Hong Kong Disneyland here we come! Once we finish at the Shanghai Disney Resort, we will spend some time in the city before taking another bullet train to Hong Kong. After a couple days downtown, we will head to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Opened in 2005, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was the first Disney resort that opened in China and the last one under the supervision of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, known for his habit of cutting corners and opening cheap parks (Disney California Adventure, Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris).
The resort has not traditionally done well. It is the smallest castle park (even smaller than Disneyland in California). When it opened in 2005, it was like Disneyland on a budget with just over 20 attractions.
Fortunately, Disney has invested money into the park and today it hosts a solid lineup of attractions and experiences. Mystic Manor is supposed to be one of the best attractions at any Disney park, the castle is being re-imagined and the park is set to have its own Marvel Land and a Frozen land.
And since it hasn’t always done well, it means the park offers a ton of discounts. It’s your birthday? Great, you get in for a heavily discounted ticket and a free meal. Want to stay two nights? Awesome, here is some cheap tickets and discounts for the room. In contrast to Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong offers a lot of discounts to attract visitors.
For our trip, we are going to stay one night at Disney’s Explorers Lodge, the newest hotel on property. Priced between the cheaper Hollywood Hotel and the flagship Disneyland Hotel, it is rated as the best hotel on property, with reviewers loving its explorers’ theme. When booking, I was able to find a deal for 10% off, a discount at the hotel’s character buffet breakfast, discounted two-day park tickets, a free meal at one of the park’s counter service restaurants, guaranteed seating for one of the park’s shows and three use whenever you want Fast Passes. All in all, a pretty good deal for a one-night stay at an onsite resort hotel.
Currently, our plan is to arrive at the resort around noon, check in and head straight into the park. The park doesn’t operate for long normally, with average park hours from 10AM to 7:30PM. We plan to hit most of the attractions that first night, since our second day in the park will be shorter, as we fly back to LA that day. But, with Hong Kong Disneyland on the smaller side, we should be able to hit everything.
I can’t wait to ride Mystic Manor, the park’s take on Haunted Mansion, although it is a much different experience. Other must dos include Grizzly Gulch Runaway Mine Cars, Hyperspace Mountain, Iron Man Experience, Antman and the Wasp Nano Battle and a Sword in the Stone show! Although not quite as extensive as Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland still has some solid attractions, with some unique only to this park.
And once we visit Hong Kong Disneyland, we did it. We visited every Disney park in the world. It will be an incredible experience; one we can cherish for the rest of our lives. But it won’t be the end. Disney is throwing billions of dollars into its parks, for new attractions and experiences. Which means only one thing, we have to do it all over again! And we most certainly will. On top of our regular visits to the two US resorts, which resort will we see next?
Easy, the Tokyo Disneyland Resort. Hands down the best Disney resort that exists. I doubt the Chinese resorts will top it. Tokyo is just too strong. Plus, by the time of the Tokyo Olympics, the resort’s two parks will have a slew of new attractions and experiences, with all calling us back!
Thanks for reading! I will keep everyone updated on our vacation planning and of course let everyone know about our visit to Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland. We are excited to visit Disney’s two newest resorts and finally cross off every Disney park from our list! Stay Tuned!
