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Dennis Eng

Linda Choy

Visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland will be treated to a crash course in the Magic Kingdom's characters, stories and lands.

In recognition that not everyone in the world has grown up with Disney, the park will offer guests a 'pre-show' lasting 10 to 15 minutes to help them navigate the park.

The feature,  not found in Disneylands elsewhere, is an apparent attempt by the park to try to ingrain its culture  in mainland visitors, its main target market.

'What is Main Street and Buzz Lightyear? Why are there Teacups in Fantasyland and what is Golden Mickey? You'd appreciate the experience more if you have those sorts of questions answered for you,'  managing director Bill Ernest said.

'As you go into the park, you're going to go into an area for about 10 or 15 minutes, where we tell you the story of the lands, the attractions, the characters and how they fit together and what it is you are about to experience.'

Mr Ernest said the theme park would roll out a pilot programme in a temporary facility near the entrance in a few months.

'If it looks like the test is successful and that's what we would like to see, then we will need to look for a permanent home,' he said.

The Hong Kong Disney team is working with Walt Disney Imagineering to develop the story.

The announcement of the pilot programme came as Hong Kong Disneyland reported a growing number of mainland visitors, who accounted for more than 50 per cent of the 1 million visitors it has received since July 1.

Mr Ernest said Hong Kong Disneyland would keep in touch with its mainland business  contacts in order to understand the needs and expectation of  visitors. He said the park also would introduce a number of events to tie in with  festivals such as Halloween and Christmas.

'Part of our story is we want tourists in mainland China and Hong Kong to think of us as a part of their living quarters,' he said.

Mr Ernest would not confirm whether the park would bring in 'It's a Small World' as its new attraction in Fantasyland, despite media speculation.

It features a multitude of figures in the style of children of the world singing the ride's title track based on the theme of global peace

'Maybe, maybe. We haven't quite got there yet,' he said.



Magic Kingdom will shed its mystery for mainland visitors