guests will be among the first to explore Tony Stark’s latest innovations up close and fly in a gravity-defying Iron Wing flight vehicle in Iron Man Experience. He has also made Hong Kong the Asia headquarters of Stark Industries hereafter.
The park has spent over three years to design and create Iron Man Experience – complete with flight simulators, 3-D projection, surround sound and other special effects that immerse guests in the Marvel story of a battle with the evil forces of Hydra.
For the first time, the park has integrated strong Hong Kong elements into a park attraction by using Hong Kong and its skyline for the fly-through ride. After putting on a pair of StarkVision glasses and taking off on Stark Industries’ special Expo-edition Iron Wing, guests will make their way to the Hong Kong Stark Tower powered by the arc reactor and whizz alongside Iron Man through streets that resemble those in West Kowloon and downtown, and fly over iconic Hong Kong landmarks like Tsing Ma Bridge, Victoria Harbour and the city’s pristine mountain ranges.
The Iron Man Experience will be complemented by a range of Iron Man-themed experiences unveiling at Tomorrowland in the run up to the grand launch of the Stark Expo. The brand-new Expo Shop is already opened to greet guests with a tantalizing range of 70-plus Hong Kong Disneyland exclusive Iron Man merchandise items and more than 250 items of Marvel-themed memorabilia, among them collectibles and toys, glowing key chains, souvenirs as well as apparels and accessories. Some of the exclusive apparels feature Hong Kong’s postcard-perfect scenery or Stark Expo themes.
In the Expo Shop, Iron Man fans get to try on Iron Man’s armor suit in the interactive game Become Iron Man at The Stark Expo. Through interactive motion-sensing technology, guests can experience the various functions of the armor and feel what it is like to be a super hero as they fight the forces of evil while zipping through streets that closely resemble Hong Kong. Guests can also take home a memento package featuring a digital photo collage of their Become Iron Man adventure, as well as a digital download of an approximately 35-second video of their transformation.
The park and hotel restaurants have prepared more than 25 Iron Man-themed food and beverage choices to refuel during the intense Iron Man Experience. Among the delectable choices are an Iron Man Waffle, Iron Man stein, Iron Man desserts at Chef Mickey Buffet and Iron Man beverages served at the resort hotels.
At the Iron Man Tech Showcase presented by Stark Industries, guests will find various Iron Man armor suits. Iron Man will also make his first appearance at Hong Kong Disneyland to meet and interact with guests.
Guests may chance upon an opportunity of a sneak preview, when the Iron Man Experience Sneak Peek is held from December 23, 2016 to January 8, 2017. Starting from December 23, 2016*=, guests staying at the resort’s two hotels will receive a Priority Admission Pass of Iron Man Experience to shorten the wait for their turn on the Marvel-themed ride.
Hong Kong Disneyland celebrated Star Wars Day yesterday by announcing that the Star Wars Universe would be coming to its park starting June 11th.
The popular “Hyperspace Mountain”, a re-imagining of Space Mountain, will make the way to Hong Kong( among other offerings) starting this June. Guests can also flex their lightsaber skills while facing off against villains such as Darth Vader, the Seventh Sister and Kylo Ren in the new Jedi Training: Trials Of The Temple.
Last but not least, you can also join the Resistance and meet Chewbacca in a hidden base that’s being called “Star Wars: Command Post”.
To complete the experience, there will also be Star Wars-themed food and merchandise available.
If you wish the experience to follow you back to your room, the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel will also be offering Star Wars-themed room decoration packages, which include an exclusive Star Wars door sticker, slippers, bed runner and a themed chocolate and cookies set.
While some of the offering may not stay, many of these additions may become permanent fixtures of the park. Rumor has it that Hyperspace Mountain may remain until a Star Wars attraction is built for the park, since it does not already have one.
For those who felt FastPass+ and MyMagic+ were failing at Walt Disney World, you may want to start re-thinking your theories.
As most of the major bugs in the system have been worked out over the last few months, it seems Disney is ready to launch the system globally. The Disneyland Resort in California will be conducting their very first tests for FastPass+ in August 2015. Hong Kong Disneyland will officially launch their system with the opening of the Iron Man Experience in 2016.
FastPass+ takes the FastPass ticketing system into the digital age, removing the paper FastPass distribution points at attractions with a system guests can use to book a FastPass online, in an app, or at one of several designated kiosks within the parks and have it linked to their ticket/MagicBand. Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland still use the original FastPass system currently.
Hong Kong Disneyland released new details and concept art for their latest resort hotel coming in 2017: Disney Explorers Lodge. Disney broke ground this week for the 750 room resort that will immerse guests in far-away locales. The hotel is being constructed in response to rising attendance from the expansion of the park and expected crowd growth from the upcoming Iron Man Experience attraction.
The hotel will have 4 themed realms: African Savannah…
tropical rainforest…
Jungles of Asia (ala The Jungle Book)…
and a tropical island (notice Crush and Squirt from Finding Nemo make an appearance).
The resort’s lobby will draw inspiration from Aulani and Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney is reportedly about to unveil its very first truly interactive nighttime show in Hong Kong according to newspaper reports. The long-rumored “Disney Paint the Night” parade will reportedly debut in October and give guests the opportunity to control light colors on floats when they purchase a special device…
Think of it as taking the Glow with the Show technology to the next step by instead letting the guests control lights on the floats. The technology is already being tested at Disney California Adventure where guests who win the nightly Mickey’s Fun Wheel Challenge are granted a short window to control the lighting on Mickey’s Fun Wheel.
Rumors indicate a similar parade is being designed for Disneyland in California and may debut sometime in 2015 as part of the park’s 60th anniversary celebration.
Hong Kong Disneyland recently announced plans to open a third hotel as the popularity of the resort grows following the completion of the park’s expansion project
Hong Kong Disneyland Proposed Third Hotel Concept Art
The park’s two existing hotels reported occupancy increasing to 94%. Following advice from the Hong Kong government, park management announced plans to open a third hotel in 2017. The just-announced hotel still has to receive final approval, but with its planned 750 rooms, total available rooms for the park will increase by 75%.
The estimated $550 million (US) hotel will be funded by a cash injection from Disney, the Hong Kong government and partial conversion of an existing loan from the government. The Hong Kong government currently is the majority owner of Hong Kong Disneyland at 52% with 48% owned by the Walt Disney Company.
Hong Kong Disneyland Proposed Third Hotel Concept Art
The new, as yet unnamed hotel, which will be built between the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and the Hong Kong Disneyland Hollywood Hotel, is being positioned as luxury hotel themed around “exotic locations from around the world”. It will occupy almost 16 acres, feature almost 603,00 square feet of floor area and an outdoor exotic adventure themed area to continue and extend the theme of the hotel, as well as 3 restaurants.
At the event announcing the third hotel, Hong Kong Disneyland also reported their financials. For their financial year ending September 2013, the park, which opened in 2005, experienced profits climbing to $31.2 million (US) due to a revenue increase of 15% to $631 million (US). Park attendance also increased by 10% to 7.4 million, with spending per head increasing by 6%.
“Steady growth was registered across the three main sources of guests from the local community, mainland China and international markets, with the latter two accounting for about two-thirds of total guests,” said Andrew Kam, HKDL managing director.
Three new themed areas – Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, as well as special entertainment such as “Disney’s Haunted Halloween”, “Disney’s Sparkling Christmas”, “Golden Chinese New Year Celebration”, “Star Guest Program” and “Monsters University” programs drove the 10% park attendance growth.
Several new entertainment offerings are being planned over the next 2 years such as a nighttime spectacular called “Disney Paint the Night” in 2014, 10th anniversary celebrations in 2015, and a new attraction based on Marvel’s “Iron Man” in late 2016.
