If you don’t know, tomorrow, February 14th, is Chinese New Year. And in Hong Kong Disneyland, the celebration has just begun to honor Disney’s most recognizable tiger, Tigger! The park is filled with luck as decorations flourish throughout the park. From now through February 28th, park goers will be immersed with a decorated Main Street, symbols of good luck around the park, and Mickey with his gang wearing traditional Chinese New Year attire.
Hong Kong Disneyland celebrates Chinese New Year like no other park. Management goes full out to draw guests into the so-so attendance park. One of the things the park does is decorate the park with new decor each year. This year is no different. From the moment you see the park, the entrance turnstyles have decorative golden Mickey figurines on top. Main Street is covered with flowers and other traditional items in the windows and hanging down from the walls.
But the decorations do not stop there. The castle bridge has special decorations as well as two banners on either side of Sleeping Beauty’s castle itself. Then, located throughout the park are special picture points each highlighting a different symbol. Genie represents prosperity, Aeriel represents wealth, Crush represents longevity, Snow White represents Romance, and Belle represents success in studies. All of these decorations are expected to only last this year so check them out now before they disappear forever! HKDLSource has a great gallery filled with all sorts of pictures of the decorations and all you have to do is click here.
The real highlight of the Chinese New Year Celebration is the entertainment. Hong Kong Disneyland has two large scale offerings for their guests: Jumping Jam and Celebration in the Street. Celebration in the Street is a small parade like celebration that runs down Main Street USA. It features traditional music, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and other performers as they march down Main Street twice a day. Jumping Jam, is new for Year of the Tiger! It is a 360 stage show in the “hub” of Hong Kong Disneyland, right in front of the castle! It features over 40 performers, acrobats, drummers, and more. Hong Kong Disneyland teamed up with an elite team of drummers so that each show would feature live percussion!
On each of the 4 spokes that extend out of the stage, there is a different style of acrobatics. One of them is a incredibly strong couple, another is a balancing act you have never seen before, and there are several other acts that are very unique to Hong Kong Disneyland.
Towards the end of the show, Mickey Mouse joins the celebration and plays along with the rest of the drummers before T-i-double g-er comes out to bounce around in the grand finale. Flags fly though the air as the beat of the drum radiates through the crowd in a spectacular confetti filled finale.
Hong Kong Disneyland may be small, but it is great at the things it does. The Chinese New Year Celebration seems like a great time to visit the park with all of the decorations, luck, and entertainment going around the park! I for one would love to see a park, stateside, do a celebration like this during 4th of July, but that is just my park thought.
So what do you think of the Year of the Tiger Celebration at Hong Kong Disneyland? Leave a comment with your park thought below.