HONG KONG DISNEYLAND

May 18, 2019

( This post is going to be long & heavy on photos, but please ENJOY! )

Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives wont have a title until much later. ☺

Disney magic isn’t just for kids. I realized this the moment I stepped onto the Mickey Mouse-themed train at Sunny Bay station, on my way to Hong Kong Disneyland. The train handles and windows were shaped like Mickey’s head—a charming preview of the joy waiting for us.

We arrived early, only to find a crowd already camped at the gates. Once inside, we were welcomed by a vibrant Mickey Mouse floral display and cheerful Disney music echoing throughout the park.

Mandatory shot of the entrance sign!

The first thing you’re going to see once they let the gate open is this ginormous Mickey icon shaped from various flowers.

What I love about walking around here is that wherever I go, happy and cheerful music is everywhere to lead my steps.

The iconic Cinderella castle.

The Magic Begins

Hong Kong Disneyland is divided into seven areas: Fantasyland, Adventureland, Main Street U.S.A., Mystic Point, Grizzly Gulch, Tomorrowland, and Toy Story Land.

1. Fantasyland: Where Dreams Begin

This land pulled me straight into the heart of my childhood dreams. From the joyful boat ride of It’s a Small World to the honey-filled ride in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, every corner sparkled with nostalgia. The PhilharMagic 3D concert starring beloved Disney characters left me grinning ear to ear.

We also caught the Flights of Fantasy Parade where floats danced to uplifting music. Seeing my favorite characters like Belle, Woody, Ariel, and Mickey float by felt like a living storybook.

1.1 It’s a Small World: Casted off on a whimsical boat ride past a joyful congregation of singing children from around the globe.

( From Philippines): “Kay liit ng mundo”

1.2 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We wandered through Hundred Acre Wood in an oversized Hunny Pot and immersed ourselves in the stories of Winnie the Pooh.

1.3 Philhar Magic. We got swept up in the enchantment of Disney animation in this 3D concert movie starring many favorite Disney characters. It was really cool and really brought out the kid in me.

Flights of Fantasy Parade:
Load video

(video credits to David L youtube)

Wohah!!! waaahhh. Woooow!!! I watched and cheered as Disney Characters joined this sky-high celebration with music, dancing and excitement “in the air”

Alice in Wonderland Unit, The Little Mermaid Unit, Toy story unit, Disney Princess Unit, Plane crazy unit, Chip & Dale, The Band Concert Unit(8m high Hot air Mickey balloon) and the finale consists of Mickey Mouse and his friends, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. Also the statues of Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, The Genie from Aladdin, Rafiki from The Lion King and Mushu from Mulan.

Toy Story

Gorgeous floats depicting magical moments carried Disney Characters accompanied by acrobats and aerialists. Mickey Mouse and his pals were all decked out for the festivities.

“Disney Paint the Night” Nighttime Spectacular

(video credits David L youtube)

Brightened up our night by watching this parade of pixie-dust infused light and color!

Using the entire park as his canvas, Mickey transformed just about everything in Hong Kong Disneyland Park into a gleaming vision.

Ive seen my favorite Disney Characters like never before. They were dancing, singing, and aglow with enchantment! Tinker Bell, Ariel, Belle, Lightning McQueen, Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Mike and Sulley all joined in the fun.

2. Adventureland: Into the Jungle

We crossed the Rivers of Adventure by raft to reach Tarzan’s Treehouse, a walk-through exhibit with panoramic views. Then, we queued early for the Festival of the Lion King musical. When they sang “Hakuna Matata,” I felt it—pure joy.

2.1 Tarzan’s Treehouse:

Tarzan’s Treehouse built on Tarzan’s Island. Rafts near Festival of the Lion King were used to ferry passengers to and from the island, which was encircled by the Rivers of Adventure

Crossed the Rivers of Adventure aboard a log raft for a walking tour of Tarzan’s Treehouse, where the story of Disney’s Tarzan was brought to life inside a colossal tree.

-during a walk-through tour of Tarzan’s jungle home.

Festival of The Lion King

The Circle of Life . We never let the opportunity in watching a musical extravaganza that time pass so we waited for an hour before it started.

All the action on the round stage was centered on the musical re-telling of the story of Simba, Nala and Scar—for The Lion King himself. Ofcourse, I heared one of my fave songs “Hakuna Matata”

3. Grizzly Gulch: A Wild West Escape

This zone was a fun tribute to the American Wild West. I posed with “wanted” posters, then rode the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, a semi-thrilling rollercoaster that left me laughing.

3.1 Wild West Photo Fun

Picture myself in one of 3 “wanted” posters and in an empty cell at the old jail

3.2 Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars

Dashed in and out of twisting caverns and rumbled through Grizzly Gulch aboard a speeding mine train. Its like another semi-rollercoaster ride

3.3 Geyser Gulch

Mistakenly built on geysers, the old town of Grizzly Gulch—dubbed Geyser Gulch—is home to all sorts of water-logged fun!

4. Toy Story Land: Oversized Fun

Vibrant and playful, Toy Story Land was a burst of color. I loved the towering figures and took on the RC Racer, a high-speed U-shaped coaster that sent my heart racing. For a calmer thrill, I tried the Toy Soldier Parachute Drop.

The Toy Story area was one of my favorites in the Disneyland Hong Kong, it had this interesting pop of colors, oversized characters & stationeries

Honestly, most of the playgrounds here in Disneyland belongs to kids, and those adrenaline boosters are not much here, so RC Racer is basically it’s like a giant motor swing, a high speed U shape coaster.

If you fancy something less scary, go for the Toy Soldier Parachute Drop located just across the RC Racer. The ride will slowly take you up and down back and forth.

5. Tomorrowland: Into the Future

Oh boy, Space Mountain. I was tricked into thinking it was a tame ride. It wasn’t. It was pitch dark, super fast, and totally terrifying—but in the best way. Then we zapped away on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and had fun racing cars on Autopia.

5.1 SPACE MOUNTAIN

Charged up and ready for another fun ride. SPACE MOUNTAIN IS A FUCKING MUST for you guys who really love thrilling experiences!!! It’s an indoor ride featuring super fast coaster and you’re going to be riding in the dark the whole time, I was only scared, NO, * VERY SCARED* that my head would hit things, but that shouldn’t happened as it’s designed to cater maximum safety!

My workmate tricked me that its a fine ride. So, while I was falling in line, I was very excited to see the space (I really thought that the ride will be like a tour in the outer space haha) I was the only one who bravely tried that ride. Annnnd pooooop.. ( jusko santisima trinidad, dili na jud ko muusab! )

5.2 Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Fire lasers to defeat Zurg in this shooting-gallery attraction that brought me in the center of a thrilling space battle. PS. Took us long in waiting.

5.3 AUTOPIA.

Another of my favorite rides was Autopia, a race car ride that I could steer and drive along a track all on my own. I was not very good at steering so the ride got a little bumpy but all that bumping made it all the more fun for me.

6. Mystic Point: Artifacts and Adventure

At Mystic Manor, we followed a curious monkey, Albert, through rooms filled with enchanted objects. Glittering dust brought art to life—an impressive blend of storytelling and visual effects.

6.1 Mystic Manor . We also explored a mystifying museum where exotic artifacts from around the globe come to life right before our eyes!

First thing we do as far as I remember , we rode the Mystic Magneto-Electric Carriage for us to view an eclectic art collection. We met Albert, faithful monkey friend of Lord Henry Mystic—eccentric adventurer, explorer and collector of art. Meanwhile, we edged our way through a labyrinth of rooms overflowing with photographs, drawings and rarities chronicling the thrilling global expeditions of Lord Henry and Albert, and—following a brief slideshow introduction—we then proceeded to the museum’s workroom for the start of our tour.

Upon our arrival, a curious Albert appeared and pawed at the ornately carved artifact, unexpectedly causing the box to open.

Suddenly, a haunting melody was heard and a stream of glittering dust drifted throughout the room and museum, miraculously imparting life to whatever it touches.

Some smaller visitors—or those who may be afraid of the dark or sudden surprises—might find the museum more frightful than delightful. (picture above)

We followed the mystical music dust as we embarked on a mesmerizing tour of Mystic Manor, where age-old artifacts from nearly every corner of the world magically come alive.

7. Main Street U.S.A.: A Charming Farewell

Unfortunately, I lost all my Main Street photos, but the memories remain. At the Animation Academy, I learned to draw a Disney character. I was also mesmerized by the Toy Story Zoetrope exhibit—a spinning illusion that brought Woody and friends to life.

7.1 Animation Academy . There I have learned how to draw a Disney character during a 20-minute, hands-on presentation in Cantonese by a Disney artist. (I unfortunately deleted the pics ughh *sad face* )

7.2 Art of Animation. This exhibit helped me discover how animated movies are made that includes a stunning Toy Story Zoetrope and rare artifacts.Load video

(video credits to Singyem87 youtube)

A zoetrope (as Ive researched according to Wikipedia) is a device that flashes a series of still images to produce the illusion of motion. Instead of using traditional, one-dimensional drawings, the Toy Story Zoetrope features 3-dimensional figures of characters from the Disney•Pixar Toy Story film series—including Woody, Jessie and Bullseye.

I couldn’t believe my eyes!! The mesmerizing Toy Story Zoetrope dramatically spinning in the center of the room was just really cool. As large disks whirled under a flashing strobe light, the Toy Story characters spring to life. The optical illusion was just so amazing that I could not even look away!

The Grand Finale: Disney in the Stars Fireworks

We secured a good spot in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle by 7 PM. The fireworks began at 8, set to a medley of Disney classics. Lights shimmered above the castle, and every burst of color felt like a promise that magic still exists.

“Disney In The Stars” Fireworks

Time moved faster than ever. For my finale of my Disneyland adventure, I’ve found this video which was uploaded on youtube.. watch it and I also have a short instagram video in the end of this post.

Fireworks starts at 8:00p.m, In order to get a good view of the palace and fireworks we went to the palace at 7:00 only. There were 100’s of people waiting for the show to begin.

We gazed at the splendor above Sleeping Beauty Castle, where breathtaking light and color sparkled to classic Disney music. The fireworks shimmered into the night in arcs and columns over and around the castle, accented by a medley of memorable Disney songs. Each flare and pop was inevitably followed by the audience’s gasps and cheers as the show build towards the fabulous finale.Load video

In life there are no Cinderella romances, no picture perfect ballroom dances,
no prince charming to carry me off into the sunset, no happily ever after
and better yet I’m not beauty and there’s no beast, no Mrs. Potts or chip to help prepare a feast. No hearts of love converted from those of stone, no promises of never being alone. There isn’t a snow white or her handsome prince, no magic eye-opening kiss. No 7 dwarfs who dwell in the same house, no determination to give Snow White a spouse. There is no Little Mermaid of the sea and no man of the land, no falling in love while laying in the sand. No Ariel whose voice won his love, no mergen of the waters below and the land above. No perfect ending, no magic despite what we would like, life ISN’T a fairytale.
LIFE is just LIFE, and its really beautiful.