HONG KONG - The Walt Disney Co. says "well over" 1 million people have visited Hong Kong Disneyland, relenting in releasing visitor figures amid speculation of disappointing attendance and criticism that the park wasn't adequately transparent about its operations.
"Hong Kong Disneyland has welcomed and entertained well over 1 million guests," Walt Disney Parks and Resorts said in a statement issued late Wednesday.
The statement came after park officials repeatedly refused to disclose visitor numbers because of their sensitive nature and media reports that attendance at the park has been lackluster.
The South China Morning Post reported Monday that its reporters counted several thousand fewer park guests than the projected first-year daily average of 15,342 on two days in November.
In Wednesday's statement, Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo said such calculations are "meaningless" because they don't factor in seasonality. "The bottom-line is this: Attendance is ramping up well, which continues to give us confidence that we are on track to achieve our long-term attendance goals," Rasulo said.
Disneyland's silence until now has frustrated critics who say the park must be held accountable to the public because of the level of government investment.
The government paid $2.4 billion for the park's construction, while Disney paid about $314 million, according to official figures.
Disney also said mainland China, expected to be a major source of tourists for the park, accounted for 26 percent of guests. Foreigners contributed 25 percent, and locals represented 49 percent. _________________ *~deb~*
onecutemoose Bouncing Between Wonderland & Neverland
Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 6730
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject:
That's a whole lot of people! Hopefully they are buying lots of things... I still hope there aren't any more international parks for awhile...don't want to saturate the market
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