Created: 7/5/2005 8:05:07 AM 
HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong Disneyland has given 20,000 free tickets to poor families and the disabled to visit the new theme park before it opens to the public, officials said Saturday.
Those receiving the free tickets will be able to come to the park - set to open Sept. 12 - on the last two days of August, a government statement said.
It said priority will be given to children from poor and immigrant families, the disabled, and people affected by Hong Kong's 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
Hong Kong Disneyland began selling tickets through its Web site on Friday. Tickets are still available for all dates in its first three months of operation, including opening day, said a Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman, Esther Wong.
However, Wong described sales as "strong," and said the park's operators "are pleased to see the public's support for Disneyland."
The company will only sell 12,000 tickets for its opening day because the park, which can normally cater to a daily maximum of 30,000 visitors, will be closed to the public the first morning for private events.
The theme park, built on reclaimed land on Hong Kong's Lantau island, is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government. Hong Kong taxpayers are footing the bulk of the US$3.5 billion (euro2.88 billion) construction bill for Hong Kong Disneyland, and critics question whether the government got a good deal. Officials have said the park will boost employment and tourism.
©2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.
