Elsewhere, Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman James Tien Pei-chun admitted that competition from the Shanghai theme park will hurt visitor numbers to Hong Kong, although just by how much is anyone's guess.

Tien told RTHK that of the 1.6 million mainlanders visiting Disneyland each year, half of them come from Guangdong.

He believes the territory will retain this core group of visitors, but fears losing those who come here from further afield.

Tien said the HK$3.6 billion Disneyland expansion, which is set to begin by the end of the year and be completed the same year the Shanghai park is due to open, should help attract visitors.

Disneyland marketing director Frederick Chan Kwok-yu said local, overseas and mainland visitors each account for one-third of patrons.

Chan said the theme park will continue to explore the Asia-Pacific market and come up with tailor-made programs that cater for specific tastes. Meanwhile, there will be the added competition of Universal Studios Singapore, which is due to open next year.

"Tourist attractions open in different parts of the world every year. We don't think there is one that can attract all the visitors," Chan said.

He insists the China market is big enough for two parks from the international entertainment giant.

Each Disney park will aim to provide spinoff benefits to the other.

Chan said, as a result, Disneyland is not considering a reduction in admission fees.

Expansion plans are on course, and he is upbeat that special events designed for the different holiday seasons will boost the appeal of the Lantau attraction.

The upcoming 45-day festive special, A Sparkling Christmas - A Winter Wonderland, which runs from November 20 to January 3, will be of particular appeal to visitors from southern China and Southeast Asia because they rarely see snow and have little experience of the Western holiday tradition.

However, Chan said the appeal of the Christmas special is not limited to foreign visitors, as local attendance for last year's event jumped 17 percent.