The kids have been so good on this trip, I kind of feel like we owe them this early Christmas treat of 2 days at Disney and have booked us into the Disney Hollywood Hotel, an art-deco “palace” resplendent with Mickey Mouse ears.
They’re so hyper they can hardly sleep and I’m so exhausted, I can hardly keep my eyes open. Somehow, Mickey Mouse doesn’t hold the same allure for me as for them. The room has fantastic views across the South China Seas, but Ruby’s more interested in the free Mickey slippers and shampoo and the face cloth rolled up to look like a duck. And you can imagine their delight when faced with Mickey shaped biscuits at breakfast the next morning.
Hong Kong Disneyland is only a couple of years old and, once again, we’re one of the very few Westerners there. This doesn’t surprise us anywhere near so much as the fact that over 80% of the visitors here are adults. Not only are they immensely enjoying Winnie the Pooh rides built for 5 year olds, they’re practically pushing the kids out of the way in their quest to be photographed standing next to Goofy. It’s all very odd.
Despite Ruby’s unprompted promise not to let on to Harley that Mickey and Co are in fact “just people wearing costumes”, she’s gradually warming up and losing some of her worldliness so that, by the time she spots Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, it seems she’s completely forgotten that they’re just people wearing costumes. We stay for the 5.30pm Christmas Parade and right through until the 8pm fireworks display. We’re hoping they’ve had enough, but no, they want to come back the next day.
I’m not a fan of Legoland and my abiding memory of it is always fat people walking around eating chips, and so I use it here for comparison. It’s costs over £100 for a family of 4 to get into Legoland, where you can buy something delightful like a hotdog for lunch for a very reasonable £5. £9 if you add a coke and £20 if you add the chips and more chips from the Healthy Lunch Menu. Here, it’s £70 for a family of 4 to visit for 2 days. I have a delicious prawn tempura lunch, complete with rice, miso soup and green tea for £3. The kids share half a spring chicken with green beans, carrots, corn on the cob and rice, plus a huge bowl of mushroom soup for about the same price. Will gets a bowl of pork ramen (noodle soup) big enough for a family of 4. Plus fresh juice, all under a tenner. Not a chip in sight.
Two nights in the Disney hotel is quite enough and, since it’s situated on Lantau Island, about 20 minutes away from the mainland, we decide to move for our last 2 nights. The Metropark Hotel is a nice little 4 star situated in Kowloon and you’re not greeted by Mickey Mouse on your shower curtain, which is always nice.
We only have one day here and since Will has been here 3 times before and I’ve been twice, the last time for 10 days (thanks Sam, I never recovered from that freezing cold February where I had to sleep in my clothes. Or your snoring, which still haunts me!), we have no particular desire to see anything, but think we should do our touristy bit for the kids and take them on the funicular up to the Peak which offers a sky-high view over the city. By the time we come back down, take the open top bus down to the port and then hop on the Star Ferry across the harbour as the sun is setting, we’re just in time to meet Will’s client Thomas Lai at my chosen restaurant for the evening, Aqua (thanks Nick, for the recommendation; we do still like the same places!). Located on 29th floor with amazing views over the harbour, we’re treated to dinner by Thomas’ wife Miranda, who has also turned up with a big tin of chocolate biscuits from Mark and Spencer for the kiddies.
No comments:
Post a Comment