Disney does Darth

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND is riding the resurgence in interest in “Star Wars” with an elaborate new attraction called “Star Wars: Tomorrowland Takeover”, which opened on June 11.

Krungthai Card this month treated a posse of Thai news people to a tour of “Takeover”, a “reboot” of sorts for Disney’s “Star Tours” spectacle developed in partnership with the movie franchise’s creator and original director, George Lucas. 

Drawing on the characters and locales from history’s fourth-highest-grossing film series, Walt Disney’s Imagineering division came up with that attraction for Disneyland in California in 1987. And last year Disney bought all rights to the franchise.

“Star Wars” owns a Guinness World Record as the most successful film-merchandising franchise, having raked in nearly US$31 billion by 2012 with sales of video games and DVDs counted in.

Hong Kong Airlines flew the press mob over and a shuttle bus got us to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in time for a lunch of Star Wars Baked Yunnan Ham and Chilled Star Wars Pudding shaped like Darth Vader’s helmet.

The hotel has Star Wars-theme rooms (slippers, bed-runner and galactic cookies to greet you) and Star Wars costumes for youngsters are sold at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – as well as other gear, like a Disney Princess outfit for precious little girls. Kids will also want to sign up for “Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple”, where they can build their own light sabres and rise to the Dark Side challenge.

Shuttle buses are constantly puttering among the resort, Hong Kong Disneyland itself and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. That’s where we stayed. Mickey Mouse is on the bed sheets, soap bottle, shampoo dispenser and, yes, the slippers.

Hong Kong Disneyland accommodated us with guide maps printed in Thai, and we were doubly surprised to find free Wi-Fi with no password required.

Tummies refilled with waffles shaped like Mickey and Darth, we entered the Storybook Theatre to watch “Mickey and the Wondrous Book” onstage, all dancing and high-pitched voices. The book of the title spills its contents from “The Little Mermaid”, “Aladdin” and “The Princess and the Frog”, and Princess Anna and Queen Elsa from “Frozen” make an appearance.

Next it was on to Tomorrowland, where Chewbacca and R2-D2 were waiting to pose for pictures with us at the Star Wars Command Post.

Enough of the food and other preliminaries – it was time for some genuine excitement, and it arrived in abundance in the form of the roller coaster at Hyperspace Mountain. 

Fitted neatly into the high-speed ups and downs are all the trappings of a raging and quite believable dogfight between Rebel X-wing Starfighters and Imperial TIE fighters. For the incredible action we were fitted in turn with flight suits and helmets.

Those who still had the stomach for another meal rewarded themselves for a mission well accomplished with more Star Wars-theme food and beverages at a place called the Starliner, including the Darth Vader Burger Combo and the BB-8 Slush. 

While relaxing between episodes of interstellar combat, we watched what the kids ages four to 12 were learning in their Jedi Training. It was quite amusing seeing them wearing Jedi robes and putting to use what they’d picked up from the good Jedi knights. 

Some had quickly become adept at wielding light sabres and duelling with Darth Vader and the Seventh Sister Inquisitor from the franchise’s animated TV series “Star Wars Rebels”. Or maybe the Force is with every baby born these days.

Dark Side aside, Disney has never given night a chance to descend on its amusement parks, and in Hong Kong the evening brings an astonishing display of lights. 

These included an interactive light parade peopled with every favourite Disney character imaginable and, of course, one of those state-of-the-art fireworks shows for which the Chinese are so deservedly famous.

Our tour came to an end the next morning over an international buffet, at which Mickey and Darth waffles proved as popular as ever, especially with Chef Mickey personally pouring on the syrup.

 

Have card, will launch

 

- Holders of the Krungthai Card |can book a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland with the KTC World Travel Service at (02) 123 5050 |and www.KTCWorld.co.th.

There are loads of videos of “Star Wars: Tomorrowland Takeover” |on YouTube, including these of the spectacular fireworks display (http://tinyurl.com/h5rwa3l), the Disney Paints the Night light parade (http://tinyurl.com/hhr6vb6) and (http://tinyurl.com/zzpu9c3) and “Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple” (http://tinyurl.com/gumoz7u) and (http://tinyurl.com/jtpw4zk).