Disneyland - Hong Kong

"PTravel" wrote:

May I ask you a question?

I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then visit
an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation of
Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes.

What is the attraction?

Maybe travelling to Hong Kong (or Tokyo or Paris) is cheaper than travelling
to America for many people.


--
Dave Fossett
Saitama, Japan

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:40:48 +0900, the renowned "Dave Fossett"
wrote:

"PTravel" wrote:

May I ask you a question?

I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then visit
an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation of
Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes.

What is the attraction?

Maybe travelling to Hong Kong (or Tokyo or Paris) is cheaper than travelling
to America for many people.

There may also be non-monetary reasons they'd want to (or have to)
avoid American soil.

"Dave Fossett" wrote in message
...
"PTravel" wrote:

May I ask you a question?

I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then
visit an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation of
Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes.

What is the attraction?

Maybe travelling to Hong Kong (or Tokyo or Paris) is cheaper than
travelling to America for many people.

Travelling to Hong Kong is not cheaper than travelling to Anaheim or Orlando
for Americans. I assumed the OP was an American, and may be mistaken in
that assumption.




--
Dave Fossett
Saitama, Japan

"I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then
visit an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation
of Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes. What is the attraction?"

The Hong Kong Disneyland isn't aimed at Americans. It's intended for
Chinese and Southeast Asians. There is a growing middle-class
population in China and Southeast Asia, but travel to America or Europe
or Japan is still unrealistic for the vast majority of them, since they
can't afford it and would usually be denied visas. This is the only
chance most of them will have to go to a Disneyland. Very few
Americans would go to Hong Kong Disneyland - maybe if you are touring
Asia with small children you might make a brief stop there.

As for Hard Rock Cafes, these chain restaurants charge high prices for
substandard food, so they can be very profitable. Many people around
the world want mediocre American food, just like many Americans will
pay good money for mediocre sushi or Mexican or Chinese food.

"Many people around
the world want mediocre American food, just like many Americans will
pay good money for mediocre sushi or Mexican or Chinese food."

Wow, what an insightful and astute comment. For some reason, I never
looked at it that way, but now that you put it out there, it seems so
obvious.

--riverman

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:45:34 -0700, "PTravel"
wrote:


"Markku Grönroos" wrote in message
...

"PTravel" wrote in message
...

"Rick Graham" wrote in message
...

May I ask you a question?

I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then
visit an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation of
Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes.

What is the attraction?
Similar to that experienced in the USA? If I visit the Disney park in
Paris next summer, I will buy that funny Mickey Mouse cap with mighty
ears.

Many Americans visit Disney in the U.S. I don't understand why Americans
would travel to Hong Kong (or any other international destination) to see an
American theme park or, for that matter, any other American chain.

Of course its unlikely that an American would travel to Hong Kong
specifically to visit Disneyland there, but nobody is suggesting they
would. If you read the original question, they guy is transiting Hong
Kong and wants something to fill his time instead of sitting in the
airport for several hours.

I don't see why a theme park in Hong Kong should be less attractive to
an American than it would be to anyone else just because the original
concept came from America.

Chris

I'm an American in HK, and I find DisneyHK abominable, whereas the ones
in California or Florida don't offend me one bit.

Part of it is because Disney is a concept that we grew up with in the
US, so the presence of a Disneyland or Disneyworld there feels normal
and understandable. Like there being a Great Wall in China, or an
Eiffel Tower in France. However, building a theme park in China or
France is more than just building a theme park: its exporting an
American concept to a group of people who have no knowledge or cultural
ties to it. A termendous amount of effort has had to be done to create
cultural meaning for the locals, which seems very contrary to the idea
of how cultures evolve. They shouldn't be engineered.

Its like bringing Anime cartoons to Saturday morning TV in the US: it
has no cultural foundation there. Imagine if Anime was owned outright
by one company, and imagine how it would seem to suddenly have Anime
cartoons pushed on the population. At least now, Anime is a public
concept and can be adopted and presented by anyone. It has a chance to
become part of the local culture, not to replace it.

The second reason its so offensive is related to the first: here in HK,
Disney ads are absolutely pervasive. They really knew what they were
doing here...you have a highly conforming society with a propensity to
aspire towards western values. They are eating this thing up, and
losing some of their own identity in the process. Every marketing angle
has been embraced with a vengance: there are Disney cell phones, Disney
clothes, Disney accessories, Disney everything. And these aren't
limited to the Disney sto the subway system has allowed a special
"Disneyland Express" to be built; I even saw a Mickey Mouse coffeemaker
in a local housewares store with no connection to Disney.

The presence of Disney HK is more than just another theme park: its a
mass cultural takeover. If they merely hung up their shingle and let
folks come, it would be one thing. But the marketers at Disney are
experts and creating exposure, and in a culture like this, I am not
suprised that the city has not already renamed itself "DisneyCity".

"Chris Blunt" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:45:34 -0700, "PTravel"
wrote:


"Markku Grönroos" wrote in message
...

"PTravel" wrote in message
...

"Rick Graham" wrote in message
...

May I ask you a question?

I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then
visit an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation
of
Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes.

What is the attraction?
Similar to that experienced in the USA? If I visit the Disney park in
Paris next summer, I will buy that funny Mickey Mouse cap with mighty
ears.

Many Americans visit Disney in the U.S. I don't understand why Americans
would travel to Hong Kong (or any other international destination) to see
an
American theme park or, for that matter, any other American chain.

Of course its unlikely that an American would travel to Hong Kong
specifically to visit Disneyland there, but nobody is suggesting they
would. If you read the original question, they guy is transiting Hong
Kong and wants something to fill his time instead of sitting in the
airport for several hours.

The OP was comparing HK Disneyland to the ones in Anaheim and Orlando. That
doesn't make him any American, but it makes it much more likley that he is.

Regardless, for someone who has been to the two American Disneylands, why in
the world would he want to go to the one in Hong Kong?



I don't see why a theme park in Hong Kong should be less attractive to
an American than it would be to anyone else just because the original
concept came from America.

The point of foreign travel is to go somewhere foreign. An American who
travels to Hong Kong and then visits Disneyland, eats in McDonalds, etc.
might as well stay home.



Chris

"PTravel" wrote in message
...

Regardless, for someone who has been to the two American Disneylands, why
in the world would he want to go to the one in Hong Kong?

For cotton candy.

On Tue, 18 Oct 2005 10:24:50 -0700, "PTravel"
wrote:


"Chris Blunt" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:45:34 -0700, "PTravel"
wrote:


"Markku Grönroos" wrote in message
...

"PTravel" wrote in message
...

"Rick Graham" wrote in message
...

May I ask you a question?

I'm really curious. Why would someone travel to Hong Kong, and then
visit an American theme park? I've never understood the proliferation
of
Disneyland parks internationally, just as I've never understood the
proliferation of Hard Rock Cafes.

What is the attraction?
Similar to that experienced in the USA? If I visit the Disney park in
Paris next summer, I will buy that funny Mickey Mouse cap with mighty
ears.

Many Americans visit Disney in the U.S. I don't understand why Americans
would travel to Hong Kong (or any other international destination) to see
an
American theme park or, for that matter, any other American chain.

Of course its unlikely that an American would travel to Hong Kong
specifically to visit Disneyland there, but nobody is suggesting they
would. If you read the original question, they guy is transiting Hong
Kong and wants something to fill his time instead of sitting in the
airport for several hours.

The OP was comparing HK Disneyland to the ones in Anaheim and Orlando. That
doesn't make him any American, but it makes it much more likley that he is.

Regardless, for someone who has been to the two American Disneylands, why in
the world would he want to go to the one in Hong Kong?

You'll have to ask him that, but he clearly did want to visit it, so
why not just accept that?


I don't see why a theme park in Hong Kong should be less attractive to
an American than it would be to anyone else just because the original
concept came from America.

The point of foreign travel is to go somewhere foreign. An American who
travels to Hong Kong and then visits Disneyland, eats in McDonalds, etc.
might as well stay home.

The reasons for foreign travel are many and varied. Most people travel
for business purposes, and many travel frequently enough that their
trips are more than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see "something
foreign". Some of us travel to the same places often enough that we
don't need to obsess with totally immersing ourselves with local
experiences every time we go. Sure, there's definitely a lot more to
see and do in Hong Kong than just going to Disneyland and eating
McDonalds, but that doesn't mean doing those things should be avoided.
Just do as you please when you travel and let other people do the
same.

Chris