However magical the world of Disney may be, the reality is that things can turn nasty when it comes to business and politics. Last week, negotiations between the government and the US entertainment giant over the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland appeared to be heading towards a black hole when the company put the plans on hold.
With no signs of progress for the next six months, after two years of talks, the company said: 'The uncertainty of the outcome requires us to immediately suspend all creative and design work on the project.'
The government said it was puzzled by the decision, adding that it 'would not be conducive to the talks'. If officials felt perplexed, no doubt the public is doubly confused by the intensified game played between the supposed partners.
Given the uncertainty of the expansion plan, Disney's move, which will also cost 30 jobs, appears to be a natural business decision. It would be unrealistic and naive to expect the US company to take into account the potential negative impact of its decision in a time of fears of rising unemployment and falling economic confidence.
Aside from the practical difficulty of how to justify keeping these jobs, it appears that Disney is also putting pressure on the government to quicken the pace of negotiations, or at least provide a more definite way forward. The company said that it acted after being told by the government that there was no timetable on the way forward.
The latest developments are puzzling given the positive note by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah in his budget speech on February 25. Mr Tsang said the government and Walt Disney were discussing the expansion and any capital realignment of the joint venture. 'We hope that agreement will soon be reached on a proposal that will both make Hong Kong Disneyland more attractive as well as serve the overall interests of Hong Kong,' he said.
The case for expanding the theme park has gained considerable support from the tourism sector in light of some oft-cited deficiencies regarding its size and facilities, and the competition from other theme parks - including a planned Disneyland in Shanghai that could open by 2014.