Trip Report: “Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure” Days 14 and 15 – Taj Mahal

Once upon a time in India, there was an emperor who found true love and happiness through his chosen wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. He was so enamored with her that he gave her a new name that meant “the exalted one of the palace.” They loved each other so dearly that the empress was constantly by the emperor’s side throughout their 19 years of marriage. But upon the birth of their 14th child, the empress died. The emperor was so struck with grief that he vowed to create the most beautiful tomb the world had ever seen in her honor. Her name was Mumtaz Mahal, Her tomb is known as the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. This was the next stop on the Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure itinerary from Adventures by Disney.

Day 14

A breakfast buffet was set up in the Snow White ballroom of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. A nice mix of Western and Chinese breakfast staples started the day off right, with plenty of Disney touches. We had been pre-assigned busses and departure times to stagger our arrival at the FBO terminal in Hong Kong. We were one of the last shuttles to the airport, and once we were there, we were allowed to board our plane after a brief passport check.

The Icelandair flight crew continued to have fun with the safety spiel, doing it through a choreographed routine to “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid.

The jet’s chef prepared a wonderful lunch. I enjoyed roast duck with fried rice. The Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline gave a presentation titled “Lost on the Way to the Fair: Legends of the Enchanted Isle,” which would’ve been a stage-show version of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland sponsored by Coca-Cola. She showcased some concept artwork housed in the Walt Disney Imagineering Archives that was produced for the show. Two waterfalls would’ve framed the stage, with a moat between the audience and an island full of bird cages and totems. A volcano eruption during the show would’ve set the moat on fire. And at the end, the waterfalls would stop flowing, and drawbridges would extend out as an exit to the experience. The connection to the flight is that instead, Coca-Cola created its own walkthrough experience called “World of Refreshment,” which took visitors around the world to sample international Coke products. The first two destinations were Hong Kong and India.

The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, which has a small military airport. Going through customs and immigration there would’ve been a very lengthy process, so we instead made a scheduled pitstop in Lucknow to enter India at a commercial airport. It was still a lengthy process, and we were on the ground for a little over two hours. Immigration required not only passports and visas but also fingerprints and photos to be taken of each passenger. We then had to check back in for the flight, with men and women split up for security pat-downs after passing through metal detectors. We were advised by the Adventures by Disney team to leave any portable battery chargers, such as Fuel Rods, on the plane to avoid having them confiscated. We didn’t have to deal with our own luggage, which would’ve further complicated the process of entering India. Once we were wheels up, it was a short 50-minute flight to Agra.

During the flight, we were given our pin of the day. It features Aladdin and Abu flying on the Magic Carpet through the streets of Agraba that says “Namaste,” a non-contact Hindu greeting.

Following a 30-minute bus ride to The Oberoi Amarvilas, we were greeted by the hotel’s staff, who escorted us inside. Inside the lobby, each Guest was adorned with a handmade Jasmine flower necklace and offered refreshments. Checking in was as simple as walking up to a table, giving our name, and being handed our room keys. Each room here comes with butler service, and we were escorted to our rooms. By the way, every room here has a view of the Taj Mahal!

We also signed up for tomorrow’s optional tours. The menu of offerings had changed from what Adventures by Disney advertised due to high temperatures. Omitted items included a nature walk and visits to several other tombs, while a cooking class was added to the options. We were also asked to select from three dinner options for the following night, choosing between a traditional Indian restaurant, an international one, or staying in with room service. A buffet dinner was set up in the hotel’s ballroom, which featured a mix of Indian food and American comfort food for picky eaters.

The Adventures by Disney team gifted each Guest with a hand-made inlay marble plate made of the same materials used to create the Taj Mahal.

Before going to bed, we watched the sunset behind the Taj Mahal from the comfort of our patio, which was perfectly bookended by the next day’s activity.

Day 15

The best way to see the Taj Mahal is at sunrise. Not only will the temperature be cooler, but you’ll also beat the crowds. Coffee and pastries were available in the lobby of The Oberoi Amarvilas before our electric karts began transferring guests at 4:50 am. The streets were already beginning to hustle and bustle with shopkeepers setting up for the day. What you don’t see in pictures of the Taj Mahal is that it’s surrounded and protected by other buildings, which is how admission to the site is paid. This was all handled for us by Adventures by Disney, which sped up the process. We had to go through security and were instructed ahead of time to leave bags at the hotel if possible.

Broken up into smaller groups, we were assigned a tour guide named Sunil, who took great care in getting us through the experience. We entered through one of three gates, known as the Royal Gate, which is where many famous foreign dignitaries have passed through.

Sunil explained that Shah Johan initially wanted his wife’s tomb to be made of gold but was talked out of it due to the precious metal’s high risk of theft, as had been done on golden tombs in Egypt. Instead, he settled on white marble, which symbolized both purity and mourning. Commissioned in 1631, the Taj Mahal took 22 years to complete, with over 20,000 people contributing to its magnificence. Shah Johan was obsessed with symmetry and this hand-made marble shrine is precise in nearly every detail. This includes two structures on either side of the tomb, one of which is a mosque to the west, with a copy of it to the east that is called the “guest house,” despite the fact that it is neither a house nor do people stay there.

Agra was the seat of power for the Mughal Empire, a group of non-Indian Muslims who overtook Delhi in 1526. As a result, the architecture of the Taj Mahal and its surrounding buildings contain design elements that are both Indian and Islamic. All of the surface areas are made of Makrana marble, which was transported by elephants from 250 miles away.

All of the designs are intricately inlaid, using precious stones imported to Agra. Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan, Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, and Carnelian from Arabia. Carnelian was Mumtaz Mahal’s favorite, known as the “fire stone” for its ability to reflect light.

Even the calligraphy texts from the Quaran are hand-cut inlaid stone in marble. Sunil shared that the size of the lettering is actually different sizes at the top and bottom, but the eye tricks you into thinking they’re the same. It turns out that calligrapher Abdul Haq was a forced perspective genius in 1609.

To protect and preserve the precious marble detail inside the Taj Mahal, tour groups put on protective booties to avoid damaging the floors. Photos are not allowed inside, but it’s a grand marble chamber with more intricately carved and inlaid details. The one place in the Taj Mahal where perfect symmetry is broken is in the tomb itself. Originally intended for just Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s tomb was added next to hers, creating empty space on the other side. Shah Jahan had the foresight to know that people would want to visit this grand tomb but also wanted his dearly departed wife to rest in peace. So the real tomb is underground, with a replica on display.

The backside of the Taj Mahal butts up against the River Yamuna. You can see Fort Agra in the distance, a poignant vignette because the already sad story of the Taj Mahal has an even more tragic ending. Shah Jahan’s third son, Aurangzeb, overthrew his siblings to claim the throne for himself, imprisoning his father in Fort Agra until the day he died. However, his one request was that he be able to view the Taj Mahal each day, a wish his son granted.

After a breakfast break at the hotel, we chose an optional tour of Fort Agra to complete the story, seeing Shah Jahan’s view of the shrine he built for his one true love.

The fort was heavily fortified, with a moat, several walls, angled entrances to prevent an invader from seeing too far inside, and an uphill entrance as a last restart, with gutters from which boiling oil could be poured onto invaders.

Agra Fort contains several palaces constructed out of easier-to-carve red sandstone. While the walls once glistened white and had beautiful murals, it has not been treated to the same reverence and preservation as the Taj Mahal. Due to looting and vandalism, it’s mostly a shell of its former self. Still, you can imagine yourself standing her in the 1600s when the palace was filled with music and love. The fort is still home to a military base, with some areas off-limits to tourists, although it has a few resident monkeys.

On the way back to the hotel, we were given the option of stopping at Kalakriti Agra where artisans are still carving Makrana marble and inlaying the same types of stones that you can see inside the Taj Mahal. We were treated to a live demonstration of this intricate and painstaking process, with something like a small figure of an elephant taking up to 9 months to complete. Much of the work is done at homes by families that have passed on this craft for generations.

In the evening, we gathered together at the hotel for a classical dance performance. Women were given scarves and optional henna painting, while men got fitted for a turban.

During the event, our Adventure Guides revealed the pin of the day. This one features Jasmine and Raja from Aladdin in front of the palace of Agrabah, which was inspired by Indo-Islamic architecture like the Taj Mahal.

We chose Esphahan for dinner, the hotel’s Indian fine dining restaurant, where we sampled many delicious dishes. While we dined, we were treated to a live dulcimer performance.

And now, the sun has set on our time in Agra. Tomorrow is an early morning in preparation for our flight to Egypt. Until then, namaste.

Disney fans will soon be able to travel the globe from the comfort of their homes with Disney Around the World from Ravensburger. We brought along an early review copy of the game and look forward to playing it during downtime on this adventure.

Bonus: The Taj Mahal at Disney Parks

Our stop at the Taj Mahal was inspired by the destination’s inclusion in the attraction Soarin’ Around the World (aka Soaring: Fantastic Flight at Tokyo DisneySea and Soaring Over the Horizon at Shanghai Disneyland). However, the version you see in the attraction is computer generated as it is illegal to fly over the Taj Mahal. We found this poster in the exit of Soaring Over the Horizon.

The Taj Mahal is featured in it’s a small world. In Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland, the landmark is enhanced by Mowgli and Baloo from The Jungle Book.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, Mystic Manor has an entire room of artifacts from India, as shown on a map seen from the queue.

During our dinner at the adjacent Explorers Club, we dined in the India Room, which featured photos of the Taj Mahal.

There may be more references that we will discover at the Disneyland Paris Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. If so, I’ll be sure to include them in future trip report entries.

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