Hong Kong no Phooey TR (Apr 2012)! The Yee's have it....TR finish #1101, 07/09

[PrincessInOz]

Glad I'm not the only one who didn't 'get' Toy Story Land! And you're right, *messy* is a brilliant word to describe it.

It was a strange visit. I kinda felt like the Disney imagineers left a lot of imagination on the table.

The joy of just wanting good ole american food. I cant eat the same things over and over. I havent had a hot dog in while. It looks good! Toy story land does look funky. Sorry it you were disappointed.

I really can't say either way. It was awesome to be there but it just felt too messy for me. And all those people didn't help either. I'm happy to give it another go....

Interesting....

Those three identical rides are in Paris...however despite being twice I've never ridden them...
Lets just say I turned DBF such a pale shade of green after Crush's Coaster he wasn't up for anything
AND...the wait times were much the same.

My assessment is this - These rides have been used to REPLACE Fantasyland rides. As you saw yourself...Winnie the Pooh is a much newer ride than Snow White, yet it still didn't capture your DS's attention. Slinky dog did though. I reckon Disney know what they are doing. Although I don't agree with the approach they are taking...


What I will say though is that in DLP they squeezed that stuff into a MUCH smaller space and I think that made it better. It's hard to tell exactly how it HKDL's version felt from your pictures. But being so compact was good for what they were trying to achieve with the strewn toys...
And they had the PIXAR BALL!!!!! Which brought a turned me into a giggly little girl!



Most exciting picture

THIS ONE

Yup. Sure is! And there's another one to come....

We rarely get fastpasses and have always used them within the time frame, so we are set for enforcement. I am glad they allowed you to slide in. A 50 minute wait for Pooh would not be fun. Hot dogs are the best. Xander would love that Toystoryland. Who am I kidding? I would love it too. It looks cool, and you're so right about the mess. Moms of boys are so used to seeing all of those toys out of place.

It was weird. I spent the entire time thinking how I could tidy up!

Loving your trip report and stunning pics as always. I have just been to a DL (albeit Tokyo DLR) but it was too rushed-I felt I didn't get my "fix" - take me back.... Ah well DH has suggested we need to go to Europe next via HK not ever having been and seems ameniable to include HKDL-yaah! then I also have to squeeze in DL Paris- 2 fixes in one trip ....

Hey! Thanks for stopping by. I've been enjoying your Tokyo TR in return.

DS wants to go to the Paris DL and we're seriously thinking about a Japan trip as well. We just have to print more money.

 

[usnuzuloose]

When your done printing , please send the machine this way...

 

[PrincessInOz]

When your done printing , please send the machine this way...

Why? What's wrong with your money tree?

 

[queenie82]

Why? What's wrong with your money tree?

My money tree is dead....need your machine please

 

[PrincessInOz]

My money tree is dead....need your machine please

You need to water it with water from your fountain of youth. That'll revive your tree.

 

[PrincessInOz]

The Yee’s Have It! Adventureland again – This time Properly!


DH and I decided it was time to head towards Adventureland again. We were conscious that we hadn’t yet made it across to Tarzan’s Treehouse or really explored that part of HKDL. And it was reputed to be the greenest part of the park, so we figured it might be cooler.

It was definitely a good move to head here on a hot and humid afternoon.
Like with all the other lands at HKDL, there are less attractions here than in the US parks. However, from a space perspective, there is definitely much more space here than in the US. Despite the crowds, it felt really open in this land.

We queued up for The Rivers of Adventure aka Jungle Cruise.

There are 3 queue lines here; one each for English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

All wait times were 20 minutes. Because there are 3 queues, it just seemed like 3 times the number of people but we were pleased to find out that it really was 20 minutes wait afterall.

The boarding area is themed similar to what you would expect of a Jungle Cruise – most of the interesting elements are up in the rafters.

We were boarding one of these.

Your view for this ride looks something like this.

We might have had an English speaking captain; at least I think I got into the English speaking queue. At times, I think I recognised the words….but I don’t think I knew for sure.

The theming was naturally more bent towards an Asian jungle.

But there were some familiar elements.

Gorillas having a good time…really just a nice bunch.

Elephants with trunks on…

Crocs with snappy personalities.

The lost safari who still don’t quite get the point.

There is one part of the cruise that is distinctively different…..and that’s the Jungle Cruise’s version of Catastrophe Canyon.

We approach this rock…

And we get treated to fire…

No one gets into hot water….but it is time to let off some steam.

Really!

I gotta say…without the running gags, the cruise just doesn’t seem half as fun. But it was still nice to get out of the sun for a bit.



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[PrincessInOz]

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Leaky Tiki’s



The Tiki Water is another one of those all-wet areas listed as an attraction at HKDL. It is located upstream from the Jungle Cruise and on a hot and humid day, it was a drawcard for anyone walking by.

Whilst we were all taking some time to cool off, it was only natural that I was making the most of this opportunity….

I personally thought that the Disney theming was up to expectations here.


And yes…the Liki Tiki's all do take a leak from time to time.




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[PrincessInOz]

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That Tree



Without a doubt, the dominant feature of this Adventureland is the Tarzan Treehouse.

I know Tarzan Treehouse can be one of those walk-through ho-hums. But when you consider that this treehouse was located on an island, similar to Tom Sawyer Island, it took on the aura of a bona fide attraction on my Disney scale and I was keen to head over to check it out.

You queue up here, near the Theatre in the Wild.

And board one of these rafts.

It takes no time to head across the River, but you do have to watch out for passing Jungle cruisers.

I was glad to a-light.

Although, in this case, you might say I was glad to t(h)ree-light.




We walked past this rock formation.

It wasn’t until I got home and took a look at Zanzibar’s TR that I realised that it was normally a waterfall. Sure wasn't flowing for us that day.


And then we were right at the treehouse.

The treehouse is a one-way walk. You get to go under….

….and over.

The usual features apply….the room that doesn’t ever seem to open.

Signs of some civilisation were around…

…a storybook at various points along the way tells the Tarzan tale…

…and Jane gets set as well. Lots for Tarzan to reflect on!

The view from this Treehouse will be hard to beat. This is looking back at the River Cruise boarding area. Toy Storyland is also in that direction.

I also set my sights on Tomorrowland.

But the most interesting one of all was in this direction…

Looks like Grizzly Gulch is nearly ready.


Anyone else notice the red turrets of the Disneyland Hotel?



And what goes up, must come down….particularly when it is one way travel only. We came down towards the experimental area of the Treehouse.

No bones about it, I enjoyed this Treehouse more than any other I’ve visited.

It was getting close to 4 pm….and time to leave the Island.

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[PrincessInOz]

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Come Push and Shove - Some Separation Time



When we got back to the mainland, I headed towards the Theatre in the Wild.

It was there that we found out that DS did not want to see the Lion King again….he wanted to head to the Stitch Encounter. DH seemed happy to indulge and truth be known….if I hadn’t had the arrangement to catch up with my parents, I might have been happy to head towards Fantasyland and catch up on Philharmagic. But…it seemed only logical that I stay and make the connection.

After the boys left, I decided to indulge in a little snack. If you head to Adventureland, you might find a BBQ smell in the air near here. The smell is for this…

…a jerky, with cuttlefish. It is a snack from my childhood and I enjoyed every morsel!


I also realised that there were a heap of people heading into this attraction, so I got in line really early.

Problem was that when the CM opened the gates, I was pushed in by the throng.

I know people have talked about how the Mainland Chinese people can be a bit pushy and disrespectful of personal space and queues. This was my first taste of it. I got pushed and shoved right in and because I was at the front of the queue, I ended up right inside the corralling area with hundreds of people behind me. There was no way I was going to be able to spot the parents in this crowd.


This was going to be one crowded show!

So, when the doors opened, I rushed in and got me a seat pretty close to the stage and right next to the aisle. I even tried to keep some space for my parents right up until show time.

I never did see my parents come in. Turns out they had gotten tired in the heat and headed back to the hotel. They did try to call but I didn’t get the message until AFTER the show.


So, come push and shove, I was going to be seeing this show all by myself.




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[PrincessInOz]

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Behind the Festival of the Lion King



Despite the crowds, I’d managed to snag me a decent seat in the Theatre of the Wild.

I decided to shoot with the telezoom lens this day.


You do remember that the seats are set across 360 degrees round the stage, don’t you?

So, it was only to be expected that I was going to get behind the Festival of the Lion King. And I do mean ‘behind’!


Rafiki

Nala and Simba

Scar

….and the cast.

This Zebra and I played tag me from behind a lot…

This is a nice way to round it off….

But….and there always is a butt….

…there was no avoiding the behind scenes.

I did try to concentrate on other things….there were definitely other pointed burning questions…

…like “Would my B.O. explode when I bring fire close by?”

…and “Who has the best hair….flicks?”.

Scar and Simba even staged a battle to see who has the better flick.

Yeah boys….no need to wiggle your fingers like that.

There was no need; the clear winner was Nala. She didn't even have to flick to win!

Yes, no prizes for guessing…you’re going to be left up in the air a little….

I’m going to leave this update with these outtakes from FotLK. I’ll post my second series of shots from FotLK in the next posts.

 

[queenie82]

REALLY appreciate you getting these snaps...as I didn't see it coming and don't have a good enough camera for the unexpected....
And I don't think I could have survived another screaming CM

Love the composition of this. Top shot

Don't have time to go through my own photos now but I don't recall seeing the DL hotel...but I will review later...
I just remember cranes abounding
It's nice seeing the same angle with the new view. Thanks!

 

[usnuzuloose]

Betweeen fire, steam, butts, and b.o. you really got behind the scenes.
Thanks for the pics of the tree house, I havent been in the tree house since the 70's at DL . I forgot what it was like. Why dont I remember Jane sitting in a chair? Is there a Tom Sawyer Island there? If so and you went , I will be paitent for it. I am certainly glad you didnt get crushed in the mob, even more so your parents, its a good thing they werent there. Sorry , the snack is foreign to me. I think with all that humidity I would of had to have a few mickey head....er bars....

 

[skier_pete]

Hmmmm....I gotta say, not that I don't think you were lucky to make the trip...but I don't think I will ever be making it to HKDL. I haven't seen anything that makes me think there's something I can't see in a better version 10,000 miles closer to home. (This is unlikely Tokyo Disneyland/Sea which might be enough to someday get me to venture to the orient.)

However, this makes me enjoy your TR even more, knowing I will probably never go there.

 

[kmedina]

I love seeing some of the things that are the same and some of the things that are different between the parks. I like the title Rivers of Adventure better than the Jungle Cruise and think it is cool they have fire in it at HKDL. The cave looks like a mean old bullfrog. I know that is probably not the animal they were going for. The island looks cooler than Dl and WDW. I have to see it myself someday to see if it is just that your pictures are so lovely or if it really is nicer. I cannot stop laughing at all of the butt shots you got at the FotLK. I wonder why they played most of the show to one side of the audience. That is odd. No wonder you needed so much memory. I was going through our first MK day, and I noticed DH barely took any pictures. That's what I get for putting him in charge of the camera while I took care of Connor.

Betweeen fire, steam, butts, and b.o. you really got behind the scenes.

 

[franandaj]

So here i thought I got all caught up before I went to bed, but I was too tired to comment intelligently, so I waited until today and now another update!

 

[zanzibar138]

Wow your Adventureland photos are so crowded! Amazing what a difference a couple of weeks makes!

And how weird that they have 360 degree seating for the Lion King, but the show is clearly only meant for one side of the audience...

I wonder why the waterfall wasn't going when you were there. It was a nice feature.

 

[PrincessInOz]

REALLY appreciate you getting these snaps...[/IMG]

My mission in life is fulfilled!

Betweeen fire, steam, butts, and b.o. you really got behind the scenes.
Thanks for the pics of the tree house, I havent been in the tree house since the 70's at DL . I forgot what it was like. Why dont I remember Jane sitting in a chair? Is there a Tom Sawyer Island there? If so and you went , I will be paitent for it. I am certainly glad you didnt get crushed in the mob, even more so your parents, its a good thing they werent there. Sorry , the snack is foreign to me. I think with all that humidity I would of had to have a few mickey head....er bars....

Tarzan Treehouse is located on the equivalent of Tom Sawyer island.

And as for the snack....it is a snack that I LOVED as a child .... and still do.

Hmmmm....I gotta say, not that I don't think you were lucky to make the trip...but I don't think I will ever be making it to HKDL. I haven't seen anything that makes me think there's something I can't see in a better version 10,000 miles closer to home. (This is unlikely Tokyo Disneyland/Sea which might be enough to someday get me to venture to the orient.)

However, this makes me enjoy your TR even more, knowing I will probably never go there.

Well.....we really started this trip as a holiday to Hong Kong, which just so happens to have a Disneyland there. I suspect that once Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point is opened, HKDL will actually have something a little more unique to offer. Afterall, Disneyland is certainly different from when it first opened; as is WDW.

I hope you stick around for the Hong Kong side of the report.

I love seeing some of the things that are the same and some of the things that are different between the parks. I like the title Rivers of Adventure better than the Jungle Cruise and think it is cool they have fire in it at HKDL. The cave looks like a mean old bullfrog. I know that is probably not the animal they were going for. The island looks cooler than Dl and WDW. I have to see it myself someday to see if it is just that your pictures are so lovely or if it really is nicer. I cannot stop laughing at all of the butt shots you got at the FotLK. I wonder why they played most of the show to one side of the audience. That is odd. No wonder you needed so much memory. I was going through our first MK day, and I noticed DH barely took any pictures. That's what I get for putting him in charge of the camera while I took care of Connor.

Mean old bullfrog is about right.

Next time you go to Disney, put your DH in charge of Connor (hope he's getting better) and you can take the pictures.

So here i thought I got all caught up before I went to bed, but I was too tired to comment intelligently, so I waited until today and now another update!

Take care of yourself. You need all the energy you have for WDW (not long now)!!!

Wow your Adventureland photos are so crowded! Amazing what a difference a couple of weeks makes!

And how weird that they have 360 degree seating for the Lion King, but the show is clearly only meant for one side of the audience...

I wonder why the waterfall wasn't going when you were there. It was a nice feature.

And I'll bet it went back to being less busy two weeks after we were there.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Up Close and Personal with the FotLK



I was back in the Theatre of the Wild for my second shooting of Festival of the Lion King. After scoping out the lay of the land yesterday, I knew I needed to be in a particular section of the theatre. Despite having seats available all around, the performers pretty much only faced two directions.

So, I headed for what I considered the prime viewing area and got me a decent seat.

I’d gotten seats in the 3rd row, right by the aisle and because of the way the seats were staggered, I had an unencumbered view of the performers on stage. I’d also already decided that I was shooting with telezoom lens for this performance so I was pretty much all set. This was my chance to get up close and personal with the FotLK.

There will be not much further commentary in this post….I’ll just let the pictures do it for me. And I’m also grouping them based on performer, rather than in sequential order.


The Floats

Rafiki

The Translation Monkeys

Scar

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[PrincessInOz]

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Simba

Nala

Timon

Group shots

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[PrincessInOz]

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Aerialist

Fire Dancers

Cast and Chorus

Individual Costumes

Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!