Hong Kong Disneyland — Attraction in Hong Kong

After visiting the one in Orlando, I Was very excited to visit another Disneyland. Our taxi ride to the park was breeze, took about 25 minutes from Wan Chai. They have a massive parking lot, took about 10 minutes walk to get to the entrance. It was a hot and humid walk. Umbrellas, sunscreens, hand held electric fans, light clothing, extra shirts (to change) all are highly recommended, if you are visiting during summer months.

To enter the park, first we went thru the security line, which was pretty quick. Then was the ticket checking line that was super slow, as they were scanning tickets and taking photos of each guests. This process took about 20 minutes, finally we were in.

Just like Orlando, here also the experience begins with lots of gift and merchandise stores, few cafes, a Starbucks, and a Disney themed jewelry store, cause it’s Hong Kong, got to have a jewelry store. After passing all this, we arrived at the walkway that led to different sections of the park.

We started our day with Agent of Shield laser shooting experience, followed by the Ironman 4D experience where we sit in a battleship that went on a mission with Ironman to take down Hydra. Both were amazing, but Ironman one was too good. Lines moved quickly and for Ironman they incorporated so much of the history and cool tech details of Stark family and Stark industry.

Then we went to see a live action Disney characters show, followed by some more rides like Small world (same as Orlando) Dumbo, Merry Go Round, another Mickey mouse movies and Slinky ride in Toystoryland. As the day progressed, it got hotter and lines got longer. We had to wait 35-45 minutes for each ride, and sadly the rides were so short, about 30-40 seconds. They had priority pass for purchase but it only covered 8 rides, wasn’t worth for the price. I saw many guests were busy stamping their Disney passport, that offered a special gift for anyone who completed the whole thing. There were also gift shops in each themed area of the park.

Around noon we went to the Starbridge restaurant for lunch. The inside of the restaurant was packed, not a single available. Luckily we found a table outside under the shaded roof area. Luckily this place took mobile order from Disney app, that saved us about another 15 minutes of waiting in line. Still we had to wait 10 minutes to get our turn to retrieve our mobile order, as it was put together, only after scanning your order code. They made cool burgers with buns having marvel characters like Hulk, Spiderman, Ironman, Groot. There were selling special drinks that came in a special Avenger water bottle. The food was more exciting to look at than how it tasted. I really thought food at HK Disney would be amazing, but was just average. Dining options were also limited, only couple of others had sit-in dining options, but all those required waiting in line.

From an experience perspective, I thought it fell well below than what I was expecting. For the heat and humidity, they installed fans only around the waiting aisles of each ride but throughout park there were no fans or mist sprays for guests to cool down. Most of the on the go food carts and gift shops inside the park, started closing around 6:30 pm, even though the park was open till 9:30pm, and the fireworks was at 9pm. The gift shops near entrance were packed 7pm and beyond. It was difficult to walk through the aisles. And of course 15-20 minutes wait time to get to the register to buy anything.

Though the young ones had a lot of fun at the park, for me this park was far away from a magical experience. They have lots of room the improve and make it a far better experience for guests who spend a lot time and money to...

Hong Kong Disneyland is situated on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

The park is owned and operated by Hong Kong International Theme Parks Limited, a joint venture between the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company.

The park covers an area of approximately 310 acres (126 hectares).

Hong Kong Disneyland features a variety of attractions, including iconic rides like Space Mountain, It's a Small World, and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. There are also themed areas like Mystic Point, Grizzly Gulch, and Toy Story Land.

Visitors can enjoy live performances, parades, and character meet-and-greets throughout the park. The "Disney Paint the Night" parade and "Disney in the Stars" fireworks show are highlights of the entertainment offerings.

There are two hotels located within the resort complex: Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Hollywood Hotel, offering accommodations with Disney-themed décor and amenities.

Since its opening, Hong Kong Disneyland has undergone several expansions and enhancements to add new attractions and experiences, including the recent addition of themed areas like Toy Story Land and Mystic Point.

The park is easily accessible by public transportation, including the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and various bus routes. Additionally, there are transportation options available from Hong Kong International Airport and other parts of the city.

Discussions about bringing a Disneyland-style theme park to Hong Kong began in the early 1990s. After years of negotiations and planning, The Walt Disney Company and the Government of Hong Kong signed a memorandum of understanding in 1999 to develop the park.

Construction of Hong Kong Disneyland began in 2003 on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. The park was built with a mix of local and international contractors and designers.

Hong Kong Disneyland officially opened to the public on September 12, 2005, after several delays due to construction and infrastructure issues. The grand opening ceremony was attended by dignitaries and Disney executives.

In its early years, the park faced criticism for its relatively small size and lack of unique attractions compared to other Disney parks. However, it quickly became a popular destination for both local residents and tourists visiting Hong Kong.

Over the years, Hong Kong Disneyland underwent several expansions and enhancements to address visitor feedback and increase its appeal. This included the addition of new themed areas, attractions, and entertainment offerings.

Despite its popularity, the park faced financial challenges in its early years, leading to reports of lower-than-expected attendance and revenue. The Hong Kong government and Disney worked together to implement measures to improve the park's financial performance.

Despite the challenges, Hong Kong Disneyland continued to invest in new attractions and experiences to attract visitors. This included the addition of themed areas like Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch, and Mystic Point, as well as new hotels and entertainment offerings.

In 2018, the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company announced a multi-year expansion and development plan for Hong Kong Disneyland, including the construction of new attractions and facilities. This partnership aimed to further enhance the park's appeal and cement its position as a premier tourist destination...

Unfortunately my least-enjoyable Disneyland experience so far. This experience at Disneyland Hong Kong just felt different from prior experiences elsewhere.

"Anarchy" is one word that constantly popped up in my mind over the 2 days my family and I were here.

From the moment we boarded the train to get to the park, the experience alternated between Disney's fairy tale characters and Lord of the Ring's hordes of orcs.

On both mornings, we arrived at the gates at 9:50am, and ended up entering the park at about 10:45am.

For whatever reason, the majority of the park's patrons consistently demonstrated blatant disregard for: Queues Personal space Social etiquettes Rules Even safety reminders.

Shoving, rushing, and shouting was a very big part of the experience throughout those 2 days. Anarchy and chaos was a constant theme. We witnessed several shouting matches between patrons, and even a couple of physical fights. Families with young children or elderly folks would certainly be preyed on, as we repeatedly witnessed.

One had to be constantly alert and hold their ground quite literally. A momentary lapse in concentration while standing in line could, and would, cause one to lose one's spot in the queues, as people behind in the queue would take every opportunity to unapologetically skip ahead whenever an opportunity arose. There also appeared to be an unwritten understanding that the closer everyone got to the person in front while queuing, the quicker the line would move. Bonus points for touching the backs of people immediately ahead in the queue, or breathing down their necks - literally.

In relation to points #4 and #5 above, do also expect disruptions to rides thanks to people who refuse to abide by safety rules and try to argue their way out of compliance.

Mealtimes are like frenzies. As there are no queues for table allocations, securing a table requires some combination of deft footwork, lightning reflexes, and thick skin. In some situations, strong core and shoulder muscles, conspicuously large bicep muscles, and a loud voice might also provide an added advantage.

We consumed about 5 meals in total over both days in the park, and in all 5 experiences, we spent more time standing in whatever semblance of a queue there was to purchase food, than actually consuming the food.

We also made 4 attempts to purchase souvenirs at the gift shops. We aborted 2 of those attempts due to overcrowding in the shops.

Around the park, most of the staff had given up any effort to try to be friendly or, in some instances, even polite (especially at the F&B outlets). Many also gave up trying to enforce queues or rules. Most of them looked jaded, some even traumatised.

That said, while these are the main differences between Disneyland HK vs Disneyland in many other parts of the world, there are still some enjoyable bits to the experiences. The rides and performances were mostly of good quality, as can be expected of Disney.

There was something disappointing though - no street parade...