Photo TR: Adam's Return to Japan & 1st visit to Hong Kong

[jedimaster1227]

After taking the bullet train back from Kyoto the night before it was time for our last day in Japan... A full day in Tokyo before we'd head to the airport to end our trip with Hong Kong Disneyland. This final day meant indulging in a few like-to's that we didn't get to visit during our previous trip as well as one final Tokyo Disney stop before we had to say goodbye.

 

Staying at the Sheraton Tokyo Bay (the same hotel we stayed at during our honeymoon), we got a later start, having lunch at Ikspiari Kitchen one more time before heading into the city. We were able to visit my host father (from my high school trip where I stayed with a host family in 2006--we visited the rest of the family for dinner at the beginning of the trip) for a light bite and a tour of Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi near where he worked.

 

After our visit there, we moved back towards Odaiba to experience teamLab Borderless, a well known art installation that had come highly recommended, and even more highly Instagrammed. I'll let the photo captions do the talking to explain that unique attraction, but I strongly recommend giving it a visit if you're into trying something totally unique.

 

It is always hard, especially writing about it months later, to reflect in the moment on leaving Japan. It is no exaggeration that the country is the most welcoming, polite, gracious you'll find, thanks so much in part to the people and their persistence of culture. Having visited three times now, I feel at ease knowing that my experience has been consistently warm and welcoming each and every time. I talked up Japan to my wife based on two weeks spent as a sixteen year old and let her experience what I loved about the country firsthand during our honeymoon years later. Going back once more, the common anxiety of travel--going somewhere you've never been before (because on this trip we were) and a place where your language is not the primary... Those concerns melt away as soon as you step off of the plane.

 

It is no secret that Japan is my favorite place in the world and Tokyo easily is my favorite city. I have a family there that I consistently keep in touch with, which obviously tints my view a little bit, but every experience I've had has left me in a state of not wanting to leave... And desperately wanting to come back. There's a feeling of sadness, if not dread, that comes with a trip here coming to an end, unlike any I've experienced anywhere else. That is the best and worst part about Japan--the bliss of a trip here happening, and the sadness that follows it coming to an end.

 

At least this time around we had one more stop left on our trip that we were excited about...

Yotsubanokaori at Ikspiari Kitchen is another favorite of mine thanks to their fresh selection of tempura fried foods!

One last meal at Ichizenya at Ikspiarari Kitchen for this trip.

I'd always wanted to visit the Nihonbashi branch of Mitsukoshi. Many know the store because of the Epcot location at the Japan Pavilion but this is the real deal...

And it is absolutely gorgeous inside!

I can't look away!

So this ended up being more luxury than Harrod's and less like Macy's than I would have expected. Lots of window shopping, but not a lot I'd buy unless I was willing to spend a good chunk of change. We did buy a few articles of clothing before heading out though.

The Palette Town section of Odaiba features the MEGA WEB TOYOTA City Showcase, a show floor and driving hall to show off the latest Toyota creations.

But that's not why we were here...

teamLab Borderless is one of several teamLab installations throughout the world and one of four in Tokyo. The experiences this group designs are interactive, transformative and self-guided. There is no right or wrong way to explore... And if you take it at a casual pace, you'll probably be here for at least a few hours. We spent four and a half here.

The thing about teamLab experiences is that the rooms don't remain the same forever, meaning that if you stand here for twenty minutes, the experience will be totally different.

The lighting junkie in me was absolutely floored by Borderless.

Animals play a big part in Borderless...

teamLab basically took a large warehouse and turned it into an Instagrammable art exhibit and it is extremely popular...

And huge.

One room is mirrored with a large number of rotating lamps... The light sequences were mesmerizing.

I'm absolutely loving this!

Animals hopping in a row along the walls of Borderless...

One of the big showstopping rooms...

My absolute favorite room was this overwhelming collection of hanging LEDs.

The effect was incredible, with lights programmed to go off to simulate movement, rotation, rainfall, stars passing and more. The room's floors, ceilings and walls were mirrored so the already large number of lights was even more impressive due to the endless effect provided.

In this room, you would lay on your back in a net suspended above the group looking up at a domed surface, where a brief transformative movie was shown. A similar standing experience was available in a room nearby, except this one could be controlled and manipulated by guests using a special app for the exhibit.

Animals marching endlessly in a row... An awesome effect pulled off by glass projections and more mirrored walls.

It's like you're walking through a traditional Japanese water painting.

The most frequently Instagrammed room...

Seriously incredible though.

Mesmerizing!

Another favorite of ours was the Lilypad room...

As you walked through the room you went higher towards the tops of the lilypads to go from seeing their undersides...

To their tops.

All the while, the visual experience continues to change.

This rock climbing experience challenges guests to climb from one end of the room to the other, stepping/holding only on rocks of the same color. Those who do are rewarded with a special light and sound combo.

I didn't get very far...

Another room had a projection mapped obstacle course... I didn't get very far on this one either.

There's even an interactive play area for the younger guests.

Believe it or not, this is an interactive trampoline that responds visually as you jump up and down on it. It is incredibly fun and very tiresome.

Active projection mapped surfaces fill this roamable space...

One final room...

Prepare for a detailed look at the menu at Wendy's First Kitchen... If only because Wendy's is so different in Japan compared to what it is in the US.

Look at all of the floats!

Would you ever order alcohol from your local Wendy's if you could?

I was tempted to try the UMAMI Chicken Tatsuta Sandwich...

You'd never find pasta at a Wendy's back home, let alone one with fish eggs.

All of the different french fry flavors!

After all that, all we got was melon soda.

Palette Town has its own ferris wheel but we passed this time around.

Only in Japan would you find this kind of high quality tile mural installed in a public transit station.

Time to say our final See Ya Real Soon to Tokyo Disney...

Bon Voyage is really the place to go when it comes to Tokyo Disney Resort merchandise.

Easter ears fun!

I love this store so much!

You can tell I'm stalling...

Walking around the resorts has always been my way of squeezing a little more "Disney time" out of the trips when I've already had my time in the parks.

I definitely bought one of these Usapiya to bring home.

The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is gorgeous regardless of the time of day at which you visit.

The interior is expansive... Not unlike the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World.

Tile murals and marble floors...

Zima is still a thing here.

Tokyo Disneyland Hotel crest out front...

Time to head out...

While we won't likely be back in 2020, Tokyo is never far from top of mind when it comes to planning our travel.

So many Kit-Kat flavors!

Baumkuchen is a popular treat in Japan despite being rooted as a German pastry. We definitely brought some home with us.

I miss these Japanese flavors...

One last katsu curry for the road.

What do you do when flying between Tokyo and Hong Kong? Watch Back to the Future Part 2 and drink Fanta Melon, obviously.

Fun Fact: Needles is played by Flea, bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers.

As we left Japan, I turned out my window on the plane to be greeted with this view...

The best view of Mt. Fuji I've ever gotten despite three total trips to Japan.

I definitely took some sushi with me for the road... The next movie to watch, Into the Blue.

And with that, we entered our final two days of the trip, spent entirely at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

[Condor]

Overall a great trip! You did several different temples in Kyoto than I did and they look fantastic. I love your Mt. Fuji aerial photos too.

[Nrthwnd]

All I can say now, is Kit Kats RULE! Thank you for that photo, Adam.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

That's incredible. I'm having a hard time picking which photo I like best. That stainless steel pillar department store is pretty awesome, and Mt. Fuji, and melon soda...so much to love in Japan.

[jedimaster1227]

Seeing your explanation of what it is? yeah, that's exactly what it tasted like. I'm glad I tried it too, but it wasn't one of my favorites on my trip to Japan.

 

Definitely one of the more "interesting" things I tried on the trip... The texture was probably the thing that surprised me the most. Like a savory marshmallow skewer.

 

Overall a great trip! You did several different temples in Kyoto than I did and they look fantastic. I love your Mt. Fuji aerial photos too.

 

The crazy thing is just how many temples there are in Kyoto to choose from... We had planned for several more and simply ran out of time. We're probably going to plan another day to go back next time to hit some of the ones we missed.

 

All I can say now, is Kit Kats RULE! Thank you for that photo, Adam.

 

Seriously, the amount of Kit Kat flavor choices they have in Japan is overwhelming. There's a specialty store in Tokyo that we have to plan to get to at some point in one of our future trips.

 

That's incredible. I'm having a hard time picking which photo I like best. That stainless steel pillar department store is pretty awesome, and Mt. Fuji, and melon soda...so much to love in Japan.

 

Thank you! Mitsukoshi was worth walking around just for the visuals! We need to go back when we have more time to explore more of the Nihonbashi store--it really was crazy just how much there was inside.

[Canobie Coaster]

Those Mt. Fuji shots are amazing. Great report!

[jedimaster1227]

We landed in Hong Kong and quickly grabbed a cab (a surprisingly easy process) from the airport to Hong Kong Disneyland... Research and reviews pushed us to choose Disney Explorers Lodge as our hotel for the trip, and man was that a great choice! This hotel is part Animal Kingdom Lodge, part Aulani and part Polynesian Village Resort wrapped into one awesome package. The decor was right up our alley, and the view from our sea-view room was fantastic!

 

It didn't take us long to drop our stuff off in the room and make our way to the park by bus. It was a bit of a shock to find the park hours so much more narrow than elsewhere... The park opened at 10:00 AM (with the lands opening in successive phases) and closed entirely by 8:00 PM. This was great for us having just spent a week and a half roaming Japan at full speed, and thanks to the lower crowds, was more than enough time for us to enjoy our day and a half at the park. In this first day we arrived at 4:00 PM, so we only had four hours to squeeze in as much as possible, including the Paint the Night parade and the We Love Mickey nighttime spectacular on Main Street. We decided early on to plan those for our first night in case we loved them enough to want to repeat on our second night.

 

What was nice for us too was the fact that just a week earlier the new Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle attraction had had its grand opening. The crowds in this corner of the park were a little heavier than others, but it made exploring the rest of the park even easier as a result. The new attraction is a retheming of the former Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, maintaining the omnimover track and clamshell-style doombuggies, but removing the manual spinning controls from the former attraction. The new attraction replaced almost all of the former scenery with a mix of practical and screen environments that immerse guests in a battle between Doctor Zola's Hydra swarm bots and the titular characters from the films (Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprising their roles in the attraction). The ride sits somewhere between the classic Buzz Lightyear and its evolved form at Shanghai Disneyland, with less practical effects in this one, but more screens embedded organically in the sets. Honestly, I loved it. Paired with the Iron Man Experience (and the Iron Man meet and greet), this new Marvel section of Tomorrowland tells a cohesive story that feels like something that meshes with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is really amazing to see what is being done with Marvel in the parks.

 

We were able to get a decent amount accomplished in our first day, with our full day the next being even more production (photos from that day will round out the report with the final update)...

After two years of traveling the world we finally managed to make it to the last of the Disney Parks destinations on our last. And as it turned out, we arrived on our five year anniversary to the day.

Our awesome sea-view room in the Disney Explorers Lodge.

Little Easter touches in the room...

Look at that cute toiletry tin!

What a gorgeous setting for this resort!

Finally here!

Tiny castle becoming not so tiny castle...

This was still relatively early in the construction project.

Let's be honest... Mystic Manor is the #1 reason we wanted to come to Hong Kong Disneyland.

This might have been #2... Or at least in the top ten.

It was a strawberry sorbet and it was delicious!

Easter in Mystic Point...

Just amazing.

I love all of the details scattered about Mystic Point...

I stopped to read every sign in this queue...

Seriously folks, Mystic Manor is the pinnacle.

I went in knowing so little about the inside of the ride experience and it made all of the difference in the world. I was blown away from the pre-show til the end of the ride.

The Mystic Movers are so awesome.

The sheer amount of effects found in this attraction is insane.

I've got many more photos from Mystic Manor for our final update, but know that this is my favorite Disney ride out there... I caveat that in the sense of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is my favorite Disney *experience* because of the combination of storytelling from the queues, pre-shows and the ride, but as a stand-alone ride, I believe Mystic Manor is the best of the best.

Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars was also highly anticipated for us... And thanks to short queues, we were able to ride this twice before the park closed. I have more photos to share from our second day, but it was a ridiculously fun ride... The best "Thunder Mountain" style coaster in existence and a fantastic evolution of the most brilliant elements of Expedition Everest.

This corner of Tomorrowland has become the Stark Expo, featuring the Iron Man Experience and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle had its grand opening just a week before our arrival and we were eager to try it out.

I love that both attractions' stories are so closely tied to each other.

Paul Rudd reprises his role of Scott Lang/Ant-Man and brings his trademark humor to the attraction.

Some really neat touches throughout the queue.

Love this.

Evangeline Lilly also returns as The Wasp

The Dagger ride vehicles may look familiar...

The new experience is ridiculously fun and handles the experience of growing and shrinking throughout the ride in a really clever way.

Meat pies on Main Street from the Main Street Bakery while we wait for Paint the Night...

Fluffy cheesecake while we're at it!

Before Paint the Night was the We Love Mickey show, a projection mapping spectacular on Main Street U.S.A. that runs in lieu of a fireworks and castle spectacular.

Mickey shows up at the end of the experience and guests flocked to see him!

The original Paint the Night Parade still runs at Hong Kong Disneyland...

Many of the best floats that made their way to the Disneyland version are featured here.

Including this beauty.

And this...

The Frozen and Incredibles floats aren't featured here.

But thankfully my favorite float is!

Charming.

Another cute and unique entrance statue for another Disney destination.

Since our evening ended early at the park, we figured it was a good time to go exploring... First up, Disney's Hollywood Hotel.

Pretty interior.

Some cool exterior touches for Easter...

More Easter fun.

One second we're here...

And after a few steps, we're back here.

We noticed something fun for the Epcot fan (me) in our room... Let's see if you can Find it.

Quite the company name.

[Hilltopper39]

Great report as always Adam. Ya know Tokyo Disney has been and still is #1 on my parks bucket list but I have to say Hong Kong is really creeping up there, the resort just looks fantastic. They already have some really unique attractions and with the new Castle, Frozen land, and the Avengers Campus coming soon I'm curious to see where this park eventually ends up on people's Disney parks rankings.

[Norwegian coasterfan]

Great report! I really like Hong Kong Disneyland, I found it to be a very charming park with kind of a cozy feel to it. It also helps that the two times I have visited there have been very little people resulting in many re-rides and walk on space mountain

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! The parade looks fantastic and this park seems to have some unique E tickets.

[bert425]

I don't know that I'll ever make it to HKDL, so thanks so much for sharing the experience with us.

 

really have enjoyed following along,and the Marvel stuff looks like a great fit there at the park.

[jedimaster1227]

In putting this final day's report together I came to realize that I took a lot more photos on my last day than I originally imagined, so the final day will be split in two so as to not overwhelm the report... As it turns out, Hong Kong Disneyland simply is worth the extra photos!

 

With a full day ahead of us, we had a good deal more time to experience a lot of the smaller attractions, while revisiting our two favorites from the day before. Hong Kong Disneyland is more full of things to do than I imagined. By the end of the day, we still missed a few experiences that we had to choose to skip in favor of revisiting Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain.

We started our morning at Dragon Wind for breakfast... The beauty of the park not opening until 10:00 AM is that you can still sleep a decent amount, get a quality breakfast and make your way to the park for rope drop at a leisurely pace.

Breakfast at Dragon Wind includes a photo op with Mickey and Minnie!

Breakfast in Hong Kong is a little different than at home, but I don't mind!

Soup and dumplings for breakfast!

There were a few options for more Western palates, but I didn't mind enjoying steam buns and egg rolls for breakfast.

The interior of Dragon Wind reminded me a lot of the interior of the Sunnyside Cafe at the Toy Story Hotel at Shanghai Disneyland.

I appreciate that the Explorers Lodge has so many gardens to enjoy around the resort.

Such a unique resort!

Best resort gift shop is best!

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle was the newest attraction during our visit, having just opened a week earlier.

Similar but different.

It was a bit of a foggy morning...

Little castle in the process of growing up.

As part of the Carnivale of Stars event at the park, a family would be selected each morning for rope drop to help open the park. What the family didn't know was that Chip & Dale would join them for the opening moment!

It was such a cute experience!

Time for some Marvel-in-Disney appreciation.

I was really eager to see a modern Star Tours attraction designed to not be Star Wars in operation.

The queue for Iron Man Experience is filled with Marvel Cinematic Universe connections.

While the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are not beholden to what happens in the Marvel theme park universe, it does leverage the Marvel Cinematic Universe to do a lot of the setup with familiar characters (and actors) in this side-set canon.

These will be important for later...

A look at the Iron Wing, the Marvel equivalent to the Starspeeder 1000/3000.

The station features a similar layout to that of Disneyland's Star Tours.

The pre-show video helps to set up that you'll be boarding the Iron Wing.

Each Iron Wing is equipped with its own Arc Reactor power source.

With all Marvel experiences in the park tied into the same Stark Expo story, Iron Man Experience actually references the Iron Man meet & greet experience next door in the middle of the ride.

Probably the best 3D moment I've experienced on a simulator attraction.

I love these posters!

These too!

The integration of the meet & greet experience with the ride is really clever!

Iron Man's entrance is a fantastic effect!

I gasped.

Iron Man speaks in English while the host speaks in Mandarin. The experience was fantastic!

I've now met Spider-Man, Captain America and Iron Man at the parks overseas. This was easily my favorite experience of the three.

Space Mountain is operating as Hyperspace Mountain in Tomorrowland.

For Larry.

There's a full size X-Wing fighter parked near the entrance of the attraction.

RIP Admiral Ackbar.

I had to do a double-take when looking at this structure above the loading station for Space Mountain. As it turns out, this hung in the atrium of the Ventureport at DisneyQuest in Chicago. When this location closed in September 2001, salvageable elements were sent to other parks around the world. The former Cyberspace Mountain pods briefly operated at Walt Disney Studios Park Paris.

Command Post is a meet & greet location for Star Wars characters on the side of Hyperspace Mountain.

Easter fun in Tomorrowland.

it's a small world at Hong Kong Disneyland definitely has the best backdrop of them all.

Quite possibly one of the best themes possible for a quick service venue.

If you've been on the one in Shanghai or Florida, you've been on this one.

Still a fun ride.

When you're here, you're here.

I was pleased to find the equivalent of the Epcot Jammitors performing in Fantasyland during our visit.

No great moments with Mr. Lincoln here.

Time for some lunch!

Any guess where we could be?

Crystal Lotus is the name, and Disney Dim Sum is the game!

[jedimaster1227]

(Continued)

These Star Wars Baked Egg Custard Puff were among our favorite bites of the meal.

We might've ordered a lot of food... We might've.

Stages of Adam consuming a dim sum guppy...

I don't flatter myself.

 

This was the Twin Fish Dumplings in Lotus Pond, by the way.

The Baymax Bun was filled with some form of shellfish and it was a delicious as it was cute.

Little Green Men Pork and Vegetable Bun were spinach and mushroom heavy, so it was right up my alley.

A closer look at the Baymax Buns.

The Three Little Pigs Barbecue Pork Bun were filled with exactly what you'd expect, and they were our favorites of the meal.

The Mickey’s Seafood Glutinous Pancake (With Hot Sauce) option was pretty awesome too, though it wasn't at all what I expected.

It was time to head back to the park after a delicious lunch... And with Soundsational being one of my favorite parades of all time, I was thrilled to get a chance to see Flights of Fantasy, the parade whose underliner inspired the soundtrack for Soundsational.

The Disneyland Band follows the lead float of the parade which adds a fun energy to the experience.

The floats feature some really great designs!

Hi Elissa!

The Winnie the Pooh segment of the parade is really awesome!

Look at this float!

I love when floats feature bungee acrobats.

Pretty.

The Jungle Book/Lion King float was really neat too.

I love how popular Stitch is in Asia.

Toy Story is beloved everywhere.

Tarzan's Treehouse is a major focal point of Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland.

It essentially serves as the Tom Sawyer Island-style experience for this park.

Time for something familiar but different...

This Jungle Cruise (known as Jungle River Cruise at Hong Kong Disneyland) features some unique elements and architecture throughout the voyage.

Some gags are universal.

Now for a different experience onboard...

The fiery/foggy/smokey finale is definitely unique.

It is a good sauna-style engulfing of steam that certainly takes you by surprise.

Fun and different.

For Larry.

Is that a Tiki Room I spy?

Well no... But the Tahitian Terrace is a Tiki Room-inspired quick service eatery in Adventureland, complete with Rolly Crump's signature Tiki Garden designs featured throughout the grounds.

Mickey and the Wondrous Book had been highly recommended everywhere I researched, so I was eager to see this one in person.

Especially nice for English speaking travelers, the show features a live translation of any Mandarin-spoken dialogue in the show.

This is one colorful show!

It was neat to see Merida featured in the show, and even more cool to hear her sing Touch the Sky live.

I absolutely love when The Princess and the Frog is featured in shows. It is my favorite animated Disney film, and it is rich with vibrant imagery and music perfect for the stage.

Frozen is featured as well.

Especially cool is the use of the Happily Ever After theme song from the titular fireworks spectacular at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.

Our last new it's a small world...

Pocahontas!

Some fun and unique scenes inside...

Like the others recently added, this version features Disney characters embedded in their appropriate region.

Cinderella and Prince Charming.

Wendy and Peter Pan.

Proper representation found!

Aladdin, Jasmine and Abu!

Mary Blair's gorgeous styles shine through after all these years.

Friends from The Lion King.

It amazes me that this gag still exists.

[jedimaster1227]

And so our journey began to near its end... Our final day in Hong Kong was nearly over and with that it was time to start making our way home. For the last half of our full day at Hong Kong Disneyland, we worked to get a few more shows in, to try to experience as many of the unique rides in the park as possible, and of course, squeeze in as many repeat rides on Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain as we could before the end of the night!

I love the America section of Hong Kong's it's a small world.

The Chinese section of it's a small world is the largest of any version around the world, and this one represents Hong Kong most distinctly.

Mary Blair visuals are timeless to this date.

Classic.

The Leaky Tikis were an opening day at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Similar but different.

Jungle River Cruise at Hong Kong Disneyland is offered in three languages with three separate queues to ensure you board the right boat.

Hong Kong Disneyland might have my favorite redemption games I've seen in a Disney Park.

So much fun!

Spoiler alert: I didn't do well.

But we did well enough to get a ton of pins!

I wasn't aware that I needed Hong Kong Disneyland Bubble Waffles in my life until moments after this photo was taken... But now it is among the highest ranking things I want from Hong Kong right now.

I love how popular Moana is in Hong Kong!

Best Coca-Cola vending machine is best.

Moana: A Homecoming Celebration is a fun show which retells the events of the film with Moana and a series of polynesian performers.

It is quite interesting.

Te Kā!

Quite a different view than what I'm used to!

Dedication plaque credit acquired!

A closer look at the English side...

I might have started sweating from my eyes when I saw this...

Also this.

Festival of The Lion King is Hong Kong Disneyland's version of the hit Animal Kingdom show...

In many ways it is very similar to the original show, but its unique theater flooring/staging/set pieces differentiate it.

I honestly love this version even more than the one in Florida.

Serious chills during the finale.

The section floats move automatically in synchronization with the center stage and it is a jaw-dropping effect.

You head this way to visit three of the park's newest lands...

Hello beautiful!

Disney details!

Time for some POV shots... Was this taken forwards or backwards? I honestly can't remember.

This light hill scene is incredibly effective and tons of fun!

Guess I was going forwards last time because now I'm going backwards!

Switch track time!

Best bear animatronics are best!

For Larry...

The park takes on new life when the sun sets...

Time for the best Disney attraction in existence...

So much detail...

I saw this model at the D23 Expo years before the ride opened. I love that it found a home in the queue for Mystic Manor.

I love how WDI leans on the World's Fairs as periods for storytelling...

SEA connections...

Mary Oceaneer is also referenced onboard the Disney Cruise Line ships...

There is so much to love about Mystic Manor.

The animatronics and the effects are next level.

One of my favorite gags of the entire attraction...

Brilliant.

So simply achieved but so effective!

Unreal how good this works...

Blink and you'll miss it. The snakes actually break away from the flat surface to give this gag a three dimensional effect.

Edited February 18, 2020 by jedimaster1227

[jedimaster1227]

(Continued)

Albert is the best.

So much happens on this ride in such a short span of time.

In lieu of singing busts, the singing suits of armor do a great job.

Love this!

I could live in this section of the ride.

I adore the use of Rolly Crump tiki designs as inspiration for these figures in the attraction!

The show scenes throughout this ride are all amazing.

The finale in the Chinese gallery is amazing!

Some of the most fun effects I've experienced on a ride before.

Brilliant.

It ends where it all began...

What a perfect attraction!

I wish this was closer to home!

A nod to the Haunted Mansion featured in the Mystic Manor entrance/exit rooms.

I love that there are so many glow in the dark options in the The Archive Shop in Mystic Point.

Time for one more ride on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!

We both honestly loved this new take on a Disney shooting dark ride.

So fun!

We made one final photo lap to take in the park after dark before making our way out...

Tomorrowland in Hong Kong Disneyland has several unique structures...

Like this one.

I love the look of the expanding Stark Expo campus.

Ant-Man and The Wash: Nano Battle is a really solid addition to the park!

For Larry...

Space Mountain, similar but different.

Stuck in Hyperspace...

Astroblasters poster found!

Similar but different!

Citizen is a newer sponsor of the Disney parks, but their impact on clocks throughout the park has begun to be felt subtly.

I can't wait to return!

Back at Disney Explorers Lodge, I took in more of the lobby details... Including some Disney Cruise Line nods.

True Life Adventures!

A nod to the Boat Builders short from 1938...

Oswald and Ortensia!

Minnie's wardrobe is more colorful.

Goofy's wardrobe ties into his shorts, as well as The Barnstormer and Goofy's Sky School.

Plane Crazy reference!

You can also find this in the queue for Goofy's Sky School in Disney California Adventure.

A cross between Aulani, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Polynesian... And I love it so much.

One final snack... Pizza and nachos.

Look at these Disney desserts!

I wanted all of them!

Kevin and her chicks hidden on the hallway lampshade...

Original Legends of the Enchanted Tiki concept art found!

I love this...

On our way out of Hong Kong, we spotted a few Hong Kong Disneyland store locations...

Another...

After a long but great two weeks, it was time to head home...

[Canobie Coaster]

Awesome report!

 

I love the language lines for the Jungle River Cruise. It shows how much Disney takes into consideration the guest experience. That finale also looks like a neat twist on the usual Jungle Cruise.

[PKI Jizzman]

Such an awesome report! HKDL looks amazing and the unique attractions seem like they could be argued as the best in all of Disney! Thanks Adam!

[grsupercity]

Loving the report!