Which Asian park to choose??

[Lynn57]

Hi everyone!

I am planning a trip to visit a friend who recently moved to Vietnam and am going to try and add one Disney park while I am in that part of the world. I have no idea which park to visit! Any help would be appreciated!

Some information to help:
Traveler- Just me! 33 yr old female who comfortably travels to WDW solo at least once a year.
Flights- None booked but I will be traveling to and from Boston and visiting a friend in Hanoi.
Languages- Only English
Favorite things to do at WDW- Splash Mountain, Festival of Fantasy parade
Favorite food- I would rather snack through the day at a park than sit down for a full meal.

 

[zanzibar138]

It depends on how long you're going to have to spend at Disney. If you've just got a couple of extra days, I would go to Shanghai. Geographically it would be the most convenient, and it's always cool to see the newest Disney resort. I'm a 33 year old female too and got around quite happily on my own. Tokyo is supposed to be awesome, but I would only go if you could spend at least 3 full days there. I haven't been, but I would be quite happy to go there on my own too. You'll have issues with the language in both parks, but a bit of patience and gesturing goes a long way.

If you need help with Vietnam, yell out! We've been there twice and going again in about 6 weeks - love it there!

 

[Agent 86]

Hmmmmm. As zanzibar138 said, it would really depend upon how much time you have. If it's only one day, then HK Disney. If it's two days, then probably Shanghai Disney (although I haven't been there yet). If it's three or more days, then probably Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea.

I guess it might also depend upon whether you want a "similar" experience to WDW or a unique experience. Again, I haven't been to Shanghai Disney, but I think DisneySea still reigns supreme as the most "unique" Disney theme park in terms of comparison to Disneyland LA and WDW. So, if you wanted a new experience, Tokyo would probably be the best option. Travelling solo also wouldn't present any challenges at Tokyo whereas some aspects of the local culture in Shanghai could be a little frustrating, especially the reports of crowds / cutting when in line.

 

[kidd_freeper]

I can only respond about Shanghai Disneyland (SDL). I was there August 6.

Language is not a problem. Maybe 1 out of 3 speak passable English. All signs are in Mandarin and English. Attraction audio is only in Mandarin.
I think SDL tried NOT to be like WDW:
- no monorail
- no railroad
- really short main street
- no Small World
- no "Mountain" rides (Splash, Space, Big Thunder)
- no Haunted Mansion

On the other hand, SDL has THE most advanced rides of any Disney park:
- Pirates of the Caribbean is just amazing. I have no idea how they did it. The entire Pirates Cove area is really well done.
- TRON indoor/outdoor rollercoaster. Combination of Rock-n-Rollercoaster, Test Track and Space Mountain. Very smooth rollercoaster. If you wear glasses, wear a strap.
- Soaring over the Horizon (better than WDW)
- Buzz Lightyear (much better than WDW)
- Big castle
- Really big plaza in front of the castle

Take advantage of single rider lines. Especially POTC (have to ask for it).
Fastpasses: Huge lines to get a fast pass. Not sure if it is worth it. I did single rider and standby for all rides. Long waits.
It is a really big park. Lots to see. The strategy would be to see most of the attractions in one land before going to the next land.
I hear Hong Kong Disney is disappointingly small.

I couldn't make it to nighttime, but the park would be really pretty at night.
I didn't see any parades. The Chinese are really nice people until they get in line or have to wait for something...then they become complete a-holes.
So it might be very frustrating to get a good spot for a parade only to have someone jump in front of you a minute before it starts. And they will do it and think nothing of it.

Food: Good thing you like to snack. The sit down meals don't match WDW.
Weather: Hotter and more humid than Orlando, if you can believe it. Don't go in July/August. I found myself air-conditioning hopping.
The rides are air-conditioned just fine, but most of the lines are outside and most of the restaurants have outdoors seating.

Price: At 499 RMB ($77) it is the cheapest Disney park.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I haven't been to Shanghai Disneyland yet, so I can't give you advice that's 100% complete But I've been to Tokyo and HK Disney, and my sister has been to all three.

When I flew to Hanoi (from NY), my layover was in Tokyo, so it could be an easy side trip. My recommendation would be to go to Tokyo--ideally spend two days in the parks and at least one day in Tokyo (if you have more time, I'd go to Kyoto for two days). Shanghai is shiny and new, and they have some cool new ride technologies, but Tokyo DisneySea is really unique and I think every Disney fan should go there! Plus the way everyone is obsessed with Disney there and how they express it is really cool to see--and there are so many adult Disney fans in the park (it's definitely not just focused on kids there)! I felt like two days was enough to do the parks. I did one day in DisneySea and one day in Disneyland. Yes, more time would be great, but it's not necessary if you don't have the time.

While not everyone speaks English, I didn't have any problems navigating Disney or Tokyo.

Check out TDR Explorer and Disney Tourist Blog for more info and tips for visiting Tokyo Disney!

 

[katt789]

Having not been yet, but leaving in a month to see all 3, I'd honestly say Tokyo!! Esp if you have more than 2 days you can visit. It looks like, and has the reviews to be one of THE best parks in the world, and if you love FoF, the entertainment in TDL/TDS will be something you'll be in to! Shanghai's parade is SUUUUUPER lackluster, and while HK's is great, it's very similar to Soundsational. Tokyo has way more seasonal entertainment that runs alongside its daily ops and they're all incredible!

Snacking around the park is something else that fits with Tokyo, there's so many good cute little snacks to eat that you wont even need a meal with all the snacks you'll want! DisneySea is also a ONE of a kind park, I'm honestly the MOST excited for it, there's nothing like it, and it just looks absolutely stunning.

 

[disney144]

Logistically, Hong Kong would probably be easiest (HK is a huge hub is Asia). That being said, when we go in April, we are flying through HK to get to Shanghai!

Having been to Japan and DisneySea, I wouldn't do that as an add on. There is so much to see in Japan. It is really worth a whole trip to see the country and the parks.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I've been to Tokyo Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland. I have spent time in Mainland China, but I haven't been to either Shanghai or Shanghai Disney.

I think Tokyo is the obvious choice, especially if you have some time to devote to it. They have lots of festivals throughout the year, lots of great entertainment, DisneySea is a must-see as a Disney fan and it's unlike anything else. And since you mention Splash Mountain as a favorite- not only is Tokyo the only international resort that has Splash Mountain, it also has the best version in the world!

Hong Kong Disneyland is nice and exceeded my expectations, but it's no Tokyo and there's not as much there. On the upside, if you only have one day it's very easy to do in that time frame and Hong Kong is a fantastic city- one I enjoyed much more than Tokyo. I can't comment on Mystic Manor and the Grizzly Mine ride, since they were both built after I went, and they are supposed to be spectacular, but nothing else is that original.

I will say that Mainland China as a whole (traveling to several cities over a month), for me, was typically spectacular or spectacularly frustrating with few experiences in between. Mainland China can sometimes be a hassle in a way that Japan and Hong Kong simply are not (and there's a huge difference between Hong Kong and the rest of China). Having read the reports, it sounds like there are lots of great things in Shanghai-I can't wait to experience their Pirates ride some day!

So really, it depends on how much time you have and what is most important to you to experience.

 

[Lynn57]

Having not been yet, but leaving in a month to see all 3, I'd honestly say Tokyo!! Esp if you have more than 2 days you can visit. It looks like, and has the reviews to be one of THE best parks in the world, and if you love FoF, the entertainment in TDL/TDS will be something you'll be in to! Shanghai's parade is SUUUUUPER lackluster, and while HK's is great, it's very similar to Soundsational. Tokyo has way more seasonal entertainment that runs alongside its daily ops and they're all incredible!

Snacking around the park is something else that fits with Tokyo, there's so many good cute little snacks to eat that you wont even need a meal with all the snacks you'll want! DisneySea is also a ONE of a kind park, I'm honestly the MOST excited for it, there's nothing like it, and it just looks absolutely stunning.

I follow you on Insta and am SUPER excited to see your trip! I'm hoping your pictures will give me some guidance!!!

 

[Lynn57]

Thanks everyone! It looks like there isn't a wrong pic in the bunch!

Not sure if I will have the time to commit to Tokyo, but if I'm wondering if I extend what I was planning to be a two-ish week trip to a little longer to fit in Tokyo.