HONG KONG, Sept 6 (AP) -- When Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck landed in Paris in 1992, French officials shunned the opening of Euro Disney, intellectuals decried the invasion of American pop culture and park workers protested the strict dress code.

Disney's Hong Kong experience couldn't be more different. The Hong Kong government welcomed Hong Kong Disneyland with loads of cash, investing HK$16.5 billion (US$2.1 billion; €1.67 billion) in the park built on reclaimed land on an outlying island.

The Walt Disney Co. is paying just HK$2.45 billion (US$314 million; €250.38 million) and HK$120 million (US$15.4 million (€12.28 million) in rent per year.

Hong Kong's subway operator even rolled out a Mickey Mouse-themed rail line with windows and handles shaped like Mickey's silhouette.

Days before Hong Kong Disneyland's opening, Disney merchandise is everywhere. Pedestrians are seen wearing T-shirts bearing Disney characters. Outlets offer everything from Disney-themed candy to rice-cookers.

Disneyland started marketing early. The park enlisted pop star Jacky Cheung to host a TV show featuring classic Disney movies in July 2004, well over a year before the Sept. 12 launch date.

While the French government agreed to Paris Disneyland for economic reasons, then-president Francois Mitterrand called the park "not exactly my cup of tea" and French officials skipped the opening ceremony.

By contrast, in Hong Kong, Financial Secretary Henry Tang has been seen hobnobbing with Mickey as he declared the park a "key milestone for the development of Hong Kong tourism."

Besides the obvious economic benefits, Hong Kong's warm welcome for Disneyland is also the product of a Westernized, ruthlessly capitalistic and non-ideological mind-set that's short on cultural roots.

The territory was ruled by Britain for more than 150 years before being returned to China in 1997, but it's still governed separately.

"A relatively more acute awareness of practical gains and losses, a more worldly mentality and a relatively weaker nationalism are part of Hong Kong culture," political scientist James Sung at the City University of Hong Kong said.

Ordinary Hong Kongers don't see Mickey and Donald as a cultural threat.

"The invasion of local culture is the trend. That's also what happens with globalization. We have already lost things in our local culture. Everyone wants to browse in department stores and enjoy the air conditioning," clerk Konnie Chan said.

Chan said Disney products were already popular in Hong Kong pre-Disneyland, noting many locals visited Tokyo Disneyland in Japan.

"Hong Kong is used to customs from all over the world," clerk Thomas Choi, 45, said, adding, "their (Disney's) cartoons are quite educational."

Despite the warm welcome, Disney has deferred to Hong Kong custom, tweaking the park design after consulting masters of feng shui -- the Chinese belief of improving fortunes by adjusting the layout of objects and keeping various elements in harmony.

And Hong Kong Disneyland hasn't been all smooth-sailing. The park has drawn criticism for initially wanting to serve shark's fin -- a menu item it eventually dropped -- and letting stray dogs at the park site be rounded up and later put to death.

An activist group alleged labor abuse at Disney's contracting factories in China. Locals formed an anti-Disney group called Disney Hunter, which uses a logo featuring Disney's famous black silhouette with the ears on fire. The silhouette is drawn inside a gun sight.

Disney Hunter says that Disneyland's fantasy world is too sanitized. The park's domination "greatly reduces the space for public participation in activities," the group said on its Web site.

However, these examples are more the exception than the rule.

Disney could face a tougher sell in mainland China, where it is speculated to build a Disneyland in the financial capital of Shanghai.

The communist Chinese government -- despite moving toward capitalism and opening up the country to foreign investment -- is still wary of foreign culture overtaking traditional values, political scientist Sung said.

"China may not view it (Disney) as a cancer, but it won't accept it that easily," Sung said.