The expansion plans of the Walt Disney Co.'s Hong Kong theme park appear to be underway! Last week, Walt Disney and Hong Kong worked out a deal to boost the fortunes of their joint venture by undertaking an expansion that would likely cost 3.5-billion Hong Kong dollars.

Walt Disney, the Burbank, California-based entertainment bigwig, will raise the entire capital required for covering the construction and operation costs during the expansion phase. Though Hong Kong will not infuse any cash, it will convert a large portion of the loan it extended to Disney for the constructing the Hong Kong Disneyland, for buying more shares in the venture.

In case the proposed plans come through, the total stake of the Hong Kong Disneyland territory would likely be diluted from nearly 57 percent to 52 percent.

However, scrutinizing the deal on Saturday, the Hong Kong lawmakers said that they would not approve of the expansion till the time it is explicitly disclosed how the park has been performing, ever since it opened in 2005. They have asked for more details before they vote for the approval or rejection of the plan.

A pro-government lawmaker Starry Lee said: "We have to decide whether to approve the commitment of this large sum as equity for the expansion of the park, but we have been given very little information. This is really depressing."