DISNEY MAKING MOVE FOR WEB TRAVEL SERVICE.

Byline: Dave McNary Daily News Staff Writer

The Walt Disney Co. said Monday that it plans to launch an online-booking system that will let customers arrange entire travel packages to its theme parks, resorts and cruise line.

The service, accessible in a few weeks through the company's Web site at disney.com, initially will allow travelers to book rooms at hotels at the Walt Disney World complex in Orlando, Fla., without a travel agent or phone operator. It then probably will be upgraded next year to include setting up cruises, air travel and car rental, according to Randy Garfield, president of Walt Disney Travel Co.

``We are trying to make it easier for customers who like to use the Internet to make travel plans, just like there are do-it-yourselfers who like to go to Home Depot,'' Garfield said.

The Burbank-based entertainment giant, which has been moving aggressively into electronic commerce in recent years, already sells tickets to its theme parks online. In June, it bought 43 percent of Infoseek, the fourth-largest Web search and directory service, and it recently announced plans to debut a new Internet ``hub'' - a user's entrance point to the Web - called Go Network.

If travel agents use the booking service, they still receive their usual commission, Garfield said.

Glendale travel agent Amy Bernard Herman said the service could be useful for business people who travel frequently but noted it also has drawbacks for occasional travelers. ``The idea seems kind of impersonal,'' she said.

In another development, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said Disney officials are exploring the possibility of opening a theme park in Hong Kong or mainland China at a cost of up to $700 million.

Citing an interview with a Hong Kong official, the newspaper said Disney executives will visit potential sites next month. A Disney spokeswoman said the company does not comment on rumors and speculation.