Today In Disney History ~ September 12th

Hong Kong Disneyland kicked off its 10th anniversary celebrations with a bang last night as it previewed a raft of new attractions to help it fend off new rivals and a slowdown in tourism.Among the features is a Disney in the Stars firework show, previewed last night but due to launch in November. It will combine pyrotechnics with state-of-the-art video projection to light up Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Another new feature, an all-new 25-minute stage show called Mickey and the Wondrous Book, will open at Disney’s Storybook Theatre in mid-November.A third new attraction, the Fairy Tale Forest, will be added to Fantasyland in December. Lightbody said it would use “creative landscaping” to take visitors through “whimsical passages” to see miniature scenes from films such as Tangled and Cinderella.The park’s managing director, Andrew Kam Min-ho, admitted earlier this week that it faced challenges, and analysts warned of tough times ahead amid weak regional economies, a strong local currency and competition from rival attractions.At a ceremony to mark the start of the 10th anniversary fun last night, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Bob Chapek said he was proud of the 10 years of magic the park had created.