Hong Kong's reputation for surly shop staff, cabbies and waiters will not stop Disney putting smiles on the faces of its local employees, bosses say.
Walt Disney Attractions chairman Judson Green said the company's intensive training programme for workers would make the Penny's Bay theme park as cheerful as any other in the chain.
'Hong Kong is a very desirable big city, and big cities are perhaps different than others,' Mr Green said.
'But we anticipate being able to hire great cast [staff] here and being able to deliver a very high level of service.' Shoddy service in SAR shops and restaurants - often seen as a by-product of boom years when businesses flourished without staff having to try - has long been a source of consumer complaints.
Last year, the Hong Kong Tourist Association was so concerned about off-hand treatment of visitors that it launched the 'Be a Good Host' campaign in March. In September, a courtesy course for taxi drivers was launched.
Mr Green diplomatically rejected the suggestion Hong Kong residents were less friendly than many others, but accepted there might be special challenges here.