Hong Kong Disneyland: Tips and Suggestions for Planning Your Visit
While traveling in Asia, Hong Kong has certainly become a popular destination for many TravBuddies. The city embodies the spirit of Asia with a bustling nightlife, endless skyscrapers, crowded street markets, and of course neon lights aglow. Something else that Hong Kong also offers is one of only two Disney theme parks in Asia -- Hong Kong Disneyland. Although the smallest of the international Disney Parks, Hong Kong Disneyland still offers a number of attractions, shows, and seasonal events, making it a great day trip option.
On Friday, January 21, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort held a media event kicking off a yearlong 5th anniversary celebration featuring the new "Flights of Fantasy Parade", the introduction of Tinkerbell as a new meet and greet character, special limited edition anniversary merchandise, new menu items, and the centerpiece of the celebration -- Tinkerbell's Pixie Dusted Castle. By day, the park's signature castle shimmers in the sun, and by night, a special lighting ceremony brings the castle to life with a rainbow of color and a magical sprinkling of pixie dust.
During it's short tenure, Hong Kong Disneyland has found itself the recipient of many unfavorable reviews due to its size and lack of attractions when compared to the other Disney theme parks found around the world. Overall, a majority of TravBuddies who have visited the resort thus far have given it positive reviews and recommend it as a worthwhile stop during your Hong Kongtravels.
For any TravBuddies who are interested in visiting Hong Kong Disneyland, here are a couple helpful tips and suggestions:
1. For those with only a long layover in Hong Kong -- you can still visit Disneyland. The resort offers a transit ticket which is about half the price of normal admission and you just need to present your passport and travel itinerary/ticket showing your flights on the same day. These tickets must be purchased directly from Guest Relations and cannot be purchased online or from other Disney ticket outlets.
2. If you think you may want to visit more than one day, consider staying at one of the Disney Hotels (Disneyland Hotel or Hollywood Hotel) as they usually offer special "2 days for 1 day" tickets in conjunction with your room reservation.
3. Consider visiting during a special event. Two personal recommendations are the annual Halloween and Christmas events. Disneyland is completely decked out in seasonal decor, and there are special parades, shows, food, and merchandise. Also during the Halloween event, you will find scary themed mazes -- something not found at other Disney Parks.
4. Disneyland is located on Lantau Island, relatively close to the airport. If your time in Hong Kong is limited, consider combining it with a visit with other Lantau sightseeing stops, or on your last day when you have to head to the airport anyways.
5. Transportation is easy to Disneyland -- there is the train/MTR, Lantau taxi service, and shuttle buses, all of which are available from the airport. A taxi from the airport is around 100 HKD average, plus 5 HKD for each bag placed in the trunk.
6. Have luggage to store? Disneyland offers on-site luggage storage for 60 HKD per bag. Given the locker charges (40 HKD and 60 HKD), this is a pretty reasonable charge for storing your giant rolling bag that would never be allowed inside the park anyways.
7. Even if you have no plans of staying in the hotels, the grounds are worth checking out. The hotels offer beautiful views of the Bay and back into parts of Hong Kong itself. The Disneyland Hotel features a ferry port and scenic gardens as well. The on-site restaurants also offer some excellent food and beverage choices. For something completely unique, consider the Crystal Lotus restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel which offers Disney themed dim sum on the weekends!
8. There is a Hong Kong Disneyland merchandise store past immigration in the airport if you want to do some last minute shopping as well. While they don't offer everything the Disneyland park itself does, you can find a vast array of goodies to bring back -- which also helps eliminate the issue of getting everything through security! If you are flying out of Terminal 1, the store is just past the immigration counters on the right.
If visiting Hong Kong and Disneyland are not in your immediate travel plans, that may work to your advantage. The resort is currently undergoing a massive expansion that will bring new lands and attractions over the next few years. The first is Toy Story Playland, a new land based on Pixar's Toy Story 3 movie, that also opened at Disneyland Paris in August 2010. Also currently under construction, Hong Kong Disneyland will feature two exclusive attractions -- Mystic Manor (a Haunted Mansion type ride) and Big Grizzly Mountain (a western themed roller coaster much like the Big Thunder roller coaster found in other Disney Resorts.)
Have you visited "the happiest place" in Hong Kong yet? Any tips or recommendations for other TravBuddies who are planning a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland?
Photos of Sleeping Beauty's Castle at nighttime from jaeWALK, It's a Small World Christmas fromalvinmonteiro, and the Golden Mickey's show from lasttraveller. Photo of new 5th Anniversary castle decor from Poohstanggt.
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