Introduction to Main Street, U.S.A.

Guests visiting Hong Kong Disneyland Resort pass beneath the tracks of the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad and enter magical lands of adventure, fantasy and discovery. The first land they experience is a living tribute to small-town America at the turn of the 20th century from about the years 1890-1910 -- Main Street, U.S.A.

Main Street, U.S.A. welcomes guests with a charming re-creation of America as Walt Disney remembered it from his childhood, an America of gas lamps, bustling shops and cafes, and miraculous "horseless carriages." It also serves as a first-time visitor's introduction to the concept of the "themed land."

Like all of Hong Kong Disneyland, Main Street, U.S.A. surrounds guests with a total "themed" experience, carried out in architecture, costuming, music, entertainment, landscaping and décor. It's like stepping back in time. The experience begins immediately with Main Street Town Square, a shady plaza surrounded by the typical buildings of a small American town: City Hall, the Opera House, the Emporium and the Disneyland Fire Department, plus the Main Street Station of the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad.

On either side of Main Street, U.S.A., shops and restaurants designed in turn-of-the-century style create a visual frame inviting guests further into the park. There might be a Town Square concert by the Hong Kong Disneyland Band, or street-corner singing in four-part harmony by the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet.

At the far end of Main Street lies the Central Plaza of Hong Kong Disneyland with the entryways to Adventureland, Tomorrowland and, through Sleeping Beauty Castle, to Fantasyland.

Petrol-powered vehicles, symbols of progress in turn-of-the century America, carry guests between Town Square and the Central Plaza. The vehicles include the Main Street Taxi, a "carriage for hire" modeled on early-American motor cars; the Police Wagon, inspired by an old-fashioned American "paddy wagon" with a "lock-up" compartment in the back to carry "suspects" down Main Street; and the Double-decker Omnibus, which offers a delightful view of Main Street from its open-air upper deck.

City Hall, in Town Square near the entrance to Hong Kong Disneyland, houses Guest Relations, where guests can obtain information, pics, ask questions, leave messages and find guidebooks in Chinese-Traditional, Chinese-Simplified, English and other languages. It is also the location for Lost & Found, where guests may inquire about items they have lost during their day in the park.

Next door to City Hall is the Disneyland Fire Department, actually a location for Stroller and Wheelchair Rentals.

The largest store in Hong Kong Disneyland is the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. Designed to resemble a small-town "general store," the Emporium offers an extraordinary array of gifts, souvenirs, Disney character merchandise, apparel with Hong Kong Disneyland logos, souvenir books and the popular Mickey Mouse ears. Two adjoining shops -- Main Street Mercantile and Carriage House -- extend the scope of the Emporium even further.

Other specialty shops on Main Street, U.S.A. include The Curiosity Shop (men's and women's apparel), Centennial Hall (children's apparel, plush figures and toys) and Main Street Sweets (homemade candy, fresh from the kitchen).

Town Square Photo, hosted by Kodak, offers cameras, film and other photographic supplies, along with guest photos taken by park photographers. Midtown Jewelry, presented by Chow Sang Sang, is located in the elegant lobby of the Main Street Cinema and features glittering showcases filled with jewelry and gifts. Crystal Arts, hosted by Arribas Brothers (who have been merchants on the Main Streets of Disney parks for 50 years), is a mirrored shop with glass figurines and collectibles specially created for Hong Kong Disneyland. Adjoining Crystal Arts, and also hosted by Arribas Brothers, is the Silhouette Shop, where guests may sit for skillful artists who create silhouettes with paper and tiny scissors.

Complimenting the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. are merchandise carts selling sundries, guidebooks and collectibles.

Dining is an integral part of the Disney park experience, and the restaurants on Main Street, U.S.A. range from the cozy Market House Bakery to the opulent Plaza Inn.

Plaza Inn, hosted by Maxim's, is one of Hong Kong Disneyland's premiere dining establishments, a classical Chinese restaurant housed in an elegant Victorian-style turn-of-the-century building across the central plaza from Sleeping Beauty Castle.

For more casual atmosphere and simple home-style meals (both Chinese and Western), the Main Street Corner Café evokes the comfort of a parlor in an American country home of the 1890s.

Halfway down Main Street, U.S.A., at the corner of Main and Center streets, is the Market House Bakery, hosted by the bakery division of Maxim's. In a warm Victorian setting, the bakery serves tasty and aromatic treats from the oven, including muffins, croissants and pastries.

With food, entertainment and shopping in a distinctive turn-of-the-century American setting, Main Street, U.S.A. presents a charming greeting to guests entering Hong Kong Disneyland, and invites them into the park to explore the other lands and adventures that make up the Hong Kong Disneyland experience.