A recent visit

Originally Posted By irishfan

I spent a couple of days in early January at Hong Kong Disneyland, staying at the Disneyland Hotel. Just thought I'd write up some thoughts and observations.

Firstly the hotel was fantastic. After a ten hour flight from London, it was great to be greeted at the front desk by a smiling cast member, who informed me that I was upgraded to a Fantasia Room in one of the turrets. The room was beautiful, with great views over the South China sea.

I loved the walkway to the park, beautifully landscaped, lush, and pretty much deserted. On my second day I sat down by one of the fountains, with Disney music playing in the background and actually fell sound asleep. An hour later I woke up, thankfully still with all my possessions on me!

Ok, now onto the Park itself. I went in there with an open mind, and I did have a fun day, but there is no denying this park has some serious flaws!

I was lucky enough to have visited Disneyland Paris just before christmas (Photos: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yrwus7" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/yrwus7</a>). Having Disneyland Paris fresh in the memory is not a good thing when visiting Hong Kong Disneyland. It many ways it feels as if Disney took three steps back when designing this park. I was expecting the lack of attractions (it’s being so well documented), what I was not expecting was the lack of detail in the park. You could say what is there is pretty and charming, but nothing really wowed me.


Take for example the Jungle Cruise. I really enjoyed the attraction, it was fun, different to all the other versions, and the ending was a great surprise, but how dull is the loading area? It’s basically a mass of unthemed switchbacks. Granted it’s got a very well themed roofline, but everything below that is basically exposed metal. I really was expecting something special here considering it’s one of only two e ticket attractions in the park. I was amazed considering the climate of Hong Kong that all the queue lines were outdoors. It must get uncomfortable in the summer months.

The lack of detail also filters down to the shops. Main Streets left side was comprised of only two shops, while the right may have had three? The themeing inside the shops although nice, is nothing compared to the other Magic Kingdoms. Same could be said for the two shops in Fantasyland.

No need to go on about the lack of attractions. I entered the park at 10am, and by 12.30pm I had been on Space Mountain, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Philharmagic and the Jungle Cruise. That just left the two shows, and some of minor attractions left to experience.

The park was spotlesss, and credit where credit is due, the custodial cast members do a fantastic job, and there are so many! In a space of two hours I would have seen more custoidals then I saw at DLP in two days! The ground looked as if it had literally being put down that morning it was so clean.

Overall I enjoyed my visit, but you cant help but feel that this little park really was hard done by. Here's hoping in a few years time I'll have reason again to visit!

Photos:
<a href="http://tiny.cc/HongKong" target="_blank">http://tiny.cc/HongKong</a>

 

Originally Posted By Mr X

**what I was not expecting was the lack of detail in the park**

This is the part that shocked me as well...I, too, was fully aware of the lack of attractions and had no particularly high expectations about that.

But the lack of detail, of immersion, of any sort of area "feel" besides small and cartoonish (works for Fantasyland, NOT for Tomorrowland and Adventureland imo), really bummed me out and made me want to leave the place post haste.

Glad you had a good time, anyway! Thanks for sharing.

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

Photos link:
<a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?&mode=fromsite&collid=77936578215.42877016315.1200974138848&conn_speed=1" target="_blank">http://www.kodakgallery.com/Sl
ideshow.jsp?&mode=fromsite&collid=77936578215.42877016315.1200974138848&conn_speed=1</a>

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

>>really bummed me out and made me want to leave the place post haste<<

I wouldn't say I wanted to leave the place, but I was glad I was staying only a short walk away. Spent three hours taking a nap and having a swim in the afternoon.

I forgot to mention the fireworks, which were very good!

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

I can't say that anything you said I really disagree with. I don't think that every place had a "small" feel to it. Fantasyland, while it kept the charming feeling, had a very open feel. Between the sprawling gardens and the mountains near by, the land just seemed to go on forever. Adventureland definately felt large, but that was just because the front entrance was designed to get you lost easily (not really complaining about it since all the paths meet up again, but I wouldn't have designed it that way). There certainly was an overall feeling of cartooniness that I never really thought about until now that seemed to connect all the lands (even Main Street...it was just too perfect).

As for the uncovered queues, it was pretty tough when I was there in mid-June a couple years ago. They had a ton of mister fans, and those really helped, but it would have been a lot nice to just be inside. Luckily, none of the waits were very long, so we were never standing in line out there for more than about 5 minutes (I think our longest wait was 15 min for Pooh). They did a good job of keeping all the doors open, so you could feel the AC, even while you were outside (it was the strangest feeling ever walking down Main Street past all the open doors, while the normal air felt like a steam room). Even the Royal Banquet Hall, while a lot of the seating is "outside", it's surrounded by walls on three sides, and covered by a tent/skylight roof and is completely air conditioned, even with the missing wall. It looked like you were outside, but it was still just as cool as it was inside.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

PS-Great pictures from Paris! I really wish I could take pictures that well. (I know, taking a line from Ratatouille, anyone can cook...) There were a bunch of just amazing pictures that put some of the publicity shots to shame. I couldn't get the link for the HKDL ones to open though...

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

Thanks FerretAfros, not sure why you couldn't open the link for the Hong Kong photos, try this:

<a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/Sl" target="_blank">http://www.kodakgallery.com/Sl</a>
ideshow.jsp?&mode=fromsite&collid=77936578215.42877016315.1200974138848&conn_speed=1

I usually use epson online albums, but the photos were too large, still trying to figure out kodak online.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

When I try that link (the whole thing, not just what's highlighted) I get the "404 Not Found" thing to show up.

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

I've no idea why it wont open up for you.

<a href="http://tinyurl.com/2v8rno" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/2v8rno</a>

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Sorry irishfan, I too cannot open any of these. Have you set the Kodak settings to share without loging on, send it to your self, and copy and paste the link from your e-mail?

 

Originally Posted By SuperDry

I get 404 - Not Found as well for the link in #9.

 

Originally Posted By Bob Paris

It's funny isn't it that you can read comments from people like Leemac that praise the detail of HKDL and the touches that have gone into this park, while saying TDS is not as good as DCA.

Then a regular PAYING guest goes to HKDL and sees the three attractions, bare switchbacks and cartoony atmosphere(for which some other posters criticize IOA's Toon Lagoon).


Funny isn't it?

Almost like there's some kind of, I dunno............agenda?

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

Thanks for the tips Dave!

<a href="http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=zsxfcmf.jp3v9iz&Uy=-okhsch&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp" target="_blank">http://www.kodakgallery.com/Sh
areLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=zsxfcmf.jp3v9iz&Uy=-okhsch&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp</a>%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

Tiny URL:
<a href="http://tiny.cc/HongKong688" target="_blank">http://tiny.cc/HongKong688</a>

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

Wow. Just as expected, those pictures are amazing. There are some really great ones in there with the morning sun coming into the park, just making everything look nice and perfect.

 

Originally Posted By Witches of Morva

ORDDU: The pictures were quite lovely, indeed--although it seemed a lot of them were taken during sunset, actually. Unlike the other Disney parks, this one faces East while the West is at the park's rear. That's why the Sun was going down behind the mountains. But this made for some very interesting shots.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Those are some fantastic shots Irishfan, thank you for sharing. I do want to see it with my own eyes, probably as a stopover enroute to TDL.

 

Originally Posted By Witches of Morva

ORDDU: Hmmm....perhaps the two of us can fly over there together some time, davewasbaloo, duckling. After all, my broomstick is long enough to accomodate an extra passenger. What you say, hmmm?

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Now that does indeed sound like fun. However my darling wife could become a bit jealous if I am galevanting around with three voluptuous ladies. Also, I promised no more necromancy or other such dark arts.

 

Originally Posted By Witches of Morva

ORDDU: Well, now, I didn't say ANYTHING about having my two sisters as part of the package, dear. As a matter of fact, wasn't even planning to tell them a thing about our little 'tryst'. Your darling wife wouldn't have to know anything about it, either, since I'm sure she has plenty of other hobbies to occupy her time whenever you're not around.

ORGOCH: Fergit it, tramp! Not ev'rybody 'round here's got morals from outta the gutter like yerself. I say stay at home with the wife an' lock yer doors, davewasbaloo, ducklin'!! An' just be glad I got here in time ta save ya from the Haggiest Face on Earth!!