Hong Kong Disneyland

We’re taking a quick look at Hong Kong Disneyland today and will visit it more in depth in a few months. Hong Kong Disneyland in China opened in September of 2005. A relatively small Park in comparison to its counterparts, the Resort is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Laid out in the traditional wheel-and-spoke design and encircled by a train, Hong Kong Disneyland does not lack Disney magic. Fantasy, adventure, space, Americana…rides, Characters, shows, fine dining…it’s all here!

There’s a definite familiarity to Hong Kong Disneyland for Guests who have visited other Disney Parks. They will immediately recognize common features along Main Street, U.S.A., such as the Disneyland Railroad, City Hall, and vintage early twentieth century vehicles.

Venturing into Fantasyland, however, the familiar takes on new twists. Although the it’s a small world attraction, which opened in Hong Kong in April of 2008, has been added to every Disney Park around the world, the Hong Kong version was, until recently, the only one to feature Disney Characters. In fact, 38 of the 460 toys and Audio-animatronic figures are Disney Characters. Sail aboard “the happiest cruise that ever sailed” and you’ll be happy to discover Ariel, Lilo and Stitch, Woody and Jessie, Pocahontas, Mulan, and more amid the international scenes.

Tarzan’s Treehouse is the focal point of Adventureland. This arborial island home is accessible only by log raft and offers fantastic views of the entire Park. The waterway surrounding it is full of Audio-animatronic jungle animals. It’s a nice way to relax, especially if you’ve been to the Tribal Burial Grounds or Demon Forest! While in Adventureland, don’t miss The Festival of the Lion King, a highly-acclaimed stage adaptation of the 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King, which is returning to the big screen next month for a limited time in 3D.

In Tomorrowland, explore space on an indoor rollercoaster, battle aliens with Buzz Lightyear, interact with Stitch, or take a spin around Autopia. Space Mountain is always a Guest favorite, as are the not-so-scary adventures of the Stitch Encounter. This interactive presentation is similar to Turtle Talk with Crush at Walt Disney World’s Epcot. Here, everyone’s favorite alien interacts with Guests in his hilarious, mischievous way.

Today’s Takeaway:

Rice is not only a staple in Chinese cuisine, but it is also a valuable resource in for Chinese art. On Monday, our very special Guest blogger, Manda, suggested using watercolors to paint your name in Chinese script. Today, we’re going to work a little more with rice paper—or make our own!

True rice paper is very delicate and often sticky. As it is soluble and edible, if it is not properly dried and preserved, it can deteriorate over time. For our needs, we are going to create imitation rice paper using clear-drying craft glue, water, pressed dried flowers and facial tissue. You will also need a paper cup, a plastic spoon, a plastic drop cloth, and a sponge brush.

Follow these instructions from eHow. Here’s what you do:
1 Mix equal parts of clear-drying craft glue and water in a paper cup. Stir well with a plastic spoon and set aside.

2 Spread a plastic drop cloth on a level work surface.

3 Arrange pressed dried flowers in an attractive pattern on the plastic. These will be embedded in the imitation rice paper.

4 Separate facial tissue into individual layers. Place layers of the tissue over the flowers. Overlap the layers slightly and place them in different orientations to add interest to your rice paper.

5 Hold the tissue down with one hand and dab the glue mixture over the tissue with a sponge brush. Entirely saturate the tissue with the glue, but do not use so much that there are pools of glue. The tissue paper should have wrinkles in it to add interest and beauty to the paper.

6 Allow the glue to dry completely. Gently peel the glued tissue paper from the plastic to use your imitation rice paper.

SCHOOL SUBJECT: Art
SKILL LEVEL: Upper Elementary