Hong Kong Disneyland chief Don Robinson is enjoying the ride of his life

Don Robinson's long career with Disney started as a teenager working his way through college, washing dishes part time at the Florida theme park. Thirty years on, he has risen to the elite ranks of senior Walt Disney executive, as Hong Kong Disneyland group managing director. Having lived and worked all over the world, he tells why he is enchanted by Hong Kong.

'I came to Hong Kong in February 2003 to lead the Hong Kong Disneyland project. It was an exciting opportunity for me to head up the development of the very first Disney theme park in China.

My image of Hong Kong was skyscrapers, bright lights and crowded, bustling streets. When I moved here, I was surprised to find so much nature in Hong Kong, especially the hiking trails and country parks. I don't think people outside of Hong Kong realise how much there is.

Right in the middle of all this nature is the city I imagined: full of life, and some of the best restaurants in the world. No matter what cuisine you choose the food is excellent. I have lived in Paris and Los Angeles and I would say the food here is better than anywhere I have ever been.
 
I have found Hong Kong to be a great place to live and an even better place to do business. It is refreshing to see the calibre of the people here, their interest in learning new things, and the talents they've shown in them. I am very impressed with the work ethic and the resilience of its people.  This optimism, hard work and service recovery fits the Disney approach very well.

The Disneyland project is a significant tourism development for Hong Kong. It will help create an entirely new dimension of the tourism market - the family segment, and be a key engine of growth for the tourism industry in Hong Kong.  On the employment side, Hong Kong Disneyland will create 5,000 jobs upon opening, as well as another 13,000 indirect job opportunities across different sectors.

Another contribution that Hong Kong Disneyland will bring to Hong Kong is the commitment to customer service and the guest service culture that would appeal to customers and lead them to visit Hong Kong and Hong Kong Disneyland again and again.  It is the empowerment of its great individuals to blend customer intimacy, creativity and teamwork in a way that is essential in today's volatile marketplace and we look forward to playing a part in this front. 

It has always been our wish to open Hong Kong Disneyland as early as practicable, and recently announced an opening date of September 12, 2005. Having worked very closely with the HKSAR Government over the past five years to drive the success of Hong Kong Disneyland, we are grateful for their tremendous support in helping us deliver the magic even earlier than expected.

Looking back on what aspects have helped the construction process to run smoothly, I'd have to say our great team of people in Hong Kong. We are fortunate to have such a team, who bring with them the experience of building many different Disney theme parks from around the world and creating this magical experience for our guests. 

For the opening, we will hire 5,000 cast members (Disney's term for employees) and we are looking at the local labour market as our priority. The majority of the frontline cast members will be hired several months prior to opening. We are looking for people that have the Disney passion, pleasant personality, positive attitude, and most importantly, big smiles. I am convinced I will find this in Hong Kong, where I have been very impressed with the calibre of the people, particularly their diligence and work ethic.
 
We are confident that Hong Kong Disneyland will create a magical experience for guests, helping Hong Kong to position itself as a premium family tourism destination in Asia. I look forward to receiving the first guest letter telling us how thoroughly they have enjoyed the experience inside the park - then we will know that this has been a job well done.'

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