El Viajero » Review

Hong Kong Disneyland: Other impressions

Jay — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:03:41 +0000

I have to say that English was a really useful language during the trip to Hong Kong. All the signs at HK Disneyland had English and all the workers spoke enough for their jobs.

The menus were easy to understand, and the workers often brought out a menu with pictures of the food. All the restaurants had some kind of barbeque, some kind of stir-fry, and some kind of noodles. There was dim sum (yam cha) to be had, and you could get burgers (served with plastic gloves for your use; a first for me to see!), pasta, sandwiches, and other familiar food. I got the impression that they were going out of their way to make sure there was something for just about everyone.

The pin trading at Walt Disney World is the best, but, surprisingly, HK Disneyland’s pin trading was much better than at Disneyland Resort in California! Most of the workers had pins for trading, and were quick to let you have a look. The workers in California, for the most part, didn’t seem to want to be bothered with it, and that included the pin trading stations!

The landscaping at the Autopia in Tomorrowland was cool and included

a peeled banana.

This boy was cute in that despite not being tall enough to drive his own car, he went back to the “You must be this tall to drive” sign at least 10 times. Even his parents got in on it trying to convince the worker that he should have his own…

The castle is much smaller than those of the other parks I know, obviously the result of Eisner’s cost-cutting during construction. Perhaps a makeover is in store…

The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel was great, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The design is from the Grand Floridian at WDW, which is based on the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego.

The final shot comes from the exit sign as you leave. All-in-all, it was a great place to visit.

Disneyland Resort, Summer 2007

Jay — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:04:13 +0000

This summer we got a chance to spend a couple of nights at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. We used some of our Disney Vacation Club points to stay on the concierge level of the Disneyland Hotel. The service was great and the view excellent! Two nights and two parks worked out well for us.

We happened to be at California Adventure when High School Musical 2 was debuting. There was a show and parade, and we were able to catch the float as it sped by. I had no idea at the time of its popularity. Now I know.

Another highlight was the Finding Nemo Submarine Adventure. The old submarine ride has been updated with newer, more accessible submarines and a whole new underwater world. We took advantage of the popularity of the ride (a three-hour wait!) and rode other rides early with shorter lines. We went back and took the Nemo ride later after things calmed down (and one of the parades was going).

Book Review: Cooking Rocks

Jay — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 14:35:10 +0000

Have kids? Looking to have some fun with them and teach them some important skills at the same time? We picked up Rachael Ray’s Cooking Rocks a couple of weeks ago. To start off, if you answer yes to both of the questions above, then you should check out this book. It has easy-to-understand, practical instructions, with an emphasis on safety, for kids aged 4 and above. I like the fact that all of the recipes (some modifications will be in order as the kids get older) can travel through the lifetime of the cooks. So far we’ve had the Middle Eastern Rice Bowl and one of the pizza recipes modified a bit (for last night’s Super Bowl). Yumm-o!

Early Summer Movie Report

Jay — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 09:40:02 +0000

After finishing my doctoral coursework in late May, I took a few weekends off in June to catch up on taxes, family time, and watch some movies…

First up was Batman Begins which I have to say is one of the best of all the Batman movies I have seen. There is no doubt that Michael Keaton did a great job as Batman, but Christian Bale (the new one), is really, really good. In addition, most of the supporting cast is top notch, and they play their parts well. I remember the big surprise I had when I made the move from the U.S. TV series to the comic book. Dark was the word, and this movie is as dark as it should be. We learn how Batman, one of the only (or the only) American comic figures, learned all the skills he has to kick some bad-guy butt. This one is highly recommended for anyone who liked the earlier movies or those who are curious about how Batman came to be. Just leave the story from the original movie at the door…

The next weekend was set aside for the first show of the first day of the pre-preview screening of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. I have to say that the climax has been worth the 28-year wait! We all know the result, but we get to find out the how. Even if you think the story’s too predictable, the scenery, the CG effects, and most of the acting will help you to forget any predictability. If you have seen any of the others, you need to see this one.

This past weekend meant another trip to the theater to see War of the Worlds. Decent acting and great effects are the highlights. If you have seen any Spielberg movies (and who hasn’t?), then you can know how the scary parts work. If you saw Jurassic Park and know the kitchen scene, then you know how things will be in WotW.

Next up is The Fantastic Four…