I haven’t been to any other Disney theme park, but I’ve heard that HK Disneyland is comparatively smaller. I also don’t know if it’s a good place to visit if you are an adult and don’t have any children with you because I grew up on Disney, which meant I was probably as much a target market of this place as my nephews were. Whatever the case, my family and I had an absolute blast.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how large the park is. There really is a truckload of stuff to do and if you want to go through everything, you have to spend at least a couple of days here. You also don’t really have to worry about the lines. We were there during what is supposed to be peak season, and for the most part, we would only have to queue for about 20-25 minutes on average. That's better than any other amusement park I’ve been to.
They also have what they call a FASTPASS for what I am guessing are their four most popular rides and activities – The many adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, and the Festival of the Lion King. We didn't get on Space Mountain (not a good idea to put my nephews on a scary rollercoaster. Then again, not a good idea to put ME on a scary rollercoaster either. =)) but the only time we used the FASTPASS was for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which was a perfect ride for kids and ended up being one of Ciera’s favorites (it was very, very well made – the colors inside the ride were so bright and vivid and special effects were so amazing that even the adults got excited). Our timing was perfect for the Festival of the Lion King and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters – we got into both without needing a FASTPASS.
On our way to Tarzan’s Treehouse, an usher invited us to come in to the Lion King show without having to wait in line because there were still available seats and the next show was about to start. And what an awesome show it was! The production value – from the lights to the props to the dancing and performances – was simply outstanding. When you think about the brilliance of the Broadway staging of The Lion King, it isn’t really a surprise anymore that Disney can indeed put together a first-rate show like this, even on a daily basis.
We had just gotten off the Orbitron when my mom said she would just head into a shop in the Tomorrowland area to get a couple of souvenirs. On our way there, we saw that miraculously, there was no queue in the Astro Blasters ride. So we all decided to try it out. And it was good that we did because (1) it turned out to be the kids' favorite and (2) it turns out CJ is an amazing marksman! His scores? Round 1 - 200,000+, round 2 - 97,000+, and round 3 - 47,000+ at the halfway point (my mom, who joined us in round 3, didn’t get to see CJ’s final score in round 3). In reference, my scores: round 1 - 400,000+, round 2 - 27,000+, round 3 - 5,000+. I got a lucky 400,000 because during our first round, the ride had to stop temporarily (instead of moving forward continuously) so during the delay, I kept on shooting at the targets and racking up points. My scores from rounds 2 and 3 showed that I was clearly no shooting ace. But CJ is.
Other highlights:#1. Photo ops with Disney characters. We spent a great deal of time having our pictures taken with the different Disney characters, most of whom we caught in the Fantasy Gardens – Mickey, Goofy, Winnie the Pooh, Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), Merlin (from The Sword in the Stone), and CJ’s favorite character, Mushu from Mulan.
We also had a character buffet breakfast in the Plaza Inn where Minnie Mouse and Mulan were going around to have their pictures taken with patrons. We caught Timon in Adventureland and Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland. Also, when we got into Disneyland on our 2nd day, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald were all at the entrance for photo ops. We queued only for Donald because he was Ciera’s favorite and Ciera wanted to have a pic taken with him. This turned out to be a great idea because that was the only place for a photo op with Donald, who wasn’t in the Fantasy Gardens unlike everyone else.
#2. Another thing you shouldn’t miss the 3-D show, Disney’s Philharmagic. It takes about a minute for the first 3-D effect to come up, but when it does, the kids won’t stop jumping and trying to grab all the imaginary stuff that seems to be just right in front of you.
#3. Water fun! Ciera and CJ were both relatively tired when we arrived in Disneyland, what with all the traveling and long rides by car, plane, taxi, and ferry. When we got to Disneyland, they were not in a very good mood. That is, up until we passed by , where the kids got to enjoy playing with water and getting wet. That good them into such a great mood that we managed to last up until…
#4. Disney in the Stars! What better way to end a fun-filled day than with a magnificent fireworks presentation? On the first night, we stayed in the park til 9pm to catch this spectacular fireworks display which was accompanied by great Disney music and the ever-changing lights and “colors” of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. And because we got a Park View room in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel where you can actually play the music that goes along with the fireworks display in one of the TV channels in the room, we got to experience Disney in the Stars in our 2nd night from the comfort of our hotel room.
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