Commissioner for Tourism Eva Cheng Wednesday said the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland will be divided into three phases from early August in order to ensure a smooth and well-coordinated start.

"The idea of a phased opening is to give the theme park, public transport operators and relevant departments a familiarization period to adjust their operation and services," Cheng said.

From early August to mid-August, the Disneyland Resort Line is scheduled to run between Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort Stations. A section of the Park Promenade linked to the line will be opened.

From August to Sept. 11, all public facilities at Penny's Bay, including public roads, the Park Promenade, the Inspiration Lake Recreation Center, the Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange, the Disneyland car and coach parks and the Disneyland Resort Pier will begin operation. Franchised buses and taxis will also start service.

From Sept. 12, the theme park and hotels will be open to the public.

To ensure both the public and visitors are well informed of the operation sequence, communication channels have been set up by relevant departments and operators.

Visitors can obtain information for planning their trips by visiting a designated website, the Transport Department's website, and the Hong Kong Disneyland website.

Inquiry telephone lines will also be provided by the department and Hong Kong Disneyland. Information booklets, TV and radio commercials will be launched in August.

Cheng said the familiarization period will last for more than one month. She urged people to plan their visit, and make good use of communication channels to gather important information, such as the new transport services and opening hours.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2005)