Thinking about visiting Disneyland Hong Kong

[goteamSy]

I'm looking for some guidance from those who have been to Disneyland Hong Kong. My husband and I are currently planning a trip to Asia and one of the stops is Hong Kong. We plan on being there for about 4 nights.

Naturally, Disney is top on our list, but I find the Disney Hong Kong website not very informative at all. We've been to Disney World in Florida many, many times but I've heard the Disney in Hong Kong is drastically different. I can't even get room prices to book on their website for 2013!

So from my research it seems there's only one park - so do we need more than a day to see it? Is it worth it to stay on property if we only go to the park one day and go to see what else Hong Kong has to offer the rest of the time? We love all the dining options in WDW, which is why we were thinking of staying onsite in Hong Kong, but it doesn't look like they offer the dining plan or anything like that. Do they have anything close to the amazing restaurants that WDW in Orlando has?

Just looking to hear some other people's thoughts on this and what they did for their trip to Hong Kong. Thanks!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Welcome to the DIS! And congrats for having a trip planned.

When are you going to Asia?

HKDL is a lot smaller than DLR and even smaller still than WDW. And yes, there is currently only one park there. Depending on the crowd levels and what you want to see and do, it is completely doable in the one day.

There are a couple of other Dis-sers around that have gone to HKDL and have stayed on site.
The HK DL hotel looks like the Grand Floridian and is a deluxe.
The Hollywood hotel is more a moderate.

I stayed at the DL Hotel and there are more restaurants there than at the HH. The food was amazing.

I did do a Trip Report on Hong Kong and if you're interested, you should be able to find it on the HK Board or the link to it is in my siggie below.
I know that Zanzibar also did a TR and she stayed at the HH; as has Belle2211. All 3 of us have gone this year and we all covered DL as well as HK in our respective TRs.

PrincessMelanie should be there now and hopefully she'll come back with more information.

Feel free to ask questions.

 

[Jitzy]

Hello! We were just at HKDL in July and had a fabulous time! The park is small, but it's fun! We did not stay at the parks, we stayed at The Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers in Kowloon. The transportation system is wonderful and easy to use. We had no problem making it to the park before rope drop. I would say you can do the whole park in one day. Just get there before rope drop and use the fast pass, just like any other Disney park and you'll be fine! Have fun!

 

[goteamSy]

Thank you so much for the replies! This has been so helpful... we are excited

 

[zanzibar138]

As PIO mentioned, DH and I went to HKDL earlier this year - March to be exact.

You're right, there is not much information about HKDL. The official website is good for a broad overview, but does lack a bit in specifics. And unfortunately there don't seem to be any unofficial websites that go into every tiny detail like there are for WDW!

We stayed at the HKDL Hotel for 4 nights (got a great deal on Expedia). The hotel was beautiful - the nicest I've ever stayed at - and the staff were excellent. Just a tip, make sure you request a non-smoking room if you need one! We wandered across to the Hollywood Hotel too, which also looked nice, but on a less grand scale.

DL is a fair way out of the city centre, so if you want to spend more time exploring HK, you're probably better off staying at a city hotel. The train system is SO easy and efficient, it's a breeze to get around! Otherwise, you could look at booking a split stay - I did enjoy just being able to walk back to the hotel after the fireworks

As far as the actual park goes, yes there is just one. And there is no 'Disney district' like Downtown Disney or anything (which we actually really missed). We didn't really dine that much in the parks, but the hotels have some very nice restaurants - check out the Crystal Lotus for something different! We really enjoyed all our meals at Walts, and also enjoyed Chef Mickey's, but I would only recommend it if you've got plenty of spare cash One of the snacks I really enjoyed in the park was a mango and strawberry flavoured Minnie ice-cream bar.

You should be able to do the park in one day. The more unique attractions are Grizzly Gulch, Toy Story Land, Stitch Live and the Golden Mickeys. Attractions that are similar but different are Jungle Cruise, Tarzan's Treehouse (on Tarzan's Island), and Festival of the Lion King. I also really enjoyed the parade, and fireworks were good too, but short. Be prepared for the cultural differences like lack of personal space, shoving, and spitting. Having said that, most of the queues were still very orderly, and I didn't see any characters being mobbed. I have blonde hair and I had people ask to take my photo, which was a little confronting for a shy person like me!

Anyway, that's enough of an essay for now Feel free to have a read through my TR if you want more detail - the link is in my signature.

ETA - I'd be interested to hear what other parts of Asia you're visiting too

 

[DreamSweetsLove]

I really recommend getting to the gates early and asking if you can do the opening ceremony. You will be the first guests in the park welcomed by CM's on both sides as you enter and then take a photo with the cm's and sometimes Mickey and Minnie. Then you welcome everyone by saying Welcome to HKDL and cut the ribbon to open the park. It is a great experience and really fun!!

 

[goteamSy]

Thank you again to everyone! This is so helpful!

Zanzibar, Hong Kong was actually a last minute addition to our trip, since you can fly direct from NYC. Our trip is to Thailand {visiting Bangkok and Phuket}, and our flight happens to have a stop over in Hong Kong. We decided to extend our stay for a couple of days so we can explore. We plan on seeing the city, visiting Macau, and of course Disneyland! We have yet to decide on a hotel, but judging on what others have said I think we will be staying off property, unless like you I happen to find an amazing deal. I look forward to reading your TR!

 

[Princess_Melanie]

Hello!!

Yes, we're here in DLHK right now - staying at the Disney Hollywood Hotel.

Just a quick post as it's super late and we have to be up early tomorrow to get to Ngong Ping

we've been in and out of the park on several occasions and have pretty much done it to death with 2 exceptions - we still need to see the golden mickeys and the lion king. We arrived on Saturday around 5pm-ish and by the time we got our luggage, picked up the rental phone, got a taxi to the resort and checked in it was around 7...by 8pm we were headed into the park lol!! This sunday is our next dedicated day there - to do the shows and just wander - pick up the last few purchases and then go back and have a nice supper in the Crystal Lotus.

We had the disney dim sum and thought it was great - used the Open Rice website to see what other things are good there and we want to try som normal food in there now

Other than that - the food is pretty standard in the hotel here and in the park - we had a wonderful sweet and sour meal in the hotel bar last night - nothing too fancy but really nice. We can't comment on the other restaurants in the DL hotel but Chef Mickeys here? Skip it - really - not worth bothering...even the signature halloween drink I ordered (alcoholic) tasted watered down...

Depending when you go in 2013 - the new Mystic Point area may be open - the new lands are great BUT - Toy Story land has 3 rides - 1 "coaster", 1 "fun" and one for kids really you get it done quick - Andy's Toy Barn is still in constuction - not sure what this is - ride or shop. Grizzly Gulch is just the one ride - it's good - kinda an Expedition Everest with not such a hight - but as our Tour Guide CM Danny explained - they wanted to build a land around a ride and not rides around a land if that makes sense - so it's well themed but not much else to do....

Not had too many problems with any overly rude people till we went to Ocean Park yesterday and then in Tsim Sha Tsui today - WHOA!!! Disney are really good with people cutting in line and stuff like that.

The main reason we chose to stay on site was to get the full Disney experience (we just can't get enough!!) and using up some DVC points - we are talking about coming back and would stay more central in HK next time - nothing wrong with the hotel, but we wouldn't pay for it cash IYKWIM, we'd rather spend it somewhere else, it's just not "Disney" enough

Transport is great - just like the system at home in London and really easy to get used to - signage is all in English as well as (?) Cantonese

Hope that Helps!! I gotta sleep!!

 

[BillyBuff]

I'm heading there next month! Can't wait!!

 

[ang2383]

Hi OP!

good decision in choosing to go to HKDL!

i've been there three times and i loved it. if you are a true disney fan, you should definitely visit it.

i'd recommend staying somewhere in the heart of HK of HK island. you can take the train or the bus from HK island to DL. the theme park is far and is actually on its own island.

when in 2013 are you going? it can get really hot in HK. i would recommend going in the "colder" months. even in oct, it can be really hot.

my bf's relatives live in HK and i've tried all forms of transporation to get there. here's what i think:

1) bus ride - it was nice to see the scenary and the HK landscape, but taking the bus back i didn't like so much because i was so tired and just wanted to crash. plus, the bus got really packed and that wasn't very fun.

2) the train - i think this is the best option. get a hotel in HK island and then take the train. the train ride isn't very long, can't remember how long it was. i don't think staying on property is a good idea because there's nothing to do there besides the park! that is unless you want the ultimate full disney experience. now if you want to experience HK and you seem to have limited time, i don't recommend you stay thee. if you do decide to stay there, you'd have to take the train/bus/cab into HK island and that would be a hassle. also, you pass by the HK outlet mall and you can decide if it's worth a visit.

3) the cab - the most direct and most comfortable, but then you'll probably be paying an arm and leg and not sure how often the cabs run. most ppl take the train.

i'd suggest doing a day trip there. i usually get there around 10am - 11am ish and leave when the park closes. you can definitely do the entire park in one day and you won't feel rushed. the park has gotten really crowded and the lines are comparable to the lines in WDW. my first trip to HKDL was in 2009. i went back in 2010 and my most recent trip was may 2012. the park has changed drastically since then. in 2009, there were barely any lines and you could easily finish the park in a few hours and go on the rides a few times. now, the park is heavily marketed in china and there are a lot of tours that go to HKDL, thus the reason why there are long lines now. i don't know if may is peak season or holiday time for HK, but it was really packed. it was so hot and the lines were at least an hour. i remember my line for winnie the pooh was over an hour and i wanted to melt. believe it or not, i even had about a 45 min wait for it's a small world! that's how crazy it was. i'm chinese and even i have to say that the mainlanders from china offend me. so be prepared for potential rude mainlanders. the HK people are nicer. (sidenote - i went to tokyo disneyland the week before in may 2012 and the two parks are such a difference. you should see if you can fit in tokyo too!)

let me know if you have anymore questions and i can help you. oh and if you go to the tourist areas, they'll usually have some sort of promo if you buy the theme park tickets through them. for example, i was able to get a free toy story recycle tote with the purchase of my ticket. this was in may 2012 so i don't know if it's still available.

enjoy your visit and HK! there is so much good food there!

 

[Keri]

We went to HKDL in March & had a blast! We stayed 3 nights in Kowloon and then one night at the HKDL Hotel. We have 3 kids, so we did 2 days (really 1.5, we had to get to the airport the second day) and it was perfect -- but with no kids I'd say you can absolutely do it all in one day.

Food - meh. We went to Chef Mickey's for dinner & the Enchanted Garden for breakfast. I was not really impressed. We live in Singapore now & I am spoiled by great food, though We didn't do Crystal Lotus, but the dim sum they had at CM was not great. I'd find a Din Tai Fung in the city & eat there instead

So much to do in Hong Kong (and we love Phuket -- we've been 3x since we moved here! And I can't wait to go to Bangkok!) -- we did the Star Ferry, Mid-level escalators, Peak Tram to Victoria Peak, Ladies Market, Stanley Market ... didn't get to the Big Budda because the cable cars were down, which was a bummer. I've heard that is great.

Anyway - HKDL is Disney magic & totally worth doing, and I think you'll really enjoy HK!!

 

[YukiPhnx]

I'll be there on Jan 5! I hope that it won't be too crowded because it's a Saturday. I remember Saturdays weren't considered holidays when I was last going to school there.

My family keeps telling me that it's not worth it and I will regret going there. My cousins were there when they first opened and didn't enjoy it.

BUT, they seem to have forgotten (somehow) that I'm a HUGE Disney geek and I'm not only going for the "rides". Also, now there's more to do with 2 new lands! Even if there weren't I would still visit because it's DISNEY.

I'm so excited! I was originally going to go to Ocean Park but that can wait until my next visit....maybe.

Can someone tell me if they saw a lot of Duffy the Disney Bear stuff in the park?

 

[zanzibar138]

I'll be there on Jan 5! I hope that it won't be too crowded because it's a Saturday. I remember Saturdays weren't considered holidays when I was last going to school there.

My family keeps telling me that it's not worth it and I will regret going there. My cousins were there when they first opened and didn't enjoy it.

BUT, they seem to have forgotten (somehow) that I'm a HUGE Disney geek and I'm not only going for the "rides". Also, now there's more to do with 2 new lands! Even if there weren't I would still visit because it's DISNEY.

I'm so excited! I was originally going to go to Ocean Park but that can wait until my next visit....maybe.

Can someone tell me if they saw a lot of Duffy the Disney Bear stuff in the park?

I didn't see a lot of Duffy stuff, but I wasn't particularly looking for it IYKWIM. I think they have a lot of 'grizzly bear' stuff with Grizzly Gulch now, not sure if any of that is related to Duffy

You definitely won't regret going if you're a real Disney fan and go more for the atmosphere and theming than the rides. Many people told me that 4 nights was far too long to stay onsite, and that I'd get bored. Well, DH did, but not me! I was very happy wandering around taking photos, looking at theming and merchandise, just soaking up the atmosphere. In fact, I still didn't do everything I wanted to (missed a few character interactions I would have liked and only got to see the parade once). It's a beautiful park with the mountains in the background, and lots of amazing detail (as with all Disney parks) to take in. We both really enjoyed taking a break in the hotel lobby (the HKDL Hotel has an amazing one) listening to the pianist or jazz band, or watching the interactions with the princesses. We took many breaks, and did everything at a nice leisurely pace, which is exactly how I like it

I'm looking forward to seeing Grizzly Gulch, but TBH I was a little disappointed by Toy Story Land, and I suspect I will be will Grizzly Gulch too (as a land I mean, the ride looks awesome!). I thought of Toy Story Land more as an 'extended ride' than an actual land. It was really too small to be called a whole land, with the rides very close together and not much else to see other than a couple of strategically placed photo opportunities. I much prefered the rest of the park, and found Adventureland particularly to have some cool interactive theming.

I actually haven't done Ocean Park yet (even though I've been to HK twice, soon to be 3 times). I don't have much interest in it TBH, I think I've been spoiled by Disney now But PIO has been, and has included it in her TR if you're interested in finding out more about it. Looks like it's got a few good thrill rides, so could be worth a trip if that's something you're interested in (we did notice the lack of thrill rides at Disney, but will be improved now with the addition of Grizzly Gulch).

 

[YukiPhnx]

Ocean Park is no Disney. It's more of a SeaWorld with more rides so if you like that, you'll enjoy Ocean Park. And I do!

I haven't been since I was a small child so I just wanted to see how the park has grown, but I'll be back in Hong Kong next yr anyways.

Huh....I know they released Duffy in HKDL too and I'm hoping they'll have more stuff due to its proximity to Tokyo DL. My best friend and I are big fans.

I'm really excited to just experience something that isn't WDW.