Rain, lightning and thunder were not enough to dampen spirits as Hong Kong Disneyland premiered its new fireworks show, “Momentous”, to invited guests this week.
The show is scheduled to debut to the public on Saturday, June 18 after nearly 4½ years of anticipation following the suspension of the previous fireworks display ahead of an almost HK$11 billion (US$1.4 billion) renovation.
The new show mixes pyrotechnics with lasers, water fountains and projections beamed onto the Castle of Magical Dreams in a 20-minute display. Michael Moriarty, the managing director of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, hopes it will provide the “perfect ending to the perfect day”.
Moriarty and Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po were the main speakers at Tuesday’s event.
“Despite the daunting challenges of Covid, Hong Kong Disneyland just keeps thinking bolder,” said Chan. “Tourism has been among the hardest-hit sectors of our economy … which makes the innovative spirit of Hong Kong Disneyland, and the resilience of our travel trade in general, all the more remarkable.”
The financial secretary noted that Hong Kong’s Disney park had attracted more than 88 million guests since its opening, in 2005.
“Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s brand-new nighttime spectacular will take the magic to a whole new level,” said Moriarty. “Our talented local and international cast members began working on this project back when our new castle didn’t even exist five years ago.”
The Castle of Magical Dreams was part of the renovation project and opened as a replacement for the Sleeping Beauty Castle in November 2020.
The “Momentous” firework spectacular features more than 100 Disney characters from Disney and Pixar films, and an original new song called Love the Memory.
Quoting the lyrics from the song, Moriarty promised that the display would dazzle while reminding us to “live the moment, love the memory”.