The attention to detail in mini-lands such as Toy Story Land was stunning. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
Melissa Nightingale gives readers an inside look on a small girl’s tireless quest to find “the real Elsa”.
I will admit ahead of our visit to Hong Kong Disneyland that I had overpromised a bit.
“We’re going to meet Elsa today,” I told my 4-year-old daughter, Cleo, as she pulled on her Frozen-themed tutu dress. Like many little girls, she is obsessed with the movies and their ice-powered heroine. She can belt out Let it Go at a volume never before experienced by the human ear.
Having never visited a Disneyland park before, I foolishly hadn’t realised that meeting her favourite character might not be a sure thing.
The stunning design of the park and the magical moment of walking into the main street, seeing the iconic castle ahead of us, was of no consequence to a child possessed by a singular purpose.
“Can we see Elsa now?” Cleo asked as our tour guide led us towards the World of Frozen expansion. This mini-land is created to look like the town centre of Arendelle, nestled beneath a replica of the North Mountain which Elsa flees to in the first movie.
There was a buzz of excitement in the crowd and Princess Anna appeared before us, followed by a gaggle of wide-eyed children. Cleo gave her a shy hug and they walked hand in hand around the small “harbour” next to the town square.
“But I wanted to see Elsa,” Cleo said, ungratefully.
Our guide whisked us away to the Frozen Ever After boat ride, where incredibly slick animatronics took us through a floating musical journey to Elsa’s ice palace. Surely the small one would be happy with that? There was no fooling her, though. “That’s not the real Elsa,” she muttered.
The closest we came was the Playhouse in the Woods, an interactive theatre experience in which Elsa and Anna gathered children together to perform “magic”, but the pair disappeared quickly at the end of the show, and I feared Cleo would not rest until she’d actually spoken to Elsa.
This insatiable desire coloured the rest of our lengthy visit to Disneyland, with regular interjections of “can we go back to Elsa now?” as we worked our way through the park’s attractions.
Putting Cleo’s mission to one side, I will say that trying to see everything at the park in one day is not for the faint of heart. We arrived about 10am and stayed until the end of the fireworks finale at 9pm. This is a big day for a 4-year-old, especially when you factor in how tiring it can be to stand in queues for 30-40 minutes at a time.
Thankfully, the park is designed to be as helpful to parents as possible, and has plenty of places to rest your legs. There’s an abundance of clean bathrooms with family stalls, and stroller hire is available, and there are many spots you can safely park it while inside a shop, restaurant or ride.
The rides are truly fantastic in their immersiveness. Unsurprisingly, most rides are child-friendly rather than thrill-focused, but I did thoughtlessly take Cleo on the Hyperspace Mountain rollercoaster that – while safe for her height – was a bit too thrilling. It was almost entirely in the dark, and all I could hear from her over the noise was the occasional whimper. Oops.
“Elsa wasn’t even in there!” she said as we emerged into the light.
A great change of pace was the Fairy Tale Forest, a walking path packed with interactive scenes from classic stories. Cleo was also a fan of Toy Story Land and its spinning Slinky Dog coaster.
Highlights for me included the Mystic Manor ride with its whirlwind and slightly unsettling storytelling, and the Jungle River Cruise, with more impressive animatronics, flashes of fire and a fast-talking ride host.
I was particularly blown away by the attention to detail throughout the park, from the staff uniforms and queuing areas to the seating and even fencing, everything was crafted to tell the story of each zone.
I was all out of energy by the time the nightly finale rolled around, but the breathtaking fireworks and drone display projected over the castle were worth the wait. The music, cycling through beloved instrumental versions of Disney classics, awakened the deepest, most nostalgic part of me.
“This is the best Halloween party ever!” Cleo exclaimed. It was November 27.
I left Disneyland that evening, worried I’d let her down by promising too much and not delivering. Would the immersive mini-lands, painstakingly perfected theming and timeless charm of the park matter if she hadn’t met her hero?
I needn’t have felt bad. Weeks later, I overheard Cleo telling a relative about our visit. “I did magic with Elsa,” she informed them, proudly.
I guess this little girl’s wish came true after all.
HONG KONG
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Hong Kong direct on Cathay Pacific.
DETAILS
Visit hongkongdisneyland.com for more information.
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Cathay Pacific.