Escape To Disneyland

We decided on a Hong Kong trip for 2 main reasons: 1) A short flight journey for Little Bee, who was travelling by air for the first time and 2) To allow the Bees a mini Disneyland escapism. The Bees could not get enough of Disneyland, but we were not fans of the crowded concrete jungle on the streets of Hong Kong.

Here are some highlights from our trip.

Day 1, 14 Dec (Mon)

1) The best part of a holiday is always leaving home for the airport. The sense of anticipation of the adventure ahead of us. The excitement of leaving routine at home, to be greeted by languid days of nothing but play and exploration! 

We left our home at 8am to catch a 9.40am flight to HK. Big Bee was an accomplished traveller, having travelled to 7 countries since she was 2, so we left her to her own devices on the airplane, indulging herself in the in-flight entertainment system. It was such a breeze travelling with her these days! 

Little Bee was surprisingly an adaptable traveller, fiddling with the entertainment system for two-thirds of the journey and eating her yummy child's meal for the rest of the journey. 

2) The arrival at Disneyland Hotel was magical. Our room had a balcony and directly faced the vast expanse of sea and stupendous views of misty islands, across which the glittering skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island beckoned seductively at us. We, however, still preferred the less congested albeit commercialised haven of the Disneyland nook on Lantau Island! 

3) Everything in Disneyland Hotel was scintillating for the Bees - the Mickey icon bedroom slippers tailored for all 4 of our feet's sizes, the stunning lofty lobby with a breathtaking Christmas tree and splendid chandeliers, the enormous labyrinth on the hotel grounds and more! The Bees were squealing at every cranny of the hotel and as we are all devoted fans of Disney, we felt its enchantment everywhere we strolled. 

4) We had such a wonderful time running through the labyrinth in the cool twilight, with mellifluous background music of scores of birds twittering their evening songs, and the bewitching background setting of thousands of twinkly fairy lights from the awe-inspiring hotel. Hubby created a series of impromptu competitions for all of us in the labyrinth and it was such a strong bonding start to our holiday. 

5) Sitting down for a Chinese dinner with succulent sweet and sour pork and mouthwatering roast pigeon, amongst other luscious goodies in a restaurant with divine decor.

6) Sinking into 2 big beds at the end of one exciting day, giggling and whispering deep into the night, full of anticipation for Disneyland the day after! 

Day 2, 15 Dec (Tue)

Disneyland, here we come! This was the 3rd time to a Disneyland for Papa, Big Bee and me, and the very 1st time for Little Bee. Yet, despite all the negative remarks we heard about HK Disneyland, we were still mesmerized by the dense Disney ambience. 

Little Bee believed that she finally met the "real" Mickey Mouse and many other Disney characters, and was grinning foolishly whenever the characters strolled past. Big Bee was still in love with the endearing Christmas-themed "Small World" ride, having sat through the same ride 7 times in Japan 2 years ago. 

What we really treasured and enjoyed was strutting in Main Street with tiny fake snowflakes (that looked so real!) drifting wondrously on us! With the temperature plunging to about 10-13 degrees when we were there, it almost felt like a winter holiday! The Bees were beaming with pure unadulterated delight, hopping about, waving their arms and even sticking out their tongues to catch the "snowflakes" while experiencing this exquisite "snowfall"! It was such a joy for Hubby and I to witness their immense happiness. 

We sat through other interesting rides, watched a Lion King show, and experienced a signature Disney parade which got the kids gaping with dumbfounded fascination. We strutted throughout the relatively small park, soaking in the enchantment of Disney. Unfortunately, it started pouring during dinnertime, and we had to queue miserably in the freezing rain for a place in a restaurant, with us staring longingly at the warmth within the cosy restaurant, reminding me of a scene straight out of Oliver Twist or The Little Matchstick Girl!

The grand finale of the day was undoubtedly the enthralling Disney fireworks over the Sleeping Beauty castle which we watched in the rain! The Bees were enraptured by the dazzling lights, brilliant sparkles and nostalgic music. So was Hubby and I! What a ravishing ending to an almost perfect day! 

Day 3, 16 Dec (Wed)

More Disneyland delights today! The Bees woke up with excited anticipation for they would be having breakfast with Mickey and friends! This popular (and overpriced!) breakfast with Disney characters is a dream for most children, to be chomping on scrumptious food in the company of various Disney characters. Even most parents were conspicuously charmed!

The Bees were upclose and personal with Mickey, Pluto and Goofy - much to my disappointment, as I was expecting more characters really. These 3 characters were hobnobbing with restaurant guests throughout much of the entire breakfast session, which I thought were highly disruptive to the kids' appetites - they could hardly eat as they were so distracted by these characters! 

After breakfast, we ambled past a Disney Princess makeover studio and Hubby was insistent that his darlings be transformed to mini princesses, much to my chagrin! However, the Bees were ecstatic, indulging in the entire pampering session for almost 2 hours. They were truly treated like princesses, each with a makeup artist doting on them, metamorphosing them from innocent little girls to bewitching Disney princesses. 

In no time, I was able to have Aurora and Belle in my arms, calling me Mummy! The Bees were utterly immersed in the whole process and Big Bee told me this was one of the key highlights of the trip for her! 

We set forth to Disneyland thereafter, with the Bees insisting that they must still be clad in their Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and The Beast costumes, despite the cold weather. Unfortunately, in Disneyland, Big Bee suffered from a sudden bout of stomachache, and we spent much of the afternoon ensconced in a majestically-themed foodcourt that was reminiscent of the might of King Arthur and his knights! The Disney fan in me was enjoying the omnipotent, all-encompassing magic of Disneyland even when sitting in a foodcourt, anxious about Big Bee! 

She recovered shortly from the stomachache after some comfort foods and nurturing attention from Hubby and me, while Little Bee snoozed fitfully amidst the hustle and bustle of the foodcourt, something she had learned to do so well on holiday - sleeping whenever and wherever she was overcome by fatigue! 

We could not remain in Disneyland longer, to our disappointment, as the weather was getting darker and chillier. Instead, we relaxed with Big Bee in the magnificent ambience of the hotel lobby, chilling to the live Christmas music of an adroit pianist, while waiting for Little Bee to be awake. Big Bee relished this private time with us as we were able to devote our total attention on her. I had never seen her happier in a long time! 

Eventually, we made our way to Kowloon for the second leg of our journey, still with a snoozing Little Bee...dazzled by the twinkling city lights of the impressive Hong Kong skyline. 

We reached The Langham, comforted by its lush interiors and luxurious decor. We pampered the Bees with their favourite room service while enjoying fantastic time as a family, relishing the delights of uninterrupted quality time with the Bees. 

We ended this long day, all 4 of us squeezing amidst much chuckles, ticklings and giggles onto one single king-sized bed. Cosiness exemplified indeed. 

Day 4, 17 Dec (Thu)

Hubby and I are never fans of Hong Kong's dense city crowds, hence we weren't too excited with the prospect of spending a day in its suffocating city. Therefore, after an uneventful lunch in an enormous spanking new but impersonal mall, we decided to escape the urban squeeze. 

1) We meandered through the winding roads of Hong Kong Island to emerge into the quaint and idyllic Stanley area. A tad touristy, yes, but Hubby and I had always loved the laidback and calming atmosphere of Stanley, which was like a little seaside town in tranquil repose. We wandered through the narrow, labyrinth-like market, sniffing for cheap bargains and pretty artifacts. We sauntered by the promenade beside the sea, with the Bees running about in free-spirited glee. We dawdled in a tiny alfresco cafe for tea, nourished by its sweet superb desserts and excellent coffee. We loitered and dilly-dallied, a luxury we could not get in our busy schedules back home. 

The Bees, though dearly missing their beloved Disneyland, were beginning to enjoy this gallivanting, lingering afternoon delight that seemed like an eternity.

2) We ascended the Peak in the chilly hours of twilight and gazed at the resplendent night scene of Hong Kong's amazingly dense skyscrapers in awed reverence. The twinkling lights of the city beckoned charmingly to us, and there seemed to be a hush that descended upon this blanket of lights. 

3) We had a magnificent dinner in a cosy restaurant with splendid food and even more superb views. Overlooking the entire glittering vista of Hong Kong's dazzling city, our appetites were magnified, ensconced in a cosy private room with excellent service. We chatted merrily and laughed gaily. What a glorious end to a beautifully languid day!  

 

Day 5, 18 Dec (Fri)

A day devoted to Ocean Park - need I say more? 

1) The Bees were fascinated by the dolphin and sea-lion show, especially Little Bee, who talked about it for weeks after we were back in Singapore. 

2) They were intrigued by 2 underwater exhibits, one comprising of a huge plethora of underwater creatures and the other one with ethereal, graceful jellyfish, almost in complete darkness, much to Little Bee's fear! 

3) We had lunch in a restaurant with stupendous views, overlooking Hong Kong Island's captivating panoramic expanses of sea with emerald hills. It was heavenly just sitting in our very comfortable dining booth, gazing out at the picturesque sights. 

4) We were all spellbound by the cute, chubby and seemingly affable panda bears in the Panda exhibit, and stood still for a long while, observing every little action of this rare species. 

5) We took a few amusement rides with the Bees immersing themselves in enormous playgrounds. Big Bee was always enamored by carnival games, so she tried her hand at one game where she needed to toss balls on a few coloured rings to win prizes. To our amazement, she won the jumbo and medium prizes - a giant purple bear that was taller than Little Bee and a lovable brown dog that the Bees could hug. The sheer happiness and joy on Big Bee when she won the prizes, with the bell clanging her victory loudly, was a priceless scene indeed. 

6) Finally, we were enraptured by the overpowering razzle-dazzle of twinkly Christmas lights all around Ocean Park as night gradually descended on us. 

7) We went back to our hotel, spent but cheerful, and had a perfect time bonding over hawker food that Hubby bought - all in the comfort of the hotel room before we cuddled each other to sleep in sweet beatitude. 

Day 6, 19 Dec (Sat)

We were somewhat lost as to what to do today, hence we decided to head down to the Avenue Of The Stars promenade for an awe-inspiring view of Hong Kong's renowned city skyline. The Bees loved the wide spaces of the promenade and we let them squeal and run around in blissful delight. 

We had a gastronomical experience with absolutely scrumptious dimsum, with the Bees giggling and chatting loudly in the restaurant - again with lovely views. 

We then ambled aimlessly around the crowded weekend streets of Tsim Sha Tsui before the Bees and us decided to call it a day and retreated back into the cosy comfort of our hotel room by 4.30pm, preparing to depart the next morning :) 

This is an awesome trip in which we all spent a phenomenal amount of time together - uninterrupted, focused and overflowing with fun and love!