The Golden Mickeys

Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland

2010-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

Is Everyone ready for a backwards tour of Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland? I say backwards because I'm posting the pictures as I took them entering from the Fantasyland side all the way back out to then hub. Off the top of my head I can't think of another park where you can go directly from Fantasy to Adventure. Usually there is a Frontier or a "Western" in the middle somewhere.

Very similar to Adventureland signs you see in Walt Disney World also the font here is more pointy around the edges. That's a technical term.

Here is Hong Kong's version of the Liki-Tikis or Leaky-Tikis, I wanted to get individual pictures, but I didn't want to get wet. This seemed strange and out of place as it was kind of in the middle of no where between the Jungle Cruise and nothing. It also made me sad that there was no Enchanted Tiki Room here.

You my friends are looking at the only merchandise store in the vast empty expanse that is Hong Kong Disneyland's Adventureland. They really decided to go light on the buildings in this one. Get ready for one of the only other establishments in Adventureland:

Here's the River View Cafe a table service restaurant across from the Jungle Cruise. This is the 5th and final building in Adventureland you can get a set meal here, which involves delicious curry! One of the fun things about this besides its Animal Kingdom like theming is the window on the left is the only window in Adventureland to be adorn with a name. That name is of course Harper Goff who helped create the Jungle Cruise along with many other famous Disney attractions.

I attempted to get a closer look, but I failed you still can't read it. I tried everything to get it to come out, but it wouldn't.

Here's some of the fun rock work and waterfalls near the entrance to Adventureland. Also notice in the distance Chip & Dale being adventurous and posing with tourists! This shot gives you a feel for kind of what Adventureland is like to walkthrough, it's much different from any space in any other Magic Kingdom. By Different I really mean empty.

This bridge helps lead back to the hub.

Here's the back of the "Adventureland" sign with some fun tribal masks!

I just wanted to show the Adventureland lamps. Here they are complicated Bamboo structures.

Here we are! Back at the Hub! This is the Adventureland entrance a very different entrance from Disneyland. Which I miss.

Anyway that's all from Adventureland folks! Be sure to join us next time as we tromp through Town Square in Hong Kong Disneyland!

Follow me on twitter at @mfeige or @goldenmickeys

Hong Kong Disneyland's Fantasyland

2010-04-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite thing in Fantasyland!

HAHAHAH! Just kidding there are no Stich CD players in Fantasyland! But there are in Tomorrowland, which is just as bad. Moving on to actual Fantasyland!

Mickey's PhilharMagic! This means that Disneyland is the only park that does not have PhilharMagic or a future PhilharMagic. Also I think it is interesting that this Mickey's PhilharMagic uses the same facade as Pinnocchio's village haus.

Dumbo with Water Feature! I actually rode this Dumbo, it was the first time I rode dumbo in a very long time. Also I found it a little strange that as you leave the line area you get a boarding pass to make sure that no one tries to take an extra Dumbo. This is a surprisingly fun ride.

Here is the Carousel! It's nice! I'm not sure I have anything else to say about it! It was fun!

HERE IT IS AGAIN!

I love the Disneyland castle. I love the colors of this castle. I just like this shot again.

The Banquet Hall! and more pictures to follow!

The Beast and Belle Dancing in the Banquet Hall. No one is eating here.

Here is Cinderella and Prince Charming? Some people are eating here!

Here is the center piece of the restaurant! Sleeping Beauty and Prince Charming(?). Sorry I really should know the names of the princes in Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, but they're just so boring. Check out the interesting food options. Sushi and Dim Sum.

Yay for Skylights!

Here is a fun Mural that recreates the final scene from Sleeping Beauty, but instead of just Sleeping Beauty and her Beau dancing it's all of the Disney Princesses or at least a few of them, Mulan included.

Here is Hong Kong Disneyland's Fantasy Gardens! This is exclusive to Hong Kong it's essentially just a character meet and greet area, but it is nice looking, more pictures to follow.

I like wait time signs

the one in the center is definitely Mulan's pavilion, not really sure about the other one in the frame, maybe Alice in Wonderland.

Look at that cute bridge! It's not even water it's just cute flowers!

Interesting Fantasy Gardens Lamp post!

People wondering why this wasn't open yet. I was wondering the same thing.

More of the Fantasy Gardens color palette! Pink and Purple for everyone!

Now this Dumbo poster is actually in Town Square, but it is a for a Fantasyland ride. But what I love about this poster is that Dumbo is pink! This is awesome because originally Walt wanted the Dumbo attraction to have the Pink Elephants from Dumbo's Hallucination. Eventually it occurred to Walt that having a ride based on an Alcoholic induced hallucination might not be the best idea and hence it was turned into the actual Dumbo although it is hard to explain multiple grey dumbos. I just liked that they brought that idea back for the poster.

That's all I've got from Fantasyland in Hong Kong!

Follow me on Twitter at @GoldenMickeys or @mfeige

The Plaza Inn Hong Kong Disneyland

2010-04-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

This Plaza Inn looks just like the one in Disneyland! Which is awesome! Except the interior was a shock to my system. I also find it strange that the Plaza Inn looks just like it does in Disneyland when there is no Tiki Room attached to it in the back.

Yay! Here's where it starts to get strange or at least different.

Here are the awesome Chinese lamps in the middle of the room. Those glowing things among the fake grass on Fish! I like the overall decor

Here's the ceiling, love the panels and shapes etc.

A wide view of the restaurant. Check out the awesome Chinese murals in the left corner. The server is totally in the way though.

Here's a great panorama including the center piece that's not blurry. Love the chinese atmosphere and decor. Just saying that again, because it is easier to get a feel for it here. Also note the fish in the grass. The lights and the fish change colors from red, to purple and blue etc.

The Plaza Inn was where I went for the pre-park opening character breakfast! The first character to make the rounds was Mulan! Also Get ready for some pictures of me and my family and Disney Characters!

Here's the type of awesome Dim Sum you can get at the Plaza Inn. I loved it. I actually ate here both days I was in Hong Kong Disneyland

Here is how you get your food. They push around carts which have signs on the front telling you what food items the cart is carrying. It's fun.

My family with Mulan! Mulan spoke English, Japanese and Chinese. It was amazing. She had a lovely conversation with us. Also notice that the lights in the background are now blue!

Chip & Dale are pretty much my favorite Disney characters ever or at least the ones I find most amusing and subversive. If you don't know what I'm talking about just think about it for a while.

Anyway That's it from the Plaza Inn in Hong Kong Disneyland!

Follow me on twitter @GoldenMickeys or @mfeige

The Tahitian Terrace at Hong Kong Disneyland

2010-04-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

I love Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. It might even be my favorite attraction at Disneyland. It is the theme, its unique sense of place and comedy. Behind the Tiki Room at Disneyland in the current location of Aladdin's Oasis used to be a wonderful restaurant called the Tahitian Terrace. The Tahitian Terrace was a restaurant with an accompanying dinner show and achieved much the same sense of place as the Tiki Room. IT also had an awesome logo and posters. In one of the Disneyland TV shows that is part of the Walt Disney Treasures set there is a scene featuring the Tahitian Terrace where we see a couple watching a performance by a young scantily clad lady dancing. The man, who is slightly overweight and balding is entranced by both the chicken he is eating and the woman dance, his wife on the other hand who looks like a teacher, wearing thick glasses and a frumpy top is merely staring at her food and looking entirely bored. For some reason this scene helped me fall in love with the Tahitian Terrace. Currently Adventureland in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World are in dire need of more restaurants and so I constantly hope that they will reopen the Tahitian Terrace.

So you can guess I was extremely excited when I saw the Tahitian Terrace on the map in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland. I'm convinced that my pictures of it have been lost as I could only find two, but remember walking around and taking many of the small details.

Here is the main building that comprises the ordering area and kitchen for the Tahitian Terrace. One of the problems with this restaurant is that there is no Tiki room for it too complement. While it is clear Disney thinks that the Tiki Room in its original form is outdated as they have replaced two out of the three in the world with horrible abominations featuring newer characters shoved in, the truth is Hong Kong Disneyland does not have nearly enough attractions so anything would've done it some good. None the less the Tahitian Terrace plays tribute to the Tiki Room in some fun ways.

Anyone who has ridden the Tiki Room in any of its incarnations should recognize this at the Tiki Gods who line the columns of the Tiki Room and chant with their audio animatronic eyes and mouths. Here they are just decoration sprinkled around the exterior. Here you can see the outdoor seating area for the restaurant. I desperately wanted to eat here so that I could experience a version of the Tahitian Terrace but it was closed throughout my stay.

Sadly these two pictures are the only ones I can find at this time of the Tahitian Terrace, but on the other side of the Tahitian Terrace the shrubs are lined with Birds of Paradise the followers which are referenced in the Enchanted Tiki Room song and appear as singing animatronics in the original line. While the logo for this Tahitian Terrace is similar to the original it has discarded the exact lines of the early sixties and embraced a more rugged styling albeit reminiscent of the original.

If you'd like to learn more about The original Tahitian Terrace I highly recommend you check out Warner Weis' wonderful site Yesterland.

Alain Littaye's site Disney and More: The Artwork Collection has some great photos of Hong Kong's Tahitian Terrace about mid-way through the page here in his interview with Imagineer Tom Morris.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter at @mfeige or @GoldenMickeys

Hopefully I'll be able to dig up more about Hong Kong's Tahitian Terrace in the future

The Jungle Cruise at Hong Kong Disneyland

2010-03-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

Every Magic Kingdom style Disney park has had the Jungle Cruise and Hong Kong was no exception. But this Jungle Cruise is completely different from any other for many reasons. This park had no Frontierland when it opened and hence no Rivers of America giving the Jungle Cruise and Adventureland a lot more room. The Jungle Cruise in Hong Kong is formatted much like the Rivers of America a large circular body of water. I was extremely excited about the Jungle Cruise having more room for new gags and animals. I was sorely disappointed, but we'll get there.

This sign got me really excited because one of the Jungle Cruise's classic gags involves an Elephant spraying water and then coming up as if it were going to spray again right when the boat goes by only to scare the passengers. I thought that on this ride there might be some meta joke for imagineers and visitors to different parks that here the elephant would actually spray you. It does not. Also an awesome sign directly above this one which I neglected to take a picture of shows the three lines and the three versions of the Jungle Cruise. Here in Hong Kong the Jungle Cruise is offered in Three Languages: English, Cantonese and Mandarin and hence has three lines.

Say goodbye to the people at the dock, because you'll never see them again.

At Hong Kong Disneyland in order to get to the Tarzan Treehouse you have to take a boat similar to the boats to Huck Finn island. We had to wait for this one to pass.

Now the tricky matter of our skipper. I want to first say a few things. Out skipper whose name I didn't catch speaks english better or at least as well as I will ever speak another language and her superior gave her the job of Jungle Cruise skipper. She absolutely did her best. That being said, she was absolutely terrible. Speaking english as a second language makes it almost impossible to understand why or what makes the word play funny and hence our skipper memorized the content rather than the words. Although the silver lining is that this taught me I knew all of the Jungle Cruise jokes as I leaned over to my father and whispered the jokes in his ear.

Elephants!

I thought we were going to get sprayed here, but we remained completely dry.

Here is the temple! Scary and mysterious. More flubbed jokes. Still the same as Walt Disney World's Jungle Cruise

Here we have Ganesh the indian god of beginnings and gateways, I believe that this is slightly different.

Crocodiles! Aaahh

Apes destroying the camp!! AAHHH! Still nothing funny.

The scene with all the animals.

The Africans getting the "point." In some versions these adventurers are white.

I'm gonna take some time to talk about my general feelings about this ride now before we get to the one new scene. I mean the natives have abandon the place so it seems like a good time to talk. Because this Jungle Cruise area was so much larger I expected the experience of the ride to be larger, feature new scenes and new visual tableaux. It has one and we'll get to that next, but everything else is exactly the same. I was disappointed. Not only is the extra size not taken advantage of, it actively hurts the ride. It is not hard to believe you are in a new river in a new part of the world when you cannot see the stretch of river you were just on, but it is nearly impossible when your skipper yells, "now we're on the nile" and you can see the amazon directly behind you. It's ridiculous. While some of you may be thinking, but they still added an extra scene. Sure that's true, but they also took out the scene with the two jokes that never fail to make me laugh. The took out the water fall which is passed through twice thanks to the twists and turns of the jungle cruise. My favorite jokes are: "Here we have Schweitzer Falls named after Mr. Albert Falls" and "Ladies and Gentlemen the backside of water!!!!!" Classic. So essentially they destroyed a lot of what made the Jungle Cruise a semi-believable attraction, really what held it together. Let's hope this last scene is really great.

Here is the Toad/Monster like face that we are stuck by. Previously the boat has attempted to go around the rock formation, but a huge water jet explodes about five feet in front of the boat. Oh this is what they were talking about when they said you might get wet. No one got wet. Then as we try the corridor between the rocks and the scary monster face another water cannon goes off directly in front of the boat (no one gets wet). After that . . .

All of this fire is burning simultaneously and the groans are getting louder and louder excited for a serious fireball we get this:

A puffy cloud of smoke, albeit a rather large one. The idea is that the Water gods and the fire gods are fighting and our Jungle Cruise boat is stuck in the middle. While I understand that this situation is ripe for comedy absolutely none of it was conveyed by our skipper at all. Because this was the one new scene I had no idea what the jokes were supposed to be and took it completely seriously. Now stay tuned for my Japanese Jungle Cruise ride where I understood about 50% of what was being said and laughed more than almost any other time on the Jungle Cruise

One last straggling baby Elephant.

I wanted to show a few pictures of the Jungle Cruise building because I believe they adequately show what the Jungle Cruise show building was like in 1955 Disneyland opened to the public. Also I just like it.

Actually I take back what I said above, I'm almost 100% sure that the roof of the 1955 Jungle Cruise building was wood, although I do believe the overall structure is similar.

Follow me on Twitter @mfeige or @goldenmickeys

The Curiosity Shop

2010-03-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Honestly I'm not sure if there is a Curiosity Shop at either Disneyland or Walt Disney World, but I love the signage and overall look of it.

I love this sign it's clearly new but it captures the essence of Main Street's era

I love that the Curiosity Shop has two hanging signs, one horizontal and one vertical, not to mention the different color schemes and dimensionality of the two signs.

That's All! Follow me on twitter at @mfeige or @GoldenMickeys

The Hub at Hong Kong Disneyland

2010-03-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

Something very important is missing here. Anyone want to guess what it is.

IT'S THE GOSH DARN PARTNERS STATUE!

I'm not really sure why the partners statue isn't here at Hong Kong Disneyland, but if anyone knows please tell me.

I have no idea if High School Musical is at all popular in China or Hong Kong but there is a show in the hub. It's so amazing that doesn't have a big three next to it like it does in Walt Disney World. I just wanted everyone to know the High School Musical craze is taking over the world.

Here's a poster that was sitting by a closed off path from the hub. It's a cute little sign. I was hoping it would mention the three new lands coming to Hong Kong and that this was the way to get to them. I learned after my trip that this most certainly is not where the three new lands are.

Hub-irific! love the curvy lines.

This is the view down Main Street from the Hub as everyone gears up for the parade, which was lots of fun. Although I sadly neglected to take pictures of the parade.

The Grand Marshals of the parade which I did take pictures of. Maybe this is when my iPhone died. That's really my only excuse.

Before the parade but after the Grand Marshals came through was one last chance for the balloons and drinks. I love the design on the beverage cart which is helpfully obscured by a balloon-hankering child. Also they're cut off but notice the slightly different design of the Mickey Balloons. I don't think you can find Mickey (or Stitch) Balloons like that at any other park

Here's where you get on the friendly Main Street Omnibus which will be the star in its own post later on.

Here is a look at the covered terrace of the Main St. Corner Cafe which takes the place of the corn dog cart and general open space at Disneyland. It's interesting. Also it's taken from the hub which is why it is in this post.

Look it is the back of people's heads!!!!! Actually it should be the Hong Kong Disneyland castle from the hub.

Looking down the Main Street from the Hub!

That's all from the Hub at Hong Kong Disneyland!

Some Thoughts on Waking Sleeping Beauty

2010-03-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

Last night, Saturday, I saw Don Hahn's Disney Documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty with a Don Hahn Q&A afterwards. Waking Sleeping Beauty is a Documentary about the reemergence of Disney Animation from 1989 to 1994. Don Hahn (IMDB) was an important part of the animation renaissance as producer of Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King and went through Cal Arts with such talents as Henry Selick (Director of Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline), John Lasseter, and Tim Burton. Anyway Don Hahn decided now was the time to tell this story because enough time had passed that the principles bruised egos had recovered, but the events were still crystal clear.

Like all good Documentaries, and this is a good documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty has a narrative, which catalogues Animation's low point during the Black Cauldron to the soaring heights of The Lion King, what helped it reach those heights and how the leaders of the company crumbled at the end. Hahn had complete cooperation of Roy Disney, Jeffery Katzenberg and Michael Eisner, but none required approval of the film. During the Q&A Don mentioned that all three of them saw the documentary and all three said why did you make the other two look so good and me so bad and that is how Don knew he made a good documentary. The film uses footage exclusively from the time period in question because of the explosion of the handheld video camera, but recent interviews are used to narrate much of the film. This gives the film a sense of authenticity. Although I hungered to see all of the footage that Don Hahn combed through to create the documentary. In the Q&A Hahn also mentioned that there would me some great Extra Features on the DVD which they are putting together now including all of Jodi Benson's Little Mermaid recording session.

My favorite thing about the documentary was the way it championed Disney songwriter Howard Ashman the lyricist in his partnership with Alan Menken. Ashman and Menken together wrote all of the songs in The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and most of the songs in Aladdin. Ashman's tragic early passing due to AIDS, in my mind, caused the end of the Disney Renaissance.

Recently I've been delving deeply into the Ashman and Menken films and the special features on the films. So I had heard a few of the stories in the film, but there are new ones especially pertaining to the day of Ashman's passing. Ultimately after the reading I've done on this period and my recent viewing of special features made this film see a little bit light on facts and depth, but it is a feature length documentary not a novel. Also I felt it was a perfect introduction to this period and quite possibly the most fair and in depth look we've had at the conflict between Roy Disney, Jeffery Katzenberg and Michael Eisner.

Something I'd never heard about was the role Roy Disney played in this "break-up" and his various inappropriate actions as he is often heralded as Walt's Golden Nephew in Disney fan circles. The interview Roy Disney gave was his last before his passing late last year.

The finale of the film once again stresses the importance of Howard Ashman which makes me happy to no end because the more I examine these films the more important he becomes. One of my goals in my life is to right a Biography of Howard Ashman that is fitting for his wondrous accomplishments.

The bottom line is if you have any interest in Disney Animation, particularly the Disney Renaissance, you must see this film. It's hilarious, touching and most importantly entertaining. GO SEE WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY

The Website is Here: http://www.wakingsleepingbeautymovie.com/ See if its playing near you or at a nearby film festival, if not request it at your local independent theater!

Hong Kong Disneyland's Main Street Part 2 - Empty Main Street

2010-03-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Hong Kong around 8am went to directly to the Hollywood Hotel (check out blog post two for more information), checked in unpacked and raced to the park. When I arrived at 9:30 I was shocked to find that the park hadn't yet oppened. I noticed that one section of turnstiles was open letting certain guests through. After realizing that this were guests going to Character breakfast at the Plaza Inn Restaurant as soon as I returned to the Hollywood Hotel I made reservations for the next day.

While I still love Character breakfasts as much as I have the true treat was being allowed in the park before opening and getting to slowly walk down Hong Kong's Main Street while it was entirely empty.

Here are further Pictures of Hong Kong's Main Street entirely empty:

Here is Hong Kong Disneyland's Main Street Station which was not operational either day. I was very upset by this

Here's everyone's favorite sign in English and Chinese: Here you leave today and enter the worlds of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy. Notice that the plaque is the same shape as Disneyland's.

Town Square!

More of Town Square!!!!

Here's the first building in town square as you enter on the left. Honestly I'm not sure what it is.

The right side of Town Square which should look extremely familiar if you frequent Disneyland. It's also important to notice the youth of the most of the trees in this shot which help the parks less-than-fleeting resemblance to it's anaheim counter part about 55 years ago.

Here is the left side of Town Square. It's important to notice that the Black early automobile is used in the Main Street USA logo is sponsored by UPS much like Hong Kong Disneyland's Rail Road.

Now we can begin our trip down Main Street in earnest!

Here's the Photo shop! Sponsored by Kodak! Sadly you can not actually buy a digital camera here! I tried after my iPhone's battery died.

Here's a terribly taken close-up of the Emporium!

Here's a similarly badly taken photo of the bottom of the Emporium. Note the window above the main entrance. We'll be revisiting it in another post. I also want to mention that this picture is a better representative of the true color of the Emporium.

Look how empty Main Street is! Yee-Haw! Many similar photos of Main Street empty follow! Allso note the similarity to Disneyland's Main Street and Castle.

One of my favorite things about Hong Kong Disneyland is the way the mountains add a completely different feel from any other park.

I feel like The Circle Life or something similar momentous should be playing now

I love this small sitting area. Much like the other porches and unused doorways at Disneyland they are my favorite flourishes on Main Street, which I learned about when Disneyland became my home park two years ago.

A Great Crystal Arts sign!

Here is a close up on the second level of the Main Street Mercantile. I love the small design touches on this building. Also in the center of the photo is a window that showcases the name of the Imagineers who worked on Hong Kong Disney.

A closer view of Main Street and the castle!

I love Main Street. More faux-doors and real seats. How cute are those buildings, don't you just want to live on the second floor those buildings.

Here are a few of my absolute favorite buildings on Main Street. The blue building with the porch is one of my, if not my absolute favorite "building" on Main Street. I put the word building in quotes because of course each side of Main Street is one building with multiple facades.

Here we have Centennial Hall which I thought it was important to take a picture of because it is the Penny Arcade in Disneyland. I also love the paint job.

Main Street Corner Cafe!

"The Latest and Best for Sale Here" I love the Architectural differences between the first and second floor of this building.

Main Street Sweets! I love the pink and blue of this building and the accents above the second floor windows.

"Taste Tempting Treats" Interestingly enough in all these sweet shops in HOng Kong you will not find what you do in Disneyland or Walt Disney World. You cannot buy fresh sweets or sweets to eat now at all. What you're going to find here is a typically Asian souvenirs which consist of sweets individually wrapped in Disney themed tins. Often Mickey or some other characters graces the cookies.

Here's the part of Main Street that faces the Hub. You'll notice unlike Disneyland and Walt Disney World there is not Hot Dog restaurant or seating area here, but it is still fun.

Here is the Hub as empty as can be! Also starring the fog!

Bonus Picture:

The Mural in Centennial Hall! (Less Blurry this time!)

That's all for now folks! Follow me on Twitter: @mfeige or @GoldenMickeys

Hong Kong Disneyland's Main Street (Part 1.)

2010-03-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

So I took a lot of pictures of Main Street. Main Street is probably my favorite part of any Disney park. I mean I love Adventureland in Disneyland and the 1970s Adventureland in Walt Disney World, but generally as a rule I could spend hours on Main Street. So here are some prelimnary photos of Main Street U.S.A. Some of the photos of the store interiors are super blurry. I'm sorry.

As you may notice Hong Kong Disneyland's Main Street USA is almost the same as Disneyland U.S.A. In fact the color scheme used for the buildings on Town Square is almost exactly the same. But the post on Town Square is forthcoming!

I'm kind of in love with this Main Street USA logo. In fact I have a pin of it, but let's not go there. I generally took a lot of photos of Trash Cans because I think they're fun.

Here's the cute, quaint little Emporium just like Disneyland!

Hey everybody it's the friendly Main Street Indian! ahem, excuse me I meant Native American. What I find so amusing about this is that unlike Disneyland there is and never was a Tobacco Shop here hence rending it an echo of something that never exist. Yet, our friendly Native American is still very popular! I managed to squeeze this picture in between two groups posing with him. In fact that little girl in the lower right hand corner was running up to pose with him!

Look Everybody it's our favorite Crystal Arts! This picture actually showcases two of the major differences between This Main Street USA and the one on in Anaheim. First of all there are no tracks down the middle of main street for certain types of Main Street transportation. But no one fear the Omnibus still travels and sometimes just hangs out, but that's yet another later post. You'd thing the absence of these rails would be inconsequential, but it makes the road seem wider and much more like the Red Carpet Walt wanted it to represent. When I first visited Hong Kong Disneyland I really thought it was much redder than Disneyland, but it is not. Also on "Center Street" there is a large permanent food retailer, they sell fresh fruit and things of the link, much like the small cart on Center Street in Disneyland, but this is huge and has a tent.

Hey Everybody it's the bakery! While Main Street is like it's Disneyland counterpart the location of the bakery is much closer to the location of the Bakery in Walt Disney World. This was my first stop on my first day I was hoping for a huge cinnamon bun with icing, but the only thing that struck me as appealing was a Mickey Mouse shaped rice crispy treat. Not even that was what I expected. Certainly the offerings there are quite different.

Here is the Main Street Mercantile. I liked the subtle asian additions to the marquee.

Here's just a fun little picture. I'd gladly take up residence on 219-A or 219-B Main Street USA. There is one Main Street Realtor but it wasn't open either of the two days I was in Hong Kong (Photo forthcoming).

The Carriage House! I love this building especially at night! Sadly I missed Hong Kong Disneyland after dark a huge misstep on my part, but jetl-ag sometimes wins. Also excuse my doofus finger!

I love the way they decided to use noodles in the Main Street Corner Cafe Logo. Certainly it isn't something Walt would've seen on Santa Fe or Kansas Ave in Marceline Missouri. At one point there was a plan for a Chinese restaurant on Center Street (the street that intersects Main Street) that would've starred a Confucius Animatronic. Also notice the tag line beneath the logo: "Outdoor Dining On Our Terrace" Rather than the empty space occupied by the Corn Dog stand in Disneyland there is a large covered Terrace that is inclosed and has a rod-iron construction which is quite nice.

This is the opposite side of center street, there is a whole area for Pin Trading,although there was no one there, I thought it was interesting.

Now I thought the entirety of Main Street was themed beautifully... except this sign. It looks like some kind of horrible Toy Story Midway Mania reject poorly printed and poorly applied. It was on center street across from the Pin Trading area. I'm hoping this is temporary while they replace it or something.

From Here on I'll be posting shops interiors starting with the not blurry ones moving to the blurry ones. None of the pictures of the doll house really came out, but each room as a Disney Character hidden in it or an allusion to one.

THE DOLL HOUSE! (No not the canceled Joss Wheadon show that's Dollhouse)

OH look some not so blurry interior shots!

Thanks for reading! there will be a new post on Wednesday! If you have any thing you want to add or that you noticed throw it in the comments I'll probably throw it up in the post!

Follow me on Twitter here: @mfeige or here: @GoldenMickeys

Disneyland Hong Kong's Hollywood Hotel

2010-03-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Attention: This Post is part of DisMarks Inaugural Blog Carnival! Please check out all the other wonderful entries here! Also stay tuned for upcoming Blog Carnivals from DisMarks.

While at Hong Kong Disneyland I stayed at the Hollywood Hotel, not to be confused with the Hollywood Tower Hotel. As two of my major interests are Disney and Los Angeles history this was a wonderful intersection of the two.

I'm not really sure why many years after the hotel's opening the postcards are still computer renderings

I have quite a few pictures of the hotel but I'll try to put most of them up now. The hotel had me bursting with excitement even after a 15 hour plane ride and an early morning arrival. the entry gates draw their inspiration from the Pan Pacific Auditorium, although the entry gates are red marble rather than the Auditorium's distinctive teal. The Pan Pacific Auditorium also serves as inspiration for Disney's Hollywood Studios entry gates and the new entry gates for Disney's California Adventure. Speaking of that when are they gonna get rid of those awful letters, tiles and red bridge.

This is not the only connection Disney has to the Pan Pacific Auditorium, Walt himself showcased his miniatures there which included small scale replicas of Granny's cabin from So Dear to My Heart. Walt made these miniatures entirely with his own hands and they were exhibited at an exhibition of pacific living in the early fifties and were an inspiration for what eventually became the Disneyland we know today.

This is the Ambassador Hotel in Tokyo. Also those buses are the best thing ever.

Another thing that the architecture of The Hollywood Hotel draws from is Tokyo's Ambassador Hotel. Having had a throughly mediocre experience there five years ago I was slightly wary of this hotel. While would certainly be called a moderate at Disney World, it was beautifully themed. But it lacked some amenities such as a Spa and room service. My first day jet-lag caused to be shirk some of my picture taking responsibilities and hence I will describe more things than I have photos of.

In between the two twin beds there is an awesome portrait of Mickey and Minnie at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood as they sunk their hands into the wet cement. One of the things I really appreciated about this depiction other than its general whimsy and fun was the curl of hair by Minnie's hair which is unique to this drawing. I was personally disappointed that they didn't put a huge sorcerers hat in front of the theater.

From my room I had a great view of the park and Disneyland's other hotel The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. It was Hazy and overcast during the entire time we were in HOng Kong, but supposedly you can see Hong Kong's skyline from here on a clear night. In the gray haze it's hard to even find the castle.

moving on...

This hotel room was so rich with theming that both the mirror and the shampoo bottles echoed the shapes of classic Hollywood. The Shampoo bottles are awesome by themselves but when you add Mickey ears and a setting meant to mimic the Hollywood Bowl, that's when I'm in heaven.

I just love the shower curtain.

I absolutely love the Hollywood Hotel sign, but the use of this sign is what keeps the hotel from seeing as though it is truly a resident of Hollywood's golden age. A stain glass window using this pattern particularly above a doorway would make the hotel seem even more authentic.

Another glimpse at the wonderful font chosen for this hotel. Also on the sliding doors themselves you can get a sense of the graphic that plays a large role in the resort. It lines the edge of much of the hotel. I tried to capture it on the Elevator doors, but the shot came out blurry.

Below is the entry way towards the Guest rooms, this was one of my favorite parts of the hotel.

A close up of the mickey sculpture in much the same garb he is wearing in the Grauman's Chinese shot in the room.

The awesome carpet you can see in the elevator area helps the visual exuberance of the hotel's palate, which is continued more boldly in the guest rooms and hallways where a dark red is used and a light teal is used for the exterior wall of the bathroom, which is rounded reflecting the streamline moderne style of the Pan Pacific Auditorium.

Below is a brief shot from the large back yard of the property which I did not photographed a tenth as much as I should have. It contains a replica of the large entrance gate to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. It contains a scaled down version of the El Capitan Marquee and box office in Hollywood. IT also contains a bar by the pool shaped like the Hollywood Bowl. a street like road leads you back to a 1959 cadillac parked in front of a replica of the Hollywood Sign. If you follow the road around the sign you come upon Muhholland Drive and some even older cars not to mention a beautiful view of the harbor. The pool n the back also has piano keys on it. It's fun whimsical and quant. My excitement as I discovered each thing was well loud.

The hotel has three wonderful eateries one is sit down, one is quick service and one is buffet. The Studio lounge righto n the main lobby serves standard western fare and was delicious according to others in my party at night they lower a projector and play movies on a screen behind the bar. The night I was there Enchanted was showing.

and the menu

The Next up is Chef Mickey a fancy free buffet adorned with mickey everywhere:

and one last blurry shot:

On the way to the final Eatery there is a room with Disney toys for children and their parents to play called the Malibu Toy Shop:

My absolute favorite lighting fixture in the entire hotel is in the Malibu Toy Shop

As Goofy would say "Oh Gawrsh!"Speaking of Goofy as I returned from the park around five Goofy was wandering the halls by the Malibu Toy Shop, I grabbed the chance to get a picture with him.

Here's Goofy tooling around with some kids before I showed up!

Anyway as we continue down the hall we run into the quick service restaurant Hollywood & Dine!

That's all from the Hollywood Hotel for now! Although I have quite a few more stationary things to be scanned and what not! Until tomorrow!

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Also I'm working on setting up a twitter for the blog that will only have my Disney related tweets!

Introduction and The Golden Mickeys

2010-03-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Welcome to my blog. I have created this blog to post my Disney photos from my trip to Hong Kong Disneyland and the Tokyo Disney Resort. It may ultimately evolve or devolve into my thoughts on other various Disney things and even showcase my photos from Trips to Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

I will be posting lots of pictures because I took lots of pictures but the large majority of them were taken with my crappy iPhone camera and with my crappy picture taking ability. I apologize in advance for my bad pictures. I will also on occasion (like in this very post) post blurry photos just because they are of the attraction. Hope they don't deter your enjoyment too much.

I've named it "The Golden Mickeys" after the attraction unique to Hong Kong Disneyland which is an award show parody. The ultimate prize is the Golden Mickey. It's a well done show that starts with our host, Bebe, wearing a ridiculous wig. After an opening number with Mickey and the gang in their black tie best, Mickey and Minnie invite Bebe to join in on the fun.

It occurred to me during this opening song, called The Golden Mickeys, that the genius of the Sherman Brothers was being able to create great songs for attractions that were catchy and would be sought after years later. Rather than songs like this one which is instantly forgettable. After this first song There are a series of dance and song numbers from classic and not so classic Disney films. They are divided into categories like Adventure, Romance, Friendship and Heroes!

The Friendship category which comes first begins with characters from Toy Story: Woody and Jessie along with a few other cowboys and cowgirls singing You've Got A Friend in Me. Then towards the end of the number Mickey and Minnie join dressed in cowboy/girl outfits with Bebe. Then the building blocks littering the stage are pushed together to spell friendship. Ultimately a flawed presentation as it doesn't show the two characters who the song is really about, Woody and Buzz. Thinking about the emotional arc of Toy Story during this number got me involved, but the routine could've been strengthened by using Woody and Buzz while playing the cowboy themes against Buzz's impending space invasion.

In between each category there are rather mundane segments where Bebe, Mickey and Minnie interact. I will not bore you with that content.

The Heroes segment begins with Quasimodo climbing around a Notre Dame inspired set with strong columns, it much like the original film is extremely forgettable. Then Jane begins singing a number from Tarzan and the man himself comes out swinging and then some fun acrobatics are attempted mostly with our title character spinning around and around with his body held horizontal. While plagued by another forgettable song this scene varies the action which is appreciated.

The third and final number in the Heroes part of the show is "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan. While I find Mulan a thoroughly underwhelming movie this song I can't help but love. The energy is contagious even if the lyrics are slightly corny and campy. Another reason this song is works so well is the strength of the montage and Mulan's success of reaching the top of the pole with the two large weights. Sadly the choreography here just leaves in the more banal fighting with sticks and doesn't emulate the the film's strong points. I believe the Golden Mickey went to Mulan, hometown favorite and best of the bunch.

The next category was Adventure, which was started by Lilo & Stitch singing Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride. While I really enjoyed this movie and it was certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the other Disney Feature Animation films of this period I have a severe reaction to Stitch in any of the theme parks. So while I enjoyed this song and there wasn't much offensive about the staging I didn't like it.

Sebastian and Ariel, who comes down from the ceiling and "swims" around stage, bring in Under the Sea, the Academy Award winning song from Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. I'm not really sure that either of those films are particularly adventurous, but they are better films and songs than those in the Heroes section. Also Ariel does some aerial acrobatics which are mildly amusing. I found the Sebastian puppet to be a little too realistic and similar in style to those in the Finding Nemo musical at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The next set of songs are bound by the term "Romance," which Minnie exuberantly professes her love for and swoons excessively. Something about it struck me as awkward and uncomfortable and surprised we still needed to do this in 2010. Anyway the medley starts off strong with "Something There" from Beauty and the Beast, absolutely the quintessential Ashman-Menken song and one of their strongest. But rather than letting this already short song play to its end the title song is brought in. While "Something There" is playing we see the snowy courtyard projected on screen with some pieces of animation from the film and an actress playing Belle in her snow outfit illuminated behind the screen. As Beauty and the Beast begins the famous ballroom scene is recreated. There is a fun transformation between Beast and prince during this number. The next song in this medley is "When you Wish Upon a Star"sung by our host Bebe in a stunning (?) gown. After her solo all the characters we've seen in the show come out through the large Golden Mickey set.

Overall The Golden Mickeys is a successful show with talented performers who actually sang and danced competently. While I wasn't on board with all the film and song choices I had a fun time and sung along throughout. But it seems as though my party was the only one engaged as the rest of the crowd was lacking any outward enthusiasm at all. I have no idea if that is cultural or if most of the visitors did not know the films in question. If anyone has answers to these questions feel free to comment.

The whole show is available on YouTube, but I would highly recommend you avoid that as it does not have the english translation and no YouTube video could be commensurate to actually experiencing any attraction.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @mfeige

Picture Captions:
1. Just a welcome photo!

2. The Side of the Hong Kong Disneyland Bus that travels to the two hotels and to the park although you can walk.

3. The Poster for The Golden Mickeys

4. This is a Sign outside the exit for the Golden Mickeys. The logo is the Golden Mickey and the theater that houses the show is called the Story Book Theater

5. This a banner that hangs along the corridor that leads to the Story Book Theater, there is one for each of the movies represented in the show.

6. & 7. Blurry shots of Stitch and Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride

8. A Blurry shot of Under the Sea and yes that blurry thing in the center is Ariel hanging from the ceiling.

9. This is a random picture of the walkway down towards the theater exit and entrance

10. This is a random shot of the overhead lamps used at the theater.