Disneyland Hong Kong

[PeteC]

Trip planning time for the little one over school break. Anyone been there and can comment if worth it, and any cautions/advice? Thanks. Pete

[migrant]

Never been there but Mrs Migrant works for Disneyland here in California.

If you want to redirect she can get you a discount

Of course there's airfare, etc......

I don't know if she has access to any info that's not on the web, but I'll ask her

[PeteC]

Thanks Migrant. I'm more or less set with arrangements, hotels, flights etc., and am looking for some reviews from those who have been there. Pete

[pharvey]

Took my nephew there the year before last and actually had a great time. Disney Land HK is a lot smaller than that of Orlando, which is not a bad thing. Not as many rides/attractions, but still easilly enough to fill the day. The numerous shows are also worth a watch. Crowds were smaller - a real pleasure in/near to China, but you need to be aware/prepared for some Chinese "habits" - the wonderful art of seemingly pulling saliva from their toes with the accompanying sound effects before expelling with superb velocity. Neither have they mastered the art of queing, so expect now and again to have a pushing contest - goes for the kids as well! Not worth getting upset by this as it's simply a way of life for a portion of the Chinese populas. I would strongly advise avoiding the Chinese holidays though (October being the next main one).

There are a few "water attractions" which no doubt your kid(s) will love, but trust me, they'll get soaked so maybe advisabe to take a change of clothes. Food wise, we all enjoyed, but if you're after western fast food, you won't get it - well at least we didn't then. All geared to Asian tastes mostly Chinese, Indian, a little Japanese etc. ...... certainly no BIG MACs - which in my opinion was great!! If the kids are going to want western food (or some "sugar"), I'd suggest taking a picnic bag with you.

The highlight for me was the firework show, but this was not until 9pm or so (daily I believe), which maybe a bit late for the younger kids.

If you're not staying in the resort itself, it's very easy to get to from virtually anywhere in HK/Kowloon having it's own MTR station. Very clean, polite staff, all in all great place to visit for a day or 2.

Have you booked up hotels etc. in HK? If not, you can get some great deals through www.octopustravel.com

[PeteC]

Thanks Pharvey. I hope it's pissing rain, as it very well may be in July, as it should result in less people being there. One can only hope. I've got two days set aside so we can return the second day to repeat what she really liked, or hit things there wasn't time or energy for. We're staying right at the Disneyland Hotel and hopefully we'll be able to see the fireworks from the hotel balcony, as they advertise. Pete

[PeteC]

OK, just got back and a few quick observations/comments in case anyone else plans to visit.

First observation is that Disney screwed up with this one. Here they sit on the perimeter of the China mainland with more humanity crammed together than any country on earth, and they built a small park. They also designed it so you have a half mile walk from the parking lot/bus drop off area to get to the main gate. At least 100 acres of land there where that they could have used to make a bigger park. No idea why they didn't. In addition, your body really doesn't want a half mile hike at the end of the day when your arse is dragging badly from walking all day in the park. No shuttle tram, you have to hoof it up in the morning and down in the evening.

In order of quantity of group types that I observed over 3 days: least-teenagers, next-western foreigners, next-Hong Kong Chinese families, most-middle age and old age Chinese mainlanders. Yes, it's true. They must arrange package tours and Disneyland being an American icon and famous place seems to have attracted the older crowd just to get a look see of what it's all about. They wander around with their canes, sit under the trees, watch the marching bands, eat, and do little else.

The park being so small there are not as many rides or live shows as I'm used to, nothing even close to Disneyland LA or Florida. Given this, lines are long and rides are short. A good example is a 45 minute line wait for a 2 minute ride. The Chinese take it in stride as lines for them are a daily way of life, but the few western families there had a lot to say under their breath and I don't blame them. When most families are on a one day window, it makes for no fun at all. However, this is the adults speaking. The little kids age 2-12 don't mind at all, they're just having the time of their life which is how it should be.

If you stay at one of the Disney hotels on the island, they give you one 'fast-pass' for a ride, and one 'priority seating' for a show. These are wonderful....go to the front of the line. I found out too late that you can purchase more of these passes I think for HKD 20 each and it's well worth doing that if you want to get the most out of the park in 1 or 2 days.

Concerning hotels, the Disney run properties are spectacular and the service is 5 star. One of the best hotels I've ever stayed in. Pricey but worth it if you're only in Hong Kong for Disneyland and nothing else. A pitfall is that you can't walk outside and stock up on snacks and water at a 7-11 before going into the park. Therefore you're at their mercy. As an example, a 770ml bottle of water at the park for 75 baht. You can use that same scale concerning cokes, fruit juices, popcorn etc., that the vendors sell there. Restaurant meals at the park are astronomical. Singapore chicken-rice/ bok choy for 3 came to 1,200 baht, then I sat grinding my teeth as my daughter fed most of the rice to the birds. .

Back to the hotel, fabulous for the kids. Disney characters walking around for photos, 30 minute fireworks each evening, organized story time with milk/cookies, all for free. Great swimming pool, big, free buffet breakfast each morning, a room shower with water pressure that will remove the flesh from your body. Too many things to mention that make the hotel stay really better than going to the park. This is exactly what my daughter said on the plane back to Bangkok today..."I liked the hotel best..."

Bottom line, it's worth the hassle at least once in your child's life between ages 2-12, and also for anyone who is an amusement park fanatic, but you'll be disappointed with many things at the park itself IMO. Since standing in line a lot, it gave me a chance to chat with many staff all of whom mentioned that Tuesday and Wednesday are always the least crowded days unless a holiday falls on those days, and March-April are best for clear, cool weather before the rain and heat starts.

If I think of more I'll post, and some photos later which include an idea for HHF's back yard. Pete

http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl ... e=HomePage

[John HH]

Thanks for the report Pete, very informative. Am thinking about taking a trip over there later in the year specically for Disney land but I'd like to check out HK too. Did you see much of HK at all?



john

[PeteC]

A few pics of the hotel area. Pete

The Disneyland ferry pier and Hong Kong Island in the distance. You can see the alien type cloud hanging over the peak that is common this time of year.

This is the maze in the hotel courtyard for the kids to play in. This is my suggestion for HHF's backyard.

The front of the hotel.

[mabubba]

prcscct - Excellent write-up. By the sounds of it, it would compare well with Disneyland Paris. Smaller, and long lines. I didn't even know there was one in HK.

[PeteC]

A recent review by a Thai visitor. Pete

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/20 ... 37264.html

[chopsticks]

Reads like a wonderful advertorial but then again it was a feeebie trip for the hack for
at least at the end of the article it does state :
"The writer was a guest of Cathay Pacific Airways and Hong Kong Disneyland".