Tourists visit Disneyland at Lantau Island. Photo: May Tse
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https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3039622/hong-kong-disneyland-cancels-new-years-eve Hong Kong economy
Hong Kong Disneyland cancels New Year’s Eve countdown party over protest-linked transport concerns
- The theme park said guests who have bought the package from Disneyland’s official website would receive a refund
- The move comes after the tourism board announced the city’s Lunar New Year parade would be replaced by a carnival over safety fears
Disneyland’s New Year’s Eve countdown is the latest event to be cancelled. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has called off its New Year’s Eve countdown party over fears the city’s ongoing political unrest would affect transport options for revellers.
“After evaluating the possible late-night transport situation, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort regrets to announce that the ‘Disney New Year’s Eve Countdown Party!’ on December 31 will be cancelled,” the theme park said in a statement released on its official website on Tuesday.
The theme park said guests who had bought the package from Disneyland’s official website would receive a refund.
The move was the latest in a wave of event cancellations sweeping the city after anti-government protests, triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, broke out about six months ago.
The civil unrest has seen worsening violence, including radicals throwing petrol bombs, and police firing tear gas and even live rounds at protesters. And since October, when a law banning the use of face masks in public assemblies came into force, many train facilities have been destroyed, impacting on the operating hours of MTR lines.
Earlier this week, the tourism board announced the city’s Lunar New Year parade would not go on for the first time since its launch 23 years ago, and that it would be replaced by a four-day carnival.
Other events to have faced the axe in the last few months include the Wine & Dine Festival, the Formula E-Prix and the National Day fireworks.
Tourism lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said the scrapping of many big events this year could make visitors worry about the situation in Hong Kong.
“They could wonder if the cancellations mean Hong Kong itself doesn’t have the confidence to host orderly events,” Yiu said.
Disneyland’s party is one of Hong Kong’s largest countdown events, all of which attract hundreds of thousands of revellers along Victoria Harbour and different shopping malls on December 31 every year.
The company had planned to hold the party at the theme park on Lantau Island from 9pm to the early hours of January 1, with singing and dancing performances as well as party music lined up.