Hong Kong Disneyland plans $1.4B expansion to boost visits

A proposed $1.4 billion expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland, which experienced a notable drop in attendance last year, would add a “Frozen” themed land and a Marvel area to the 11-year-old theme park, Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday.

Other additions to the property would include a remodeled Sleeping Beauty Castle and a new entertainment venue based on “Moana,” Walt Disney Studios’ hoped-for animated hit that opened Wednesday.

The project would mark the biggest investment in Hong Kong Disneyland since it opened in 2005 and is intended to boost growth at the smallest of Disney’s dozen theme parks.

Attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland, which is co-owned by Disney and the government of Hong Kong, dropped by 9.3 percent to 6.8 million people in 2015, according to an annual report by the Aecom consulting firm and Themed Entertainment Association, an industry group.

The park’s expansion plan, which would begin in 2018 and wrap up by 2023, is subject to approval by Disney’s board of directors and the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.

“This proposed expansion brings the best of the Walt Disney Co. to this wonderful tourist destination, giving guests an experience only Disney can deliver and infusing some of Disney’s most beloved characters and stories into this unique destination,” Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said.