Hong Kong Transit at Disneyland
Trip Start
Sep 29, 2008
1
7
8
Trip End
Oct 06, 2008
Hong Kong,
China
Monday, October 6, 2008
Chinese Freight
!Chimelong's Metro Station had changed significantly since our arrival here nearly 18 months prior. What was a station in the middle of a sandpit had become a fully landscaped and built out serious of footpaths and carparks, all facilitating the flow of guests to and from the parks here. The subterranean sections were still clean and fresh so we once again enjoyed our Guangzhou Metro experience. Being relatively expensive, the Metro was not particularly busy and we didn't have to invade anyone's private space to get our bags on and off of the trains.
Arrival into Guangzhou East station was somewhat familiar, mostly in the way that there were signs to the Hong Kong train ticket counter, but not the trains themselves. By this time we were beginning to run short on time, memories of our last experience compelled us forward. An about face showed us the escalator up to the Hong Kong departures, where we quickly X-rayed our bags and were ushered through by urgent sounding Chinese staff. With 10 minutes to go until train departure we were going through the hoops to officially leave China with the last of the train's passengers. Immigration was quick thanks to no queues and it appeared that we were the last passengers onto the platform as everything closed behind us
Passing Kwai Tung
.Despite the urgency of the staff and the rushing we still had a few minutes to spare once we had boarded the train and were relaxing in our upper deck Premium Class seats. As we got underway on the Hong Kong MTR Corp.'s Ktt train we were provided with free drinks and snacks but also choose to order full meals from the menu as we had not eaten yet. I enjoyed some chicken and rice, prompting Belinda to cave in and go with some meat in the form of spaghetti bolognaise. Both meals had been provided by SkyChefs in Hong Kong, whose international reputation of providing inflight meals helped to belay Belinda's fears.
Too soon after departure we were rolling across the border into Hong Kong and then slowly down the former KCRC line to Hung Hom Station. We were back on Hong Kong soil in no time and then traveled by MTR with a change at East Tsim Sha Tsui/Tsim Sha Tsui stations to Central/Hong Kong station for the Airport Express in town check-in.
I've used this convenient service everytime that I've visited Hong Kong as it allows me to dump my bags up to 24 hours before my flight, leaving me to roam the streets with only my carry on baggage
More Port
. In addition, the shared Qantas counter is always quiet in the mornings when the airline operates no flights so there's never a queue. With little fuss we checked in and then headed back down to the MTR for a last trip on the Tung Chung Line. I took some more photos of the port for my Strategic Logistics Management assignment on the way, supplementing those I had taken on the Macau day and also on the train coming back from China this morning.Before long the train was pulling into Sunny Bay Station and we were able to make the familiar change to the Disneyland Resort Line. It was then a matter of walking to the front gates, depositing some of Belinda's chunkier carry-on baggage into the left luggage facility, entering the park with our Annual Passes and finally finding a locker on Main Street for the rest of our non-useful hand luggage.
The park was noticeably different from our visits on Tuesday and Thursday. This was a combination of the weather and associated crowds. The nearby typhoon meant that it was very overcast and increasingly windy, although at 2pm when we arrived in the park it was not raining. In such conditions it appeared that most people had decided to skip the park for more indoor activities. In these circumstances we were able to ride many of our favourite rides with no wait whatsoever
Returning
. This inevitably meant a lot of time spent in Tomorrowland. On our list was Autopia so we hit it up pretty early on, just before the rain began.Precipitation was not an issue to begin with; the rain was light so we could just walk briskly between buildings. Soon enough the rain poured continuously and in heavy bursts, causing Belinda, ever fearful of wet hair, to cover her head with a plastic bag and run from building to building. The weather gave us further encouragement to keep riding Space Mountain repetitiously - all that was required was a 10m outdoor jaunt to get from the exit to the entrance.
The Space Mountain staff soon became acquainted with us, commenting on our repeat visits and my new Space Mountain shirt that I had purchased on Thursday. Asked if we were fans we could only reply "yes", to be showered with benefits such as stickers, any seat upon request, a train for our exclusive use and, by the end of the night, even repeat rides without having to leave the station! Many a short conversation was had while being dispatched, with topics ranging from the length of our stay to where we were from and personal interests. Unfortunately for Belinda I received the most interest, so much so that she was satisfied that one of the female ride operators was flirting with me
Waiting at Autopia
!All of our Space Mountain riding was interrupted with a foray into other lands in a single sweep, to minimise our wet time. We made an initial push all the way through to Adventureland, where we ejoined the queue for the Jungle River Cruise, to be surprised by the presence of our friend who we'd met up with on Tuesday. Today she was accompanying her daughter so we met someone new and got to experience the park with a child, which was a different experience.
This cruise around the ride was probably the best I've had. I could understand every word that the skipper spoke and she took her time. Too many a skipper speeds by several effects and makes no sense, demonstrating that they do not understand their script. The presence of a child who wanted to participate in the corny jokes was also a bonus.
At the conclusion of our voyage we walked in a group over to Tomorrowland, hopping from building to umbrella in an effort to not get too wet. A few more rides on Space Mountain ensued before I managed to convince Belinda to go all the way back to Fantasyland for a session of Mickey's Philharmagic. The idea was to see the Glow in the Park Parade at the conclusion of the show but we soon discovered that the affair had been cancelled due to the weather
Jungle Cruisin'
. Our sad consolation was a stop to admire the lights of it's a small world and take a spin on the Teacups, before once again returning to Tomorrowland.When we passed the Stitch Encounter (in the Space Mountain building) we noticed that it was currently operating in English so we popped in for a visit to Space Traffic Control. Amongst the mayhem with our live encounter with the alien Stitch I was chosen as one of the poor audience members to be harassed. I had to dance before Stitch decided that I'd shared a cell with him in Space Prison so I got my mug on screen as being wanted by Space Patrol.
The remainder of the day was spent riding Space Mountain until it closed. We then walked/ran outside to the Hub to see the remainder of the fireworks. As we ran the fireworks exploded above us as the high winds were blowing them way off-centre. Limited shelter was available under a tree and in the rain shadow of the park information board. In light of the extreme weather and the cancellation of the parade. it is a surprise that the fireworks will still shown.
Not wanting to leave, we checked the Main Street shops for any last purchases after the conclusion of the fireworks
it's a small world
. It was then a matter of enjoying the last of the atmosphere while we collected our belongings from the lockers and then left luggage outside the park. All too soon we were back on the MTR, heading to Tsing Yi where we connected with the Airport Express train.Hong Kong Airport was quite busy in the period after 9pm, with a band of European and Australian departures approaching. Belinda and I savoured a dinner snack at one of the airport's noodle joints past security before taking the people mover to the far end of the terminal to locate the private lounge facility. Belinda wanted to return here later in the evening to freshen up and shower prior to her departure at 7am in the morning. My gate was a bit further back toward the entry of the airport, so we walked down and rested a little before boarding.
