Disney Globetrotter

Your Guide to Disney Parks Around the World

Erin De Santiago

Hong Kong Disneyland: Gingerbread Village for 2010 Sparkling Christmas Event

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For Hong Kong Disneyland’s 2010 “A Sparkling Christmas” event that wrapped up last week, the focal point was the massive Gingerbread Village at the end of Main Street.  Many of the main Disney characters were featured with their own “shops” and the village was pretty busy all day long as guests attempted to get their photos in front of each building.

I have to commend Hong Kong Disney for the level of detail and intricacy that went into the Gingerbread Village.  Each “store” had elements completely unique to the character(s) it represented.  Some had “windows” that featured information in Chinese, English, and Japanese about the character(s) history, while others featured illustrative Christmas scenes.

Gingerbread Village at Hong Kong Disneyland

As the sun set, the Gingerbread Village was aglow, creating the perfect backdrop for the nighttime parade!  Here are some of my favorite shots from the afternoon.

Mickey's Candy Shop
Love the shape of Donad Duck's House!
Chip and Dale's Treehouse
Mickey and Minnie wreath on the door
One of the window scenes

Be sure to check out the gallery below to see more photos of Hong Kong Disneyland’s Gingerbread Village!

Tokyo Disney Resort: Christmas Fantasy Dessert & Pin from Ambassador Hotel

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As part of the 10th Anniversary celebration at the Ambassador Hotel, several restaurants have been offering special commemorative dining pins in conjunction with seasonal entrees and desserts.  While some of the pins are only available from the nearly $200+ dinner sets, there are several locations that offer more reasonably priced options.

During Tokyo Disney Resort’s Christmas festivities this past month, the Hyperion Lounge featured a special “Christmas Fantasy” dessert and a seasonal beverage.

Christmas Fantasy offerings displayed at Hyperion Lounge entrance

Christmas Fantasy Special Dessert Set

For 1,950 JPY, the Hyperion Lounge was offering a Dark Chocolate Mousse, Yule Log-Style, with Raspberry-Anise Sorbet.  This also came with tea or coffee (hot or iced), and while available, a special Tinkerbell Christmas Fantasy pin.

The Hyperion Lounge desserts are incredible and definitely a must try during seasonal events.  It’s a little walk from the Parks if you are not staying there, but worth it!  It’s a nice quiet reprieve from the hectic atmosphere of the theme parks and the desserts are fantastic!

Here is a close up look at nearly every angle of the Tinkerbell masterpiece:

Aerial view of the Tinkerbell Christmas Fantasy dessert
Front of the Tinkerbell Christmas Fantasy Dessert

Attention to detail is one of the refreshing aspects of the Tokyo Disney Resort.  Note the detail work and the few “hidden Mickeys” on the plate.

Mickey makes an appearance on the holly leaf
Mickey also makes an appearance in the Christmas Fantasy lettering
Powdered sugar snowflakes all around the plate

Check out the toadstools on the plate too!

Little toadstools adorn the dessert as well!

The degree of difficulty on their desserts always amazes me, not to mention the obvious creativity.  I cannot image trying to come up with new themed desserts each season, let alone executing them so flawlessly.  The large Tinkerbell on the top is a paper thin wafer, making the challenge of attaching her to the base, and adding a snowflake to her hand, even more difficult.

Close up of Tinkerbell and her snowflake
Side view showing how thinly cut Tinkerbell is
The giant snowflake around the base of Tinkerbell had a meringue consistency

While you might think paying $22-$23 US for a dessert is a lot, this is definitely something that can be shared amongst two or more people.  Don’t forget it comes with the commemorative pin as well.

Christmas Fantasy Drink Specials

In addition to the dessert set, the Hyperion Lounge was also serving seasonal alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  Since we were already at luggage capacity and pretty full (we ate lunch just prior to visiting the Hyperion Lounge), we opted to forgo the beverages this time around.  Here’s what they were offering:

Fantasy Stars – a non-alcoholic beverage consisting of cassis syrup, lemon juice, and 7-up, served in a collectible glass.

Ambassador Style Seasonal Flower Cocktail – called Cattleya, the drink includes Absolut Citron, cranberry juice, grapefruit syrup, and tonic water, and it came with a collectible glass marker.

Christmas Fantasy display at Hyperion Lounge

To see the seasonal desserts and treats available inside Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySEA, please see these posts:

2010 Christmas Treats at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySEA

Duffy the Disney Bear and Shellie May Christmas Treats at Tokyo DisneySEA

Tokyo DisneySEA Christmas Wishes: 2010 Themed Christmas Trees

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For the 2010 Christmas Wishes event at Tokyo DisneySEA, the Park was decorated with special Christmas trees in each land.  These were complimented by banners when you first enter DisneySEA as well as the “Seven Lights of Christmas” show that featured a host of Disney characters — including an appearance by Duffy the Disney Bear and Shellie May!

Although I was only at Disney this trip for 1 1/2 days, I was able to take in all the shows and photograph the seasonal decorations around the Parks.  Here is a look at the special Christmas trees and banners.  You will note that most of these photos were taken during the evening hours — I wanted to capture the trees lit up at night as I find Christmas trees to be even more beautiful when they are just illuminated by the lights on the tree and the moonlight above.

The first banner was for Mickey and the Christmas tree that adorned the Mediterranean Harbor area.  Notice the details — the base of the tree and the tree itself contain Mickey shaped designs and ornaments.

Christmas Banner for Mediterranean Harbor
Mediterranean Harbor Christmas Tree at Tokyo DisneySEA

The second banner depicts Goofy and Pluto at Mysterious Island and the abstract tree that was showcased there.  The picture of the tree does not do justice to what a scenic area of DisneySEA this is during the evening hours.  Mysterious Island tends to be very dark and the blue and purple hues coming from the volcano are one of my favorite aspects of this park at night.

Christmas Wishes banner for Mysterious Island
Christmas Tree in Mysterious Island at Night
Used flash just to get details on base of Christmas tree

The next banner is for Mermaid Lagoon and features who else, but Ariel herself.  This was definitely one of the more popular trees and we had to wait for probably five minutes before we could get a decent shot of it.

Mermaid Lagoon Christmas Tree Banner
Mermaid Lagoon Christmas Tree
Close up of Ariel ornament on tree

After Mermaid Lagoon, the next Christmas tree you will encounter is for Aladdin and the Arabian Coast.  This tree was incorporated into the main fountain that is the central focal point for this land.

Aladdin and the Christmas Tree for Arabian Coast
View of the Arabian Coast Christmas Tree and Fountain

Tucked in the back of Tokyo DisneySEA is the Lost River Delta, which featured Donald and Daisy for the Christmas Wishes Event.  The Lost River Delta tree was rustic, and primitive — using an actual tree for the display.  It was massive and featured simple ornaments and “paper” lanterns with Donald and Daisy on them.  What a great way to use the existing landscape of DisneySEA!

Donald, Daisy, and the Lost River Delta Christmas Tree
Lost River Delta tree with some flash lighting
Lost River Delta tree in moonlight
Lanterns on the Lost River Delta tree

Moving on from the Lost River Delta area, the next stop on our list was Chip and Dale’s tree in Port Discovery with another modern take on the traditional Christmas tree.  Each “layer” of the tree featured numerous snowflakes and Chip and Dale were reflected in the compass on the front of the tree.  This was a fun tree to photograph as the colors gradually changed every few seconds, giving the tree a completely different look in the dark.

Chip and Dale with the Port Discovery Christmas Tree
Port Discovery Christmas Tree
Another shot of the Port Discovery tree

After Port Discovery, the next tree on the list was a much anticipated one.  So much so that I photographed it several times throughout the day!  There was a special Duffy the Disney Bear and Shellie May Christmas tree for the American Waterfront right in the middle of Cape Cod.  There was a pretty lengthy line all day long as people waited to have their photos taken with their own Duffy and Shellie May bears.

Minnie Mouse and the Duffy and Shellie May Christmas tree
Duffy the Disney Bear and Shellie May Christmas tree during the day
Backside of the Duffy and Shellie May tree
Duffy and Shellie May tree lit up at night
Close up of Duffy and Shellie May on the tree

Also, in the main area of the American Waterfront, there was a giant Christmas tree filed with ornaments and other decorative elements.

Giant American Waterfront Christmas tree during the day
Giant Christmas tree at night in American Waterfront

I will post additional photos of other park decorations, the Seven Lights of Christmas and Christmas Wishes shows, and merchandise.  To see the Christmas themed treats Tokyo DisneySEA offered this year, please see these two posts:

https://disneyglobetrotter.com/2010/12/25/duffy-the-disney-bear-and-shellie-may-christmas-treats-at-tokyo-disneysea/

https://disneyglobetrotter.com/2010/12/27/2010-christmas-treats-at-tokyo-disneyland-and-disneysea/


2010 Christmas Treats at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySEA

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For the 2010 Christmas festivities at the Tokyo Disney Resort, both Disneyland and DisneySEA featured some festive goodies in souvenir plates and cups.  These treats are quite popular with the local fans who will stand in some pretty lengthy lines to ensure they get at least one of the collectible plates or cups.  I am a diehard and figure if I am going to fly out for the holiday events, why not just get all the souvenir dishes!  As compared to other food items and theme park food prices in general, these are quite a deal at either 600 yen or 700 yen each.

Tokyo Disneyland 2010 Christmas Fantasy Holiday Desserts

As with other holidays, the two food stands surrounding the main holiday displays in Tokyo Disneyland sell desserts — one will usually sell the cup and the other the dessert.  This year, they offered a third holiday themed dessert as well!

The first and most popular dessert we tried was the soft cookies, shaped like gingerbread Mickey and Minnie, available for 350 yen.  We were at Disneyland on a Thursday night (12/16) and it was quite busy.  Of all the desserts, this one had the longest line as people were buying up cookies before the holiday fireworks began.

Mickey and Minnie soft cookies at Tokyo Disneyland for Christmas Fantasy 2010
A close up of the Mickey and Minnie soft cookies

For the souvenir cup, the dessert was a pear mousse with a little chocolate reindeer on top.  The mousse cup is 700 yen and sits inside the souvenir cup without getting it dirty.  As with all souvenir snacks, the Cast Member gives you a plastic bag to put your cup or plate in and you don’t need to waste time cleaning them as the food never makes contact with the dish!

A Christmas Fantasy pear mousse with chocolate reindeer for 2010
One side of the 2010 Christmas Fantasy souvenir cup
Other side of the Christmas Fantasy 2010 cup

To match the Christmas Fantasy cup, Disneyland was selling a strawberry cream puff, also with a little chocolate reindeer on top, for 600 yen.  Both the mousse and the cream puff were delicious and the perfect boost of sugar I needed to keep wandering and forget how cold it was outside!

Strawberry cream puff with souvenir plate for Christmas Fantasy 2010
Close up of the strawberry cream puff

Tokyo Disney is known for their attention to detail and these souvenir cups and plates are no exception.  Even the bottom of each are adorned and feature Christmas themed Disney characters.

Bottom detail of the 2010 Christmas Fantasy souvenir plate and cup

Tokyo DisneySEA Christmas Wishes 2010 Desserts

Both Disneyland and DisneySEA usually have a dessert plate and cup you can collect.  This year, Tokyo DisneySEA offered adorable dark blue plates and cups with the Christmas Wishes theme.  The souvenir cup featured a strawberry milk mousse topped with a chocolate holly leaf.  The cup is 700 yen and features Mickey and Minnie, along with gold silhouettes of Mickey and Minnie on the bottom.

Strawberry milk mousse for 2010 Christmas Wishes
Detail on 2010 Christmas Wishes souvenir cup from Tokyo DisneySEA
Other side of the 2010 Christmas Wishes souvenir cup from Tokyo DisneySEA

The souvenir plate at Tokyo DisneySEA has the Christmas Wishes design and features Chip and Dale on the bottom for 600 yen.  The dessert offered with the souvenir plate is a white chocolate mousse cake with green tea flavor.  Both of these holiday treats were available from the food stall near the S.S. Columbia in the American Waterfront.

White chocolate mousse cake with holly leaf for Christmas Wishes 2010
Detail on Christmas Wishes plate and cup for 2010
Detail on the bottom of the Christmas Wishes plate and cup

To see all the seasonal Duffy the Disney Bear treats that were available, please see the post: Duffy the Disney Bear and Shellie May Christmas Treats at Tokyo DisneySEA.

Duffy the Disney Bear and Shellie May Christmas Treats at Tokyo DisneySEA

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Of course, no holiday celebration at the Tokyo Disney Resort would be complete without Duffy and Shellie May!  For Christmas 2010, Tokyo DisneySEA offered four Duffy the Disney Bear related snacks and desserts.  There were souvenir plates and cups for Duffy and Shellie May, a new popcorn basket, and even a Duffy shaped cookie!

Tokyo DisneySEA Duffy Cookie

There is a fun treat available now — soft cookies in the shape of Duffy’s head for 350 yen.  This is a new food stall (at least it was not there when I was at DisneySEA in September), so I am wondering if it is going to be a regular fixture in Cape Cod.

Duffy the Disney Bear cookie at Tokyo DisneySEA
Close up of Duffy the Disney Bear cookie
Duffy the Disney Bear food stall
Close up of sign and decorations on new food stall

Tokyo DisneySEA Duffy and Shellie May Christmas 2010 Souvenir Plates and Cups

For the seasonal Duffy and Shellie May plates and cups, some people are under the impression you have to go to the “My Friend Duffy” show in order to purchase them, but you do not.  They have two lines — one for those who want to purchase just food and the other long line is the one to purchase food and see the show.  To purchase the souvenir desserts, go to the line on the left and tell them you are just there for food.

Cute seasonal sign for Duffy and Shellie May souvenir desserts

Thankfully, I had my husband with me this trip so I did not look like a total pig ordering all four desserts!  When I was out in September, I was all alone (except for the Duffy Bears in tow of course) and felt completely self-conscious ordering four desserts and one drink!  I ended up eating only two and took the other two back to my hotel for breakfast the next two days!

For the 2010 Christmas event, Tokyo DisneySEA sold Salted Caramel Mousse for the souvenir cups (600 yen each) and Strawberry Custard Tarts with the souvenir plates (700 yen each).   Proof of Tokyo Disney’s attention to detail is further demonstrated in the desserts as each contains either a Shellie May or Duffy cookie on top — they do not skimp and feature just the Duffy Bear dessert they put on each plate or cup.  It’s the small touches like this that make me fall more in love with the Tokyo Disney Resort.

Shellie May Christmas 2010 plate detail
Front side of the 2010 Christmas Shellie May cup
Back side of the 2010 Christmas Shellie May cup
2010 Christmas Duffy the Disney Bear souvenir plate
Front side of Duffy the Disney Bear 2010 Christmas souvenir cup
Back side of Duffy the Disney Bear souvenir cup
Detail on the bottom of the Duffy and Shellie May souvenir cups and plates

As with all the desserts I’ve had at Tokyo Disney – these were excellent!  The salted caramel mousse was awesome – so light and just a perfect blend of sweet and savory.  The strawberry custard tarts were moist and flavorful, without being overly sweet.

Shellie May salted caramel mousse cup
Shellie May strawberry custard tart
Duffy the Disney Bear salted caramel mousse
Duffy the Disney Bear strawberry custard tart

Duffy Seasonal Popcorn Bucket

The popcorn stand near Aunt Peg’s in Cape Cod still had the Duffy seasonal popcorn basket when we were there.  I had already seen photos online and was a little disappointed to find Shellie May was absent from the bucket.  Really kicking myself for not getting the Halloween one when I was there since they were both on it!  The Duffy popcorn buckets are not cheap, yet the lines rival those to get into Aunt Peg’s during a Duffy release.  The buckets are 2,600 yen, which includes milk tea popcorn, and if you want the matching shoulder strap, the price is 3,200 total.

Duffy sign on the popcorn cart
Duffy the Disney Bear popcorn cart seasonal signs and decorations

While the price for the popcorn bucket is high, the quality is high and they are quite detailed.  The handles are removable and they even include “plugs” to give them a finished look if you are using the strap.  I was never really into collecting popcorn buckets, but they are quite popular in Japan and I now have two Duffy ones and several seasonal ones as well.

Detail on 2010 Duffy the Disney Bear popcorn bucket
Detail on strap you can purchase with your Duffy the Disney Bear popcorn bucket
Close up detail on cap to put on bucket if you take handles off
Detail wording on the Duffy popcorn bucket

Which is your favorite Duffy and Shellie May seasonal treat?

New Duffy the Disney Bear Watch Released at Tokyo DisneySEA

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Last week Twitter users in Japan were buzzing about a new Duffy the Disney Bear item being released at Tokyo DisneySEA on Friday, December 17.  The Tokyo Disney Resort introduced a Duffy the Disney Bear watch that carries a fairly hefty price tag (32,000 yen – about $385 US based on current exchange rates).  I could not originally tell by the photos what was included as it showed a brown watch band, a navy watch band, and then Duffy on a chain.  Turns out the watch actually comes with two watch bands and the chain so you can wear him as a necklace.

Ironically, we had made plans to visit Tokyo DisneySEA on Friday in conjunction with our mini-vacation to Southern Japan for Brett’s birthday.  I had no plans of purchasing the watch based on the price (it is actually around the same price as I pay for a round-trip ticket from Taipei to Tokyo!)  I saw the watch in all the stores that sell Duffy merchandise and did not purchase it, even though the hubby actually gave me permission.  He was in line for the Christmas Wishes lottery the entire time I hit the stores in search of the Duffy merchandise we were still missing.

After we were denied tickets in the lottery for the Christmas Wishes show, Brett went to look at the merchandise and ended up buying me the watch for Christmas.  I think he felt sorry for me, because I was pretty disappointed we did not get tickets.  I am not sure how many watches they sold that day (if any) and I did not see anyone wearing it, but that doesn’t mean people did not buy them.

We bought the watch from McDuck’s and they had to go searching for one, which makes me wonder if they were nearly sold out there.  After pulling the watch out of the case, the Cast Member put on white gloves to handle it.

Although it’s quite expensive, I have to admit it is pretty cute.  It comes in an adorable brown suede-like box that has the Duffy logo in shiny gold on the box top.

Duffy the Disney Bear watch box
Close up of Duffy watch box

Inside the box, there is a nice warranty card — all in Japanese of course, although Brett was quick to point out that the only words in English were “warranty valid only in Japan.”

Duffy watch comes with warranty
Inside of warranty where Cast Members write serial number

The Duffy the Disney Bear watch comes with both brown and blue watch bands and a silver chain.  The watch is quite heavy and the head is a bit large, but still quite cute.  The watch face opens to reveal Duffy’s face on the dial as well.

Two watch bands come with the Duffy the Disney Bear watch
Necklace chain is included in the box so you can wear Duffy as a necklace
Close up of Duffy's face on the watch
Inside detail of the Duffy watch
Back side of the Duffy watch
Hefty price on the Duffy watch

What do you think of the new Duffy the Disney Bear watch?  Would you purchase it, even with the hefty price tag?