Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris TR

[shushh]

Yeah it is interesting. But it did work. They still get caucasian for the face roles where it does make a difference.

Like the Marching Band they are more 'Western' Asians if that makes sense...being Hong Kong Chinese.

I always feel a bit odd talking about this but my friends from HK get what I mean...as they are similar. They're Chinese and speak faultless Cantonese. But they are also very Westernised.

I know what you mean.

I forgot to comment on this earlier but I also get the Mainland chinese thing. I think it is unfortunate that the mentality of "not wanting to lose out" has become so engrained into the culture. And this results in shoving and pushing, etc. But I think that this probably stems from a long history of being poor and deprived. I don't think they set out to be rude for many are so lovely when you talk to them. Unlike the French, who I find generally quite rude and inconsiderate. I hate to stereotype but so many of my bad experiences happen to be with the French!

 

[shushh]

I LOVE Rapunzel's hair! So much prettier than just a straight plait!

And The Golden Mickeys is truly a great show! I have to admit that I know very little about HKDL so I'm really enjoying the discovery of all these things that I can look forward to.

 

[queenie82]

I know what you mean.

I forgot to comment on this earlier but I also get the Mainland chinese thing. I think it is unfortunate that the mentality of "not wanting to lose out" has become so engrained into the culture. And this results in shoving and pushing, etc. But I think that this probably stems from a long history of being poor and deprived. I don't think they set out to be rude for many are so lovely when you talk to them. Unlike the French, who I find generally quite rude and inconsiderate. I hate to stereotype but so many of my bad experiences happen to be with the French!

Thank you for your input.
My BF is in complete agreement with your assessment of the French
He was LESS than impressed with a couple of encounters he had this trip

I found the behaviour here harder to cope with and it was VERY quiet. Especially given it is evident throughout the very busy country.
As irritating as the French are (and I spent 6 nights in France on this trip) I found this a bit more overwhelming.
However, I was alone in this case rather than with my big strong protector , so that probably didn't help.

I LOVE Rapunzel's hair! So much prettier than just a straight plait!

And The Golden Mickeys is truly a great show! I have to admit that I know very little about HKDL so I'm really enjoying the discovery of all these things that I can look forward to.

She was beautiful.
Love the Golden Mickeys too

 

[queenie82]

The Hong Kong Disneyland Parade is BRAND NEW!
It has started as part of the 5th Birthday Celebrations and had only been going for about a month before I got there.
A HUGE gripe I have with HKDL is their calendar. They release the parade timetable a week at a time. I wanted to know what was happening on the 19th – 22nd Feb and I finally got the schedule 2 days before. Enough to send a seasoned WDW planner BONKERS!

As it turns out there seems to be a consistency at this stage with the Flights of Fantasy Parade at 3:30pm everyday. However, it is still unnerving not knowing whether you should go on the weekend in case they don’t run the parade on a weekday.
Tearing…hair…out…

I decided to plant myself in the hub near the entry crossing into Adventureland. This all seemed to go well. However there is something I didn’t expect. The parade STOPS. Like the Block Party stops. But without all the stuff to ‘unpack’. Which made it especially odd as a couple of CMs gave ribbons to wave and then sent them back into the audience. No dancing in the street.

So while I was very happy with my position generally. (I love the Green Army Men ) You might want think about which float stops in front of you. There is no way of being sure. But if you are going take a look at the route. I can tell you where I was, was where the Green Army Men Float stopped. Which is near the end of the parade.

I took photos while I was filming which was an artform in itself. So what you are seeing is the photos. I’ll go through the video at some point to see if there is stuff I missed.
My best friends the Marching Band were in the parade and my favourite trumpeter waved at the camera

Enjoy

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great pics Queenie.

I, too, love Rapunzel's hair. Gorgeous.

That parade....I noticed that you were located somewhere where in some of the shots you could see Space Mountain and the Real Mountain in the background. How wide is the Real Mountain range? Is it something that with a wider angle lens you could get both in the frame?

 

[queenie82]

Great pics Queenie.

I, too, love Rapunzel's hair. Gorgeous.

That parade....I noticed that you were located somewhere where in some of the shots you could see Space Mountain and the Real Mountain in the background. How wide is the Real Mountain range? Is it something that with a wider angle lens you could get both in the frame?

The range rises and falls all around. The Park is sort of nestled in a Valley.

I would imagine you and your wide angled lens could get them in the one shot. Just walk around the hub and you'd get them together I'm sure.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Queenie - I've really enjoyed reading your trip report about both parks. Thanks so much for sharing and great pics.

 

[queenie82]

Queenie - I've really enjoyed reading your trip report about both parks. Thanks so much for sharing and great pics.

Thanks Ms Shuttergirl :

Up next is the Jungle Cruise, Tarzan's Treehouse and the national bird of Hong Kong - the Crane

 

[queenie82]

Post Parade

After a quite enjoyable parade, if strange with it stopping, I went to the Jungle Cruise. This Jungle Cruise is offered in 3 languages including English. There are 3 queues and they each lead to the loading area and they usually take 2 boatloads from each queue at a time. Sometimes it would change up a bit I think depending on the skipper that came with the boat pulling in. But it was mostly ‘fair’.

There was a slightly disconcerting sign on entry to the ride though –

I did join the queue though and when I got a bit bored I took this random shot of what I saw above me

I was allocated this boat…

My Skipper was a nice lady who spoke English pretty clearly. One difference to the Jungle Cruise is obvious in that it circles Tarzan’s Treehouse. However, it is a mostly similar ride. The biggest difference for me was the jokes. While it was in English, and I appreciate this offering, the best jokes were not used. I’m guessing this is because they usually require a more subtle understanding of the English language. But it was disappointing.

One of the biggest disappointments though is that you don’t see the backside of water I was inconsolable. Devastated. I could handle the lack of jokes but NO backside of water They try and make up for it though by having an ‘experience’ at the end.


I did try and take photos en-route although I’ve always found this endeavour very difficult with the moving boat and amount of shading along the ride. This was especially difficult given we always seemed to travel especially fast. But these are the results.

An Elephant just waiting to spray water

Ancient Temple ruins

Some Alligators

An Abandoned Base camp

Some African Animals

One ANGRY Hippo

A Rhino trying to make a point

Oh dear…this doesn’t look good…

Oh DEAR!!!

This last photo is of the ‘experience’ part of the Cruise. It is sort of like the backlot tour where you park there and stuff happens around you. Mostly on the right hand side of the boat.

When you are up at Tarzan’s Treehouse you can see where the loading area for the Jungle Cruise is and you can see where the steam rises from the ‘experience’ just before returning to the pair of dorks…err…docks.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I see what you mean about the mountains and Adventure Land. It looks lovely!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[queenie82]

After my Jungle Cruise I went to Tarzan’s Treehouse. As you should have worked out by now the raft’s leave just around the corner with the queue entries close by.

The rafts seem identical to those at WDW and DL but there may be a subtle difference. One ‘obstacle’ they have to deal with is the passing Jungle Cruise Boats, which seems to happen flawlessly. What I found interesting though is something they have done I think to make it easier to get from one side to the other quickly and efficiently without getting in the way of the cruise boats.

My recollection of loading and unloading rafts at WDW is that there are 2 ‘gates’ on the raft. You get on through one side, and then get off through one on the other side. This means the raft simply goes straight from one side to the other.

In Hong Kong they have the two ‘gates’ but they spin the raft around such that you get on and off through the same one. However, I think this is done so it swings around away from the Jungle Cruise.
Just my assessment in a less than clear way

Just waiting for a Jungle Cruise boat to pass through

Then we’re on our way

And we get a clear shot looking up the river of the national bird of Hong Kong. The Crane…

On arrival at Tarzan’s Treehouse I looked up to my destination

Before walking around past the front of the waterfall

And THE BACK!!! The BACKSIDE OF WATER!!! I couldn’t believe it. You don’t see it on the Jungle Cruise but you get to see it here!!!

After recovering from my excitement I proceeded into the Treehouse…

Looking out on occasion to the view of the surroundings…and the cranes…

A crane free view…and a mountain view

A DUAL Mountain view

Proceeding past the rooms which tell Tarzan’s Story

(To be continued)

 

[queenie82]

(Continued from above)


I think they need a new tinny

Back at the bottom of the Treehouse

Looking back up

A little friend on the way out

 

[PrincessInOz]

Those shots of the graceful cranes?? PRICELESS!! I reckon they'll be collector items someday...

That's an amazing way to get to Tarzan's treehouse. I reckon it would have been so much more romantic concept if the treehouse were still the Swiss Robinson's treehouse.

 

[queenie82]

Those shots of the graceful cranes?? PRICELESS!! I reckon they'll be collector items someday...

That's an amazing way to get to Tarzan's treehouse. I reckon it would have been so much more romantic concept if the treehouse were still the Swiss Robinson's treehouse.

Hehe. Love the cranes...So elegant and graceful.

It's kind of nice having the tree on the island. But it would be nice if there was more on the ground level to do.
Swiss family Robinson may well have been better. But I did like Tarzan's treehouse

 

[queenie82]

I've been busy doing some other things so I thought I would post....


Some food porn

As I have mentioned I love Starbucks...and I found them very abundant in Hong Kong. There was even one on Lantau in the village at the base of Big Buddha. (very welcome)

This I got one night from one of the many near my hotel.
Obviously it is designed to be enjoyed by a couple...but given my BF was back in the UK I took a photo of this and sent it to him...as I ate both.
[I'm a dessert pig...]

The chocolate one is served warm with a ganache in a rich cake.

The pink one is a Raspberry mousse. I'm more of a Strawberry fan rather than Raspberry...but it was very nice and light so a nice complement.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I've just had breakfast....and I'm a raspberry girl myself....

Somehow, after my croissant this morning, I find that I'm not very hungry. But thanks for the hearts. It will help me stay awake this morning instead of falling asleep....


Did BF appreciate the photo gesture?

 

[queenie82]

I've just had breakfast....and I'm a raspberry girl myself....

Somehow, after my croissant this morning, I find that I'm not very hungry. But thanks for the hearts. It will help me stay awake this morning instead of falling asleep....


Did BF appreciate the photo gesture?

Rough night?

He was always happy to hear I was dining at Starbucks.
Chai Tea Latte, cake/snack of some sort and juice

 

[PrincessInOz]

It's been a rough month.


You know...I'm having a very strange sense of deja vu about Starbucks porn.
Let's try and maintain some standards on the Aussie boards....


Latte...

.....PERFECTLY teamed with THAT Aussie Lamington...

(yes, those ARE my teeth marks. )

 

[queenie82]

Hope things start to pick up :

How do you feel about this??
A My Old Dutch Savoury from http://www.myolddutch.com/
As you can see you have to be quick to catch a photo of food put in front of me...I'm ready to dig in...

I also had a Nutella shake with it...yes...NUTELLA shake!!!

I nearly fainted seeing that on the menu

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wow! Some Dutchie! I was expecting poffetjes...