Louise Richardson catches the Disneyland bug.
Most people, however old, have an inner-child, and I reacquaint with mine very quickly when visiting Disneyland. In Hong Kong, we're at this iconic play space for only a few hours, made possible on a whirlwind stopover because it's close to the airport. While so much is comfortingly the same as at other locations, such as Anaheim in California (where we first caught the theme-park bug a few years ago), so much is different too.
First, there are the families. In the US, they are often large in stature — and girth — travelling in dense packs, many in matching outfits, perhaps to minimise the possibility of losing one another. In Kong Kong we're struck by all the little people in buggies, with their proud parents in tow.
The Chinese one-child rule has been relaxed a bit, but many couples still have a single, much indulged son or daughter, and on this particular bright winter's day, thousands of them have flocked here to see Donald (the duck, not the president!) and other endearing Disney favourites, with Tinker Bell, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie among them.
My daughter's already bought "ears", which are practically a prerequisite for a day at Disneyland. These hats and hairbands are particularly beloved by the teenage girls who dress up in childlike clothing and walk around the park chatting and laughing and, of course, taking endless selfies, holding soft toys depicting their favourite characters.
