Brand-new 20th anniversary events cement Hong Kong Disneyland’s role as tourism flagship
Latest attractions include largest Friendtastic! Parade, dynamic Party at the Castle! show and Momentous: Party in the Night Sky spectacular
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, as part of the global entertainment conglomerate, has prided itself on bringing magic and joy to its visitors since it opened its doors on the Lantau Island waterfront in 2005.
Behind the scenes, there is a team of people who pull out all the stops to ensure the resort always puts on a perfect show. This year’s 20th anniversary celebrations, which kicked off in June, are a clear sign of their shared team ethos of creativity and dedication.
“The 20th anniversary really is the most magical party of all … and you are not going to want to miss out on it,” Michael Moriarty, managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, says.
The celebrations include Friendtastic! Parade, the largest in Hong Kong Disneyland’s history, with 11 dazzling floats, over 100 performers and more than 30 Disney Friends appearing.
There is also an exclusive anniversary-only castle stage show, performed in front of the Castle of Magical Dreams, called Disney Friends Live: Party at the Castle!, and Momentous: Party in the Night Sky, a major upgrade of the park’s nighttime spectacular, featuring an extended run time of nearly 30 minutes with drone choreography and projections that stretch all the way down Main Street, USA.
“We’re always leveraging the wide variety of Disney characters and stories that our guests love to create in unique attractions here at Hong Kong Disneyland, from the openings of Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, to Iron Man Experience, castle transformation, to World of Frozen,” Moriarty says.
The creative ethos that inspired the world’s first and largest Frozen-themed land, World of Frozen, in November 2023, has also been applied to the 20th anniversary celebrations. “It seems like each time we have a celebration, we start planning for the next,” he says. “We are pushing ourselves to provide the most immersive, the most creative, the most innovative experiences that we can think of for our guests.
“And, we are just getting started! Apart from the 20th anniversary, Hong Kong Disneyland has a solid pipeline for future growth with current expansion plans that include more Marvel-themed experiences and a brand-new Pixar entertainment offering.”
The resort is also marking the occasion with enhanced philanthropic efforts to extend the celebrations to those in need. It has doubled its annual park ticket donations to 200,000 and donated more than HK$5 million (US$645,000) to enhance child patients’ in-hospital experiences at paediatric clinics at eight of the city’s public hospitals and also support youth development.
“Fostering a connection with the Hong Kong community is something very close to our hearts,” Moriarty says. “We care about Hong Kong and are humbled to be woven into the fabric of this amazing city.”
For the resort’s dancer Aries Manlapaz, being part of this historic celebration is an opportunity of a lifetime. “It is the largest parade in Hong Kong Disneyland’s history,” she says. “The show stop is the most magical part because we have interaction with the guests.”
Manlapaz, who started dancing when she was 10, says that being a performer at Hong Kong Disneyland is a dream come true.
“With my job, I’m able to inspire the kids to be achieving their dreams as well,” she says “We always give them big smiles and when the guests smile back at us, it makes us more energised and motivates us to keep our performance at its best at all times.”
In addition to the year-long anniversary celebrations, Hong Kong Disneyland will also continue to launch unique experiences.
“We make use of our seasonal events to offer time-limited offerings that our guests can only find in Hong Kong Disneyland,” Rosalyn Woo, vice-president, product strategy, park operations and planning, says.
“For example, we have been working with Hong Kong Ballet to create a unique performance based on our popular Duffy and Friends Franchise, in spring, and have created The Nightmare Before Dinner during Halloween and also we have invited world-famous [Chinese] pianist Lang Lang and other artists to perform in front of our castle during the winter season.”
Visitors are encouraged to dress up in their favourite Disney outfit, indulge their taste buds and even bring part of the experience home.
“When you are throwing the most magical party of all, you need to create those big celebration moments, with party outfits, good food, decorations and party keepsakes,” she says.
“We also focused on refreshing our existing experiences. For example, we recently enhanced the immersive experience at the legendary ride, Jungle River Cruise, and continue to launch many exclusive merchandise, food and beverage offerings featuring our unique attractions and Hong Kong flavours.”
The 20th anniversary celebrations are also very close to Hongkonger Woo’s heart, having worked at the resort right from the start – initially as an intern and part of the opening team before her present role.
Disney also has deep personal significance for Moriarty. “My Disney journey started with my parents, who met at Disneyland in California,” he says. “My dad was asked to be on the opening team at Walt Disney World in Orlando [in Florida]. So he moved the entire family to Orlando, where I grew up.”
For Manlapaz, Hong Kong Disneyland is also more than just a workplace – it was also where she met her husband, who also works at the park as a dancer. “I consider Disney as my second home,” she says. “I have made good friends from different countries and regions. Everyone is so genuinely kind and caring that we are not just a team here, but we are a family making magic all together.”