Hong Kong Disneyland to Adjust Admissions

HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong Disneyland announced Wednesday it has adjusted its admission system to prevent chaos that erupted during the Chinese New Year holiday when hundreds of visitors tried to storm the park after being denied entry. The adjustment involves setting aside 11 extra days – around Easter and China's Labor Day holidays – when only visitors holding date-specific tickets can enter the park, Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest said during a telephone conference call. The newly designated "special days" run from April 14-21 and May 4-6. The decision came following consultations with the tickets' wholesalers and travel industry representatives, Disney said. Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in September, now sells three types of tickets: "regular days," "peak days" and "special days." The first two types are valid for six months but do not guarantee entry on any given day, while only the third type is date-specific for holidays when the greatest number of visitors is expected. On Wednesday, Ernest said he believes the new measure will help prevent such incidents from occurring in future. "We do not want to close the gate again," he said. "That is not an experience we want to repeat." Ernest said July and August are already designated as peak months – when ticket prices are 19 percent higher – and the company has no immediate plan to set aside "special days" during those months.