Published : 2025-09-12
On 12 September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland officially opened.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is located on Lantau Island, covering an area of 126 hectares. Hong Kong Disneyland is currently the smallest Disney park in the world.
The opening ceremony was held outside the Sleeping Beauty Castle in the park, and was presided over by Zeng Qinghong (曾慶紅), the then-Vice President of China.
He stated that the completion of Hong Kong Disneyland would add a charming tourist attraction for Hong Kong and visitors to the city, becoming a new growth point for Hong Kong's economic prosperity and development, and that the joyful Disneyland is an eternal carnival for Hong Kong residents.
The opportunity for Disneyland to be established in Hong Kong originated from the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
The following year, Hong Kong's economy fell into recession; the Hong Kong Government hoped to achieve an economic recovery by developing the tourism industry, thereby stimulating growth in related industries such as retail, catering, and hospitality, whilst creating more employment opportunities.
According to Henry TANG Ying-yen (唐英年), the then-Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland had already created 11,400 jobs during its construction phase and would create 18,000 employment opportunities after its opening.
He further projected that in the 40 years following its opening, Hong Kong Disneyland would bring an economic benefit of approximately 148 billion HKD to Hong Kong.
