Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Wonderful Disneyland

Weather for the past 2 days while we were there is around 15-16°C. The weather is perfect enough to go outdoor, but once wind blow it can be very cold and you got to hide inside the building.

Hong Kong Disneyland is located in Lantau Island (大屿山) and it is very near to Hong Kong International Airport. Since it is located at peak area, I foresee the weather can be go lower than in town. So, I wear 3 tops for the day.

On the 2nd day, we already check out how to reach there by MRT. That morning, after a quicky breakfast (bread), we took MRT at Tsim Sha Tsui to Disneyland (HK$18 per trip). To backpack and budget travel in HK, you got to study well the MRT map, as there are many interchange involve in different line. MRT there is almost complete covering the places in HK. You can really get confuse while you are under the big subway with few interchange. It took 45 minutes for the journey from Tsim Sha Tsui to Disneyland. Here I shows you how to go there with MRT.

From Tsim Sha Tsui station (Tsuen Wan line) go down at Lai King station. Change to another MRT track (Tung Chung line) at Lai King station and broad to Sunny Bay station. Go down at Sunny Bay station and took the only Disney Resort line train bring you to Disneyland.

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Immediately you broad on the Disneyland train, you can feel the excitement of entering the wonderland. The train design is different from others in town. It is all in Disney theme. Check out the picture, the train window with Mickey shape, in between seats there are window display some Disney characters and handrails also resemble in Mickey mouse shape.

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Window display of Mickey Mouse
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Handrails
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Disneyland MRT station
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Welcome to Hong Kong Disneyland

We reach there an hour early before the Disneyland open at 10am. We got plenty of time to snap photo around. The weather here while we step out is not what I expected. It is a sunny morning and it is not cold at all. We pass through the Park Promenade outside the Disneyland.

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The fountain
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Walkway towards Disneyland
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Some CNY decoration

We bought the adult entrance ticket from Mr. Chan (hotel manager). He sell us HK$340 for one, which is HK$10 cheaper than getting from the counter. For weekday, he can give us HK$280. Here are the regular ticket price show in Disneyland ticket counter.
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Weekday
Adult - HK$295
Kids (3 yrs old - 1 yr old) - HK$210
Senior (age 65 above) - HK$170

Peak day / Special day (include weekend)
Adult - HK$350
Kids (3 yrs old - 1 yr old) - HK$250
Senior (age 65 above) - HK$200

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Entrance ticket

While we are there, some visitors can go in early as they bought the breakfast package to have breakfast with Disney character. Price not sure. So, we just walk around outside, read through the park map and wait till 10am they open. The place around is super clean and toilet is fragrant one. Overall in HK, places are clean with no rubbish lying around the street. I hardly saw one.


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The entrance
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Disneyland front view (Main Street U.S.A)

See, it is a sunny day, can slightly feel the heat during morning. I guess the temperature is around 19-20°C. 10pm sharp, we went in and the first attration at Meet The Characters point (a pergola). We saw Mickey and Minnie Mouse was there. The main character attract lots of people and they start queuing up for photo section. It is quite long already when we were there. So we proceed to the opposite site and we saw Goofy. So we queue up to have a photo with him first.

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With Goofy

At each point of Meet The Characters, they will snap pictures for you (you can choose and buy them later at Kodak shop) and allow you to use own camera too. They are helpful enough to help you to snap using your own camera. End of the day, we didn't buy any from Disney. It is just not enough time for us to go round all the attractions. Band team later is coming up playing along the Main Street U.S.A. before we ride on the train and go to Fantasyland. The railroad will go round the whole Disneyland with a train station at Fantasyland.

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Band performing
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Train ride
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Along the railroad pass by the jungle at Adventureland

There are 4 parts in Disneyland. Namely Main Street U.S.A, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. At Main Street U.S.A there are shops, restaurants, Disney story house, info counter and this is the road side by side with all theme land. At Fantasyland, here is all about the so called magical Disney.

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This is the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Fantasyland. There are 10 attractions over here, like Fantasy Gardens (mainly for photo session with Meet The Character at different pergola), Mad Hatter Tea Cups, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey PhilharMagic (3-D adventure), Cinderella Carousel, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (whimsical storybook journey) and etc.. We spend most of the time here to play, eat and shops. At each point for riding, you always need to queue up. Although thats like not much to play, but the time lining up for our turn really time consuming. Wait for at least 15-20 minutes for each. Here are all the pictures at Fantasyland.
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Board on hunny pot and join Pooh for a whimsical storybook journey through the Hundred Arce Wood. The scene is very great, the feel was like you are in the storybook with all the Pooh characters.

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Dumbo the Flying Elephant
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Meet the Characters at Fantasy Gardens. For Mickey and Minnie we wait quite long in the queue. Some shoot and go. For kids, they take longer as they want to kiss, hug, pat and get singature from the characters. While waiting in queue, when times up for character to rest, they need 3 minutes away (well it is very accurate, I time them, really in 3 mins later they back for service..haha)

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With Mickey Mouse
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With Pooh and Minnie Mouse
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With Goofy (again..) and Mulan
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With Pluto and Tigger
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Pluto signing autograph

At Mickey's PhilharMagic, it is a magical 3-D adventure. We sit in the huge theather and put on the 3D glasses. While the movie is playing, it was like you are so close being with the characters. We can see, smell, feel and touch like in real. Almost at the end of the show, there was a scene on water splasing and yes, there are water sprink on us.

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Waiting to enter the theather

At Mad Hatter Tea Cups, we go for a spin.

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We didn't queue for Cinderella Carousel.
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Time for eating. We have it at Royal Banquet Hall. The biggest restaurant in Disneyland. The design is very Royal style. Here serving all chinese dishes, mainly the food cooking style is in stew or steam, there are Western food too. Food ordering system is like food court. Order your food at different counter and pay at cashier.
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The hall
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L: Steam squid meat rice with corn soup HK$50
R: Fried rib with rice and corn soup HK$55, Nestea bottle drink HK$17.

Meal here is starting from HK$50 onwards. Plain mineral water selling at 500ml HK$12 and 800ml HK$16. There are other restaurant at Tomorrowland and Main Street U.S.A but we never try that.

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One of the shop. We did shop a lot.

We spend too much time going to those souvenir shops. Faster we rush to Tomorrowland. First, we queue up for Space Mountain. It is a thrilling high-speed roller coaster ride bring you out of the universe. I was so lousy, once the speed go fast and pulling, I bow down my head, heart beeping fast, head follow the strong gravity pull, close my eye tight and hold on bar tight too. I really can't take the speed, I don't even dare to sit up.
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This is the picture taken somewhere while the roller coaster running fast. See, you can't find my head (green arrow). So, you almost can guess what happen to me once the roller coaster stop. My leg is jelly..can't really stand, feel so dizzy while walking, started to feel want to throw out. I still manage to walk, we proceed to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.
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I didn't went in. Hubby went in to play. It is an interactive adventure zone. I sat aside and wait for him. Cause I really feel so uncomfortable and bloated too.
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Inside the interactive area of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

I sat outside of the Starliner Diner restaurant waiting for hubby. Went he finished, we continue to walk. I started to become more uncomfortable and I couldn't control myself anymore while walking towards other game zone. I VOMIT on the floor! Stand there for a few seconds. *slap head* hubby didn't even try to help me by taking out tissue from my pocket and check whether I'm alright. Just ask me to walk and go and don't dirty the place *piss off*

I totally feel comfortable later after vomit. We proceed after I clean up myself. Some other attraction in Tomorrowland which we didn't play.
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Orbitron
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UFO Zone, some water-squirting UFOs play area. Mostly kids are playing.

We also miss out Autopia (electric car drive) and Stitch Encounter (Theather show, need to wait for next show time. We don't think we have enough time for that). We left Tomorrowland and saw the the Main Street U.S.A. is clear and both road side is being block.

Yes, thats the Disney Parade going on. Quickly we crossed over to the other side of the road and try to get a good place to stand. But, we can't get any. Kids are sitting in most front and adult are standing everywhere. I just try to squeeze in as front as possible in worried later can't get to snap any good photos. Just able to stand behind of a lady, tip toe and one side of my hand with camera on got to stratch out high and low to snap. By the time, I'm ready to get in place, the parade team is just few meter away from Tomorrowland. Once again, it is the most wonderful parade show that I ever watch.

Continue, we move to the nearest Disney's Storybook Theather whereby another musical show by Disney character. It is "The Golden Mickeys" musical celebration going on. Again, we sit in another huge theather hall.
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By the time the show end, it is around 6pm. Just before sunset, we went to the Adventureland. There are 5 attractions here and we miss out almost all, espcially the musical show on "The Lion King". We only took the rafts to Tarzan's Treehouse which is just opposite the river.
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The Adventureland
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The river
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Tarzan's Treehouse
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The raft we ride to and fro cross the Tarzan Island

Some tarzan's activities items under the treehouse. We not climb up to the treetop, there are some other musical instrument there.
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The tarzan items
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This is a small elephant (fake one). Its looks so real, his trunk is moving and got body hair somemore. A few more bigger one hiding inside the jungle.

That's all we able to walk for one whole day at Disneyland. As the night falls, we were advised to gather in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle to watch the fireworks at 7pm. We are there waiting 10 minutes earlier than other.

This time we can get a good place to stand. Too bad, due to the CNY celebration there is a big stage block in front of us. Thus, shooting for the castle with firework is another hard job. But, for our standing position is still alright, just right in the middle. While we waiting, we look above the sky. Every 5 minute, there is a plane take-off at Hong Kong International Airport.

It is another beautiful view of the castle at night. The fireworks played for 15 minutes.
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After the fireworks end, ppl are walking towards the entrance gate. We pass by the shops, bakery and restaurants at the Main Street U.S.A. We went in one of the biggest souvenir shop there and grab for the last round. Many ppl are buying too...really a lot!
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A day that full of fun and young at heart. It was really so much of joy like being a kid again when we were there (but some game really prove that we not, LOL!). Disneyland Hong Kong is worth to visit. I will back again next time bringing my boy and possible with my family too staying in Disneyland resort. Bye-bye, till I back again!
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This much of Disneyland stuff we bought back.
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CNY items - biscuit, pair words (对联), red packets and poker cards.
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Others - shirts, cups, hair clips, photo frame, photo album, biscuit, sweets and Pooh water tumbler.

Total spend for shop, transport, meal and entrance for 2 persons: HK$1800+.

9 comments:

Baby Darren said...

a very detail write up about Disneyland. The photos are fantastic...make me feel like going there too...:)

Vickylow said...

Long and detail blog down. It so much fun there, I wish I can go with my girl next time. I think HK Disneyland is affordable for us, Tokyo, Paris, US is too expensive hehe

L'abeille said...

I'm sure you had fun at Disneyland but well..except the part where you vomited after the ride ...

I also want to go to Disney again... if possible the one in Florida..

sting said...

that sounds like great fun.. been waiting for this write-up since you mentioned it last time.. now I know why it took some time, so many info and pictures :-) Oh I love those fireworks and parades... awww

FL Sam said...

Wow, lotsa of nice pictures. :)

CL said...

I missed the fire work session in Disneyland in California.

I thought you would bring TErry along. I am sure both of you enjoyed the visit. And lots of pressies from Disnetland, big damage to the wallet, hor?

Jacelyn Chew said...

wow! a very wonderful trip! how i wish i could travel in HK again! disneyland is not there yet when I first visited HK.... :(

Sasha Tan said...

So detailed report with price of the food samo. haha Guess u and hub really enjoyed the trip ya?

Astro Galaxy said...

Very good pictures!
Seems like a Fun trip!!!
Cheers