Hong Kong Disney: The Sequel

While on our visa run to Hong Kong, you can bet that we stopped at HKDisney.  It's great.  Really and wonderfully great.  Why, you may ask?

1. It's cheaper than Disney Parks in America.

2. The park is smaller and lines are shorter.  (I have three young children.  I really love reason #2)

3. People line up, put their trash in the receptacles, don't spit, and are generally more glad to be at Disney Land than to look at the foreigners kids. 

4. I love Disney.  I always have.  I see the little fairy dust and the mouse ears and hear the music being piped over the park loudspeakers and get I start getting emotional. I wish I were kidding.

So.  We made the trip again this year.  I love the subway line that takes you to disney.  The details are so thorough, it amazes me.  Do you not love this subway handle?

Yes, it was hot.  We sweated off about 23 pounds between the five of us.  We wore hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.  Yes, I am overprotective.  
I've given up on saying anything to them about the glasses.  They've become a staple of daily outdoor life.  

Just after entering the park, a helpful attendant noticed our girls and told them: "Hurry over that way; all the princesses just arrived!"  

Emma was on a mission:
Oh, the princesses!  It was like last year all over again (except with different young ladies under all the makeup, we noticed).  They were so kind to my children.  They asked questions, gasped in delight, listened to long and rambling stories my kids wanted to tell.  Don't make fun of me forever, but truly...I was misty eyed by the time the family photo op came around.  Like, I actually had to wipe my eyes.  

In ten years, my kids will roll their eyes at me and shudder in embarrassment.  But for now, they didn't notice.  They were too busy doing other things, like...

hugging Belle...
...filling in Belle on how cool the fireman glasses were.  Belle was truly impressed.
...Emma was telling Snow White who-knows-what...
All four of them together, with both my big girls, and I couldn't get them all to look at me.  What a bummer.  But they were SO delighted to see them all four together, and right away too!
We moved on to the usuals - Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, and the Spinning Teacups. I waited this one out and chilled with Abby.
Next, we needed an indoor ride because we were so. very. hot.  

Small world was close by, and you know what, I really really like Small World.  

Sure, the tune is annoying, but the little people?  Dancing?  Kicking? Spinning?  Flying?  All the glitter?  All use of light, sound, effects?

It amazes me.  We rode it three times.  
Then, we headed over to the Starliner Diner, the only place in the park that serves Western Food. (Everything else is stir-fry and other...interesting, um...I mean, exotic fare.)  As we ate, I looked out the window and noticed Buzz Lightyear over in the corner.

Buzz has been a recent hero in our house after watching Toy Story2.  (We haven't actually watched the first one yet, because I was told it was a little scary.  We have girls, and they don't do scary.  Not at all.)

Anyway, several weeks ago after watching the movie, we were all talking together and I noticed  Samantha called him "Buzz Lightbee."  I didn't want to correct her;  it was the sweetest name I'd ever heard and I thought she was adorable when she said it.  But I didn't want anyone else to tease her about it, so I gently said, "Oh mantha, his name is Buzz Lightyear."

"Oh," she replied, very matter-of-factly.  Then, several minutes later when she and emma were playing, I overheard her correcting herself:  "Buzz Lightyear Bee to the rescue!"

Needless to say, they were happy to meet Buzz in person.  
Emma got over her fear of toy guns and rode the Buzz Lightyear Space Blasters thing five times.  (I told you there were no lines!)  Plus, it was an indoor ride with nice, cold, air-conditioning, so I'm up for that.  

Here's most of us (minus Abby, who was screaming bloody murder in her stroller just out of the camera frame) in front of the castle:
And Mickey, apparently sporting his "summer" outfit:
We did get this one good picture with all of us in it.  Well, Goofy's in there too, but that's ok.  The girls really liked his whiskers.  (Hey, btw, isn't hubs lookin' skinny? He's lost a gob of weight recently!)
So there you have it.  It's probably our last Disney trip for a long while, but it was a fun one.