We have guests from Sweden visiting with their two little ones for 2 weeks, so today I brought them to Disneyland!  They had heard it was not very awesome and to go to the other amusement park (ocean park).  I feel like I kind of had to convince them that this would be a good place to visit, because Hong Kong Disneyland for some reason does not have a reputation for being worth the time/money of going.

We all had a great time!  I don’t know what it is about that place; maybe it is all the happy kids or families together, and the  positivity running rampant by the park staff and Disney brand.  But whatever it is, I like it – and our guests did too!  After every ride, the four-year-old would be excited and claim that this ride is his favorite and ask to go on it again.

I did notice that the Disney rides all have a similar thing that happens (which is also echoed in the movies).  They start off fun, then something scary happens, and then something amazing happens and the story is complete, a metaphor for life served to the world.  So it’s almost like you the viewer comes to rely on the story arc so that you can get your “fix” of getting over the darkness with the help of Disney, who is always there for you.  It’s like they break you down so they can build you up.  

Anyway, I was happy to see that on this visit, I finally know the park enough that if I know what the visitors expect or like, I can plan a good day with a good flow.  It also really helps if we go on the week days – literally none of the rides had longer than a 5-minute wait. Do some rides, go to a show or two, eat some food, and again don’t forget about the rides – this is basically the format we follow.  It seems to work well to have some sort of plan, otherwise you are wondering around aimlessly and do not experience the park in it’s fullest.  But just like anything with kids, nothing can be set in stone!