A Magical Mystery Tour to Enchanted Kingdom

In front of Victoria Park’s Grand Gateway

September 15 Saturday

That morning Sonny Boy’s grade school basketball team at Mater Carmeli School won the 1st game over rival School of St. Anthony which it needs to beat twice in the Finals to emerge as champions. Sonny was the recipient of a hard foul late in the game. By God’s grace he didn’t have any major injury due to the hard fall.

From the school we went back to our home in Fairview where we met with Jeck Sagmit, a cousin of my wife for his transportation services in bringing my family to Laguna. We had to go to Manila first to fetch Odette who taught part time at De La Salle University.

After several hours of horrendous traffic throughout the City of Manila and along the South Super Highway and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), we finally arrived at the Enchanted Kingdom by around 6 p.m.

Family picture with EK’s mascot – Eldar the Wizard

I think this trip to the Kingdom was my family’s fourth and the very first for Joshua and Faith. You can just imagine their faces light up as we enter the gates of this magical realm!

Family bonding at the Bandstand

Aside from the fact that we haven’t been back to EK since 2000 and that my two younger kids haven’t gone there before, was the opportunity to hear and see the Bloomfields, an upcoming retro band play that evening at the Bandstand. If you have been reading through my posts, you’ll know that Faith is just goo-goo gaga over their songs particularly “Wala nang Iba”. Well due to the heavy traffic, we didn’t get to arrive on time for the concert but was able to see most of their first performance that evening and even their second one later that night.

The Bloomfields in concert

Located in Santa Rosa, Laguna, the Enchanted Kingdom (EK for brevity) considers itself the country’s first and still the only world class theme park in the archipelago.

The Kingdom has seven theme areas. The Victoria Park area welcomes every visitor as they enter the grounds giving a warm old world feeling with its grand carousel ride. To its left is the Portabella area home to the wet and wild Rio Grande Rapids ride, the 4-D Discovery Theater and one of my personal favorites – the Flying Fiesta. I believe it was the first ride I took at the Enchanted Kingdom This time around, it still was. Aside from the food booths and photo shops, Portabella also houses a relatively new attraction, the Xtreme Paintball. Adjacent to Portabella is the Spaceport theme area where you see the nerve-racking Space Shuttle, the new Kart Trak and Exodus Ride, the Bandstand and nearby food kiosks like Domino’s Pizza. Jungle Outpost at the extreme opposite side from the main gates conjures images of an Indiana Jones-type of adventure deep in the jungles of the Amazon with rides like the Log Jam and skill games like the Safari Shoot Out and the Amazon Hoop Shot. After a boat ride at the Swan Lake, you may want to check out the “jungle” food at the Amazon Grill. At the heart of the kingdom stands the majestic Wheel of Fate, one of the country’s largest Ferris wheel which is part of the Midway Boardwalk theme park. It houses most of the fun attractions the kids and I love like the ever favorites Dodgem (bumpcars), Roller Skater (mini-roller coaster) and the water ride, Bump ‘N Splash. Kids also like riding the Up, Up and Away “air balloon” ride but expect to be a little woozy after going around several times in this contraption. Electronic/video game enthusiasts will have a great time at the Steeplechase Arcade. Not for the faint hearted is the high swinging Anchors Away. If you have the proclivity to be nauseous and puke at every chance you feel to, this ride is definitely not your cup of tea! Neighboring Boulderville on the other hand is a pre-historic haven for toddlers and young kids alike. My sons loved riding the Air Pterodactyl and scaling the ropes of the Petreefied House. Joshua and Faith had a blast inside the Rock Quarry, a play area filled with multi-colored plastic balls. Last but not the least, you find in the middle of it all the Brooklyn Place, a theme area reminiscent of New York in the early part of the 20th century. Definitely worth visiting is the Rialto Theatre, a realistic cinema ride using motion simulators which currently features the “Peril on Akryls”, a sci-fi story involving a rescue team which saves the city from strange parasitic creatures. I remember during one of our earlier visits to EK Junior got scared while inside the Rialto much to the irritation of nearby riders who probably felt the crying ruined their out of this world experience.

Oh shoot! The Rio Grande Rapids was closed for maintenance

Joshua and Faith ride the Grand Carousel

The Bloomfields perform with their 2nd round of songs

Having a fun time at Boulderville’s Rock Quarry

Bumped into some of the Bloomfield’s band members

Waiting in line for “Pirate 4D” with Bloomfields’ drummer Rocky Collado

As Joshua, Faith and my wife roam Boulderville, Junior and Sonny joined me in watching “Pirates” the latest film at the 4D Discovery Theater.

Pirates 4 D is a 15-minute swashbuckling comedy adventure which stars Leslie Nielsen (Naked Gun fame) as Captain Lucky and Eric Idle (National Lampoon: European Vacation) as Nielsen’s sidekick. The audience gets hooked up in Captain Lucky and his band of buccaneers’ wild and wacky adventure as they search for buried treasure in a remote island. The plot thickens as a lad named Davey marooned on the treasure island a year before, secretly waits for their return with booby traps and then some to foil their wily plans. Combined with the use of advanced digital technology and various special effects, the Pirates 4D creates a great and unique multi-sensory experience.

A dazzling display of fireworks on weekend evenings at the EK

In front of Portabello’s 4D Discovery Theater

The only drag to the 4D Discovery Theater as well as with several new attractions is that they each require separate admission fees.

Junior and Sonny pose with a “retired” pirate

Junior and Sonny pose with former PBA player Zandro Limpot, Jr.

Waiting for our turn at the Midway Boardwalk’s Wheel of Fate

All aboard one of the country’s largest Ferris Wheels

The view from the top most area of the wheel was simply breathtaking! During daylight hours one can clearly see as far as the Laguna de Bay and most of the Tagaytay ridge in the adjacent province of Cavite. I have yet to lose my fear of heights and having hyper kids Joshua and Faith made the ride quite uneasy for me. My wife decided to stay on terra firma due to her health condition. It’s a pity she wasn’t able to join us to see this incredible view if only for a few moments.

Faith and her nannies are surrounded by cool EK souvenirs at the Grand Era Gift shop

Time has a way of flying fast when you’re having such a nice time. This trip is no sadly no different. Before we left the kingdom, we passed by Victoria Park’s Grand Era Gift Shop for some souvenirs. Quite pricey though of good quality, were the EK shirts and mugs that we bought along with the other not so good quality items like the umbrellas.

By the way, nobody goes to Laguna and leaves without tasting or buying its famous Buko pies (Young coconut meat pie). But unfortunately, not all buko pies are equal. It’s worth noting that the ones sold at the kiosk beside the kingdom’s gate are some of the tastiest buko pies I’ve tasted.

Midnight meal at Tapa King

On our way home, we decided to have a midnight meal at Tapa King – Commonwealth Ave. branch near St. Peter’s Parish church before going home. Tapa is beefsteak tenderly fried to perfection and combined to be served with fried rice and egg with atchara (dilled and shredded carrots, garlic and papaya). But this mouth watering meal and its famous source will be the subject of a different blog post altogether.


Our trip to the magical world of Enchanted Kingdom was frustratingly nice but short lived. By God’s grace my family hopes to be back earlier than after 7 years which was roughly the period that lapsed from our last visit in 2000.

With the magic it brings to kids 1 year old and one hundred year old alike, we certainly look forward to our next visit to the Enchanted Kingdom!