The HKDL Source

Our coverage of the Halloween fesivities continues all this month! We've got a brand new Trip Report from our favourite Chief Spy, and a video link of a 30-minute Halloween Special that screened on Hong Kong TV on the weekend.

 

What are you waiting for? Get to reading and viewing people!

 

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Chief Spy's Trip Report - Sunday 30 September 2007

 

I took my Little One again on Sunday. Here's a wrap up of the brighter and darker sides of Disney. When we got to the park, we headed for Animation Academy and drew Jack. He wasn't on the sign board, so we didn't know he was the character until we got in the room. Mickey Vampire was at 4:00. It was then off to the shops for some ridiculously expensive bandannas, and a marshmallow filled pumpkin.

 

The park was quite full yesterday. Not over crowded, but lines for everything. OK, so Dumbo for some unknown reason had a wait time of 60 minutes, the rest were around 1/2 an hour. Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy surprised me with a 1/2 hour wait, and people in the queues. I haven't seen that for a long time! The line to the Haunted Hotel went back to the bridge in Adventureland. (I'm going solo on Tuesday so I'll hopefully get some internal pictures for you then).

 

I dislocated my knee on Thursday, and was in excruciating pain, but refused the cane and wheel chair, so I was a slow hobbler for the day. I had to wear the braces, and walk like one of the dead zombie type dancers in the nighttime parade, the cast let us into the shows with the wheelchair users. (They could tell there was no way I could navigate the steps). We used up the last of the birthday fast passes on Pooh and Buzz (both had 1/2 wait times). Rode the Jungle River Cruise once during the daytime, and twice after dark.

 

On Jungle River Cruise, we ended up waiting for 10 minutes just outside the head hunters while they reset the water geyser. We rode again at night on one of the Cantonese rides, and I've decided the Cast Member on that one had diarrhea of the mouth. She just did not stop talking. Pure rubbish too. I love the expressions on their faces when we don't get in the English line. (We aren't as well known on this ride yet). They always make a point of telling me I'm in the wrong queue. I just love their expressions when I tell them in Cantonese that it's ok, we speak Cantonese. Mandarin is a problem for me, but the little one speaks that as well, so we just jump in a queue that is shorter. Today they were announcing that the English lines had a longer wait because they had fewer people. At least they announced why there were 5 to 6 non-English boats before the English ones came up. Last week they didn't and I blew a gasket.

 

We didn't do much because my knees just weren't working all that well, and I really couldn't move much. (The things we do for our kids). Lion King has a new Scar, and to be honest, he's not that good. He didn't make me want to whoop at the end of his solo. But Simba. His voice was like ambrosia. I was left whoopless just through sheer pleasure. Amazing.

 

I also noticed today that they have put in two Stitch sessions in English instead of one, but you'll never guess when they are. During the parades! Hmm. I wonder why? Seems a bit unfair doesn't it? It was a hot day, and we stopped for a Strawberry sugar cone in Adventureland ($15). On our way out of Adventureland, we had 2 of Hades Flaming pizzas ($20 one vegetarian, and one meat). Not bad. It's about time they get some food in the park that isn't tasteless western, or Chinese! Next stop Grape Popcorn! (why do I like that stuff so much?) I still haven't found the candy apples they have advertised. I'll just have to keep looking! At 7:00 we went over near Golden Mickeys to watch the parade. When the car came out in the beginning (15 minutes before parade time) They stopped in front of us, and did a little dance thing. Like the dancers in the parade. Kind of looks like that scene in Pulp Fiction with John Travolta and the V across the eyes. (Lousy description, but you can imagine it.) Anyway, they were "teaching" the crowd how to dance! When the fire and bat dancers came by doing the same moves, you could see the crowd joining in. Now, if this type of guest "training" for lack of a better word works, it makes me wonder what happened to that "educational" booth at the entrance that was mentioned (what was it?) about a year ago? I thought it a bit dull that the fire-dancers, and the final bat-dancers were doing the same dance. It was a scorcher yesterday, and I was thrilled to see that the heavy makeup the dancers wore didn't run even though you could see the sweat pouring down their faces.

 

Cruella DeVil was on the villains float today, and I loved it. She kept shouting "Has anyone seen my Puppies?" It was in English, so I'm not sure if the joke went over with the crowd, but it tickled me. I noticed that the fire float has hands wrapped around the columns. I have to rewatch Hercules today to see if it is in that movie. I just couldn't place it last night. Watching the float with the Queen from Snow White in it, I paid attention to details. Yes, it's the princess castle float, but they didn't do a great job hiding the bolts. Big silver things glaring at you with at least 1 inch heads. I couldn't help wonder how they are going to get rid of the holes later on. Great details on the Dr. Frankenstein float (I know that's not his name). [We think that's the Dr. Finkelstein float - Ed] Eyeballs in the tools, and the headless person in the front. Fantastic! Four skulls go around and stop briefly above where her head should be. Great imagination, builders!

 

I've got to say, I don't like the music for the parade. They could have gone with the "Halloween" song from Nightmare Before Christmas, but instead it's some rock-like song about Halloween night. I don't think it's a Disney original. I liked "Grim Grinning Ghosts" much better. At least that one was obviously from Disney (at least to me). The ending float is basically the same as last year, but they have put the tombstones from Adventureland on it this year. I didn't see them in Adventureland and wondered where they had ended up.

 

The little one joined in at the end of the parade line, dressed as a witch and casting spells on everyone she saw. I followed along until the hub, but the crowd of people and the pushing made my knee pop out again. After I crawled back to the sidewalk and popped it back into position, I hobbled to the end of the parade. I got there just in time to see my daughter disappear in the crowd. Panic! I searched on my own for about 5 minutes until the tears started to come, then I went to a Disney cop and asked for help. He radioed it in, and when asking for a description, I tried to tell him about the costume, but all I could think to say was "it's Katherine!" Now, something wonderful happened at that moment. His eyes lit up and he radioed again that Katherine was lost, gave a full description of her including "the Chinese-speaking girl with the guipo mother who is here all the time". He even knew what costume she was in! Well, my little one is no dummy, and all the times I've told her if she's lost find a Cast Member sunk in. She just headed for the first Disney person she saw, told them she couldn't find me, and waited at City Hall. In the mean time, I could hear the policeman I was with talking to others and he kept saying Katherine. Five minutes later, someone picked up on it, and I was reunited with my daughter. What a terrible mother, I lost my child at Disney. Time to put the leash back on? Or maybe it's time to realize she's a bit bigger and can take care of herself. (At Disney at least). The bright side of all this is that they knew who she was, and went all out to find her. (Even though, I think I was more lost than she was.) I just know I wouldn't get that kind of help at our other park here. I'm not sure if I would have gotten that kind of help anywhere in the world besides Disney.

 

We noticed yesterday morning that today is a bank holiday, but not a block out day for value pass holders. My helper and her friends are going to use their passes today. Which leads me to another equality thought. They should have a "domestic helpers" pass. Their income is low, and as Miss N. said, she and her friends really can't afford to spend half a month's income to buy a ticket that they can use on their only day off (Sunday). Now, I'm not selfish nor am I extravagant, and did buy Miss N. a Value pass, so she could go with the little one when Dad and I work during the week. After discussing the cost with me, she upgraded to the Deluxe so she could go with friends later on. If Disney were to come up with some kind of a special pass for Sundays only, they might sell quite a few.

 

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Halloween Video

 

On Saturday 29 September 2007, pop entertainer Eason Chan hosted a 30-minute special on Hong Kong's TVB Jade Channel. It introduced viewers to the Halloween attractions, and gives us some footage inside the Haunted Hotel and of the Glow-in-the-Dark Parade. Some kindly person has posted this online for all of us fans without access to Hong Kong television to have a look at, and we've embedded this below:

 

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