Disneyland! The day D was most excited for! Our route and the time taken was pretty much a replica of the previous day, except we got out at Sunny Bay and took the special MTR rail to Disneyland – the one which had Mickey Mouse handles as D had been excitedly mentioning since the day before. We had booked our tickets earlier – directly on the site, because for a change the deal was better than Klook. (lunch was included) D had done her research well, and we hurried through Main Street soon as the park opened directly to Hyperspace Mountain in Tomorrowland. This was all Star Wars, so I had nothing to complain about. D isn’t really a fan of rides, but she held up very well and actually enjoyed it. The next ride we went on was Grizzly Gulch, mine cars and this time, unlike the dark tunnel of the previous ride, we could actually see what was happening. I quite liked this one. Mystic Manor was next, and I really liked this too, it had a magical innocence to it. After we got out, we got lucky with a small line and D got her main wish – a photo with Mickey and Minnie!
Since we had some time before lunch, we decided to watch the Festival of the Lion King. The Disney app helps a little bit in terms of knowing the wait time for each ride/show. The show ran for about half an hour and was quite grand. Lunch was next and many of the dining options seemed to be closed. Our choice was thankfully open and at the Explorer’s Club, D chose an Indonesian dish and I chose a Vietnamese broth. As is usually the case, her dish turned out better, though the broth did help calm my sinuses a bit.
After lunch we strolled around for a bit and then watched Mickey’s PhilharMagic. A 3D show, this was probably the only show I did not like! The Flights of Fancy Parade was starting at 3, and we quickly caught our places on Main Street to watch this very colourful show.
One of the shows we really wanted to watch was Mickey’s Wondrous Book, and twice already, the show had been full by the time we got there. We got third time lucky but had to stand in the queue for close to 45 mins before we got in. But it was worth it. Towards the end of the day, the wait times for all the shows/rides get really long, so my advice would be to complete the rides/shows you really are interested in soon as you get in.
D wasn’t really interested in the rides at Toy Storyland, so we walked slowly through Fantasyland to Sleeping Beauty’s castle. The park in general, and the Cinderella carousel specifically was looking very pretty at night!
We caught our place for the Paint the Night parade – in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle- and this was one colourful extravaganza! The only problem now was that we’d have to wait another hour for the next show to start and couldn’t move, not just because wed lose our spot, but also because there was a sea of humanity that we’d have to go through! So we waited, stood up, stretched and somehow made it! The last show of the day was Disney in the Stars – fireworks that are bound to elicit oohs and aahs!
Getting back on to the train is another activity that cannot be underestimated, but we finally made it to East Tsim Sha Tsui. Dinner was planned at Apgujeong Tent Bar which served Korean fare. This was in Knutsford Terrace, about 10 mins away from the station. On the way we spotted a couple of places to buy souvenirs. Knutsford Terrace seemed quite a happening street, with a series of restaurants. The one we were looking for was very well hidden on the first floor, without even a visible name board. We figured it was on the same building as All Night Long and D finally spotted it on the first floor. Turned out to be a popular hangout and we just managed to find a table. We got ourselves Soju and Sparkling Rice Wine (makgeolli), and munched on kimchi as we waited for our Dol Pan Bul Go Gi to arrive. The marinated beef was spicy and tasty, and the drinks, we realised were deceptively strong! Soju reminded me of Ouzo (from), though more diluted and therefore easier to consume quickly. The rice wine, I thought, was a lot like toddy in Kerala and the battered serving vessel only heightened the similarity, though D wasn’t really convinced. We then ordered a Bu Dae Jj Gae – spicy sausage and kimchi stew which is slow cooked on the table. Huge portion size and a meal in itself for two! The middle aged lady who took our order was extremely helpful and friendly. Despite some stellar stuff on Day 4, this was my most favourite meal during the trip! After finishing our drinks and about half of the stew, we weaved our way back to Xi!
One thought on “Néih hóu Hong Kong! (Day 3)”