你好! Ni Hao!
I hope you are all well! This year is flying by, isn't it? A few weeks ago it was my birthday and my dear friend Camilla took me out to dinner. While we were driving in the car, she asked me what my goals are for my 23rd year and this made me ponder and really think about what I want to accomplish. This year is going to be busy for me, as I am finishing school, but I have taken time to make some smaller goals that I want to work on. One of them being to update this blog with positive posts and pictures!
I recently signed up for a free trial for Lightroom (it's expired now, sadly, so I will have to save up for the full version) and it gave me the motivation to finally edit my photos from Hong Kong Disney! I have had some people ask me questions about the park, especially how it compares and differs from Disneyland California, so I hope to share some of my experiences with you through my photos! I have combined photos taken by myself and also by my friend Hannah who came with me. She has a great talent for capturing beautiful photos :)
Can I start by saying how cute the Disney train is? Hidden Mickey windows! It has its own line that connects to the subway system in Hong Kong.
My cute friend Sinead was sweet enough to guide me to the park. I was in Hong Kong for her brother's wedding and she traveled with me on the bus and the subway so that I wouldn't get lost. We parted once I made it to the front gate, but I will forever be grateful for her kindness.
I was overjoyed to be at the Happiest Place in Hong Kong :)
The front entrance was such a welcome sight! I met up with Hannah who had arrived earlier that morning. She is a passionate Disney fan like me so I was happy we could share this adventure together. We took some pictures in the front and then made our way toward Main Street!
It was so cool to see this iconic plaque in both English and Chinese. It can also be found at Disneyland California and Walt Disney World. It was written by Walt Disney himself.
Main Street
"I'm walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.... wait" Main Street Hong Kong!
Fantasyland
My silly old bear :) Unfortunately we didn't get to ride this one because the line was so long! Seriously, it was packed all day long. But we did stop by the store and see the cute characters.
Another store we went into was themed after Sword in the Store. This is where Hannah got her Mickey ears! Tip: When you are in the Disney parks, look up! There are so many details that they put on the ceiling in stores, restaurants, and even in lines for rides. You can find some lots of hidden things up there!
"Did you ever see an elephant fly?" I was so happy to see this familiar ride! My mom has told me that it was the first one I rode as a baby at Disneyland and it was the first one I rode at this park.
The song that get stuck in everyone's head! Attending Brigham Young University Hawaii has given me a greater appreciation for this ride. It is amazing to see so many cultures come together. The last room where the children are together dressed in white is always my favorite. That is what I think Heaven will be like. As time goes by I have learned just how true those words are; it really is a small world after all.
Disney always has the cutest construction signs. They keep everything hidden until it is ready for the public.
Toy Story Land
This was one of the attractions I was most looking forward to. Until recently Toy Story Land has been unique to the international Disney Parks (however this year it will be opening in WDW) Hannah and I did not have time to ride the rides, but we did enjoy exploring and looking at everything! There were so many details! It made us feel like a toys ourselves as we walked around.
Mystic Point
This is another section of the park that is not found at the U.S. Disney parks. Here, they have the Gardens of Wonder and Mystic Manor. It can best be compared to the Haunted Mansion ride. Though, the story of this house is very different than the one told by everyone's favorite Ghost Host. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I can say this is a ride that can be enjoyed by adventurers of all ages :)
Grizzly Gulch
This was by far my favorite ride at the park. It is called Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. If that doesn't get you excited I don't know what to tell you. It was a mixture of Runaway Railroad and Expedition Everest. It takes you forward, backward, and shoots you off at top speeds! There were unexpected parts that made it so fun! After we got off, Hannah and I immediately ran back in line to go again.
This is an inside joke among my family so I had to take a picture. "Don't. Feed. The. Bear" It's from a Winnie the Pooh movie that we quote way too often haha
We stopped to eat lunch in Grizzly Gulch (similar to Frontierland) The fish and chips I got were delicious! Also I was very happy to see that they had Heinz ketchup. A little bit of Pittsburgh in Hong Kong :)
Tomorrowland
Space Mountain is one of my and Hannah's favorite rides so we made sure to get a Fastpass right away. I was happy to discover that Hong Kong Disney had Hyperspace Mountain! I never got to ride this when it was at Disneyland California so I was excited to see how it would change the classic ride. I have to say, it was AWESOME. You feel like you are flying in space through a battle between X-Wing starfighters and TIE Fighters. Plus hearing John Williams music throughout, made it even better.
Yes the Darth Vadar is edible!
The best place to get Star Wars ice cream and lightsaber churros!
Adventureland
The line for Jungle Cruise gave you the choice of having a Chinese speaking skipper or an English speaking skipper. I have been on this ride many times, but this one had it's own unique twist on it!
This store was called Professor Porter's Trading Post. I had hoped that this place would sell more Tarzan merchandise, but unfortunately it did not. I'm still waiting for Disney to release some good merch for the 90s movies.
Disney At Night
We watched the fireworks on Main Street and then did some shopping. We stayed as long as we could.
All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Hong Kong Disney. We traveled home (to our Airbnb) on the Disney subway. We were tired but very happy.
I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go to the park and to share the experience with a friend :) It was definitely a check off my bucket-list.
Although it may take longer than some of the other goals I have made for myself this year, I hope to travel to all of the parks around the world someday. As Walt Disney said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
That is my goal for this year to "Have courage and be kind"
Ta ta for now,
Karissa
