Disney's Hollywood Hotel — Hotel in Hong Kong

Charming Disney Hotel, But Some Policies and Practical Gaps Diminish the Magic||We, a family of four, stayed for 6 nights at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel in Hong Kong, booking the top-tier Mickey Sea View room, and while there were several magical moments, a few key issues left us disappointed — especially for a Disney-branded experience.||What We Loved:| • The hotel is beautifully maintained, peaceful, and well-themed in classic Disney-Hollywood style.| • Our room was spacious, clean, and housekeeping did a great job.| • The location is great — the hotel sits beside two other Disney hotels (Disney Explorers Lodge and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel), allowing access to additional dining. A highlight was Colors restaurant at Explorers Lodge, which had a surprisingly good Indian menu.| • Shuttle service to the park was timely and reliable.| • Uber is easily available from the hotel, and we used it often — much more convenient than the metro when traveling with young kids.||The Disappointments:||The character meet-and-greet policy was a major letdown. Despite staying nearly a week, we never met the Disney characters in the hotel lobby. There’s no schedule because management wants it to be a “magical surprise.” But realistically, no family can wait in the lobby all day on the off-chance a character shows up.||Even worse, if characters appear at the Ink & Plate buffet, your kids must dine there to be eligible for a photo — even if they’re eating across the corridor at another disney hotel restaurant. When we questioned this, we were told it’s corporate policy. After much back-and-forth and literal pleading at the front desk, we finally got one photo. But this rule — which exists across all three Disney hotels in Hong Kong — makes no sense. Expecting parents to pay for a buffet just so a child can click a picture with their favorite Disney character, even after booking a premium room for 6 nights, is unacceptable. This policy needs urgent revision.||Late-night food was another pain point.| • There is no room service at this hotel (something that was not communicated at the time of booking).| • Room service is available only at the Disneyland Hotel, the most premium of the three.| • After 11 pm, your only options are cup noodles (mostly pork or seafood flavors) or chips from the lobby shop, and there’s no nearby 7-Eleven. For vegetarians or health-conscious families, this was a huge inconvenience.||In Hindsight:||If I could do it differently, I would have stayed at a 5-star hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui and simply commuted to Disneyland using Uber. The metro station is right at the park entrance, and although it’s convenient, it can get uncomfortably crowded, especially with young children. Uber was far more comfortable and easily available at all hours, including at the hotel.||Final Thoughts:||There is much to like about Disney’s Hollywood Hotel — the setting, the charm, and the shuttle system. But some policies are out of sync with guest expectations, especially for families traveling with kids. A little more flexibility and transparency would go a long way. If you plan your meals in advance and manage expectations, you’ll still enjoy the Disney magic — just with a...

Charming Disney Hotel, But Some Policies and Practical Gaps Diminish the Magic||We, a family of four, stayed for 6 nights at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel in Hong Kong, booking the top-tier Mickey Sea View room, and while there were several magical moments, a few key issues left us disappointed — especially for a Disney-branded experience.||What We Loved:| • The hotel is beautifully maintained, peaceful, and well-themed in classic Disney-Hollywood style.| • Our room was spacious, clean, and housekeeping did a great job.| • The location is great — the hotel sits beside two other Disney hotels (Disney Explorers Lodge and Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel), allowing access to additional dining. A highlight was Colors restaurant at Explorers Lodge, which had a surprisingly good Indian menu.| • Shuttle service to the park was timely and reliable.| • Uber is easily available from the hotel, and we used it often — much more convenient than the metro when traveling with young kids.||The Disappointments:||The character meet-and-greet policy was a major letdown. Despite staying nearly a week, we never met the Disney characters in the hotel lobby. There’s no schedule because management wants it to be a “magical surprise.” But realistically, no family can wait in the lobby all day on the off-chance a character shows up.||Even worse, if characters appear at the Ink & Plate buffet, your kids must dine there to be eligible for a photo — even if they’re eating across the corridor at another disney hotel restaurant. When we questioned this, we were told it’s corporate policy. After much back-and-forth and literal pleading at the front desk, we finally got one photo. But this rule — which exists across all three Disney hotels in Hong Kong — makes no sense. Expecting parents to pay for a buffet just so a child can click a picture with their favorite Disney character, even after booking a premium room for 6 nights, is unacceptable. This policy needs urgent revision.||Late-night food was another pain point.| • There is no room service at this hotel (something that was not communicated at the time of booking).| • Room service is available only at the Disneyland Hotel, the most premium of the three.| • After 11 pm, your only options are cup noodles (mostly pork or seafood flavors) or chips from the lobby shop, and there’s no nearby 7-Eleven. For vegetarians or health-conscious families, this was a huge inconvenience.||In Hindsight:||If I could do it differently, I would have stayed at a 5-star hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui and simply commuted to Disneyland using Uber. The metro station is right at the park entrance, and although it’s convenient, it can get uncomfortably crowded, especially with young children. Uber was far more comfortable and easily available at all hours, including at the hotel.||Final Thoughts:||There is much to like about Disney’s Hollywood Hotel — the setting, the charm, and the shuttle system. But some policies are out of sync with guest expectations, especially for families traveling with kids. A little more flexibility and transparency would go a long way. If you plan your meals in advance and manage expectations, you’ll still enjoy the Disney magic — just with a...

Edit: I visited July 13, 2017 - July 16, 2017.

The only good thing about this hotel was the theming. It was classy. Other than that, I don't have anything nice to say. The movie channels were so awful. The volume was messed up, the picture looked like it was a pirated camera version. I frequent WDW so I understand everything on Disney property being expensive, you get what you pay for, but here... it was more expensive and the service was okay. I ate at the Studio Lounge and I had to beg for a waiter to take my order and get more drinks. Waiters would come by and make eye contact but wouldn't say anything. Meals for 2 people were about 600HKD, including forced service tip.

My biggest issue: I had my laundry done here, kind of. I placed the laundry bag, with the clothes and the slip, just outside my door before 10am. I go out and by the time that I come back to my hotel room it's almost midnight and there is no laundry bag or slip or anything that says that my laundry is done. On the slip that I filled out I asked for same day service (leave outside door before 10am and have it back by 7pm that evening). I called the front desk and I was told to check the wardrobe, there wasn't anything there. After an hour back and forth calls from the front desk, the manager told me that it might still be at the laundry facility. Which wouldn't have bothered me except that I was leaving that day at 5:30am, to go back home to the US, before the laundry facility was going to be opened. The manager told me that if my laundry was found that they would send it and that it would be laundered for free (how kind of them...). A few short hours later when I go to check out I tell the manager that I didn't care if my laundry was found that day or 3 years from now that they better send it.

I had a 30hr travel day from HK to US. While in the middle of that in an airport, my father texted me. He asked if anyone was trying to call the house, I wasn't so I said no. I found out when I got home that the hotel was calling to say that they think my laundry got thrown away. Really? The hotel calls at 3am (my home local time) 4 times and hangs up before calling a 5th time and then argues with my father about how he wasn't me so they didn't want to speak to him before they finally told him their cop-out answer of my laundry getting thrown out.

How does a hotel throw out laundry less than a day and a half later??

I didn't have a good experience at the Disneyland Park either, so I'll never be coming back...