ungkler: HK Disneyland

China : Hong Kong

Winter 2006

A universal Disneyland experience in Hong Kong
(jan-2006)

Journal Entry... Disneyland gets closer to home, in Hong Kong. Child-like glee.

Hongkong, 2006

26-jan: Arrival in Hong Kong... 8:50am via Cathay Pacific. Tickets have been arranged by a tour agency in Manila with a counterpart agency in Hong Kong (MLA: Transnational Travel and Tours/HKG: Ann's Travel Service), shuttle service for airport-hotel transfers included. Tour agency in Hong Kong offered a "Day 2: A.M. Half-day HKG Island City Tour, Jewellery Factory & P.M. Shenzhen Tour". A third time doing the city tour does not exactly work like a charm. I've come to Hong Kong with one objective in mind this time: go see the newly opened "Hong Kong Disneyland." (My first Disneyland experience took eighteen flight hours to Florida (from Manila), plus two hour-road trip to "Disney World" in Orlando (from Tampa base).

Check-in: The Royal Pacific Hotel located in now overly familiar Tsim Shat Shui area. Next door was Marco Polo Prince, prior hotel accommodation when last here. Room 2252 had a fabulous rear view that overlooked Victoria Harbour and the Central skyline across it. Hotel room window was a great lookout point to Hong Kong's fireworks display for Chinese New Year's eve.

Next day, Metro to Central. The 800-meter long covered escalator, the world's longest, took 20 minutes from beginning to end. First time in the hillside area of Hong Kong. Restaurants and shops in a row, but none caught my fancy.

Hotel room with a view of Victoria Harbour and the Central skyline

HK Disneyland, 2006

28-jan: Off to Hong Kong Disneyland... Woke up to Disney magic day. Booked a Disneyland package c/o Ann Travel Service, HK$750 for 2 pax. (On return, we figured it was cheaper to have just taken the Metro-Pink line, which stops right in front of the park entrance.) Tour agency had us on a bus transit, and from the park's bus stop, it was some distance walking to the park entrance. Not to mention it was a bummer walking in drizzling rain that day. I did pray for good weather, didn't I? Come afternoon, the rain had stopped.

What's new with Hong Kong Disneyland? Except for the hometown language: Chinese, it had the same default layout: Mainstreet U.S.A.; Adventure Land; Frontier Land; Fantasy Land; and Discovery Land.

Noticeable that January, Hong Kong Disneyland had a lesser crowd, which means, shorter line to the park rides: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril; Pirates of the Carribean; Phantom Manor; Big Thunder Mountain; Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing; Peter Pan's Flight; It's a Small World Boat Ride; Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast; Star Tours; Space Mountain; Disneyland Railroad... What else did I miss? None.

Photo-op with Mickey Mouse, Minney Mouse, Winnie-the-Pooh & pal Tigger, the Chipmunks, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, Goofy... was a breeze.

Disneyland experience gets closer to home, in Hong Kong

No English subtitles for this Hong Kong Disney show

Can't remember how many times I've circled the park. By another roundabout, Disney theatre was up for a matinee show, featuring "The Legend of Lion King." (No English subs for this show at Hong Kong Disneyland though; action speaks louder than spoken words, they say.) This was closely followed by the traditional Disney parade, and the closing fireworks display signalling the park is closing for the night as well.

A written message from the hotel operator: "Sandy of Ann's Travel (Tel. 91231266) called and said that the departure pick up time will be at 11:45hrs at the tower main lobby. Thank you//tcc (by fax)."

30-jan: Homebound, Manila... 2:35pm via Cathay Pacific. Outbound flight, we had miscalculated, fell on Chinese New Year's eve. With that, we did miss out on those good window seats for the 2016 countdown spectacle at Victoria Harbour. From the plane window, I could not pinpoint Victoria Harbour, boo-hoo. Kung Hei Fat Choi regardless. The Hong Kong Disneyland fireworks will do.

Until the next travel, xo. ungkler

oOo