I've heard this phrase a lot "Disneyland is the happiest place to be.", for a kid who grew up watching Disney characters in a 13" CRT television, it was an understatement.

Last month, I was able to go to Hongkong for a 3-day trip. One of the highlights of this short vacation was when I found myself passed the gates of this famous theme park --Disneyland! As we alight the train, the music from the park welcomed its giddy visitors.

Disneyland in the daylight

Everything's just so magical. I loved how they valued the details of the park. From Cinderella's towering castle to the landscape showing Mickey mouse's face and the marching bands that played joyous music along the Main Street lane, every little detail brought a whole lot of my childhood memories into the daylight.

And it's not just about the place that excites the people but also the extreme rides that it offers. I particularly enjoyed the HyperSpace Mountain and the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Minecars, those two are extreme roller coaster rides! Here's a photo of the ToyStory Land where you can go from one point to another, seated on a coaster that goes up and down the track behind Woody.

Afternoon Parade

We spent the whole morning roaming the place and taking delight in the shops. And in the afternoon, the streets were closed to give way for the parade where festive floats fashioned with the afternoon light. Dances were also showed off by the talented performers!

Some characters and of course the Disney princesses graced the parade! One of the things I have noticed is that not only the viewers were smiling but even the dancers as they turn and sway to the music.

After the parade, I looked for a bench to sit on. I was feeling tired and when I looked at the castle, it was few minutes before the sun sets. The mountains behind made the view more surreal. And at that time, it was announced that Disneyland's celebrating it's first Christmas-themed season thus the lighting of their giant Christmas tree!

Colours Lit the Night

As I wait for the lighting of the Christmas tree, I got myself a postcard and wrote a note on it. I sent it to my home address as a for keep of the things I got to see right in front of me. As I wrote on my postcard, another set of performers sang, it matched the cold breeze of the approaching night.

Of all the parades I have seen in my life, this one's the loveliest! The streetlights were turned off, the music hummed the cold night and the colours lit the night!

When I thought nothing could ever top the night's parade of colours, a few minutes later, Disneyland had its "been known" tradition --fireworks display. All of the Disney movies I have watched since I was a kid, from Mulan to Merida, the soundtracks were aired as fireworks lit the castle's skies.