HK Disneyland admission off

Hong Kong Disneyland is suffering a slump in admissions in its second year of operation, according to local news reports, at least in part because it's failing to lure enough visitors from mainland China.

The South China Morning Post said the theme park will report attendance of 4 million visitors in the year to September. That compares with a forecast 16 months ago by Mouse House HQ of 5.7 million for the park's second year and a pre-opening projection of 5.47 million that matched the forecast of the Hong Kong government.

Neither Walt Disney Co. in Hong Kong nor Hong Kong Disneyland publish visitor data, which they deem commercially sensitive. Last year, in a submission to the HK government, which owns 57% of the park, operators reported actual attendance of 5.2 million.

The newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying that it's not unusual for theme parks to sustain a drop in attendance in their second year. But it also cited U.S. consultant Dennis Spiegel as saying the park was failing to attract enough visitors from mainland China.