Thrillography Goes to Hong Kong Disneyland (Day 1) : My Fabulous Far East Trip Report - Part I

  

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……….HIIIIIIIII YOU GUYS!!! :D :D :D

WELCOME TO MY FABULOUS FAR EAST TRIP REPORT! :}

That's right! Thrillography has plunged itself into the Far Eastern spoils of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China to  see what kind of outstanding Oriental opportunities this magnificent region has to offer!

We invite you to join us as our amazing Asian adventure unfolds! 

Do you guys remember Kaitlin from our visit to Dollywood last fall? Kaitlin will be our guide for this exciting adventure!    

Here's home for the next two weeks: Harbour Plaza Resort City in the Tin Shui Wai neighborhood of Hong Kong. 

We're just a quick shuttle ride away from the Happiest Place in Hong Kong, Disneyland Resort! :D

Here's the view from the room. :}

Kaitlin's building is part of a large shopping complex. Quite convenient. :}

First dinner in HK? Sushi!

Sushi in Hong Kong is a little different than sushi in the US. Things here tend to be a bit more simple, and the ingredients seem to be often of a higher quality. Also, unlimited hot tea. :}

After dinner, it was time for some much needed rest. Eighteen straight hours on an airplane can take a bit out of you!

Good morning, Hong Kong! I'm ready for my first Disney day of the trip!

But first, a morning pick-me-up at 7-11. :}

Evidence of the nearby Disney resort is all over Hong Kong! Frequent customers of local 7-11 locations can collect stamps with each purchase, which can then be redeemed for Disney parade themed float toys!

Today's Slurpee flavor is a local favorite: Melon!

When I was younger, I would freak out at the first sight of a Disney-related sign while riding with my family to Disneyland Park. A similar freakout occurred right before I took this picture. 

The shuttle took us to Disney's Hollywood Hotel, one of two hotels that help make up Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. 

We've got a few minutes before the next park shuttle comes. Let's browse in the hotel's shop, shall we?

LOOK AT ALL OF THE KEYCHAINS! *o*

Just take my money, Disney. Take it all.

Okay, we'll do some shopping later. Time to get this show on the road!

"I am so happy I could faint."

The resort features a lovely promenade that leads guests from the transit hub to this central fountain. On the other side of the promenade is the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

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It's so beautiful.

:'}

This was my first visit to a Disney park in over five years. I kind of cried a little.  

Hong Kong Disneyland immediately reminded me of Disneyland Park in a way that WDW's Magic Kingdom did not. These parks, the two smallest of the chain's 5 resort-anchors, have quainter castles, cozier midways, and an overflowing excess of charm. :}

Not only that, but Hong Kong Disneyland has some very special tricks up its sleeves!

In fact, this young Disneyland has a few experiences you can only get here!

Hooray for the Happiest Place in Hong Kong!

I'm pleased to introduce to you Hong Kong Disneyland's pop-up book of a castle! Preparations for the impending Chinese New Year celebration has called for some improvements to the castle, so temp screens have gone up to hide the construction.

The Emporium, however, is still on display in all of its three dimensional glory. For now.

Pop-up Book Sleeping Beauty Castle selfie!

First order of business: a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland's particularly colorful Tomorrowland. :}

The quaint Tomorrowland is home to a handful of attractions: Orbitron, Autopia, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Stitch Encounter, and of course...

…the galaxy's most stellar interstellar adventure, Space Mountain! 

Like Tokyo Disney's Space Mountain, Hong Kong Disneyland's Space Mountain is a carbon copy of Anaheim's incarnation of the ride.

Aesthetically, however, Hong Kong Disneyland's Space Mountain is unique from its American and Japanese counterparts, featuring a series of planetary lanterns instead of the usual ceiling mounted space ship.

And there's this laser-ish looking thing, which is also pretty cool. :}

Hong Kong Space Moutnain, my 499th coaster, filled my heart with nostalgia and giggles. I can't wait to see what magic awaits us in the rest of Hong Kong Disneyland!

We'll be back for more rides in Tomorrowland later. Now it's time to cross the hub into some wilder territory. :}

We start by passing through Hong Kong Disneyland's massive Adventureland!

Unlike other Adventurelands, Hong Kong Disneyland's Adventureland is the largest area in the park, making up nearly half of its original layout. It's home to a vast array of natural, local foliage that puts other Adventurelands to shame!

By way of Adventureland, we now approach some amazing new territory!

In place of the usual Frontierland, Hong Kong Disneyland is home to Grizzly Gulch, a geyser laden, gold-rush ghost town!

This unique land takes cues from California Adventure's Condor Flats area (particularly in the case of the area's signature Grizzly Bear themed mountain), as well as from the various Frontierlands within the Disney family. 

Instead of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Hong Kong Disneyland guests are treated to the wild, rowdy, and insanely clever "Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars," or Grizzly Mountain for short. :} 

This superb, space conscious mine coaster combines the nostalgic presence of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with the state-of-the-art thrill ride shenanigans of fellow Vekoma designed Disney mine train, Expedition Everest. 

Grizzly Gulch and the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars opened in 2012 as part of Hong Kong Disneyland's major three-year expansion project. The beauty of designing an entire area around a roller coaster is evidenced by how Grizzly Mountain's layout is intricately woven around and under the midway. 

Let's go for a ride, shall we? :}

Through Grizzly Mountain's maze of queue we find several themed details that help tell the ride's story.

I'm particularly fond of this sketch of the region. :}

Inside Grizzly Mountain's station is room to load/unload two trains at once. While it lacks a Fastpass option, the ride's high capacity, swift loading/unloading, and useful single rider line often keeps the wait 30mins or lower on even Hong Kong Disneyland's busiest of days. 

Today, Grizz is a walk-on! Hooray for a fabulous milestone coaster, #500!!!!
 
What a joy it was to share such a momentous milestone with Kaitlin on such a wonderful roller coaster, in such a wonderful park! <3
 

Time for a celebratory lunch at the Lucky Nugget Saloon! The specialty here is fried shrimp, fish, or chicken, served in a newsprint-style cone with a side of particularly well seasoned fries. And to drink, possibly my new favorite Disney confection, a Geyser Gulp! 

After lunch, it was time to go even further into the mysterious unknown. Beyond Grizzly Gulch is Mystic Point, a vast estate tucked away among the local tropical foliage. 

The estate is home to the eccentric Lord Henry Mystic; world famous explorer, art enthusiast, and inventor. After having amassed an amazing array of artifacts from his adventures, Lord Henry has decided to open the doors of his home for fellow travelers and art aficionados like you and me!

Inside the queue we find several photographs, blueprints, and models belonging to Lord Henry, including this one of Mystic Point.

Here we have Lord Henry and his faithful monkey companion, Albert, accepting first prize at the Paris Expedition for his "Mystic Magneto-Electric Carriage," a self guided, trackless vehicle designed to carry guests around Mystic Manor. :}

In a decidedly Haunted Mansion-esque manner, your visit to the Manor continues with a brief pre-show, staring Lord Henry and Albert. What awaits guests once they're whisked away by the Magneto-Electric Carriages deep into Mystic Manor? I can't show you that yet, since I was too dazzled by my first ride through the Manor to take any pictures! The mysteries will be revealed on our next ride. :}

Until then, it's time for something totally different: Toy Story Land! 

Any place where Pixar, full immersion theming, and a LIM-powered Intamin coaster meet is somewhere I wanna be! 

Every last detail in Toy Story Land, from the classic orange Hot Wheels track of the RC Racer, to the handrails of its slot car track queue (which are perfect replicas of the plastic guard rails one might set up alongside said slot car track), has been paid an acute level of attention.

Anyone here a fan of building models? :}

The forward-facing half pipe of RC Racer is simple yet effective. It has more of a swinging ship feel to it than the seat-spinning incarnations of this Intamin model, which should come as a welcome alternative for those of us prone to prolonged dizziness. :}

Toy Story Land is so delightful that I can't believe it wasn't duplicated beyond Hong Kong and Disneyland Paris. Surely they could've fit it in somewhere in Disney World?!

Kaitlin and I have found our way out of Toy Story Land and back into Adventureland. What's next for us now?

Surprise! We're going to see a show!

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm usually not much for shows, but in a place like Hong Kong Disneyland, exceptions must be made! Festival of the Lion King is a highly acclaimed celebration of one of Disney's most beloved modern classics, and has been entertaining locals since the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland. 

The show's premise is that King Simba's loyal subjects have assembled to put on a play to tell the story of the Lion King. The show is a delight for both long time fans of Lion King and for guests who may not be as familiar with the movie. 

And now you may be wondering, "how could you not be familiar with the Lion King?!"

That was my thought going into the show; Kaitlin explained to me that, because Disneyland Hong Kong and the general presence of Disney in this part of the world is relatively new, many first-time guests of Hong Kong Disneyland are experiencing these Disney classics for the very first time! Often times, Hong Kong Disneyland is what introduces locals to all things Disney, from the iconic mouse to Disney's treasure trove of film classics. 

Back outside, we find a couple more Disney classics: Jungle Cruise and Tarzan's Treehouse! As you can see, Tarzan's house is getting a bit of a remodel; fortunately for us, it's still free to explore! More on that later. :}

Sleeping Beauty and Tarzan aren't the only ones doing some remodeling in Hong Kong; Tony Stark has just recently taken up residence in Tomorrowland and is now busy developing a plot between Buzz Lightyear and Autopia for his new exposition center. :}

All of this development talk has made me hungry again. :}

Time for a snack!

Kaitlin and I would like to know if you've yet experienced the life-changing divinity that is curry-caramel popcorn. If you have, I'm assuming you had to resist the urge to eat it for each and every meal. I certainly did.

Even with a Stark Industries crane looming overhead, guests can still safely assemble within Star Command to help Buzz Lightyear fend off the evil Emperor Zurg!

I'm not very good at shooting dark rides. Kaitlin was kicking my butt by the end, so I figured I might as well try to get a decent action shot or two. :}

We've got a ticket to ride! It's time to fly high on the Orbitron! 

I'm not sure which other parks (if any) do a boarding pass system for this type of ride, but I found it quite clever. 

Like every Tomorrowland before it, Hong Kong Disneyland's Tomorrowland just wouldn't be complete without some incarnation of the Rocket Jets/Star Jets/Astro Orbiter/Orbitron ride. This one is the newest, and quite possibly the bluest. :}

There is no better time to take a selfie then when you're flying past Space Mountain!

Hong Kong's Orbitron made the jump from rocket vehicles to flying saucers, doubling the ride's capacity and ramping up the cuteness factor. :}

The corner of Disneyland where Tomorrowland and Fantasyland meet is an area that I associate with the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Alice in Wonderland. In Hong Kong, however, this corner belongs to the wildly popular "Golden Mickeys," a musical revue that first debuted on the Disney Cruise line and has since only been brought to Hong Kong Disneyland. 

No small world for us today. :{

But don't be sad! The next tea party is in a few minutes!

While I'm still partial to Disneyland's semi-subterranian Mad Tea Party with its canopy of trees and lanterns, an LED-lit roof with lanterns is a pretty sweet alternative. 

Hong Kong Disneyland has FastPass for a whopping 3 attractions, all of which opened with the park in 2005. And, due to Space Mountain's high capacity and Festival of the Lion King's modest popularity, Winnie the Pooh's FastPasses are by far the most desirable. Not only is Pooh one of Disney's most internationally successful franchises, but at Hong Kong Disneyland, it's one of only two tracked dark rides in Fantasyland. 

I see you, pop-up book castle! 

Are you familiar with Tsum-Tsums? You're about to be; these teeny, hamster-shaped plushes are taking the world by storm! Tsum-Tsums and their related merchandise can be found not only in Hong Kong Disneyland, but all around the city!

And I'm just over here feeling tickled by all the Marvel stuff. I keep reminding myself we're not at Islands of Adventure.

Here's a modern favorite that most Disney fans are probably familiar with: Mickey's PhilharMagic! This was my first time seeing it, and I quite liked it. :}

Hong Kong Disneyland's Fantasyland a nice mix of the Renaissance-style Fantasyland of old, and the Bavarian stylings of the post-remodel Fantasyland areas of other parks.

Trivia Time!

Who here knows what my favorite Disney movie is?

If you guessed "Dumbo," then you'd be quite right indeed! Your prize is a boarding pass for the Dumbo, The Flying Elephant ride!

While Dumbo is a staple at every Disney resort (with several parks now boasting of multiple Dumbo-themed attractions), Hong Kong Disneyland's Dumbo is *definitely* the only Dumbo where you can take a selfie with Lantau Island's mountains in the background. ;}

(Oh yeah, btw, Hong Kong Disneyland is on an island. And, the part of the island upon which the resort sits is completely man-made. Pretty cool, right?)

FastPass redemption time! Who's ready for an adventure with Winnie the Pooh?!

As far as I know, Hong Kong Disneyland's Winnie the Pooh is a note-for-note copy of the one at Disney World. And, if I'm not mistaken, the two are quite similar to the one at Disneyland.

After helping Pooh find some honey and then surviving a rather blustery day, we checked out Pooh Corner! The original Pooh Corner in Critter Country is my favorite shop at Disneyland. :}

THE TSUM-TSUMS. THEY'RE COMING! THEY'RE MULTIPLYING AND GROWING IN SIZE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

#carouselfie

The sun is setting on the pop-up book castle, and on Thrillography's first Disney day!

But there's still plenty of time for a ride on Slinky Dog Spin!

Inside Slinky Dog's cardboard box home is a bunch of pictures and cardboard cutouts to set up your vary own neighborhood for Slink to play in!

From Slinky Dog Spin we can catch all of the happenings of Toy Story Land!

It's a pretty fun incarnation of the Musik Express-type-rides. :}

Thanks for the romp, Slinky Dog!

Might as well drop in on the Toy Soldiers while we're here!

I just noticed that there's a bendy straw in this picture. How did I not see that before? It's just right there, chillin' out with the plane! 

Once again, the theming for this ride is on point.

And this little 8-bit parachute jump training video is too cute to handle!

I've always had a soft spot for California Adventure's Jumping Jellyfish ride, and with the Toy Solider Parachute Drop, they've really improved capacity!

The views from up top are pretty cool, if a bit shaky. I'll have more shots from up here during the daytime :}

Mystic Point is quite enchanting at night. :}

I promise we'll be back to visit Lord Henry and Albert soon!

Better grab a quick night ride on Grizzly Mountian!

I think they did a pretty stellar job with the lights on this one, too. 

Something about Main Street all lit up gives me an unparalleled sense of comfort. :}

Let's go ahead and bookend our first Disney day with some browsing, shall we? :}

Inside Main Street's expansive corridors of shopping is just about every kind of Disney delight imaginable!

And a few that might've seemed unimaginable just a few years ago!

Probably my favorite of the Main Street marquees. :}

Like other Main Streets, the shops here are divided by price margin, with the pricier and customizable gifts on the right side.

Disney's glass blower and glass cutter are poised at their perches, prepared to personalize your purchases!

Several of the glass statues have Disney ties, but there are a few that are more traditional.

In addition to glass, other sculpting mediums here include resin, crystal, silver, and gold!

Kait and I were tickled pink by this resin/crystal Tink, who seems to look a bit constipated.

(And frankly, maybe a *tad* under-dressed. But that's just my opinion. Tink can wear whatever she's comfortable in.)

On display out front is this ornate resin/crystal replica of Sleeping Beauty's Castle, although it's clearly more akin to the one in Paris than the one here. 

The precious metal stuff is pretty stunning too, of course.

This one is so cute! I would've totally bought it if was made out of plastic or something. lol

Kinda surprised they even put a price tag on this one. I mean, c'mon! 

This one I don't think has a price. I think it's just Disney reminding us that Disney has money. ;}

What a FABULOUS first Disney day of our Far East adventure!

Goodnight, Disneyland!

We'll be back for round 2 in a couple of days! :}

Kaitlin and I decided to go into town after the park, so rather than take the shuttle back, we hopped onto the Hong Kong Disneyland MTR line!

That's right! In lieu of a Monorail, Hong Kong Disneyland has its very own public train line! It connects to a station just a few minutes away from which the rest of Hong Kong can be easily accessed.

Gotta make a 7-11 stop, of course. :}

The part of town we visited is connected by a GIANT covered escalator system with Christmas lights on it! :} 

Where are we headed, you ask?

To Hard Rock Cafe, of course!

We naturally had to stop in for a drink and some keychains. :}

And then Kaitlin and I danced at this club with a bunch of her friends from work! We had a great time, got home very late, and slept in the next morning. ^_^

What a great first day in Hong Kong! Disneyland is everything I'd hoped it would be, and we'll be spending a pretty big chunk of time exploring the park in detail, re-riding all the rides, eating all of the delicious food, buying all of the cute things, and simply basking in the splendor of Disney! 

Tomorrow we'll spend the entire day exploring several different markets and malls while taking in some local flavor around Hong Kong, and then the next day follow it up with round 2 of Disneyland! We'll explore new areas, ride new rides, and make some amazing and magical new friends along the way! Part II's got two days just for you!!!

See ya real soon! :}