Inspired by the adventures of Lord Henry Mystic around the world, Explorer’s Club restaurant at Hong Kong Disneyland has undergone an exciting makeover, now offering a semi-buffet serving format with exquisite ingredients from different countries and cultures, as well as an exhibition of memories and correspondence between Lord Henry and his international friends.

The Imagineers of the Hong Kong Design & Show Quality (DSQ) team seized this exhilarating opportunity by adding new graphics, props and display artwork in an effort to enhance the attraction’s inclusiveness and relevance. With Den Den Tse as Producer and Kendall Elliott as Artistic Director, the new exhibits showcase Lord Henry’s passionate passion for making new friends and appreciating cultures around the world, as well as strengthening Society of Explorers and Adventurers (SEA) goals of expanding human knowledge and cultural awareness.

Customers may already know Lord Henry Mystic, the owner of Mystic Point and a esteemed member of the SEA. This secret society connects many characters and stories from Disney theme park attractions around the world. The Explorer’s Club restaurant is the gathering place of Lord Henry and members of the SEA to celebrate their globetrotting adventures. There they tell their stories and toast on their travels, and guests are invited to join them in appreciating the cultures of the beautiful places that SEA members have ventured into.

The display cases and cabinet showcase some of the treasures Lord Henry received during his travels around the world, including places such as China, Russia, Egypt, India and more. Many of his letters to and from his friends as well as other gifts he received from his friends are on display. In the cupboards, objects represent Lord Henry’s research such as Chinese rice stalks, spices from the Calcutta spice market, natron produced by Egyptian salt mining, and Russian tea-drinking customs.

Guests will be able to admire the murals that Lord Henry received as a gift from his international friends in the service of the Explorer’s Club. Beautifully illustrated by concept artists Sandra Liang and Dilara Polat, these paintings represent a common thread of food as a subject, each in the unique styles and exotic spirits of the distant lands he has visited, including fishing in China, the cuisine in India, animal husbandry in Russia and agriculture in Egypt.

Ahead of the launch of the new offering, Imagineers donned the costumes of Lord Henry’s staff at Explorer’s Club and hosted an engaging storytelling training session, while being in character, for the Food & Beverage team. They shared first-hand anecdotes and the improved storyline with the team so they too could engage customers with these stories when the restaurant reopened to customers on December 22.

These new exhibits illustrate the passion of SEA members for other cultures and invite visitors to the Explorer’s Club restaurant on a journey of cultural appreciation. Maybe someday you’ll be a guest in Explorer’s Club, try some of these delicious dishes inspired by other cultures, and maybe even learn a thing or two from their adventures!

by Frank Reifsnyder, Senior Publicist and Communications Manager, Walt Disney Imagineering