Celebrating my birthday at Disneyland!

I'm now officially in my mid-thirties! Usually I don't even celebrate my birthday, but this year hubby decided we should go to Hong Kong and spend it at Disneyland. :)

It was just a super short trip and it was just the 2 of us. I'm a huge advocate of the importance of couple time. Sometimes, we get caught up with our roles as parents that we forget to nurture our marriage. As a stay at home mom, honestly I can't help but sometimes get frazzled with the kids. And when hubby gets home from work, I end up venting my frustrations to him, nagging him to do this and do that. I've also been so stressed lately since it was the kids' exam week and I've been so busy making reviewers and helping them study. It was just so nice to have a short break and spend it together, just us. And yeah, I made us wear matching shirts (from Uniqlo) para super cheesy na talaga hehe! Ang dami lang namin kapareho ha ;p

Since we basically just went to Disneyland, we stayed at the Regal Airport Hotel. Super convenient since it's directly connected to the airport so no need to take a taxi or train. We literally just walked 2 minutes inside the airport and we were there. Plus, they have a free shuttle to Disneyland too!

I booked our tickets via Klook.com and their prices are cheaper than in the actual Disney website. I also got a 5% discount since there was a promo with BPI. The ticket is valid until next year, which was good in case you have a change of plans last minute. I just printed out the e-voucher and presented it right at the main entrance (you can also present the mobile voucher). It was so easy and convenient since no need to have the voucher exchanged to an actual ticket at a booth, main entrance na kaagad. This was my first time booking at Klook.com and it won't be the last.

I also bought a meal voucher since the reviews were good. The package cost P913 then I got 5% discount for using my BPI card so it was just P867. It's valid for one combo meal (1 meal + 1 drink) at any of the restaurants. You also get coupons for a free frozen lollipop or popcorn (we got the popcorn), and a $5 discount on a soft drink. 

We ate at Starliner Diner in Tomorrowland which serves American-style fast food. Since it's valid for any meal, we chose the most expensive one, the grilled steak which was $135 (about P885). The popcorn is $38 (P250). Then we got a Coke for $27 after the $5 discount. So we saved about P300. But if you won't get popcorn or the ice cream, there are available combo meals at just $99 (P650) which is cheaper than getting the voucher.

Btw, you have to exchange the Klook meal voucher to actual coupons at the Customer Service/Guest Relations counter near the entrance gate. I also told them it was birthday (baka may gift or something haha) and they gave me this pin which was defiitely a cute souvenir. :)

The last time we were here was in November 2014 and a lot has been added since then, like the Marvel and Star Wars attractions.

We headed first to the Iron Man Experience, which was a 3D ride that takes you on a virtual flight through Hong Kong.

While lining up for the ride, you also get to see all these cool high-tech creations of Stark Industries. The innovations are displayed in four exhibition halls: the Hall of Legacy, the Hall of Protection, the Hall of Energy and the Hall of Mobility. So you really won't get bored while waiting in line even if it was 30 minutes or more.

Then you pick up a pair of StarkVision glasses and you're ready to go! It was a fun ride similar to Transformers in Universal Studios SG. I loved how they showcased Hong Kong as the location for Iron Man's mission.

Then, we headed next door to the Iron Man Tech Showcase. We really thought this was some kind of exhibit or something. Little did we know, we were going to meet Iron Man and just have a photo-op with him lol.

The Mission: Dimensions of Danger attraction was a lot of fun! Basically, you get to step into the exciting Marvel Universe with this immersive, action-packed and interactive walkthrough experience.

The whole concept was to help Doctor Strange recover the Portal Nexus before Hydra does. Along the way, you’ll encounter superheroes like Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, and Star-Lord. The guide was just speaking in Chinese the whole time though so you just had to kinda guess what they were saying. But the superheroes were thankfully speaking in English naman. ;p

For Star Wars, we rode the Hyperspace Mountain, which was the old Space Mountain ride. There was also a Jedi Training show for kids and photo encounters with characters like Chewbacca and BB-8.

I love watching shows in theme parks, and I haven't seen Mickey & the Wondrous Book yet. We've already seen Lion King before so we just skipped that and watched this instead.

I super LOVED this show! Mickey and the other characters were again speaking in Chinese, but there were subtitles displayed on stage. Good thing the song performances were in English and they were all so fabulous! My favorite were the princesses - Ariel, Rapunzel, Merida, and of course Elsa singing Let it Go.

We also checked out the Fairy Tale Forest, a whimsical garden featuring classic Disney Fairytales as living storybooks.

I especially loved seeing these miniature castles of Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, The Little Mermaid and Cinderella.

This was also our first time to ride the Disneyland Railroad which takes you around the park. It was a hot day so it was nice to sit and relax for a couple of minutes onboard the train.

We also checked out some of our favorites like Toy Story Land. Definitely made me miss the kids since they loved the rides here like the Parachute Drop and Slinky Dog Spin.

When we were with the kids last time, we really made it a point to line up for pictures with the Disney characters and princesses. Especially Sleeping Beauty since she was my daughter's favorite. This time the only character I was able to take a pic with was Elsa since we just happened to pass by her and there was a short line. I remember when we went back in 2014 and Frozen was still new, the line for Elsa and Anna was SOOOOOO long! ;p

And finally, you can't go to Disneyland without watching a parade right? The Paint the Night Parade is one of my favorites and no matter how many times I've seen this, it still gives me chills and puts a lump in my throat. I end up waving and calling the names of the characters, and singing and dancing along to the music. Disney really brings out the child in all of us!

It was a super fun and tiring day, and it was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday. It was super hot though and it made me realize to bring the kids when the weather is cooler. I'm sure they would have been uncomfortable in that heat, kawawa naman. I think I lost 5 pounds from just sweating lol!

Thank you hubby for this Disney date! I love you so much and I'm so grateful for all the things you do for me and the kids. Sa 40th ko, Disneyland Paris naman ha? ;p LOL!