Going back to Disneyland

I GUESS my daughter’s birthday wasn’t completely over!

Taking full advantage of a trip to Hong Kong, the sole purpose of which was a private corporate gig, we decided to turn the weekend into a mini vacation. My husband, daughter and I headed off to Hong Kong Disneyland to have an afternoon of happiness.

We had visited this particular happy place a few occasions before and I have written about those visits in the past. However, with Nicole getting older, every visit brings along something new and special, not to mention the park adding a new attraction or two to its facilities.

HK Disneyland musical director Rony Fortich (he of the legendary No Disclaimers birthday jam) met us at the Mickey fountain at the entrance of the park, along with VIP escort Chi Ping (her name kind of means “energetic apple,” which accurately describes her personality—perky and cute), photographer Alan and Disney PR people Maggie and Bernadette. The day was arranged for us as something special to help usher Nicole into “big kid-dom.”

All in a day

The great thing about HK Disneyland is its size: one can do a lot in just one day. Unlike its counterparts in the United States that would take a good part of a week to complete (falling in line would probably take up a good chunk of time, not to mention test anybody’s patience), this smaller park makes it possible to see many shows, sample the rides and grab a bite to eat at a relatively leisurely pace, without missing much. On this trip, we were very fortunate: Chi Ping’s presence guaranteed us a no-line day. Yahoo!

There was quite a lot that we were able to accomplish (despite the pouring rain): Nicole got to meet and take photos with Rapunzel, Cinderella (with whom she’d ride the carousel), Tinker Bell (just as energetic, pert and adorable as you see in the films), and Mickey and Minnie (all dressed up as a prince and princess), ride Dumbo and It’s a Small World, and see The Golden Mickeys. Mommy got to sneak in Space Mountain with Tito Rony.

On a personal note, I always make time to see The Golden Mickeys whenever I’m in Hong Kong. Chances are I’ll be able to watch a friend or two performing in one of the principal roles, and this day was no exception. Playing Bebe, the lead, was Raki Vega (a wonderful Ti Moune in Actors’ Actors Inc.’s production of “Once on This Island” a few years ago), and in the role of Quasimodo was Ariel Reonal (a colleague from the Manila production of “Miss Saigon”).

I am always amazed whenever a Filipino performs as Bebe, as this requires learning the entire 30-minute show in Cantonese!

Raki, not a native speaker of anything besides English, Tagalog and Visayan, sounded wonderful! We couldn’t believe how great she was, both at hosting the show in another language and singing the signature “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

I’ve heard my share of Bebe’s over the last few years of visiting the park, and Raki is right up there with the best. As for Ariel, his rendition of “Out There” was plaintive and beautifully sung.

Job well done

The entire show actually gets me all choked up, seeing Belle and The Beast waltzing, Tarzan swinging on vines, and Lilo and Stitch surfing the Hawaiian waves. Sigh. We were able to get together with Raki and Ariel later in the day just to express our congratulations and appreciation for a job well done. I felt very proud sitting in the audience watching them perform.

At 5 p.m. our companions had to take their leave, which left us to our own devices for the rest of the afternoon. Rob had spied a menu of Chinese meals in Tomorrowland (which he couldn’t believe), so we sat down for a little merienda of noodles, chicken and sausage. After our brief repast, we walked around a bit more, and ran into Nicole’s awesome Ninang Steffi Inocentes and her family (they were coincidentally enjoying the park the same time that we were). By around 7 p.m., we headed to the bakery for some of Maxim’s famous egg tarts to bring back to the hotel, and then took the train back into the city. Ah, efficient and reliable public transportation, how I love thee.

I’m sure that in the years to come there will be more trips to Hong Kong, which will undoubtedly include more trips to Disneyland. We’ve been told that there will be even more added attractions in the next few years, which we will be looking forward to. It’s amazing how, through the years, Disneyland has remained “the happiest place on earth.” I have a feeling it will remain so, for many more generations to come.

Steeping in standards

On June 7, I shall be opening my new Cafe Carlyle cabaret! Needless to say, I’m very excited, as well as extremely nervous.

To prepare, I’m now steeping myself in the standards that I will be performing (sorry, I won’t be writing my set list here), as well as a Filipino classic or two, and definitely some musical theater. The exciting and nerve-wracking thing is that for the most part, I’ve never performed these songs before. As in, not even in the privacy of my shower. So yes, this is something I’m definitely looking forward to.

New York City, here I come!

Happy Birthday!

Belated greetings to amazing designer Rajo Laurel (May 19), and advanced greetings to my “Gay of Honor” Victor Lirio (May 29). To you both, allow me to say this: turning 40 is nothing but fabulous. Much love to you both!