With Kids, We Go...: Hong Kong Part 2: Disneyland

The kids have been waiting for this and it is finally here - Disneyland! It was the girls' first trip to Disneyland and they had been anticipating it since they got to know that they would be seeing Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and all the other Disney characters. It is strange how they are so fascinated with the characters even though we did not introduce them to the latter. Nonetheless, I figured a little bit of fantasy would do them no harm, as long as they know that they are mere fiction.

We got a two day passes and prior to entry, we had to go through bag search and had our finger print scanned along with the barcode on the adult's ticket. A good way to prevent swopping of tickets. Once inside, the world suddenly opened up, not only for the kids, but also for me. I felt like I was walking through my childhood fantasy and the inner child within me was slowly creeping to the surface, eager to try every ride there is and buy every Disney merchandise there is. Not a good news for our Daddy back home I am sure...

Shuttle service to Disneyland comes very frequently

Rain or shine, we would conquer

Just before the ticket booth...even the adults couldn't resist taking a snapshot with the cool mouse on the surf

Kids headed to Art of Animation first where the hows of animation is explained

Lights would dim and the figurines would spin in great speed. Coupled with flashing lights, everything came alive. Magical!

Good old way of seeing the characters come alive

Bumped into Chip and Dale on our way out

Just beside the Art of Animation.

Classroom setting.

Our lecturer for the session.

Explanation was done in Cantonese so my girls had difficulties following the instructions. Still, it was possible to follow his drawing on the screen.

If someone who draws only 'stick-man' can produce this, so can you!

Hello, Donald and Daisy!

The place opened up to more merchandise shops. Sleeping beauty castle up ahead

So cute that I needed to bite into it

Not served with whipped cream as it was a take-away.

Staff overwhelmed the kids with cards and stickers of Disney characters. The kids were elated!

Lots of gift ideas

First up, TOMORROWLAND!

Caught Buzz Lightyear along the way

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters - shoot aliens and save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg

Buzz Lightyear urging everyone to join him on the fight. However, K was so frightened that she would not even
go near the entrance. Solution? The both of us sat this out while the rest completed their mission.

Autopia - apparently a very popular attraction. We had to wait at least 1 hour for a ride on the electric cars!!

We opted for the cool water play UFO Zone instead

Roller coaster ride in the dark!! Kids love it and were excited to go again.

Fancy holding a conversation with Stitch? No wonder they said that "it is never the same show twice"
Be sure to check the timing of the shows as they are in different languages.

Orbitron - fly your own flying saucer

The kids had no problem conquering their own planet.

An ensemble of percussionists entertaining both kids and adults. I find myself grooving to the beat unknowingly.

Next stop - FANTASY LAND.
"The Golden Mickey"- a musical performance which showcases the various Disney characters.
A good summary of all the Disney shows. K. fell in love with Beauty and the Beast here.

A magical clock tower in the middle of FANTASYLAND. A parade of characters would appear from the clock tower to greet the audience every 15 minutes.

Even the trees are so whimsical in FANTASYLAND.

"It's a small world" - a gentle ride around the world (cruise is divided into continents)
while the music "it's a small world (after all)" plays throughout the journey.
Pardon the blur shots. Left my heavy camera at home since I was travelling alone with kids

Mad Hatter Tea Cups - I got a headache in these. Good thing the kids did not know how to make it spin faster. I am keeping it a secret...

K's favourite - Cinderella Carousel

Finally, lunch!

Food stalls around Princess Aurora and her Prince

Pay after you have gotten your food

'The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh'...

..where we sat in hunny pots as we journeyed through the Hundred Acre Wood, visiting all the characters in their houses. A big part of the journey is in the dark but K was familiar enough with the characters to not feel afraid. She enjoyed the part when the hunny pot bounced along with Tigger when we got to his house.

'Dumbo the Flying Elephant' - remembered taking this when I was a little girl. Couldn't wait to fly through my childhood memories again. K did not dare to hop onto the ride so I rode it with A.

'Mickey's PhilharMagic' - a 3D journey. I usually get a headache when I wear 3D glasses so I had to sit this out w K while the rest of the gang entered.

One of the many characters we took photos with in Fantasy Garden. We took photos with Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Goofy...all in all, we took more than an hour. Besides the queue, the characters had to go for a rest every 10-15 minutes or so which equated to longer wait in the queue. Yet, the kids were extremely patient. That is the charm of Disney.