All eyes on Toy Story Land as November 18 opening approaches Massive creative activations of Cast Members and partners unfolding the spirit of playtime

DAPs Magic Disney News – PRESS RELEASE

(Hong Kong, November 3, 2011) – The first themed area to be completed in the expansion project, Toy Story Land officially opens at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort on November 18, 2011; all over the Resort and throughout the Hong Kong community, it’ll be playtime! With just two weeks until the grand opening, Cast Members are all geared up to bring Guests of all ages and cultures into the magical world of toys. Preparation is not just underway in the Resort itself – the magic of Toy Story will be spreading to hotspots all over the city as the Resort launches its largest marketing and sales promotional campaign to date.
Cast Members activation brings fresh Toy Story-inspired delights
“It started with an idea from the Walt Disney Imagineering team and then a year-long of preparation by the park operations teams; now, Toy Story Land is entering the final rehearsal stage,” said Andrew Kam, Managing Director, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. “In order to build the Cast Member morale, we initiated our largest ever Cast Activation program in August by recruiting Cast Members for our creative ‘Happy Cast Fashion Post’ program. Some executives and I also took part in the fashion shoot, which was an innovative and creative internal campaign to drive team spirit and to further engage our Cast Members in the preparation work for Toy Story Land’s opening in a fun way.”
Comprehensive marketing campaign features creative co-marketing initiatives
With pre-opening month now underway, the spirit of playtime is spreading both within and beyond the Resort. Toy Story Landmarketing initiatives will be rolled out wave after wave, featuring television, print, online and outdoor advertising to immerse the whole of Hong Kong in the wonderful world of toys. The upcomingToy Story Land TV commercial is also the first ever collaboration of Hong Kong Disneyland and Disney․Pixar Animation, combining live shooting with Pixar’s animated characters to depict a magical transformation from imagination to reality that is sure to engage viewers all across the city.
In addition, the Resort will be extending the Toy Story Landexperience even further beyond the promotional activities for the new themed area.
Toy Story Land brings us not only new storytelling experiences, but also the opportunities for Cast Members to further extend their limitless creativity and for us to stimulate imagination in the community,” said Fredrick Chan, Director, Marketing, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. “Many well-known lifestyle brands have developed a range of creative co-marketing initiatives with us, giving new opportunities and platforms to bring an endless supply of Toy Story magic to Guests not only in the Resort, but also throughout Hong Kong.”
To celebrate the opening of Toy Story Land, Hong Kong Disneyland and the shopping mecca Harbour City have created an incredible Christmas installation of lights and decorations to invite the Hong Kong people and overseas visitors to enter the world of Toy Story Land. Moreover, while Citibank Visa Cardholders can enjoy exclusive rewards upon meeting designated spending at Harbour City, they are also entitled to a chance to win a Magical Vacation at Hong Kong Disneyland!
Apparel brand bossini will launch a new Toy Story-themed fashion collection, and part of this premium collection will be also available at the Resort, allowing Guests a stylish opportunity to become more engaged in the opening of Toy Story Land.
The leading electronics chain in Hong Kong, Broadway, will be creating a Toy Story Land-themed TV commercial which will bring the playtime spirit to Hong Kong people’s shopping experience.
Furthermore, more promotions will be launched in the near future, including the Kodak Express Photo Output Offer and the “Coca-Cola” Combo offer at MCL Cinemas, to enable customers to experience the new themed land.
In addition to promotions in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland is also driving an array of Toy Story Land promotional activities in mainland China and Asia. These include producing a TV series with the most influential children’s show in China, the Dragon Club, which will be broadcast in more than 200 cities and regions nationwide. In order to better reach young adults, the Resort is strengthening its digital campaign to promote its expansion, with efforts including engaging China’s most popular video site, Youku, and one with China’s largest travel sites, Ctrip. The Resort has also developed dedicated Toy Story Land websites in Chinese, English and Japanese to provide information about the new themed area to overseas Guests, as well as establishing a synergistic campaign to reach Guests in 14 Asian cities through the Disney Channel.
Hong Kong Disneyland has also invited celebrities, members of the media, artists, travel trade representatives, Magic Access Members, partners, community groups, families and friends of Cast Members and etc, to be among the first to experience Toy Story Land during special rehearsal day events in the first half of November.
Travel trade partners are geared up for the Toy Story Land launch and new opportunities for Hong Kong tourism
To extend the joy of Toy Story Land to Greater China and other overseas markets, Hong Kong Disneyland and the travel trade industry have been working together to put imagination in action by creating unlimited opportunities and by bringing innovative entertainment experiences to Guests.
“With our expansion plan, we have new immersive and interactive experiences and thrilling adventures for our Guests. We are fully committed to working even more closely with our trade partners and providing more comprehensive support based on market needs as we promote the new experience of Toy Story Landtogether,” said Larry Leung, Director, Travel Trade Sales, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Since August this year, the Resort’s representatives have visited 16 cities in Asia, including Beijing, Busan, Mumbai and Manila, connecting with over 2,000 travel trade and media representatives through a series of Toy Story Land Trade Launch Events. Bringing yet more innovation to the industry, the events adopted a first-of-its-kind edutainment format, making learning about Toy Story Land fun and interactive.