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[Anthony]

Angry crowds storm Disneyland over ticket row
3rd February 2006



Angry scenes shattered the holiday mood at Hong Kong Disneyland as hundreds of ticket-holders rushed the gates after being told the park was full, according to officials and TV reports.

Scores of visitors, many of them mainland Chinese visiting the resort during the Lunar New Year holiday week, scaled the sharp railings of the locked gates to get to rides while others scuffled with staff.

Cable television showed security guards looking on helplessly as the irate crowd, most of whom had paid 300 dollars (38 US dollars) for their tickets, surged towards the 3 billion dollar amusement park.

The scenes of mayhem followed heated arguments the day before between Disney officials and visitors after the new ticketing scheme left hundreds stranded outside.

The "flexible" ticket system allows customers to visit any time within a six-month period but doesn't guarantee entry on days when the park is full.

A Disneyland spokeswoman played down the incident.

"It was brought under control very early on after we sorted out the problem and let the people in," she told AFP.

The ticket chaos is the latest in a string of setbacks to hit Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened to huge fanfare in September.

A row over plans to serve shark's fin soup at its restaurants prompted an international outcry as conservationsists, worried at the delicacy's toll on shark populations, threatened to lead a boycott.

The park also ran into trouble with labour leaders after staff complained of being overworked and underpaid.

The company refuses to reveal attendance figures for the park, which has a daily capacity of 30,000.

Since opening it has only publicly declared itself sold out on eight days, despite cutting entry prices for local visitors over the Christmas period.

The park's managing director, veteran Disney staffer Don Robinson, was replaced last month.

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Thousands queue at Hong Kong Disneyland after chaos
4th February 2006

Thousands of people queued outside Hong Kong Disneyland before dawn today, hoping to get in after two days of angry scenes between park staff and ticket-holders who were denied entry, Agence France-Presse reported.

The park has apologized for the chaos, which saw crowds try to storm through the gates yesterday after guards said Disneyland had been sold out even though hundreds of visitors, many from mainland China, had bought valid tickets.

Scores of people scaled the fences to get to the rides after the gates were locked, and some disappointed customers scuffled with security personnel at the site. Many ticket-holders were also locked out on Wednesday.

'We are very sorry some of our guests have not been able to visit Hong Kong Disneyland over the past few days, and fully understand their disappointment,' managing director Bill Ernest said in a statement.

'But to ensure guest safety and preserve the unique guest experience, we have had to limit guest entry at certain times,' he said.

Disneyland recently introduced 'flexible' tickets which customers can use on any one day during a six-month period, but which do not guarantee entry if the complex, which is majority-owned by the Hong Kong government, is full.

'Disney's decision to refuse holders entry was a breach of contract,' said Hong Kong lawmaker Ronny Tong.

The park's reported daily capacity is 30,000, and tickets cost 300 hkd.

Hong Kong television showed thousands of people waiting outside the park this morning, with the first arriving at 5.30 am to ensure they were allowed in. The company said it would stay open later than usual.

It also said demand was higher than expected due to a large number of mainland Chinese tourists visiting during the Lunar New Year holiday week.

both stories from http://www.mickeynews.com

[Kristof]

Here are some photos from people throwing their kids over the park gates.......





http://www.local6.com/news/6681871/detail.html

[Anthony]

Erk!  :?

It's like the opposite of what happened in Paris!  :lol:

[Dlrpfan]

That looks like mayhem

[Masamune]

:shock: Oh my...