I was never much of an Adventureland girl. Growing up, Disneyland always meant Fantasyland and Toontown for me. So every time I’d style my park outfits even as an adult, I’d mainly focus on those two lands with either Princess or Mickey Style. But with Lion King in theaters on the week of our Hong Kong trip, I decided to give Adventureland style a go for the very first time.

And I have to say, I think I’ve been converted. I don’t think I truly appreciated the theming and attention to detail of this place until I styled an outfit around it, and it was really fun to discover places that I never took photos in before.

I put together this last minute Lion King outfit by pairing this animal-print tie-front blouse with a white denim skirt and my favorite hand-painted Simba ears.

The patterns and prints on these fabrics right outside The Festival of the Lion King made for beautiful backdrops for my safari ensemble.

Here I am working on my roar!

We also found this spot at the very end of the bridge leading to the Jungle River Cruise area, tucked away in a little corner.

Pro tip: Don’t just go for typical photo spots. Try to find areas where the sun hits just right, and where you can use little details that can add to your portrait instead of take away from it – like these beautiful leaves and this simple lantern. It gets the Adventureland vibe across without being too obvious. 

This was taken on the same bridge, except on the other side.

We found this area right in the queueing line of Jungle River Cruise. Since the park had just opened, we were able to walk in and take pictures without causing any disruptions.

Everything the light touches indeed – Adventureland (and Hong Kong summer) really gave us that wilderness glow. So much so that I couldn’t quite see it (as pictured here). Lol. But you know, Hakuna Matata.

After all, it did make for some pretty nice photos. (And yes, we are aware we look like we’re modelling for H&M – because that’s where we bought these outfits lol)

Pro tip: When Disney twinning, if the print and color of your outfits are the same, play with cut and style to make it more interesting. Since I am wearing a long sleeve blouse with a mini skirt, Ayn is wearing a sleeveless top with jeans. 

Obviously we had to catch The Festival of the Lion King while we were there. It was awesome, as always. And we cried, as always. It never fails.

There’s nothing quite like seeing the Circle of Life performed live, and getting to sing along to Hakuna Matata with hundreds of Disney fans. Music really makes you feel like you are truly part of the Disney Pride.

Adventureland was such a surprise for me. I’ve been to Disney in different parts of the world so many times, but I never really gave this place a second glance. It was always just a place I used to pass through, not somewhere I really stayed. And it has really taught me to take the time to appreciate more of the parks whenever I go.

I think I’ll have to try styling outfits for every land from now on. This has really encouraged me to think and create outside my comfort zone. Disney Imagineering is truly inspiring.

“From the day we arrive on the planet, and blinking, step into the sun.
There’s more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done.”
– The Circle of Life