Two Days in Hong Kong Disney Heaven. A mini trip report.

DisneyRegulars

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Oct 20, 2011
After spending 15 days in China we landed in Hong Kong for the sole purpose of visiting Hong Kong Disneyland on our way back to the States. Here are my quick observations and tips and tricks after our three wonderful nights at Hong Kong Disney.


For reference this trip took place Sunday June 25 to Wednesday June 28th, 2017.


We were a family of three, Grizzly (husband), me (the mom), and my son Tigger who is seven. My brother met us in Hong Kong to travel to HK Disney and Tokyo Disney because we are an entire family of Disney freaks. Together we made a party of four.


The arrival process: We arrived from Guilin, China on board a Dragonair flight which my Pokémon obsessed seven year old thought was magnificent. Unlike most international flights, the flight attendants did not hand out immigration cards on the flight, so I promptly forgot about them. Once we got to the front of the immigration line in Hong Kong she asked for our immigration cards, which we didn't have, so we had to get out of line, find and fill out the darn cards, and stand in the immigration line twice. Fun fun. By the time we got through our bags were circling the luggage carousel all alone just waiting for us. Now here's the real important bit. When deciding how to get from the airport to Disneyland, you have two main choices: trains or taxi. CHOOSE THE TAXI!!!! We chose the trains on the way to Disneyland. They were fine, but they take a long time and require three different trains and two different tickets and I'm not even going to mention the ridiculous heat and humidity. With luggage it was just kind of a pain. We took a taxi when returning to the airport, and it was so much easier. For $156 HK dollars (which included a $10 per bag fee for four bags) we were at the airport in about twenty minutes for less than $20 US. Way better. So, if you are arriving and going straight to HK Disneyland, just hop in a cab unless you have a strange obsession with subway systems.


This sign will great you getting off the subway and the Disneyland busses:

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Also upon arrival I took out my iVideo pocket wifi device that I had rented and that had been shipped to me in the states before departure. This little thing was great!!!! We used it constantly for three days. It runs out of its own battery quickly, but I connected it to an external battery pack and it could run all day and barely use any power from the battery pack. We downloaded movies and played Pokémon go in the park for a total of 21.76 gb of data over the three days.


The hotel: We stayed at the Hollywood Hotel and it was magnificent. Our room had the most gorgeous view of the harbor and pool, my brother's room across the hall had a park view with great fireworks viewing. The staff was great. The rooms were very nice, not quite deluxe, but certainly much nicer than any moderate resort at Walt Disney World. The pool was soooo warm. Almost hot tub temperature, and the slide was the best I have ever been on because it didn't have any ridges at all. So smooth! My brother arrived at 6:00am in the morning and they gave him his room right away, which was super nice for him. I would definitely stay at this hotel again. Curiously Asian hotels seem to have a strange obsession with toothbrushes, and everywhere we went the hotel rooms came with toothbrushes. The Hollywood Hotel was no different. We didn't use the toothbrushes, but my husband did use the quetips from the toiletry kit, so we got a whole new toiletry kit the next day, with four more toothbrushes! Again he used the quetips, so again the next day an entire new toiletry kit arrived with yet more toothbrushes. It was insane!


The ocean view room from our room:

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The park view room from my brother's side of the building:

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We walked one night over to the Explorer's Lodge which is right next door. This hotel was also nice, and if you've never stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge you would probably like it. It's basically a scaled down version of Animal Kingdom Lodge. We ate at their quick service, it was a welcome change from the offerings at our hotel. Our hotel gave us a Priority Pass (like an instant fast pass) for each night of our stay, so we were given three. We never really used them because the lines were so short they were unnecessary.


The shuttle buses: To get from the hotel to the park or subway station you can walk (in extreme humidity and heat) or you can take their shuttle bus service. Unlike Disney busses, these shuttle busses are like coach busses, with luggage compartments under the busses and actual seats. You must have a seat. There are bus coordinators at the bus stops who carefully count passengers, and make sure everyone will have a seat. From what I could tell, no one is allowed to stand on the busses. The bus stops at the park have super cute fold down seats to sit in while you wait. Can't wait for them to add these to WDW.


I loved the seats so much I took a picture:


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During the day busses stop at all hotels, but when the park closes the busses become dedicated to each hotel. Getting home after the fireworks was super fast, we watched the 9:00 pm show and were back in our hotel room by 9:36pm, but I'm getting ahead of myself.


The first day in the parks we weren't really sure when we should arrive, and after having experienced horrendous crowds in Shanghai we headed out to the parks early. The park was supposed to open at 10:30 am, so we left the hotel at 8:50 to catch the bus. While on the bus it started pouring. Serious cats and dogs falling from the sky. We opted to wait under the bus waiting area roof until the rain slowed down. The storm passed quickly, and we headed off towards the gate. We were one of the very first people outside the security gate. If you are staying at a Disney Hotel there is a special entrance for you. It will looked blocked off, but if you go over and talk to the security guard they will let you in to stand under the tent. Curiously, they never asked for any proof that we were staying in any of the hotels. The lines grew slowly, and by the time they let us through security our hotel guest line had grown to hold three whole families. Why wasn't anybody else using this line?!!


We passed through the security check easily. They barely glanced into my purse and then waited in the hotel guest park entrance line. Again, there were about five families in line with us here. The other lines had many more guests. So bizarre. They let us into Main Street around 10:00, and we walked in and went straight to the photos with Minnie and Mickey. They are right in the center of the main square, you can't miss them. This ended up being a great decision because we were second in line and the line grew fairly quickly. I planned on buying the photopass, and there was a photopass photographer there, one of two we saw the whole trip. Two!!


The best picture from Mickey and Minnie:

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After our photos we walked to the rope drop line halfway down Main Street and waited for opening while hunkering in the shade on the side. I took out my umbrella like a local and created my own shade to hide from the already blistering heat. Here is a view from the rope drop line, it's magical!


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The rope dropped promptly at 10:30 after a cute ribbon cutting ceremony by a local family and Pluto coming bounding down Main Street. They made sure to get the family of the day out of the way so they wouldn't get trampled by the sprinters when they "lowered the rope". There was no actual rope, but there were cast members and a taped line across the street.


Our plan was to go straight to Grizzly Gulch and then Mystic Manor, but we found our plan quickly thwarted by a rope across the walkway saying that Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land did not open until 11:00. Grrr. My perfect plan ruined by not reading the times guide. So we hopped on The Jungle Cruise in English to pass the time. This was horrible!!! Our guide was just awful. Not a single joke or pun. He just pointed things out, "Here's an elephant, here's a baby elephant". Just awful. There is a new dramatic scene at the end that is different from WDW, so it's worth checking out, and maybe you will luck out and get a decent guide.


We spent the rest of the day heading left (clockwise around the park). There were no lines. None. We went on Grizzly Gulch which was fun. My timid seven year old boy loved it. Next up was Mystic Manor which blew us away. We rode it four times between our two days. By the last ride my son managed to keep his eyes open the whole time. We tried several different times to get a great photo in front of Mystic Manor. I think this one is from day 2:


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We made our way to Toy Story Land which was kind of lame ridewise, reminded me of the Dinosaur land in Animal Kingdom. We rode the slinky dog Coaster and the parachute droppers because my son is very timid with rides, and these types of rides appeal to him.

Here we are on the Slinky Dog ride:


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Toy Storyland looks cooler than it really is:

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While we were waiting for the parachute droppers we sent Grizzly for fast passes for Hyperspace Mountain, and met him later at Its a Small World.


We rode Its A Small World, and on our way to Space Mountain we happened upon the Mickeys Storybook Show which was starting as we walked passed. We decided to try it. This show was EXCELLENT! If you go however, make sure you sit on the right side. The show's songs are all in English, but the interludes are in Cantonese. They have English and Mandarin subtitles, with English on the right hand side and Mandarin on the left. We were on the far left, and I had trouble reading the English subtitles from my position.


We headed next to Hyperspace Mountain which shockingly Tigger didn't hate. He won't ride Space Mountain in WDW. We got a fast pass for Iron Man and then ate some lunch at the Diner in Tomorrowland. The fried chicken was a welcome change from 16 straight days of Chinese food. Delicious. Before riding Ironman we grabbed what we thought was a fastpass for Buzz Lightyear. Turns out it was just another fast pass for Ironman! So be careful, the buzz Lightyear themed fastpass machines give out Ironman fast passes.


Ironman was great. We rode it twice the first day and a third time the next day. Very similar to Star Tours only the story never changes and you fly over Hong Kong. Next up was Buzz Lightyear via the 5 minute standby queue and then we headed out of the park after some shopping on Main Street. The stores were packed!! We left the park around 4:30, after the afternoon parade. There had been no lines all day. Fast passes were readily available with return times within an hour of getting the pass. We spent the evening swimming and headed over to the Explorers Lodge for Dinner. You can walk there via a path by the ocean, or via a sidewalk by the road. They are similar distance. The ocean walkway is more pleasant.


The next morning we took our time. We only had a few things left on our to do list, and we expected the crowds to be similar to the day before. We left our hotel at 9:30, and despite our hour later park arrival were still only third in line in the hotel guest line. Why don't people use this line????


When they let us in the park instead of standing in the heat at the rope drop line we took the time to explore the air conditioned shops. While doing this we also happened upon Goofy and Duffy so we took pictures with both of them. Again no fast pass photographers anywhere. They told us later that day that their cameras had not been working that morning, so maybe you will have better luck. Duffy is on the right hand side in a little shop nook, you could easily walk right by and not even know he's there. Goofy was in the town square on the right, and Donald was on the left. Minnie and Mickey were again in the center. Our slightly later arrival did impact the Mickey and Minnie line which was about ten families long by the time we entered the park this day. Here is a Goofy pic:


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Pictures we took late in the afternoon in front of the castle:


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Today we explored the gardens, both the Fairytale Garden and the Garden of Wonders. Both were great to see with no crowds, but would probably be horrible places if it was crowded. We got some cute pictures. Like these:

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We rode Mystic Manor three more times today because it is the best ride ever. We also enjoyed Grizzly Gulch, let Tigger get drenched in the geyser basin. All the Chinese/Hong Kong people were looking on very curiously as Tigger ran through the waterfall blissfully getting soaked. No one else was willing to get so wet. With the heat he was dry within an hour! Here he is getting drenched:


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We also bought him a misting fan to keep the whining down and it worked fantastically!!!!'


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We rode Slinky Dog again, and the RC Racers, along with Winnie the Pooh before eating lunch and escaping back to the room for the heat of the afternoon. This day was definitely busier than the previous, but really still very light crowds.


We returned to the park for the evening around 7:00. We ate, and road Mystic Manor, Hyperspace Mountain, and Ironman before finding a spot right in front of the castle for the nighttime show at 8:50pm for a showtime of 9:00. We didn't watch the parade, but I caught a glimpse of it as we walked towards Hyperspace Mountain and I wished I had. It looked awesome, and I don't even like parades.


The nighttime show did not disappoint. My only complain is that the castle is so small and EVERYONE insists on filming the damn thing with their cell phones, so it was kind of hard to find a good viewing angle with so many phones in the way. If you are really into shows, I would suggest going early, and finding a place at the front of a railing, so there is no way for someone to hold a phone up in your view. This show was 100 times better than the Shanghai show despite the puny Hong Kong Disneyland castle. The castle after the show:


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Overall we all loved this park. It is small, but with no crowds we were able to enjoy everything at a leisurely pace and take in all the details of the beautiful park. There are so many excellent details in all of the lands. Unlike Shanghai Disney almost everything is in English. Also different from Shanghai were the lines. No one ever tried to barge in front of us. Everything and everyone was very orderly. Very little culture shock here as compared to Shanghai Disneyland.


A few random observations....The family restrooms were adorable. They had a big sized toilet right next to a little mini toilet so parent and child could go at the same time. The Hong Kong airport had this set up as well. Really wish WDW would start having these although my son is just about outgrown needing bathroom company. Cute bathroom:

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Cute ice cream treats:


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Also, the last day I needed some feminine hygiene products, so I went looking for them in the hotel gift shop. They didn't have any, so I went to the front desk, and asked two nice young lady cast members where I might find some sanitary products. I was met with blank stares. So I tried pads, tampons, Kotex, and every word I could think of before they finally figured it out. "Oh for the period!" They shouted. Shouted! Yes, for the period, I replied turning a lovely shade of red I'm sure. "You have to go to the gift shop and ask them," they informed me. Oh no! "I have to ask them?!" I responded in clear embarrassed dismay. The girls laughed (with me) at my predicament. The gift shop was full of people. The last thing I wanted to do was play this game of charades again, in front of an audience! I asked her to what exactly I should say so I could avoid this charades game, and she offered to write down what I needed in Chinese. Thank goodness! I went over and found a female clerk and showed her my secret message. I was able to buy a cute package of four pads for $25 HK dollars. Enough to get me through the next day where I could buy more things at the Hong Kong airport. For any female travelers from the states, be sure to bring extra supplies. I thought I had brought plenty, but with the time change, strange food, and extreme heat things were just different/unpredictable and I ran through many more supplies than usual.


We also ran over to Citygate our first night there. There is a grocery store called Taste in the basement of the shopping mall. It's great. We were able to pick up some beer for the room (four giant ones for the price of one small one at the resort) and other snacks. The checkout line was horrendous though, and it took us about 45 minutes to get out of the store. Overall between the subway and the store it took about three hours to grab some supplies.


Today we have a down day as we fly to Japan to take on Tokyo Disneysea and Tokyo Disneyland for four full park days.


Let me know if you have any questions about Hong Kong Disneyland. I'd be happy to answer whatever I can.
 
I live in Hong Kong and have been to the park so many times, (although not so much in the last couple of years). We've done staycations in the hotels a couple of times, the last time being, I think 5 years ago. I think the answer to your question about why nobody is in the hotel guest line is because nobody knows that there is a line for hotel guests! When we stayed at the hotel back then (have stayed in Disneyland Hotel and Hollywood Hotel), nobody ever told us that there was a line for hotel guests. It's possible that it's a newer thing, but how did you find out about it? Did they tell you at check in, or is it something you researched? Or is there a sign that we just never noticed?

A comment about the fast pass machines... They used to be fast passes for Buzz Lightyear, but they stopped using them a few years ago because the ride is almost always a walk on. Or at most, the wait can be like 25 minutes. But it's odd that the machines aren't obviously for Iron Man now. They should put signs up or something.

As for the crowds, they will get worse as the summer progresses. Local kids don't usually get out of school until mid-July. International school kids get out mid to end of June, but a lot of them travel most of the summer. But even with the summer crowds, lines are usually bearable. The only line I absolutely hate waiting in is Dumbo (unless you ride it first thing) because it takes forever to get through the line for a 1 minute long ride.

Also, Jungle Boat.... it won't get better. I think the boat drivers are a bit too timid to joke around in English because it's not their first language. I've often wondered if it's better in Cantonese or Mandarin. But with the English skippers, no, it won't get better no matter how many times you ride it. (Unfortunately.)

But anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. It's always refreshing to hear a first-timer's perspective because after going so many times, you (I) start to take things for granted and overlook details.
 
When we stayed at the hotel back then (have stayed in Disneyland Hotel and Hollywood Hotel), nobody ever told us that there was a line for hotel guests. It's possible that it's a newer thing, but how did you find out about it? Did they tell you at check in, or is it something you researched? Or is there a sign that we just never noticed?

I actually read about the hotel guest line the night before on a disboards trip report so i knew to look for it. There were signs, but it was odd no-one else seemed to know about the lines, and even odder that they never asked for proof you were staying in a hotel to use the lines.
 


We are planning on going to both Shanghai and Hong Disney's this December. The advice above has been very helpful. Any other tips/tricks you have for either of the 2 parks?
 
Thank you for sharing your review and photos. We will be visiting Hong Kong for a few days next summer after a cruise. Of course, we'll be spending a day at HKDL - I couldn't travel all that way and NOT visit.
 
Great trip report! Can't wait to see HKDL (staying at the Explorer's Lodge) in just a couple weeks. I was going to try the metro but after a 15 hour flight, I think I will take your advice and take the taxi.
 


Thanks for the great report.

Quick question....did you happen to notice if the candy that you can buy at Disneyland at the Candy Palace eg Rockyroad and Peanut Brittle - the ones that come prepackaged in the trays (It think they're shipped over from Florida to Disneyland) ...can you buy that sort of thing in Hong Kong Disneyland?
 
Thanks for the great report.

Quick question....did you happen to notice if the candy that you can buy at Disneyland at the Candy Palace eg Rockyroad and Peanut Brittle - the ones that come prepackaged in the trays (It think they're shipped over from Florida to Disneyland) ...can you buy that sort of thing in Hong Kong Disneyland?

Oh geez I have no idea, but they are really into snacks packaged in fancy tins. So they have tons of all sorts of snacks like cookies and things along the lines of pretzels but more Asiany than pretzels in fancy souvenir tins.
 
If you are visiting HK, make sure to check out on unique pocky snacks sold in convenience stores. I know Disney snacks are great souvenirs but we got the most amazing and unique flavoured pocky in HK. We are going again this August and we will check out unique snacks from HK for sure!
 
Thanks for your trip report, really enjoyed it! Sounds like the trip of a lifetime, all three Asia parks in one. I loved Tokyo and am looking forward to visiting HKDL next year.
 
Thankyou for the post such a big help to us. We are looking at going to Hong Kong Disney land in August as a stop over on the way to Australia. We have been looking at hotels but the Disney ones are so expensive money you would expect for Orlando for a decent hotel. There doesn’t seem to be much choice unless you want to pay £1200 for 4 nights which is a bit pricey for us. The park prices seem decent enough though for a 2 day pass
 

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