Happy hours in fantasy land

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Apopular jingle on Indian television in the 1990s, showing all adult characters with their voices dubbed by children talking about a tasty jam, explains how a person irrespective of age turns a child on seeing what they love most. My visit to Hong Kong Disney Land — in substantial adulthood — proves this right.

It’s an expressive enough welcome: a water fountain with Nemo flushing water on which Mickey surfs, even while other Disney characters watch, tells us what is in store inside the sprawling theme park. And much of it has one almost skip a heartbeat, including a futuristic land, a journey into space and a roller coaster ride in pitch darkness with stars and meteors falling occasionally. Visitors can reclaim normalcy by helping Buzz (of Toy Story) hunt the enemy with laser guns, sitting in a toy train (Astro Blasters).
Fantasy land, peopled by Mickey, Minnie, Cinderella and the naughty Donald, provides ultimate satisfaction as we can relive an emotional connect with characters we have grown up watching on TV since childhood, and here they are in reality, greeting us.
The 3D show (or is it 4D because of the element of feel and touch), Mickey’s PhilharMagic, leaves one drenched in water accidentally splashed by Donald as he tries to escape from a situation created by his own stupidity. Donald takes us through Lion King, Alladin and Cinderella and finally jams himself into the trumpet, much to the annoyance of Mickey, conductor of the greatest music show!
The jungle river cruise to see elephants, crocodiles and apes and to get cornered by natives in artificially created thick jungles is a nervy experience. The RC racer, Andy’s speediest toy car, going at full throttle on a 27-metre-high U-shaped-track will get the riders’ adrenaline pumping.
The guests can at best hold on tight when they ‘fall’ from a height of 25 metres in a simulated parachute drop, a military routine Sarge undertakes for recruits of Andy’s troops.
The Grizzly Gulch, an exclusive of Hong Kong Disney Land, takes visitors through the Wild West’s attractions in a multi-directional terrain-style coaster which starts with the Nugget, the grizzly bear, accidentally triggering dynamite, launching the car rapidly forward. There is a switching of tracks, and the car is suddenly plummeting backwards at high speed with a criss-crossing of nine cars. The day ends with a spectacular light and sound show and a firecracker display. It’s definitely nice to be a child.