Hong Kong Disneyland’s “Magical Moments” 5th Anniversary has officially begun. Following the unveiling ceremony of the 5th Anniversary celebration, presided over by Andy Bird, President & CEO of The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific, and Michael Moriarty, CEO of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, the park has officially donned its themed celebration attire. Mickey Mouse, Tinker Bell, and all the beloved Disney characters have gathered together in front of the brand-new “Tinker Bell Castle,” creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere.
For the first time ever, Tinker Bell makes her debut in the park, joining forces with Sorcerer Mickey to cast magic and sprinkle magical stardust across the entire park, kicking off an unexpectedly wonderful “Magical Moments” experience right away. The globally unique and first-of-its-kind “Disney Paint the Night Parade,” which features a parade stage elevated 40 feet high for performance, makes a grand entrance. Located in the center of the park, Sleeping Beauty Castle will be transformed into the dazzling “Tinker Bell Castle.” All your favorite Disney characters are dressed in new outfits, with themed updates spanning from dining, merchandise, and hotel activities to the overall decor of the resort.
Hong Kong tourism welcomes a brand-new experience. To celebrate its 5th anniversary, Hong Kong Disneyland has adopted “Magical Moments” as its annual theme, adding new hardware facilities and software services under this theme. All cast members throughout the park are putting their hearts into the celebration, wearing newly designed commemorative name tags that constantly remind guests of this important milestone.
In addition, Hong Kong Disneyland’s five signature seasonal events will also bring different exciting experiences each quarter under the celebratory ambiance of “Magical Moments.” Even more notably, to help more guests understand the vision behind Hong Kong Disneyland’s future expansion projects and how Imagineers make dreams come true, the park has specially set up the “Resort Expansion Preview Center,” showcasing design models and blueprints of the new themed areas.
The Hong Kong tourism industry is looking forward to seeing visitor numbers rise even higher as the “Magical Moments” 5th Anniversary activities officially kick off and the “Toy Story Land” is completed by the end of the year. With only a 90-minute flight from Taiwan and numerous flight options on the Taiwan-Hong Kong route, Taiwanese visitors are encouraged to plan a family trip to Hong Kong during the winter vacation or Lunar New Year holiday to experience the latest attractions.
“Magical Moments” is the culmination of efforts by both international and local creative talents in Hong Kong, taking over 18 months of hard work to produce. The highlight project, the “Disney Paint the Night Parade,” from float production, choreography, music, costume design to the giant helium balloons, is all masterminded by top talents from around the world, collaborating with the park’s production team to deliver a parade performance beyond imagination. Hong Kong Disneyland even brought in award-winning stage costume designer Mirena Rada from the United States to design magnificent costumes that combine beauty and functionality for the parade dancers.
The event’s theme song “Magical Moments” also has an interesting backstory. In a global anonymous music competition, Hong Kong Disneyland’s Music Director Rony Fortich stood out through rigorous judging, and his composition became the beautiful melody of the “Magical Moments” theme song. The park also invited renowned lyricist Lin Xi to write the Chinese lyrics, and the song was performed as a duet by Hacken Lee and Kelly Chen on opening day to launch this annual celebration of the 5th anniversary.
In line with the 5th Anniversary celebration, a brand-new shop in Hong Kong Disneyland, the “Main Street Fashion Store,” has grandly opened on Main Street, U.S.A., featuring a wide array of premium trendy items. This store exclusively sells limited-edition collections co-created by Hong Kong Disneyland and famous brands. The park has also launched over 200 new 5th Anniversary commemorative items, including exclusive and limited-edition Vinylmation collectibles, as well as a variety of beautifully designed merchandise themed around Tinker Bell, Sorcerer Mickey, the Disney Paint the Night Parade, and the Tinker Bell Castle.
The festive 5th Anniversary atmosphere at Hong Kong Disneyland extends to its two themed hotels. During specified periods, children can participate in “Disney Friends Story Time” at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel for just HK$168 each. They can enjoy listening to their favorite Disney stories on-site, meet a Disney character, receive a complimentary souvenir photo, and enjoy a bedtime snack.
Opened in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland is the fifth Disney theme park in the world and home to Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, and many other Disney characters in the Greater China region. The park claims to have welcomed over 25 million guests from around the world since its opening. With its unique facilities in the theme park and two hotels, along with the service provided by a team of nearly 5,000 cast members, the park has won numerous awards in tourism and hospitality. Now, with new additions for the 5th Anniversary, the park is expected to spark a new wave of tourism.