For a travel enthusiast, Hong Kong or the “fragrant harbour” is hard to give a miss. Other than being a global centre for trade and the home of cult figures like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Hong Kong is today visited more for its Disneyland.
For a travel enthusiast, Hong Kong or the “fragrant harbour” is hard to give a miss. Other than being a global centre for trade and the home of cult figures like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Hong Kong is today visited more for its Disneyland. More than 30,000 people visit the Hong Kong Disneyland, one of four in the world, daily and the good news for Indians is that the value of the Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) is less than '10. Disneyland Hong Kong is close to the airport and boasts two hotels, both with excellent views of the mountains and the South China Sea. Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is a Victorian style family hotel, while Disney’s Hollywood Hotel is a moderately priced art deco structure. With a free shuttle bus from the two hotels, one can reach Disneyland theme park in five minutes. It’s best to reach the park by 10.30 am as then the kids won’t have to wait long to click pictures with their favourite cartoon characters like Chip and Dale, Woody from Toy Story, Mickey and Minnie Mouse etc. Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed as long as there is imagination left in the world.” And a lot was, thus, planned after Disneyland Hong Kong opened in 2005 as one of the smallest Disneyland properties. With a total investment of HK$3.6 billion, this expansion was officially completed on May 17, 2013 with Mystic Point; the other projects being Grizzly Gulch and Toy Story Land. The Mystic Point theme area comprises Mystic Manor, Garden of Wonders, Explorer’s Club Restaurant, The Archive Shop and Mystic Point Freight Depot; and as the name suggests, the place thrives on mystery and fantasy. Riding the Mystic Magneto-Electric carriage, people get to visit different scenes as the Music Dust from the magical box weaves its way through the Manor and the ride is mystic in all senses. The next stop is the Garden of Wonders, a place you shouldn’t miss if you love clicking photographs. The wonders on display are nothing but several ancient sculptures and mosaics with incredible 3D illusions. You need to view them from a certain angle to unlock their mystery. One spot that will strike a chord with Indians is the Mystic Point Freight Depot where cultural ambassadors in Native American, Egyptian, Bulgarian, Mexican and even Indian attire greet the guests. For lunch, the Explorer’s Club restaurant is the place to go. The restaurant has five themed dining areas — Egypt, Russia, Morocco, India and China. Disneyland is not just about Mystic Point, there are numerous other sights that one shouldn’t miss, like the Disneyland parade comprising the famous Disney characters, Disney in the Stars and the daily fireworks. Three to four days, depending on the number of hours spent, is more than enough to explore Disneyland Hong Kong. And during this time, if you start to develop “Mickey sickness”, you can always head out to the city for shopping, especially to Mong Kong market and Prince Edward Street.
