,,,I may not be of Motunui, but we will never get tired of looking at the sea-level horizon view from the balcony, whenever we decide to take a break from life's daily routine, and go back to our favourite home away from home in hong kong, to be warmly welcomed back by people who are almost family to us by now...it was good to be 'home'...
,,,but as familiar as the castmembers are, its been 6 month since we've been and there are noticeable changes again to services & facilities, based on the govt's updated restrictions/precautionary measures vs the pandemic, and thats whate i'll focus on for this review, for future 'explorers'...
...for those with breakfast included in the room reservation, Dragon Wind (DW) is your destination..its still set menu... i noticed a couple of items (that we used to order/pay extra for as not part of the choices ) taken off the menu but theres a japanese set included ...by the way, in the 3 F&B outlets, you are encouraged to scan QR codes to peruse the menu, instead of through old school hardcopy menus, ie less cross-contact through said items...smart! ...i assume for non-hotel gsts, walk-ins, breakfast not included, Chart Room Cafe (CRC) now serves breakfast (same choices as in DW) as well...World of Color used to, but now only open from lunch through dinner/closing....for a resort, food quality/portions is acceptable, prices reasonable, in all 3 outlets...my only comment/wish is that CRC's customer demand increases so that she can justify staying open the whole day like before, so guests can drop by anytime to get snacks, specialty coffees/drinks, coz sometimes you really just want something quick but not in a restaurant or from room service, especially if you're staying longer than a night....oh, and room service is still available, including during overnight, albeit limited choices (vs room service menu of HK Disneyland Hotel) ...and if it's not too much, maybe let guests have access to buy popcorn in the Lodge, especially for those who prefer to hang in the hotel vs going into the park for it..
...theres a limit capacity for Dewdrop Pool, increased cleaning schedule as well..and since the Lodge is only accepting room reservations for the weekends, thus results to high/full occupancy, in order for the Lodge tobe able to accomodate interested guests, you need to reserve a time slot once per day/stay so that the they can evenly distribute pool usage time/capacity...fair enough...the pool and its clean surroundings remain as fun, peaceful and relaxing as its looked and been since the Lodge opened...
...theres an area in the Oceania Gardens where lawn chairs are set up for guests to relax in, maybe order some wine & snacks to watch the sunset (reasonably priced, trust me)..you can have a badminton area set up... scooters can be rented out for kids (& kids-at-heart?) to 'scoot' on the paths along the gardens...whoever came up with this area/idea really has the guests in mind, ie making sure that they really feel that resort atmosphere when on the grounds outside of their rooms ..am I right, Joe? ;)
...disney characters are still around, eg we got to say goodbye to Mickey as he waved from the balcony just above the lobby, still being able to have that 'character greeting' picture with guests, in this social-distancing world we live in...
...although we still have to stay in the ever popular ADVENTURER'S SUITE (maybe one day someday when its actually available when we are), everything else is more or less the same, still fun for the kids & adults, from when were there last, especially the big sized rooms, large comfy beds, the rainshower....and of course the Lodge's castmembers, starting from the staff looking like safari guides at the entrance, and the housekeeping staff (in their uniform that always reminds me of Belle's blue & white outfit)...everybody always has a smile &or friendly greeting no matter what time the day..
..as such, its my pleasure to give a the usual shout out to those who assisted+took care of us during 3D2N, ie those who are basically the same 'friends' we've met/interacted with in previous visits...if you're lucky to meet them, be rest assured that you are in good hands of caring staff who genuinely provide excellent customer service:
" Thank you, Karl & Ivy (reception) , Yan and Raymond (DW), Neville, Ivy and Mike (WOC), Calli/Brianna (Gst Services), KC in the lobby, housekeeping/security staff we met during our stay" ...and last but not least, thanks to the man in charge...the man with the silver fox looking pompadour, the man in his cool vest looking like he's just about to give the best ballroom dancing performance you've ever seen (just kidding, JF..haha)...seriously, "THANK YOU very much JOE FUNG" for possibly going above and beyond duties to ensure me & family really enjoyed but relaxed through last weekend...you're a good man with a great team behind supporting you..Disney is fortunate to have you boys & girls..good job y'all!....and "Mr Moriarty, BRAVO!!"
