During the past few years, I’ve found myself at Hong Kong Disneyland more often than any other Disney park. It’s such an easy visit if you’re in Hong Kong. Still, there are some things to keep in mind. I lay down everything you need to know about visiting Hong Kong Disneyland in this post, from what to expect to tips on making the most of your visit.
To add to the experience, I brought my Nikon DSLR during two of my recent visits and shot some artsy photos. If you like the photos and videos, consider following me on Instagram (I take travel photos)!
What to expect & how to buy tickets
Opened in 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland is perhaps the most laidback of Disney parks. In 2023, 6.4 million people visited the park. Compare that to the 17.72 million and 17.25 million visitors at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom and Anaheim’s Disneyland, respectively (these numbers don’t include sister parks in the same resorts). Unless there’s a special event, the crowds are noticeably lighter. For example, I usually go on weekdays, and there’s never been a line for Space Mountain longer than five minutes.
The park is smaller than others, not just in size but also in the number of attractions. HK Disneyland has an operating capacity of about 34,000 guests while the original Disneyland has an operating capacity of about 85,000 guests. Many beloved rides are also absent from HK Disneyland, such as Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and Indiana Jones. Appropriately, the operating hours are limited to 10 am to 8:30 pm, a far cry from the 7 am to 1 am of Disneyland. Again, all this just makes HK Disneyland more laidback. With fewer people, a smaller park and limited hours, there’s really no need to push yourself.
Everyone speaks English and everything is in English. You’ll find Chinese characters and Cantonese integrated into many of the signs, rides and attractions, but you won’t need to know it if you don’t already. And hearing Mickey Mouse speak in Cantonese is always a kick.
In terms of food, you’ll find more Asian cuisine at HK Disneyland. There are some notable Western additions too, like the Iron Man Burger Combo at the Starliner Diner in Tomorrowland (one of the best burgers I’ve had at a Disney park, but rip off some of the bread to make the filling-bread ratio better).
There are three Disney hotels at HK Disneyland Resort: the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel and Disney Explorer’s Lodge. HK Disneyland Hotel is the closest in terms of walking, but they all provide a free shuttle to escort you to the park.
Ticket prices, types of tickets and how to use them
Ticket prices are lower for adult visitors compared to the other parks. The cheapest January one-day ticket for HK Disneyland at the gate costs $85.96 USD ($669 HKD) while Disneyland tickets start at $103 USD.
Oddly, children pay more at HK Disneyland with respect to Anaheim’s Disneyland. Children and seniors (3-11/60+) at HK Disneyland pay $64.12 USD ($499 HKD), while Anaheim’s Disneyland offers tickets for children (3-9) starting at $50 USD. There are no senior discounts at Anaheim’s Disneyland. Furthermore, senior Hong Kongers holding a JoyYou card can get into the park for only $12.85 USD ($100 HKD).
Buying tickets is easy and can be done online. Visit the HK Disneyland ticketing page and purchase what you need. Like other Disney parks, you’ll need to make a reservation for the day(s) you intend on visiting. You can’t just show up with tickets without a reservation. This is not hard to do; just follow the instructions.
Be sure to download the HK Disneyland app and start an account online because regular price tickets offer lots of bonuses like a free special gift and discounts on merch and meals. This can really save you some money and add some joy when you’re inside the park.
How many days should you spend here?
During my first visit, I arrived before rope drop. It then proceeded to pour (HK is tropical after all) for half the day. I still managed to see everything I wanted to see. One day is certainly enough, but if you like to take it slow or you’re there during a busier period, an additional day might serve you well. I always go on non-event weekdays so one park day was always enough.
How to get to HK Disneyland
Located on Lantau Island, HK Disneyland is easily accessible with Hong Kong’s MTR subway system. All you have to do is take the Tung Chung line to Sunny Bay where there’s a Disneyland Resort Line that takes you to the Disneyland Resort station. From Central, the entire commute takes about 40 minutes. From the Disneyland Resort station, there’s a roughly ten minute walk to the entrance gate.
Click here for the most up-to-date Hong Kong MTR system map. You’ll find the Disneyland Resort station clearly marked on the left side of the map near the airport.
Tops rides & attractions
If you’re familiar with Disney parks in the United States, the entrance to HK Disneyland will make you feel right at home. Aside from the Chinese characters juxtaposed with English, Main Street, USA is similar to how you’d find it in the US (complete with American flags).
You’ll also notice the glorious Castle of Magical Dreams at the park’s center. This castle was reimagined in 2016 to become much larger and more ornate with inspiration coming from a number of Disney films.
If you’ve read anything about HK Disneyland, you’ll know that a fan favorite is Mystic Manor, essentially the Haunted Mansion alternative for the park. As rides themed with the undead are a no-go for Chinese culture, Mystic Manor focuses instead on the magic unleashed by a playful little monkey (with a notable nod to the Monkey King legend). Disney’s impressive use of storytelling with animatronics and fantastic lighting effects really shines here.
My favorite ride at HK Disneyland is the Iron Man Experience. This Star Tours-style ride sends you soaring through Hong Kong as you help Tony Stark battle robots rampaging through the city. It’s fun, comedic and really plays into the location.
The biggest addition to the park is World of Frozen, opened first at HK Disneyland in 2023, then later at Tokyo DisneySea in 2024. A third Frozen-themed park is planned for Walt Disney Studios Park at the Disneyland Paris Resort. While the area was pretty to look at, one of the major rides was down when I visited, so there wasn’t too much to do here. I’m hoping they expand this area to include more things. (I like Frozen, but I’m not the biggest fan.)
During Halloween, HK Disneyland has a really interesting exclusive attraction called the House of De Vil-lains. Everyone’s favorite malicious fashionista Cruella de Vil hosts a surreal fashion show the blurs the line between what’s staged and what’s not. Even the wait to get in was like being on the red carpet, and I couldn’t tell which fabulously dressed people were park guests or actually part of the experience. I was both confused and mesmerized in all the best ways.
Finally, you really can’t miss the closing fireworks show. With a great soundtrack and a brilliant castle to work with, “Momentous” Nighttime Spectacular is really a grand conclusion that rivals if not exceeds other Disney fireworks shows.
Not-so-great rides and meh attractions
Aside from the limited number of attractions, there are some aspects of the park that really aren’t so great. My least favorite ride is Jungle Cruise. This is surprising because it’s one of my favorite rides at the other parks. I’ve been on it several times at HK Disneyland in both English and Cantonese. The delivery of the unfunny jokes was lazy every time I rode it. It was as if the cast members were rapidly and robotically reading off the script. I really thought it would be funnier in Cantonese as the language can often be sarcastic and perfect for humor, but it was just as low energy and unfunny. I don’t think I’ll ride this one here again.
Another downside that’s evident is how some areas of the park seemed populated by filler. The Garden of Wonders at Mystic Point is one example. The “garden” features sculptures that make up optical illusions if viewed in a certain way. While it adds to the backstory of Mystic Point, it kind of feels lazy in a park that already seems like it has so much empty space.
And what’s up with that bear?
Duffy the Disney Bear and his friends (collectively known as Duffy and Friends) are huge in Asia. Like, huge. Duffy is, according to his backstory, a bear given to Mickey Mouse by Minnie Mouse to accompany him on his travels, named such because he was placed in a duffel bag. Originally created for a toy shop opening at Disney Springs in Orlando, it failed to become a success in the US. Marketing in Asia, however, made the popularity of Duffy and Friends skyrocket. You’ll see guests wearing Duffy-related merch all over the park. You’d think he was more popular than Mickey himself.
The most recent addition to the Duffy and Friends lineup is LinaBell, a pink fox who premiered at Shanghai Disneyland in 2021. You can’t escape her presence here either.
Is HK Disneyland worth it?
A visit to Hong Kong Disneyland is worth it if you’re a Disney fan who’s already in Hong Kong. It’s so easy to get to, so laidback and the hours aren’t demanding, so it’s not a hard addition to a trip if you have a day or two to spare.
Additional tips to make your visit more enjoyable:
- Register an account at the HK Disneyland website to receive additional discounts and perks with your ticket (can’t speak for all discounted tickets but tickets purchased with the JoyYou discount do not receive perks). Check your confirmation email for details on the discounts and free gift as they may not appear on your mobile ticket.
- The free gift that comes with a regular-priced ticket is different at each of the redemption locations. You can visit all three of them to see what the different gifts are, then return to the one that offers the gift you like the most. It’s like treasure hunting, and the gifts are usually pretty good (easily equating to around $10 USD if purchased).
- Download the HK Disneyland mobile app for a virtual map, to sign up for virtual queues and to see wait times for attractions.
- Visit on a weekday for cheaper park tickets and smaller crowds.
- The ten-minute walk from the Disneyland Resort station to the main gate can be sunny and there’s limited covering, so bring an umbrella if you need shade.
- Bring your own bottled water if you’re not a fan of Hong Kong tap water.
- Disney Visa card perks only apply to Disney parks in the US, so they won’t be applicable here.
- Take it slow; enjoy every detail because there’s potentially so much time to spare.
If you still have questions, reach out to me on Instagram and consider following for more travel photos and videos. Hope this was helpful, and I wish you a magical visit!