None of my companions wanted to go on rides. It was a goal to finish all the shows for them. The fact that it was raining since the other day added to the growing disinterest I had at going to Disneyland which was all the way back to Lantau Island.
Needless to say, our first visit was to a cold and wet Disneyland that was still swarming with people. The rain wasn’t an issue at all, and after three train exchanges and more than 10,000 steps, we finally got to the Disneyland Express.
There were more adults than kids, but I knew who ruled the day. It was definitely the kids. From the first moment we stepped into the gates of Disneyland (where we didn’t have a proper photo because it was raining) to the first stalls that sold Disney merchandise, the kids around us were so excited it wasn’t hard to tell.
Karla, one of my companions, really wanted the iconic Mickey Mouse ears headband and despite it costing more than we expected, she got one. I opted to prioritize what was most important to me, and that is Star Wars.
If Disney didn’t buy the whole Star Wars franchise, I don’t think I would have enjoyed Hong Kong Disneyland as much as I did. Being a total Star Wars nerd, that was the only thing I cared about experiencing when we visited Hong Kong Disneyland at the urging of the rest of my companions.
I also remembered that Disney was also behind Marvel, so that was another bonus for me. The Star Wars area was just beside the Tony Stark Expo, so I had more than a few hours of each during the one day visit that we had.
They were lining up for the Lion King show when I just finished buying a cold drink from one of the shops on the main avenue. I should have bought something hot, but because of the rain, it was so humid. Karla and I immediately went for a beeline to the Star Wars Rebel Alliance base to get a photo with Chewbacca and R2D2 where my heart just popped out of my chest.
I had the mistake of asking about Darth Vader in the Rebel Alliance forces which earned me the ire of one of the staff there in a joking manner, but he was indeed in total character.
After enjoying the Rebel Alliance base, we quickly ran out to catch up with Claudine and Jerelyn who had been lining up at the Lion King Show which was a big production. I’ve never had the opportunity to attend quality musical productions, and so when the show ended, I’ve had tears dried on my cheeks as I was enthralled by the caliber of talent and technology that aided the show. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Good thing a majority of the dialogue and all of the songs were in English, so it was not a problem understanding. The other shows had more Chinese conversation, so I had to rely on the translations like in the Storybook Show that had great stage designs and moving parts. It really seemed straight out of a fairytale book, and I was moved in my seat, I had to stop being so emotional.
I didn’t have the desire to go see the other Disney characters, so I opted to stay and explore every nook and cranny of the Star Wars and Stark area. I watched the Jedi Training twice, each hoping I could get a photo with Darth Vader but he was always defeated and never went out of the stage. I didn’t have the guts to run up the scene when the play was on. Now, I think I should have at least tried, but at least I got a photo with the Jedi crew minus me wearing the outfits.
At the end of the long, rainy day in Disneyland, I had come to the conclusion that amusement parks like this to cater to actual children, the child in all of us, and adulthood dreams come true. A lot may disagree with me but having Marvel Star Wars in Disneyland franchises make it worth going to. I wish though they had at least a photo opportunity with Darth Vader. That was the only thing missing.
