Hong Kong Disney

Miniman was only three when we moved to Singapore so he has very few memories of our life back in Houston. One of the things he does remember clearly was the last Halloween we celebrated before the big move. We did all the traditional Halloween actvities: made candy apples, visited a pumkin patch, bought a boat-load of candy, attended the parties at the kid's schools, carved pumpkins, and went trick or treating. That year, like every year, all of the parents and kids on our street dressed up and went trick or treating together and Miniman thought it was the greatest night EVER.

When we moved to Singapore I had high hopes of continuing to celebrate all the holidays we enjoyed back home but apparently other cultures do not share our enthusiasm for Halloween. Sure, I can find some candy and a few costumes in Singapore but the Halloween spirit just isn't here. There is no pumpkin picking, no hay rides, no apple cider and certainly no chill in the air. The area of Singapore I live in does not trick or treat as most cultures do not observe the holiday and would have no idea why my children were knocking on their door and asking for treats while dressed in strange clothes.

Our first Halloween here in 2009 was a total bust so I was determined to make up for it in 2010. I planned a trip to Hong Kong Disney over Halloween weekend and invited our friends the Ketricks. Miniman and Hello Kitty (obviously not her real name) Ketrick were in the same class in school and adore each other. She's the Jenny to his Forest. Miniman constantly surprises me with how thoughtful he is towards Hello Kitty. One time we were all sharing a taxi and Hello Kitty mentioned she was getting hot sitting near the window. Miniman traded places with her at the next red light so she would be in the middle of the taxi and out of the sun. He does things like that for her often and without expecting anyting in return.
Hong Kong Disney was the perfect size for two four year olds. It's not nearly as large as the park in Orlando and the majority of the rides were for smaller kids which made me feel a little better that BGC couldn't come. We could make it from one character appearance to the next without having to hop on a train or kill ourselves sprinting from one end of the park to the other. The lines weren't anything like they are in Orlando either. On Day 1 we arrived in Hong Kong, checked into our hotel, and hit the park. We stayed in the Disney Hollywood Hotel and I was really happy with our choice. First, they let two families share a room which a lot of places don't allow. Second, the buffet breakfast was well done and had something for everyone. Third, nothing beats a free shuttle to the front door of the park. Day 2 (Halloween) we hit the park early and didn't leave until they were about to lock the gates. Because it was Halloween we let the kids wear their costumes all day and I would estimate that strangers took roughly 80 bazillion picturs of the kids that day. Day 3 we took the kids to the character breakfast and caught our flights back to Singapore.

Leah and I decided before we left Singapore that we would tag team parent. If either child acted up when their parent was occupied the other adult had permission to lay down the law. The kids were excellent so it wasn't an issue but it's good to have things like that agreed upon beforehand. We also each put a specific amount of money in an communal envelope that paid for things we all used like taxis and tips which was so much easier than trying to split things or keep up with who paid for what.
If I had it all to do over again I wouldn't change a thing. I would stay in one of the two Disney hotels, stay at the park until it closed (after the parade the park cleared out and we could ride the rides as many times as we wanted to), and attend the character breakfast. The characters did a good job of visiting each and every table during the breakfast which helped to keep the kids in their seats and not fighting for a chance to pull Pluto's tail.

On the way home, both of the kids were asleep on the plane within 10 minutes of takeoff and slept until we landed in Singapore. It wasn't the traditional American Halloween but it wasn't too shabby either.

Baby Girl Castello ended up having a really good weekend with her dad. They went bike riding on Palau Ubin, ate chili crabs, and enjoyed some much needed daddy/daughter time.