Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

[Whoopee! We’re going to Hong Kong! A huge surprise coz Mommy and Daddy told us about where we’re going only when we reached Changi airport at 4.30am!]


Finally.

Managed to sort our photos and blog about our recent Hong Kong Disneyland experience!

[I think I’ll need to write more than one blog post on this! TOO many things to share in just one post!]

Okay. It all started with us waking up really early, and reaching the airport at about 4.30am! (The earlier I’ve ever been at any airport in my life!)

Anya and Vai were super excited about going to Hong Kong!

Thankfully they managed to sleep for another hour or so on the plane (it took us a little more than 3 hours to fly there from Singapore).

I mean, really, no one wants to bring along two cranky and sleep-deprived kids to Hong Kong Disneyland!

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And this is us finally reaching Hong Kong International Airport! It’s HUGE!

It’s been 16 years since I last went to Hong Kong. And it’s Wilson’s and the kids’ first trip there. So we’re all practically new to Hong Kong and were all ready for a great adventure!

We decided to just take a taxi from the airport to our hotel (Disney’s Hollywood Hotel).

[Note: There are 3 different coloured taxis that operate at different areas in Hong Kong. The airport and HK Disneyland is on the same Lantau Island, so you can take the green coloured taxi there. Click HERE to read more about Hong Kong Taxis]

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In no time, we reached Disney’s Hollywood Hotel!

We checked in and had our yummy lunch at Disneyland Hotel’s Crystal Lotus! Then off we went to HK Disneyland!!

YAY!!

(I’ll write about our dining experience in another post!)

Btw, here’s the free shuttle bus that comes every 10 minutes or so, and it basically goes to three places : Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, HK Disneyland and Disneyland Hotel.

Very convenient.

And, this is US at Disneyland’s main entrance!!

We really were SO blessed with great weather during our 4-days-3-nights stay in Hong Kong! I was told that it’s been raining for a few days before we arrived. And when we were there, the weather was fantastic!

Cool breeze, clear blue sky, sunny days!

[Tips: Grab these two information leaflets when you’re in HK Disneyland! You definitely need them when you are there! Show times and Park attractions details are all there!]

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Oh btw, I’d personally recommend exploring HK Disneyland over two days, because you won’t be able to cover all areas thoroughly in a day. I mean, since we’re already there, we’d want to enjoy everything, go on certain rides again and again, and casually walk around the Park, right?

Now, one of the first things that we all need to know about HK Disneyland is that it’s divided into FOUR main areas:

– Main Street, USA
– Adventureland
– Tomorrowland
– Fantasyland

 

 

[Main Street, USA, is the first area that you’ll see when you entered HK Disneyland]

 

[And this is what you’ll see when you enter ‘Tomorrowland’, THE place to meet Buzz Lightyear, etc!]

 

And oh, before I forget, when we were there (11-14 November), they’re still getting their Christmas decorations ready (like the Gingerbread House above!). But if you visit HK Disneyland NOW, they’re all there!

(Read more about their Christmas theme HERE)

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Anyway, in this post, I’ll cover some of the rides / shows that I’d strongly recommend! (read: we did go for the others too, but we think you really should NOT miss these ones!)

 

I’ll start with the shows!

[Tips: Check the show times, be there about 30 minutes before the show starts!]

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THE GOLDEN MICKEYS
A musical celebration of Disney’s Films and Characters!
(In Fantasyland)

This is where you’ll see MANY Disney characters you know!

Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, Mulan, Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch, Beauty and the Beast, and many more. And oh, of course the main Disney characters like Mickey and Minnie, Goofy and Donald Duck!

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MICKEY’S PHILHARMAGIC
It’s where you’ll enjoy some nice 3-D experience!
(In Fantasyland)

Not quite just 3D, actually. Because you get to experience splashes, scents and all.  Okay, okay. I’ll say no more *smile* You just have to go for it yourself!

I tried to take a shot of the screen (placed my camera behind my 3D glasses), and it’s obviously not quite possible! Hehe.

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FESTIVAL OF THE LION KING
Colourful pageant of music and dance
(In Adventureland)

I personally love this show the most! A visual treat. And I love the singing, costumes and all!

It’s REALLY, really good! A MUST SEE show!

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As for the rides, there are (of course) lots of them there in HK Disneyland.

Here are some of the highlights:

BUZZ LIGHTYEAR ASTRO BLASTERS
(In Tomorrowland)

We really love this ride! I won’t be surprised if everyone who’s been to HK DIsneyland tells me that they check out Astro Blasters more than twice!

Basically, you sit on a ‘star cruiser’ that you can manually turn 360 degrees. And with a hand-held ‘laser cannon’, you fire towards different enemy targets and get points. Once is really not enough, I tell you! Hehe.

And while we’re there, we saw Buzz Lightyear!! So of course we lined up to take a photo with him! It’s simply impossible not to! Heh.

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SPACE MOUNTAIN
(In Tomorrowland)

Okay, this one apparently is not for the faint-hearted *smile*

Pregnant mommies (like me!) obviously can’t get on this ride. So I waited on a bench nearby as I watched them zoom out and return back.

Anya and Vai went on this ride too, btw. Vai said he’s cool about it and he didn’t scream, while Anya thought it was SUPER scary throughout and she didn’t like it, haha.

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JUNGLE RIVER CRUISE
(In Adventureland)

This is more of a relaxing ride for the adults and a visually fun one for the little ones because there are different things to see (and experience) throughout the cruise!

[Btw, we learned that you can engage Disneyland’s Tour Services too. Click HERE to read more about it!]

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When we’re there, unfortunately their Daily Parade was not ‘in operation’ because they’re preparing for their Christmas events. BUT, the Fireworks show was on, and the weather was great!

You MUST not miss the Fireworks show!

It all happened just above the Sleeping Beauty castle at 8pm! Go towards the Castle at least 30 minutes earlier, find a seat facing the Castle, have some snacks while you wait for the Fireworks to start, and enjoy the show!

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FASTPASS

I was told about ‘FASTPASS’ before we left for Hong Kong. And at the time I had no idea what it was.

Now I can share with you what it is.

Basically, there are only three attractions where you can use FASTPASS:

– Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
– The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
– Space Mountain

Because the queues for these attractions are generally longer, you can insert your admission ticket into Disney’s FASTPASS stations, get your FASTPASS ticket, go elsewhere, return to that particular attraction during your given time and join the much shorter FASTPASS queue!

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Other Tips to Share:

– If you’re still thinking about ‘how long’ your Hong Kong stay should be in order to enjoy Disneyland and some other attractions in Hong Kong, I’d say staying there for 4 days and 3 nights would be great.

– Buy your HK Disneyland tickets online and in advance! If you plan to visit HK Disneyland during the school holidays, they usually have great offers that come with Park admission tickets and a hotel stay in Disneyland too. Do check the available offers!

– Check HK DIsneyland’s Daily Calendar before you visit the Park, just in case there are some updates and other info that you can find out in advance before your trip there

– The weather can be a little unpredictable, especially if you plan to visit HK Disneyland during Christmas. I’d personally recommend wearing your clothes in ‘layers’, so you can always wear your shirt when the day is sunny and the breeze is cool, and put on your jacket / sweater when it gets chilly at night!

– If you’re bringing along your own stroller, you may want to consider bringing along your raincoats as well and water bottles (since you don’t have to carry all these things yourself!). Because if it rains while you’re at the Park, having those raincoats with you will surely be handy!

– The Park accommodates guests with special needs. Click to read how you can rent wheelchairs, strollers, etc.

(My mom was on a wheelchair when she visited HK Disneyland with my Dad and sister, and she said that her trip around Disneyland was very convenient!)

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Phew. Finally I managed to put it all together and share my HK Disneyland experience with you all!

*smile*

I shared more photos of our HK Trip on Facebook. Click HERE to view my Photo Album on Facebook!

Will write more posts soon!

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If you have other tips to share about HK Disneyland, please do share with us all! I’m sure they’ll be really useful to those who’re planning their trip there!

Thanks everyone!

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[added]

Click the link below to see my other post on Hong Kong Disneyland :

Checking Out : Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 2) – Hotel & Dining