There’s one particular restaurant inside Hong Kong Disneyland park that I’ve always wanted to try— Corner Cafe. It’s the first restaurant you see in Main Street, U.S.A. and it’s usually packed!
During our first few trips to the park, we did get to try the other restaurants like Plaza Inn (also in Mainstreet U.S.A), and Riverview Cafe near the Jungle River Cruise (Adventureland)— both of which also offer delicious Asian cuisine. But it’s been one of my goals to try out Corner Cafe, just because it’s the busiest restaurant in the park. Now I know why it is so.
Crystal Lotus Restaurant was our first stop during our Hong Kong Disneyland stay. I felt like I was in a Mulan film.
This is the entrance to the restaurant.
Oh, this bar/seating area is situated right before that entrance I just showed you.
And they have this “digital fish pond” too! Cool, huh?
This is the dining area upon entering. And then when you walk further and turn right/left….
This is what you see.
The place was bigger than what I expected, and with a much grander feel because of the very high ceiling and the chandeliers (they’re bigger than how they look in this photo!).
Spacious and cozy!
Hee-hee! It says, “lunch”!
Braised Seafood Soup with Crab Roe
I don’t normally finish soup that’s served to save space in my tummy for the rest of the food. BUT for this one, I couldn’t stop myself— I just had to finish it and pray that I won’t get full that easily!
Roasted Suckling Pig with Cucumber and Sweetened Paste in Steamed Piggy Mask Buns
….I found this particularly cute. It’s the Three Little Pigs about to be eaten by one hungry wolf! Look, there are the two little pigs….
….and the other little pig that’s already cooked. hehe (This is just my interpretation)
Disney Dim sum Platter
Three Little Pigs Barbecue Pork Bun and Little Green Men Pork and Vegetable Bun
Cute noh??
Mickey’s Seafood Glutinous Pancake
I’m so happy the kids didn’t have the heart to eat Mickey! I took the burden off them! *wink*
Wok-fried Chicken and Longan with Sweet Sour Sauce
This was perfect! The chicken was still crispy on the outside, yet oh so juicy and tasty inside. And how the sauce coated the chicken…..like I said, perfect!
Wok-fried Shrimps and Disney Root Vegetables
Oh, by “Disney root vegetables” they meant full of not-so-hidden Mickeys and Mickey gloves!
And the most delicious fried rice I’ve had ever…
Baked Tasmanian Crab Meat Fried-Rice in Whole Crab Shell!
Chilled “Mickey’s” Red Bean Honey Pudding and Chilled Mickey’s Green Tea Jelly
The Green Tea Jelly was a personal favorite of mine. Good thing I convinced the kids that green tea is for grown-ups.
Refreshing Jasmine Tea
I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures as much as I did eating the real thing…but nah, I highly doubt it! It’s really goooood…. The next time you are in Hong Kong Disneyland, have lunch here!
Crystal Lotus Restaurant is located inside the Disneyland Resort Hotel.
We started day two with a delightful breakfast treat at the Enchanted Garden. It is located at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which is very appropriate as it matches the whole Victorian-inspired theme of the hotel. I’ve been wanting to try dining here, since first of all, it’s a buffet (who doesn’t like buffet???) and also, I wanted the kids to experience dining with some of their favorite Disney characters.
Did someone say “buffet”???
So you eat here too, Mickey?
At first, Mika was scared and refused to go near the characters. I don’t know, I think it was the thought of the characters she usually just sees on TV coming to life and being so close to her that intimidated her. But after a while, she couldn’t stop running to them and hugging them! I was extremely happy for her! She overcame her fear!
Goofing around with Goofy
I’m loving your smile, Alyanna!
Mika can’t get enough of him!
I tell you, this restaurant could not just boast about their concept of having the chance to meet and greet the Disney stars, but their good food, too! (Again, you would have to watch out for my food-dedicated post for this!)
After filling our tanks with enough energy supply for the morning (well, honestly I think what we ate was enough to provide us with energy for the whole day), we headed off to Disneyland park once again.
Even though it was our second day at the park, I still marveled at the sights and the atmosphere of the place. Upon entering Main Street, USA, you quickly forget about everything else and feel that you are entering a whole different world. Main Street, USA is where you can find all sorts of stores for different souvenir items that you might want to bring home. From photographs and jewelry for the grown-ups, to the candies and toys for the kids—Main Street, USA is where you go to look for all Disney items you desire to keep.
Main Street, U.S.A. at night
Ever since we stepped foot in Hong Kong, the kids have been excited to ride the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters so off to Tomorrowland we headed. My girls have some competitive blood in them, and so the idea of earning points and checking to see how they measure as space rangers was exciting for them.
Tomorrowland has other rides that kids and kids-at-heart can enjoy such as the Space Mountain, Orbitron, UFO Zone, and Autopia.
Next stop: Fantasyland! Here we find more rides that kids would enjoy. Mad Hatter Tea Cups, Cinderella Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and my girls’ favorite—The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
We tried all the rides until it was time for lunch (yay!) . We headed back to Tomorrowland to eat at the Starliner Diner, which served American food. We wanted something that was quick to eat, since we had to catch the next schedule for the Stitch Encounter. The Stitch Encounter caters to different languages, so you would first have to check the schedule for your preferred language.
I can’t really tell if they are hungry…. :p
After the Stitch Encounter, we were actually considering going back to the rides and skipping the parade since we were already here the previous day, but as we were walking along the Sleeping Beauty Castle, one of the cast members spotted the girls and gave them Very Important Princess (VIP) passes to the parade! Of course, we couldn’t pass up the chance for the girls to get the to join the parade again— and dance with the princesses this time!
Thank you for the VIP passes, Yin!
Snow White is saying hello to mini- Snow White
The Princess Dance
After the parade, it was time for us to catch the Festival of the Lion King (in Adventureland). I am amazed at the excellence of their production! I have always been a Lion King fan, so I especially enjoyed this show.
When we were done with the show, the girls requested to have a repeat of some of the rides, after which we used the rest of our time at the park to have our photographs taken with other princesses.
Took this shot while waiting for our turn to have our pictures taken. It really looks like a real castle!
Cinderella, meet Cinderella. Prince Charming, you’d have to wait 30 years before you can meet Alyanna! Hehe :p
Snow White, say hello to Snow White.
I loved our pace today, so relaxed—appropriate for the very cool weather.
So “at-home” in their backyard
As it was getting dark, we decided it was time to go back to Disneyland Hotel. We were going to have dinner at Walt’s Café. What a perfect way to cap off a relaxing day—with a relaxing and sumptuous dinner! I had one of the best coffee (if not the best) I’ve had in a long time. Thank you, Walt.
Day two, done. Tomorrow, we head back home. Oh how I wish I could stay here forever…
We took the first flight to Hong Kong so we had to wake up really early to be at the airport on time. I was a bit worried that the kids would have a hard time waking up and getting dressed but I was wrong. They were their most energetic selves at three in the morning!
Up and about so early in the morning!
Aside from the crew being so approachable and accommodating, I’ve always appreciated their energy. And I especially enjoy the games each time I fly via their airlines! They seem to have the gift of innovating and coming up with awesome ideas to make our flying experience memorable. Who ever said that you can’t fly and have fun at the same time??
The first thing on our itinerary upon arrival in HongKong was…wouldn’t you know it… LUNCH! Our first real meal for the day was well worth just having coffee bun and eggs for breakfast! We were brought to Crystal Lotus in Hong KongDisneyland Hotel, and oh I have to say—you definitely have to try eating there if you get the chance! I will dedicate a whole different post for all the food we ate. Suffice it to say for now, that Crystal Lotus made me one very, very, very happy mommy.
Ready for lunch at Crystal Lotus Restaurant
Enjoying the kiddie plates and utensils!
After lunch, we headed off to Disneyland Park. We were just in time for the Flights of Fantasy Parade—a must-see when you’re in Hong Kong Disneyland! We had a wonderful view of all the beloved characters in all their colorful costumes and floats, singing the song that’s still stuck in my head until now—“Come along and sing the song and join the jamboree! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!”
Yay! Perfect spot to watch the parade!
With our very friendly tour guide Janice
I am most happy about the fact that Alyanna overcame her shyness and actually joined in when one of the dancers approached to get her to join them in the parade. I saw that proud look on her face. I was pretty proud of her too. If you know my daughters, getting them to do anything in front of a crowd is a major feat!
Here are some of the things I do that have been working for me so far:
1. Choose your supermarket.
Consider the following factors: product prices, travel time and distance (Are you commuting? Are you taking a cab? Are you using your car? How much will you be spending for the fare or the gas?), parking fees…
2. Make a list.
Lists are our friends. They keep us away from impulse buying and help free up space in our brains so there are less things that we have to remember. Einstein did this, and look at the theories he came up with!
Free your brain!!!
3. Set a budget and stick with it.
Remember: there’s always next month to buy all those other items.
4. Bring a calculator.
Or the one in your cellphones would do. I have this thing that I just can’t get out of my system…I just have to calculate unit costs….per gram, per liter…..but one centavo saved per item, in ten years of grocery shopping will add up to… wow I’d be a millionaire!!
5. Don’t go to the supermarket on an empty stomach.
Hunger is your enemy! (I should know.)
We hear this often, probably because it does have an effect on our spending.
6. Leave the kids at home.
Well, sometimes I get to follow this. The supermarket is such a wonderful world for the kids, it’s like their version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This is always a difficult decision for me. On one hand, they do get to learn a lot in supermarkets; On the other hand, we also tend to spend more whenever they join us. So I just follow this piece of advice when the need to save more overrides my desire to be with the kids….which seldom happens.
7. Look out for items that are on sale.
Your well-loved products might be selling for half the price this time!
This could be tricky though, make sure you don’t end up buying something you have no use for just because it’s on sale. These things have expiration dates, my friend.
8. Bring cash.
As they say, cash is king. Plastics (credit cards) have a way of deceiving us into thinking that we are on a shopping spree. Cash would remind us of reality.
9. Don’t be deceived!
The words “New and Improved!” translate to me as “New and improved packaging so we can get more of your money!”.
10. Choose the least busy time.
“Fools rush in.” This just doesn’t just apply to love, you know. Don’t you notice that when there are more people, our competitive spirit seems to rise up, causing us to be more aggressive in shopping?? In the same breath, when we are in a rush, we usually end up buying on impulse.
Be wise and think through your purchases.
Okay, that’s ten. Any more will ruin the beauty of this numbered list.
Of course, I’m sure some of you have more great ideas. Please do share!!!
Our first real meal for the day was well worth just having coffee bun and eggs for breakfast! We were brought to Crystal Lotus in 
