[March 17, 2009] Hong Kong Disneyland halts work on expansion plan: reports+ Tweet (Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) HONG KONG, March 17_(Kyodo) _ Hong Kong Disneyland, the U.S. entertainment giant's first theme park in China, has halted all creative and design work on expansion of the theme park after talks with the Hong Kong government on its expansion plan failed, media reports said Tuesday. Two years of extensive negotiations between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government "have not yet reached a final agreement," the South China Morning Post quoted Walt Disney parks and resorts spokesman Leslie Goodman as saying. In operation since 2005, the Hong Kong Disneyland has drawn a below-expected number of visitors. The expansion had been scheduled to be completed by 2013. Walt Disney has reportedly submitted a plan to the Shanghai municipal government to build a $3.59 billion theme park in Shanghai by 2014. But Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said last week that negotiations with Disney are ongoing and the plan has yet to be finalized. If built, Shanghai's Disneyland theme park would be the company's fourth outside the United States, following ones in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Copyright ? 2009 Kyodo News International, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]