The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hosted its Chinese New Year celebration on Friday at the Park’s Sleeping Beauty Castle forecourt with an announcement of its cooperation with Hong Kong-based charity Foodlink for surplus food donation. The partnership aims to make good use of surplus food and help promote the idea of sharing and cherishing food.

Hong Kong Disneyland is celebrating a month of festivities including parades and new food options for the Year of the Horse.

Full press release below.

Food for Sharing, Full of Blessings

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort + Foodlink Jointly Promote Wise Use of Surplus Food in the Year of the Horse

HONG KONG, January 31, 2014 – The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hosted its Chinese New Year celebration today at the Park’s Sleeping Beauty Castle forecourt, kicking off a month of festivities at the Resort in celebration of the Year of the Horse. The Park also officially announced its cooperation with Hong Kong-based charity Foodlink for surplus food donation. The partnership aims to make good use of surplus food and help promote the idea of sharing and cherishing food.

Bill Ernest, President & Managing Director of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Asia, and Andrew Kam, Managing Director of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, along with officiating guests KS Wong, Secretary for the Environment, and Robin Hwang,Executive Director of Foodlink Foundation, were joined by God of Fortune Goofy as they greeted Guests and wished the people of Hong Kong a Happy New Year. The executives expressed their wish for a prosperous and harmonious year, and took part in a ceremonial eye-dotting ceremony to bring two Chinese lions to life.

Ernest said, “We are very pleased to share the joy of CNY and celebrate this festival with all of our Guests here at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. I sincerely thank the Cast Members for preparing such a colorful and traditional Chinese New Year celebration filled with Disney magic. We are delighted to celebrate the most important Chinese festival here at the Park.”

Secretary for the Environment KS Wong was the Guest of Honor at the ceremony. He said, “We encourage everyone in the community to cherish food while celebrating the festive season. Surplus food that is still edible should be donated to food recycling organizations to help reduce food waste.”

Hong Kong Disneyland continued its ongoing practice of food donation by announcing its support for Foodlink. Kam noted, “Hong Kong is an affluent city that is well-known as a food paradise. Yet many here are in need of basic necessities, including food. As we honor the first day of the Chinese New Year, it’s a great opportunity to serve those in the local community. The Foodlink Foundation is an ideal partner for the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in spreading happiness to everyone in the community. Through this partnership, we can send a joint message to the community that we should cherish our food and be willing to share with those in need.”

Through the Foodlink program, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort collects safe-to-eat surplus food from its two hotels and restaurants throughout the Resort. Chefs turn the surplus ingredients into delicious dishes and deliver them to needy families in different communities around Hong Kong every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Robin Hwang said, “It is an honor and privilege to be able to celebrate our partnership with Hong Kong Disneyland to reduce food waste. Through this collaboration, we will be providing close to 400 meals a week to those in our community who are vulnerable to hunger.”

After the in-Park ceremony, the festivities moved to the Tung Chung Community Centre where Secretary for the Environment KS Wong and Disney executives served lunch to local families from ethnic minority groups. The event served to solidify the Resort’s commitment to service during the coming year and aimed to spread the message of surplus food management, conservation and social harmony.

Hong Kong Disneyland has assigned February 2 and 3 as Designated Days. Only Guests with date-specific Designated Day tickets are entitled to enter the Park on these days. We encourage our Guests to purchase Designated Day tickets prior to arrival. The Park will operate on extended hours, from 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., during the Designated Days. Guests may choose to call the Hong Kong Disneyland Reservation Call Centre (+852 1-830-830) for purchasing tickets or making inquiries.

Official Website: www.hongkongdisneyland.com

About Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers immersive, unique Disney experiences for all families, generations and ages to enjoy. Hong Kong is one of only five locations in the world that is home to a Disney themed park and the many Disney characters that are beloved the world over, such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear. Since the Grand Opening in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland has received more than 38 million guests from around the globe. Through the unique product offering and the world-class service provided by the 7,000 strong Cast at the theme park and the two hotels, the Resort has received outstanding guest satisfaction ratings and a range of awards from the hospitality and entertainment sectors.

Hong Kong Disneyland is dedicated to serving Hong Kong people through a wide spectrum of community services programs from helping families in need, to inspiring creativity among children and youth, to encouraging the protection of the environment in the region.

If you’d like to learn more about Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and enjoy the unique magical experiences it has to offer, visit the Resort or click on towww.hongkongdisneyland.com for more information.

About Foodlink Foundation
Founded in 2001 and registered in 2010, Foodlink Foundation is a registered Hong Kong charity dedicated to fighting hunger, building self sufficiency, and fostering nutritional wellness among those in need, while simultaneously reducing food wastage in hotels and F&B outlets in Hong Kong.

The vision at Foodlink Foundation is to ensure that every needy person has access to a hot, healthy meal. We collect safe-to-eat surplus food from F&B outlets all over the city and deliver to those in need. The role of Foodlink is to connect the supply to the demand as effectively as possible. The benefits are twofold – while reducing hunger we also reduce the pressure on our city’s landfills.