Introduction
I work for a company which produces industrial equipment for the steel industry. Last year we obtained two contracts to work in China for several weeks to interface some machinery to the steel mill. I was notified last year that I would be going on one of these jobs. This got me thinking, “humh… Could I possibly take advantage of this opportunity and got to Tokyo or Hong Kong?” Before leaving on March 27th, I had negotiated the opportunity to take off a week towards the end of the project. I had selected the week of May 27th to June 3rd to take off for vacation. My sister had decided to come to visit me. We decided on visiting Hong Kong, as no visa is required for entry. My sister researched Hong Kong to build our schedule (fine by me, since I’m not much of a pre-planner), and we decided to visit the park on Tuesday, May 30th, 2006.
Getting to the park
Getting to the park is fairly simple. The park hours on the day we visited was 10:00AM - 8:00PM. Our aim was to be at the park when it opened, but we had a couple little things to take care of before leaving. First we visited a travel agent to book a tour to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. While we were there, it was mentioned that they also sell HKD tickets. The price was exactly the same as the park, so we decided to purchase our tickets through the travel agency. As a nice surprise, we were given 2 vouchers which allowed us to get a BOGO meal, a free photo, or a free collector tin. The vouchers are not intended for foreigners, but for visitors of Hong Kong from mainland China. I have a type F, non-resident work visa in China for 1 year, and they used that as a basis for giving us two certificates. A quick breakfast at DeliFrance, and we were off from the Tsi Shim Tsui area of Kowloon to Penny's Bay in laceName w:st="on">LantaulaceName> laceType w:st="on">IslandlaceType>. A short cab ride (5 minutes about $3) brought us to Kowloon station, where we bought our one-way tickets to Disneyland (you can purchase round trip tickets, but I couldn't figure out how to do this). Total cost of train transportation from Kowloon station to Penny's Bay, 20HKD ($2.58). The train runs every 20 minutes or so, and we were partway through the cycle. After a 10 minute wait, we were on our way. At the end of the Kowloon line is Penny's Bay, you get off the train and transfer to the Disney specific MTR's (metro trains). The Disney specific MTR's were very Disney themed (port holes were shaped like Mickey Mouse eyes, and Mouse ears, the grips were mouse ears). A short 5 minute ride and we are at Disneyland around 10:15AM.
First impressions
After getting off of the train, we stopped to take a photo of the welcome sign, and begin to follow the crowds towards the park (maybe a 3 minute walk). A huge fountain greets you along the way. We stop to take a photo of the statue, and notice the very ominous clouds looming. Undaunted, we continue our journey, as it started sprinkling. First lucky break of the day was that we purchased tickets for before hand at the travel agency. Ticket booths seemed very crowded. After the obligatory security screen, we entered through the gates (yes, the left side Leanne), and immediately it started pouring. So after waiting beneath the train station for a minute, we both knew we had to go shopping and make our first purchase, rain ponchos! Straight ahead of us was a familiar Disney sight, the Main Street Emporium. The store wasn't crowded and after our purchase, we took our first "running" stroll down a very empty (and very wet) brick main street to our first attraction, laceName w:st="on">SpacelaceName> laceType w:st="on">MountainlaceType>. My sister was wearing leather flip-flops, where as I was wearing cloth style Rockports. We noticed that there were several areas of the park where the water had gathered, perhaps puddles of 1” deep. Ah, nothing like starting the day with wet feet....
laceName w:st="on">SpacelaceName> laceType w:st="on">MountainlaceType>
One of the nice things about the different Disneyland/World parks I have been to is the layout. HK Disneyland has 3 themed areas, Tommorrowland, Fantasyland, and Adventureland, each in the same areas as Disneyland. laceName w:st="on">SpacelaceName> laceType w:st="on">MountainlaceType> was very easy to find... A very minimal wait and we were off on our galactic adventures. While I'm not sure if the ride is 100% the same as Disneyland, the soundtrack is the same (along with the camera location being in the same place). A 3 minute ride was given two thumbs up. A short stop to see our photo (we like to outdo each other by making funny faces), we were happy to see that HKD continues the longstanding Disney tradition of exiting you into a gift shop!! My sister and I decide to go to the bathroom to try to dry off. Well, the hand dryers are completely different than you would expect at home. The best way I can describe them are as toasters... You basically put your hand (in my example a slice of toast) inbetween two just streams which rapidly dry your hands. I thought this was just something from tomorrowland (maybe the hand dryer of the future?). Anyways, it's still raining, so off to the closest ride, BLAB.
BLAB (Buzz lightyear Astro blasters).
Queue is very similar to the queue at Disneyland, with the exception it's a free standing building. A very cool Buzz photo opportunity outside the ride exhists. Inside is the animatronics Buzz, along with the game instructions (written in English, Buzz also speaking in English). Line wasn't long, but we experienced some of the Chinese pushiness (I'll explain this later, but it's fairly common for the Chinese to skip line in front of foreigners, or to go around you. In later rides, my sister and I formed gates on one side or another). Targets and ride exactly the same as Disneyland. We both scored level 3. One thing missing is the email stations afterwards, but we both decided to try again later. Outside the rain has slowed down to a very minor trickle. With the ponchos being plastic and the weather being a little muggy, I decided it was more comfortable to not wear my poncho. We headed to Fantasyland, and the opportunity to see Mickey's Philharmagic.
As we walked by the castle, we noticed at Snow White Grotto both Cinderella and Snow White with minimal wait (probably do to the rain, many people were still down at main street). A nice photo opportunity, and a chance to make the Disney wish at the fountain (which my mom swears was stolen from the movie, "Three coins in the fountain")
Mickey's Philharmagic
I have seen the original ride at Walt Disneyworld, but last time I went to WDW, the lines were long, and I only saw it once. Not being a Philharmagic veteran, I was very impressed with the show. My sister's experience was heightened too, as she said there were some more special effects, such as the smell of the apple pie and champaign in the Be Our Guest scenes. Getting a little closer to lunch time, (maybe 11:15), and the fact that my sister was still adjusting to the time change / eating schedules, we decided to take a little break and plan our day for parades, fireworks, shows. Looking around, there was a "Chinese" Royal Banquet Hall restaurant in Fantasyland. It was very lightly sprinkling as we decided to go in.
Royal Banquet restaurant
My sister wasn't a big fan of the menu, but we decided to give it a whirl anyways. The decor was beautiful for a self serve fast food restaurant, with statues of the princesses and their mates. I chose some dim sum and some fried vegetables, where my sister chose some noodles and beef. The cost was reasonable--- about 45HKD ($5.81) for each meal and tea (I had Jasmine tea, Dawn had breakfast tea). We used our BOGO here. A nice dining experience for me, but a something didn't settle well with my sister. She was feeling a little ill, but being the trooper she went on. I went to the 12:00 Sword and the Stone ceremony by the carousel, while my sister stayed inside in some air conditioning and did a little shopping. The Sword in the Stone ceremony was done in Chinese, so I lost interest quickly. We had planned to go see the first showing of Golden Mickey's in the fantasyland theatre.
Golden Mickey's
WOW!! Fantastic stage show (maybe 35 minutes). Slightly better than Aladdin at DCA. My sister and I debated whether or not it was better than the Mulan show at Disneyland Paris, and both came to the same conclusion that it was better. Unfortunately no video recording during the show (which was very strictly enforced). Photography without a flash was permitted. Basically an awards show, spoken in Chinese (with American subtitles), where awards were given for most romantic couple, and favorite characters. Many musical acts, ranging from a Friendship act from Toy Story, an Under the Sea act from the Little Mermaid, several princess acts, and Lilo and Stitch. We were very impressed. My sister was feeling better, so we thought with a little bit of hustle, we might able to make it to the Festival of the Lion King next show (about 30 minutes away from starting), with a little stop over in the Fantasy Gardens to see the leader of the club who's made for you and me.
laceName w:st="on">FantasylaceName> laceType w:st="on">GardenslaceType>
Beautifully landscaped, with several topiaries, fantasy garden serves as an outdoor meeting place for characters. Several "gazebos" are there where the characters meet and greet. While we were there you could meet Pooh, Tigger, or Mickey. While I was waiting you could see both Hong Kong Disneyland trains come by, the Frank G. Wells (all the cars had names of California Cities) and the Walter E. Disney which had cars consisting of Chicago, Marceline, Kansas City, Orlando, and Hollywood! (I thought this was really a nice tribute to Walt). Speaking of this, the Disney Brother's main street window is in a great place, in "Walt's apartment". The fire department has the number 105 (like Disneyland) on it, and is a very good replica of the fire department at DL. As you fans know, Walt's apartment was above the fire department, and a light is still left on there today. Anyways, the window where you would see the light in DL reads "Disney Brothers Co, The Original Dreamers and Doers" Walter E. Disney, Roy O. Disney, Founders and Partners.” We get to meet Mickey and get our photos. As a question for adults out there… How many other people do this when you go to the parks?
Festival of the Lion King
I have seen the show several times at Disney's Animal Kingdom. I knew some floats would be very animated, and the participation of the audience would make for a fun show. Very much like I expected, with some minor differences. First the stage in the center actually rotates during some parts of the show. This provided a great view for everyone to see. However, in AK there is a monkey tumbling act and a very beautiful bird act which wasn't fully represented at this festival. The show was very well done, and my sister and I then debated if we like the HKD version or the AK version better. We came to a split decision on which was better (I went with AK). We probably had time to go to the Jungle Cruise, but we wanted to see the parade, so a decision was made to wait (maybe 30 minutes) for the parade instead of pushing it.
Disney Parade of Dreams
Not too impressed with the parade. Dawn and I had the impression that it was recycled from other parades. While not certainly a highlight of the day, it provided a nice, relaxing break from the day, and gave my sister some more time to recover. Floats consisted of little mermaid, toy story, and Alice in Wonderland and highlights include a huge inflatable Mickey (which Dawn said she saw in 1992) and a castle float at the end with Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto. It was also somewhat neat that the HKD band marched at the beginning of the parade. One of the things we found was a lack of restrooms near our position in the parade route (close to where Coke corner would be at Disneyland). My sister had to walk all the way down to city hall to use the restrooms while waiting for the parade. With the parade and such behind us, it's off to one of my favorites, the Jungle Cruise.
The Jungle Cruise
I thought we would be stuck in a Chinese boat with no translators (which would have been cool for me), but you had a choice to get in an English boat. Ok, so I've been in China for 3 months, and all I learned how to do is order a beer, ask for my bill, and say thank you. Besides, the words I know are Mandarin and Hong Kong is Cantonese, so I went with English. The wait wasn't bad, but they definitely had a good 3-1 ratio of Chinese boats to English boats. The ride itself was enjoyable, and the guide's English was so-so. You don't get to see Schweitzer falls here, but you can get a little wet (some of the animals squirt into the boat). Another interesting thing fact: the Jungle Cruise is actually around the Rivers of America. At the end there is a neat battle between the fire gods and the water gods. Sort of a mini laceName w:st="on">CatastrophelaceName> laceType w:st="on">CanyonlaceType> (from MGM). I give the ride two thumbs up. I decided to take the raft over to Tarzan's tree house (which would be laceName w:st="on">TomlaceName> laceName w:st="on">SawyerlaceName> laceType w:st="on">IslandlaceType> in DL), Dawn wanted to do some shopping.
Tarzan’s Treehouse
First the raft is a very short, 1 minute ride. You probably go 50 yards from one end to another. Tarzan's tree house is interactive like DL. If you listen carefully, you can still hear SwissPolka playing (poor Swiss Family Robinson)... I used the trip more of an opportunity to take some photos of things. The time was about 4:30 and Dawn and I had set apart 1 hour for shopping (6:45 to 7:45). Willing to sacrifice a good spot for the fireworks, we decided to see the Hong Kong Disneyland exhibit, and ride some rides.
Hong Kong Disneyland Exhibit
This was basically an introduction to Hong Kong Disney. First, the park is built on reclaimed land on the laceType w:st="on">IslandlaceType> of laceName w:st="on">LantaulaceName>. You get to see some early photos, and learn that the project is still in Phase 1. It is also stated that HKD is modeled after the original Disneyland in Anaheim. One of the things Walt said about Disneyland is it would get more beautiful each year. I feel the same way about HKD. As a side note, my sister and I both think it's the most beautiful park we have been to. The landscaping is nice, the details are intricate. The fact that you have a "mountain" as a backdrop behind the castle provides for some very striking photos. Whatever Hong Kong Disneyland is lacking now (maybe that's the wrong term, but the park is not complete yet) will certainly be made up for in the future. In a little over 2 years from the groundbreaking, the park opened on September 12, 2005. We decided to ride laceName w:st="on">SpacelaceName> laceType w:st="on">MountainlaceType> one more time, and along the way I stopped to ride the teacups.
Teacups
Anyone remember a movie called 40 Pounds of Trouble? The story was actually filmed at Disneyland in the early 60's. One of my memories of the movie which I saw when I was young was the teacups of Disneyland (the girl wanted to go to Disneyland to ride the teacups). The ride doesn't change from park to park, and of course is very simple. I just consider it a must do. My sister waits for me as I ride it twice (absolutely no wait). We wonder over to laceName w:st="on">SpacelaceName> laceType w:st="on">MountainlaceType> for ride #2. The middle of the day wait time, maybe 10 minutes!!
Starliner Cafe
It was about 5:30PM, and we decided to break for dinner. Dawn wasn't feeling good again (she was only 3 days into recovering from a 17 hour flight, and a 12 hour time change), so we decided on "American food" (BTW: One of my favorites, Casey's Hot Dogs is not to be found at HKD). We went to the equivalent of the laceName w:st="on">PizzalaceName> laceType w:st="on">PortlaceType>, the Starliner Cafe. Burgers, Ice Cream, French Fries, Chicken Nuggets, and Pizza are your choices here. I had a double burger (very good), and my sister had the Chicken Nuggets value meals. The prices again were reasonable (probably $5.00 each), and we were both positive about the experience. Dawn had wanted to start her shopping early (it was now about 6:15), and I set out to do BLAB and the Orbitron (Astro Orbiter).
Orbitron
Like the Astro Orbiter, but with flying saucers instead of rocket ships. Again I had many people skip me in line while waiting. With limited seating, and skipping, I might have waited 10 minutes to get on. Just a fun, rotating view of the park, I used the opportunity to take more pictures and enjoy myself. BLAB was up next with a level 5 score. I check my watch and it's about 6:40. Knowing that I wanted to do some shopping, I started looking around (although I had a good idea of what merchandise was where)...
Shopping
One word-- disappointing. But maybe disappointing for me, and not others. I usually find one neat gift, something that sticks out, something that I really have to have every Disney trip. Nothing here. No official soundtrack, no high end watches, no hats or shirts. The collectables really didn't exist per se. I made my way through all the stores on main street, and found myself buying $60.00 or so of souvenirs. It seemed very much like typical Disney "stuff" and nothing to get too excited about. Knowing and seeing what I saw in Hong Kong, the people are very brand and quality conscious, so I have no doubt this will improve in the future. Well, it's 7:40, about 20 minutes before fireworks. Dawn went to use our last voucher for a collector tin (which was a cookie tin--- interesting though; the expiration date on the cookies had expired). Dawn and I just decide to stand looking down a full view of main street. I didn't have my cable release for my camera, so long exposure photos wouldn't be possible. I would rate above average. We had thought we might see something spectacular here, since the Chinese are well know for their fireworks skills, but nothing too unusual. We were at the front of the park, so we had easy access to the trains.
So there you had it, a nice ending to a nice day. We went back to get our 1 way ticket back to Kowloon station, and several Disney attendants were there to speed up the process. We arrived home around 8:45, so we still had some time to enjoy our night. So, some frequently asked questions...
Q: Would you go back to HKD?
A: Of course, yes.
Q: How is the park versus other parks?
A: Well, I've been to Anaheim a number of times, WDW numerous times, and Disneyland Paris 3 times. The park is small, but it doesn't have that of being confined. The atmosphere is very nice, and I think the landscaping is just beautiful. Aesthetically speaking it's the most beautiful laceName w:st="on">MagiclaceName> laceType w:st="on">KingdomlaceType> I've seen. As far as the attractions, probably about the same variety of things to do as DCA or AK. But the park will be improving rapidly, with 3 attractions opening this summer (Stitch Encounter, Autopia, and a H20 zone)
Q: How much time should I plan to spend in the park?
A: 2 days should provide you enough ample time to see everything, and do some favorites again. We had several other things planned to do in Hong Kong, so we limited ourselves to 1 day. If I go back anytime soon (perhaps the opportunity will present itself again by the end of the year), I think I would go back for 1 day to finish up everything I didn't get to do on the first trip.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: 295HKD during the week. The current exchange rate was 7.75 HKD = $1, so approximately $38.00. The rates are higher on weekends, or public holidays.
Q: You mentioned above that people skipped you in the queue.
A: I've noticed this various places throughout the trip. When I first arrived at the airport in Beijing, I had to declare customs and re-check into another flight for Shenyang. Several people skipped me in line.
What would happen is someone would wait until someone else leaves the counter and just skip in front. I've seen this behavior at McDonalds too, but the most frustrating was when I was waiting for a passport renewal at the police station. Many people had other business at the station, and I would estimate 10 people or so jumped in front of me. I've just learned to accept it.
Q: Can you take a taxi or bus to the park?
A: This I don't know for sure. You probably can take a taxi or bus to laceName w:st="on">PennylaceName> laceName w:st="on">BaylaceName> station, and then ride the Disney MTR.
Q: Did the characters speak English? Did they have Anglo faces?
A: The characters were very easily recognized. Of the people in costume, perhaps the woman playing Snow White was Asian. The characters spoke English, except for the show the Golden Mickey's. You can read the subtitles (both in English, or Chinese). The voices were very similar.
As a side note, don't be too intimidated by the language barrier. HK is pretty much bilingual and very refreshing to communicate. Where I am at in Anshan is frustrating. On one trip I tried to go to see the laceName w:st="on">JadelaceName> laceName w:st="on">BuddhalaceName> laceType w:st="on">TemplelaceType>, which is a world famous jade rock in Anshan. I had to talk to 3 English speaking people at the hotel in order for them to understand what I was even talking about (so they could direct the taxi)! First, Anshan is probably the Jade Capital of the world. And people from all over come to take tours of the Jade Buddha. This would probably be the equivalent of going to laceName w:st="on">NiagralaceName> laceType w:st="on">FallslaceType>, and asking someone where the falls are, or going to Paris and asking for the laceName w:st="on">EiffellaceName> laceType w:st="on">TowerlaceType> (or going to Anaheim and asking where Disneyland is!!). I'll reserve some judgment here, but I'm beginning to think that maybe some people working in the hotel (some of them speak English quite well) in Ahshan do not want to help the foreigners.
Q: What are the ride restrictions?
A: The only one listed is for laceName w:st="on">SpacelaceName> laceType w:st="on">MountainlaceType>. (102 cm, or 40.15 inches)
Some other oddities
The Disneyland park map has some advice on how to spend your day, perhaps to help ease the Chinese into some American pop culture. The suggested itinerary reads like this:
Hello there! I’m Lewis and here is my family, Cherris, Larry and Chloe, and we are the First Family of Hong Kong Disneyland. We have been here many times and always discover something exciting and magical in every visit. Here are some tips and suggestions from us on how you can experience the magic in this wondrous world:
Morning
Let the magical day begin with fantasy! Fantasyland brings to life the magic of Disney stories with your favorite Disney characters.
It’s better to plan your meals first. You may go and book your lunch and/or dinner table at City Hall for Corner Café at Main Street or Adventureland’s River View Café.
Get a Disney’s FASTPASS for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Watch the first performance of “The Golden Mickeys”.
Join Mickey and his pals in Mickey’s PhilharMagic, for an immersive 3-D adventure
Afternoon
Ready for some adventures deep in the heart of uncharted jungles? Come and hear the roars of the Lion King!
If you haven’t planned lunch, Tahitian Terrace Restaurant would be a good choice.
Watch the afternoon performance of “Festival of the Lion King”
Ride through the waterways of the world’s most hidden regions on the laceName w:st="on">JunglelaceName> laceType w:st="on">RiverlaceType> Cruise.
Learn Tarzan’s story with Tarzan’s Treehouse
You can also catch the parade! Just walk over to Main Street U.S.A.
Evening
When it’s getting dark, rocket through Tommorrowland to experience many futuristic ideas first-hand.
If you haven’t planned a dinner, you can try the largest restaurant in Hong Kong Disneyland – Starline Diner.
Pilot your own rocket jet above Tomorrowland on the Orbitron.
Sparkling across the sky, the magic extends far beyong Hong Kong Disneyland.
Shop at Main Street, U.S.A. for gifts to bring home to your friends.
Enjoy the spectacular fireworks and bring your magical memories of Hong Kong Disneyland home.
There is no partners’ statue. I also didn't notice a flag pole.
Michael Eisner did the park dedication, probably one of his last acts as head. He actually has a window above the emporium, along with Bob Igler.
All the spires of the castle were painted gold. In the laceName w:st="on">AnaheimlaceName> laceName w:st="on">MagiclaceName> laceType w:st="on">KingdomlaceType>, one spire still isn't painted to signify that the park would never be done.
Curious about Autopia, as in Hong Kong they drive on the left side of the road. Do they do the same thing with the steering wheel for Autopia?
After the rain in the morning, workers used squeegees to push the water away from the work paths.
The No’s
L Churrios
L Coke Corner
L Candy apple
L No Gibson Girls
L No Mr. Toad
L No Pirates of the Caribbean
L It’s A Small World
L Haunted Mansion
L Fantasmic