Second Disney Park…check

Another day and another Disney park. Or at least that was what I decided when I looked out the window.

It was another overcast day but still not raining and I felt in the mood for a little bit of Disney. It had been about a week since I last visited one so I was long overdue after all.

This time the ride from Mong Kok MTR was in the opposite direction from the day before because Disneyland is out near the airport. It also meant having to change trains once at Lai King Station, not a great problem because the next train was waiting right there when we stepped off, and then another change at Sunny Bay Station for the Disneyland line.

Up until this last change it had been the standard MTR trains, clean and efficient and full of locals going about their daily lives. A short wait at the Sunny Bay Station and things changed for the magical. That may sound a little dramatic or even like the raving of a sad Disney obsessive but I defy anyone to see a train coming that has Mickey Mouse shaped windows and not smile. To then step into the train and find carpet and little statues of Disney characters as well as a star filled ceiling and not feel a little magic would take a hard hearted bast**d indeed.

The last trip on the Disney train is only a short one but on this day it was almost empty. This gave me some hope that I wouldn’t have the same problem I had in Tokyo.

We arrived in the Disney Station and, having been here before, I made my way quickly out and began the walk to the Park. The amount of space makes me believe that there are more plans afoot for this area. The walk from the train to the Park entrance is along a wide avenue with Disney music playing and pictures of Disney characters hanging from the lamp posts.

The main feature of this avenue is a fountain that has Mickey surfing on a whale and all of the other major characters arrayed around. Turn right here and you can see the Park entrance. I made my way in, along with just a handful of other people, and bought my ticket. No lines and hardly anyone waiting for the opening which was still half an hour away. It looked like it was going to be a day much different to Tokyo.

Ticket safely in hand and a bit of time to kill I decided to walk to the Disneyland Hotel. Continuing on along the avenue I felt a little conspicuous as the only person in a space and walkway obviously designed to accommodate many more.

The hotel is typically Disney. It is grand and has many of little Disney flourishes. I wandered the gardens for a little while but the wind had now gotten up a bit and as the hotel looks directly out onto the water it was a bit brisk. The parts I did see, like the wedding pavilion and the hedge maze, were impressive.

Back inside in the warmth I gave thought to my empty stomach. It was now 10am and I hadn’t eaten since the night before. I did some mental arithmetic on my casino winnings from the day before and decided that I had enough to shout myself a fancy Disney breakfast and nothing is better than a buffet, character breakfast at a Disney hotel.

I was shown to my table, passing Goofy and Mickey, and then had the run of the buffet. It was pretty good, a strange combination of western, Chinese and Indian food. I’m sure that I ate my money’s worth in smoked salmon and got hugged by Pluto and had my photo taken with Goofy. I even managed to avoid Mickey although I did get great satisfaction cutting the little ears off the Mickey waffles.

The best part though was watching all the kids. Some were so excited that they almost forgot to eat but others were terrified. Strangely, the more terrified the child the more the parent seemed determined to subject them to the large scary character. Maybe they think its character building or they are just determined to get their money’s worth at the cost of their child’s sanity.

I left the buffet feeling pleasantly full, which is one of the three best ways you can describe yourself. The other two being sexually satisfied and independently wealthy.

I walked back to the Park entrance, got through security and into the Park. The same as Tokyo I won’t go into great detail here but a few things are worth noting.

It was really, really quiet. Even if I hadn’t been to Tokyo so recently I still would have felt this was quiet. It was good though because it meant that I could walk onto any ride or show that I wanted and I saw that great majority of them.

There is little merchandise that is of a type to make me want to buy it. Maybe I’m strange or maybe I don’t have the Asian love of cute but I walked out with only a fridge magnet to show for my troubles.

I hardly ate at all once I was in the Park. I was so full from breakfast that I really didn’t feel like anything.

I walked a lot.

I took a number of photos.

I left.

I don’t want this to make it sound like I didn’t enjoy myself because I did. It’s just that Hong Kong is the smallest of the Disney Parks and with so few people it’s easy to get around. I enjoyed the Jungle Cruise. The Golden Mickey’s (a live stage show) was good even if I did have to read the English subtitles shown on a screen to the side. I went on the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters repeatedly and I saw my favourite, Mickey’s Philharmagic, enough to memorise the words. The Lion King show (another live production) was as good as I remember it.

It was another great day in a magic place but it was one I’ve been to recently and I’m kind of looking forward to Paris and a new one.

The return trip on the MTR was uneventful if efficient and I finished the day with a late meal of a plate of crispy fried goose in my restaurant.

Today has been a writing day. The sun is setting now and the lights are coming on…I think it’s time I closed the laptop and hit the streets.