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ATTRACTIONS
With four major strategic initiatives underway or planned, Disney’s theme parks are poised to maintain their industry leadership well into the next century. In the next three years, second parks will open at the Disneyland Resort (2001), Tokyo Disneyland (2001) and Disneyland Paris (2002), all of which have the potential to transform these sites into multi-day resort destinations. Also, in November, the company announced an agreement to design and build a new park in Hong Kong with a target opening of 2005. During the year, an innovative reservation system called FASTPASS was tested at Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. A free service available to all guests, FASTPASS provides an alternative to waiting in line for the most popular attractions. Guests choosing FASTPASS receive a ticket designating a specific window of time during which they may return and enter directly into the pre-show or boarding area. Response to FASTPASS was so overwhelmingly positive that the system was implemented at several attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland last year and will be expanded to Disneyland Paris this year. DISNEYLAND RESORT Disneyland celebrates its 45th Anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, a 45 Years of Magic parade will begin in February, featuring the largest gathering of Disney characters ever to grace the streets of the Happiest Place on Earth. Also coming this year is the redesigned Autopia ride in Tomorrowland. A perennial favorite, the new Autopia, now presented by Chevron, will have updated cars, landscaping and marquees along the motorway. For successfully navigating the Autopia circuit, guests will be rewarded with a commemorative driver’s license just as they were at the original ride back in the ’50s.
Last summer, the Adventureland site of the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse was transformed into Tarzan’s Treehouse, a climb-through attraction featuring characters and stories from the hit animated movie. Disney’s California Adventure will open in 2001 on a site adjacent to Disneyland. From the natural wonders of California’s national parks to the backlots of Hollywood’s dream factories, this second theme park will celebrate the diverse wonders of the Golden State. An elegant new 750-room hotel, The Grand Californian, will be located within the park. Outside the park, as part of the transformation of the Anaheim Resort District, will be Downtown Disney, a 300,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment complex with venues including House of Blues, Rainforest Cafe and ESPN Zone. WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT 1999 was a banner year for Walt Disney World, with the resort experiencing record attendance levels. Disney’s Animal Kingdom added a whole new continent to explore in 1999. Inspired by Asia’s exotic flora and fauna, this new land includes a white-water rafting journey down the Kali River Rapids and the Maharaja Jungle Trek, which traverses dense rainforest and ancient ruins where magnificent tigers appear to roam free.
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