I guess a getaway at the futuristic city of tomorrow would never be the same without paying a visit to one of the deemed happiest places on earth, situated at the heart of Lantau Island.
We did go to Disneyland that one fateful day in February and personally, it honestly felt like it was a good twenty years too late to do so. I am not a Disney fan to begin with since my childhood didn’t allow me to. Infact, I've never seen a single Disney film until I go to college. Initially, I thought it would be a forgettable trip for an adult who’s so not into childhood Disneyland whims (or the lack thereof), but things turned out otherwise.
The
Disney vibe officially started as soon as Sunny Bay happened – the proverbial
rabbit hole and gateway to the dreamland. Right there, Mickey’s divine presence could
already be felt all over – Mickey-shaped MTR windows and handholds, and the very disney nature outside the windows. We
might be running late for our planned day tour but happiness was still all over. Eventually,
we made it and arrived safe to the famed land, bought our tickets, then good we
go. The entire day was full of energy, that there’s no room to feel bad at any
moment in any way. And I have here some of my personal favorite Disneyland
moments.
(1) Dashing in and out of caverns
and rumbling through Grizzly Gulch, an Old American Wild
West Town packed with a jail, nuggets, chuckwagons, and geysers. Aside from A
Feudin Deluge in which I killed a good 30 minute time watching kids battling
and pumping water out, exploring the Big Grizzly Mountain aboard a speeding
mine train/roller-coaster was the wildest west ride. Due to the fact that it
probably was the most challenging ride in the park, grown-ups would probably
like it a lot. And it has fuzzy bears.
(2) It’s a Small World. The entire prod is a
joy to behold. The idea of easy watching various cultures from around the world
cascadingly unfolds while literally going with the flow, sheen off my
enthusiasm to be child again. I never expected such a song would hit me huge,
especially because it never occurred to me before that I actually like it. Like,
sincerely like it. And what could be more endearing than hearing “O kay Liit ng Mundo..” towards the end
of that festive water ride.
Then
there’s (3) Mickey and the Wondrous Book
starring Olaf. While I was slowly developing a certain connection
between me and Mickey for the first time in forever, comes our dear Frozen
friend, adorably entering the big picture. It turned out that my love for
Mickey was not as huge as my love for Olaf right then.
Finally, (4) the parade that lead
to the firework display along Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. And it was nothing
less than a perfect way to end the day. The happiness from everyone freely
radiates that day, a happiness damn contagious.