Hong Kong - Macau Tour Part 2: Kowloon Park & Hong Kong Disneyland

It was the second day of our tour and it was actually the highlight of our tour.  We were going to Disneyland but the kids had no idea (it was our big surprise for them).  I was thankful I decided to go to Park N’ Shop last night because my wife was able to cook breakfast.

Cooking breakfast at CHI Residences 314

Breakfast is served: bread, luncheon meat, hot soup & bananas

While the kids had breakfast, I downloaded the Disneyland vouchers we bought from Klook yesterday.  We got the discounted 1 day pass and the meal vouchers.  Just like the Klook vouchers we bought before, these vouchers are cheaper than purchasing tickets directly at the park gates.

We had a warm weather that day.  Our first agenda was the nearby Kowloon Park.  There was a display of statues of local comics/cartoon characters in the park.  The kids, though, weren’t entirely interested.  Maybe they were still a little tired from yesterday.

Still tired from last night?

They even had hand prints of the characters

An action character

Pretty awesome suit

This guy!

She doesn't know the character but it's cute!

Further into the park, we saw a hedge maze.  The kids’ energy levels seemed to have jumped up because they started running into the maze to deliberately get themselves lost.

Let's go inside and get lost!

Think I lost them!

There are sculptures in the park that blend nicely with the landscape

A beautiful array of flora at the park

Walkways like these are always refreshing

After strolling around the park a bit more, the weather was getting a little hot and we were almost running out of water to drink.  So we decided to leave the park and take the bus to an MTR station.

Even the kids seem to enjoy the walk

A nice fountain!

This looks like a nice place to rest...

There's a portion of the park that serves as an aviary...

...that includes pink flamingos

The pond that serves as home to some of the birds

Although we didn’t have to take any bus because there was already an MTR station nearby, we planned a route that would involve a bus ride so that the kids could experience riding a double decker.  Our special one had been pulling my arm every time he saw one.  He really, really wanted to ride one of those since we got to Hong Kong.

On our way to the bus stop, we passed by the scenic view of Central Hong Kong as seen from the China Ferry Terminal at the back of The Royal Pacific Towers.

Central Hong Kong as seen from China Ferry Terminal

When we got to the bus stop at the street level, our son with autism already knew what was going to happen next and he got so excited.  The kids were eagerly waiting for the right bus, I told them what bus number we were gonna take and they waited patiently, checking the number of every bus that was coming.  As soon as the bus arrived, they were all smiles and were in a hurry to climb the stairs to the upper deck of the bus.  Good thing there wasn’t anyone yet on the upper deck and we got to sit at the very front so the kids could enjoy the view.

Yay! Front seats at the upper deck of a double decker bus!

For some adults, this isn't anything special.  But for kids, this view from a double decker bus is awesome!

So... where are we now?

We got off at Nam Cheong MTR station to take the train going to Sunny Bay.  Here’s a catch, because Hong Kong Disneyland is a popular tourist destination, the signs pointing to the correct train platform didn’t just say “Tung Chung” (the train going to Sunny Bay Interchange) but they had the words “Disneyland Resort Line” as well! So we didn’t know if the kids were already getting a clue on where we were headed.

Those signs are a dead giveaway!

Since last night, when we were riding the train from Hong Kong Central to Kowloon, we already noticed that our son with autism was starting to dislike subway rides.  He was hesitant on getting on the trains and was also uneasy inside.  He wanted to go out of the train every time it stopped at stations.  Our guess was that with the dark tunnels, there was nothing to see outside the windows and maybe he was feeling claustrophobic.  He didn’t display that behavior while onboard Airport Express because there was something to see out the window.  Fortunately he didn’t shout nor did he have meltdowns.  What we did was to turn on his headphones and let him play with the tablet or with our mobile phones.  Of course we had been hugging him also to calm him down.  Though the headphones and the mobile gadgets didn’t work that well, it still lessened his anxiety so we used this technique every time we got on the MTR trains.

When we got to Sunny Bay Interchange, the surprise was already out.  There was no way to hide it anymore because of all the signages and the posters!  And we couldn’t describe their reactions when the "Mickey" train finally arrived (the train going exclusively to Disneyland Resort)!

Waiting for the "Mickey" train at Sunny Bay!

Here it comes!

Happy inside the "Mickey" train!

Windows & handle bars shaped like Mickey & statues of Disney characters inside the train

Going to Hong Kong Disneyland via MTR is not only the most convenient and fast.  There is also that magical feel of being transported to another time or dimension.  From the contemporary train station of Sunny Bay Interchange, you will then emerge to the Disneyland Resort station where everything looks and feels more classical and it has that magical aura to it.

Time warp: The Disneyland Station had the classic look, in contrast to the contemporary Sunny Bay

Of course, who would forget to take the iconic family photo at the park entrance?  After some snaps, I exchanged the Klook vouchers for park tickets at the ticket machines.  The meal vouchers were exchanged at the ticket booth because at the time of this writing, only park entrance tickets could be dispensed by the ticket machines.

A family photo is a must!

A ticket machine! Just let the machine scan the QR code in your mobile and voila!... wait, how do you work this thing?!

Meal vouchers!

And that sign isn't lying!

We had our meals first when we got inside so that we’d have the energy we need for the day.  We went to Starliner Diner in Tomorrowland.  The adult meal voucher could be exchanged for a heavy meal (main course), a drink and 2 bottles of water each.  The kids’ meal voucher could be exchanged for sandwiches, corn on the cob and a drink.  We had chicken and fries while the kids had burgers.

Take a photo of me!

Look here! Maps!

Still so immersed with the maps!

Our grub!

After eating, we went back to the Main Street and had a photo shoot with Mickey & Minnie.  We took advantage of the short queue.  The first time I was in HK Disneyland, the photo shoot with Mickey & Minnie had the longest line. 

A photo with Mickey & Minnie is a must!

The kids had one too

Free hug from Minnie!

and from Mickey too!

The very first attraction where I took my wife & kids was the Hyperspace Mountain.  I didn’t tell anybody what was inside because it was the only way I could get my wife & kids to ride that kind of ride (bad dad! haha!).  They were so excited and eager to ride without knowing what would happen next.  When the ride was finished, we were all shaking and laughing our hearts out!  Our special one sat with my wife and I just told her to hold onto him well.  I sat alone at the back so I could somehow see all of them in front of me.

The Main Street train station is also a nice place for a photo

Town Square at Main Street

Main Street looking towards Sleeping Beauty Castle

Main Street looking towards Town Square

There were 2 parades scheduled on that day and the first parade we witnessed was the Flights of Fantasy.  Our son with autism grew quite impatient before the parade started because they closed Main Street a little earlier and he didn’t like the pre-parade presentations.  So I took him to one of the shops and bought him a muffin.  It was a little difficult to ease his impatience so I was relieved when the parade finally started.  The parade had that festive feel that the kids would surely love.  There was even a part when the kids were invited by the cast members to join the parade and dance in the streets.

Here comes the parade!

A festive sight!

Here comes Mickey & the gang!

It's Pooh!

Kids got to participate in the parade!

Kids got to dance & jump around

Another free hug!

Some kids in the autism spectrum may not be used to loud sounds and with all the visual inputs being received by the brain, the parade may cause sensory overload to some.  Our special one was already exposed to such an array of information, enough to not cause an overload to him.  He started gradually while he was still younger.  This was enforced by the therapy he’d been receiving and the fact that he recognized some of the characters in the parade.  And although certain techniques might have different responses from different individuals due to their individuality, we believe that gradual introduction of certain scenarios to children in the autism spectrum could make a difference.  The key is to make a certain situation look like part of “routine”.  A good advise is to enforce the introduction with pleasant stimuli or with pleasing words that would encourage acceptance.  Our kids also are already used to going to theme parks.  Our special one, however, isn’t entirely “overload proof” yet, there are still certain situations that upset him.

Pooh Bear's float

with the busy jumping, buzzing bees!

Here comes the princesses!

The Disney Princesses

The Jungle Book & Lion King floats

With the playful monkeys!

Here comes Tinkerbell and the gang!

It's Tink!

Ohana!

Lilo & Stitch

Woody & Jessie

Buzz Lightyear

and the toy soldiers

Our autism child also already had several roller coaster rides in the past and he had grown fond of the feeling of riding these fast, twisting rides.  He started just watching roller coasters go.  And because he loved trains and he loved things that are moving fast, he obviously got excited watching them.  He then had his first ride at a small kiddie roller coaster with mild twist and turns only, then gradually leveled up.  However, we haven’t introduced him yet to very big roller coasters (we believe it would still take a lot of time).  Just like the other autism families, we could judge for ourselves if our kids are ready for a certain ride.  We would know from signs they display whether they would be ok or not.  It is important to note also to not “force” them to go to attraction they don't like.  If they refuse to go to a certain attraction, it means they feel it would upset them.  You could instead, try to talk to them first about what to expect and how delightful it would be (just make sure that it would really be a pleasant experience to them, remember, we are the judge of what’s good for our kids).  If they still refuse, remember that it’s ok to listen to them and back away.  Our aim is to make them happy, not upset them.  You could also try to let the other kids go first and have your special ones watch so that they would see how happy the other kids are.  Again, if they still refuse, listen and back away. 

Who wants ice cream?

The special shapes of the ice cream are a delight to the kids

Welcome to...

Curious looking ride...

Starliner Diner ready for "lunch"...

The good thing about Disneyland is that its primary aim are kids, thus a lot of their rides and attractions are actually kid friendly.  Even the cast members are very friendly to kids.  So with proper introduction and with the help from their therapists, children in the autism spectrum could also make Disneyland one of their happiest place on earth!

At Mickey's Philhar Magic

Ready to watch the movie!

Sleeping Beauty Castle (entrance to Fantasyland)

Mickey's Fantasia immortalized

With a broom from Fantasia

Shrink into Toy Story Land!

The creepy Mystic Manor

The last parade that day was the “Paint the Night” parade, before the fireworks spectacle.  The parade had already started when we got to the Main Street that night.  The colorfully lighted floats were so amazing.  Unfortunately, we forgot to take some photos of the parade!

Of course the grand finale of the night was the fireworks display.  Even if it wasn’t my first time to watch the display, it still left a fantastic, hair raising feeling which I’m sure that the kids also felt!

We forgot to take photos of Paint the Night Parade! But it was so magical!

While waiting for the fireworks to start, we got some Disney waffles

I know it's a crappy photo but we were so immersed by the amazing show, we didn't care much about the photos!

Another crappy photo (haha!)

After the fireworks, the kids, of course didn’t want to leave yet.  So even though the attractions were already closed, we took them inside the shops at Main Street just to go around.  We also went to the photo shop to buy our best photos in the park.

Main street after the fireworks

Shops are very busy after the fireworks because of "last minute shoppers"

Another busy shop at Main Street

The Mickey fountain at the entrance

It was time to say goodbye to Hong Kong Disneyland and somehow, it left a feeling of wanting to go back.  The magic of Disney is very well alive in Disneyland that even grown ups find their inner child the moment they step into the "Mickey train" at Sunny Bay.  And the feeling just grows even more once they get there.  It is a place where you can easily forget your worries the way children would.  The experience will just make the family bond just grow stronger as adults step into the world of their children.  Then the magic will never wear off and one way or the other, you will want to go back. Maybe we would, someday...

Bye for now! And see you again soon!

Tips:

Travel means: Bus: Not really an essential because you can virtually go anywhere via MTR only but it's always nice to try taking the local bus and see the sights.

MTR:  Like we mentioned, this will get you virtually anywhere.

Kidsentials and advise for autism families:

• Again, headphones and gadgets (tablet, portable gaming console or mobile phone) in case of sensory overload or tantrums.  If your special one has other means to calm down, bring it with you.  This was very useful for us during MTR rides when he felt uneasy.

• Drinking water (at least one bottle for each person) at Kowloon Park.  You won't need this for Hong Kong Disneyland because it won't be allowed.  Refreshment stands are scattered all over Disneyland.

• You will be the one who can judge if your special one is ready for a certain ride.  Good thing most of the attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland are kid-friendly.  But remember, don't force them.  If they don't like it, it means they don't like it.  Just have fun with your kids.

• Cheerful disposition and just enjoy the day!.

Other general tips:

• When you buy vouchers from third party sellers, a print out of the voucher isn't really necessary (applicable not only to Disneyland but to other attractions as well).  Just download the voucher to your smartphone and show it to the ticket staff.  At Disneyland, you can use the ticket machines to directly scan the QR code of the voucher in your mobile phone.

• It will really take the whole day to explore and try everything at Disneyland so a half day tour (mostly offered by packaged tours from tour agencies) isn't advisable.

• Some rides are closed during parades.  You may just try the other open rides but you will miss the fantastic sights of the parades.

• Avail of the discounted vouchers and meal packages, they're much cheaper than paying on the spot.

• Do not miss the fireworks if you have not seen it yet! 

• Shop early at Disneyland's souvenir shops if you plan to buy some.  After the fireworks, the shops will be full of last minute shoppers.

More of our Hong Kong-Macau tour on the next part….