Hong Kong Disneyland – Questions?

Hong Kong Disney Rob

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 29, 2012



Hong Kong Disneyland – Questions?

I have been going to Hong Kong Disneyland from the day it opened September 5th, 2005. I have been hundreds of times. If you are planning a trip to Hong Kong, then Hong Kong Disneyland is a must see!

If you have any questions about Hong Kong Disneyland or about Hong Kong for that matter, I have lived here a couple of decades. Please let me know, I would be happy to help, happy to answer your questions, or offer you web links so that you can check things out yourself.

It is all about Disneyland, so come to Hong Kong, and enjoy our Hong Kong Disneyland. I collect pins, and participate in many functions around Hong Kong Disneyland.

Here is a bit about me;

I will use my very first post to introduce myself, and to give my first trip report about my day at Hong Kong Disneyland. I’m most surprised that I find very little on The Dis boards about Hong Kong Disneyland. Thus I intend to pick up the slack and on a regular basis, introduce the park, and to bring everybody up to date on all new construction news. As I will treat my first post an introduction about me, photos will be added to my second post.

As a young child, Sunday nights after eating a burnt pot roast around the family dining table with, we sat down to watch the Disney show. Those were simple days, days when dreams were as simple. We had no color TV, no cell phones, no fax, no ipad, no computers at all, and our home land line telephone, was a party line with a rotary dial. But I loved watching all of the Disney shows, I think that we never missed one show, and the pot roast was still burnt every Sunday. At least we had burnt gravy to go with it, life was good!

I can clearly remember watching Steamboat Willy, but then one day the Disney shows took a new turn. Walt always introduced the show, and Walt closed every show. One Sunday Walt had a Disneyland special, more about Walt himself, but all about Disneyland. I still remember this show, I sat there and said to myself, “wow”! The very next day I wrote a letter to Disneyland in California, California was a million miles away, my parents said they won’t answer you, why you? I wanted to know more, I wanted to know all I could know about Disneyland, I had ten questions in my letter. I posted the letter that day, Dear Walt.

I marked the day I posted the letter on a calendar I had in my bedroom, and started to count the days. One month went by, my Mum said that she was right, they would never answer me, she told me to forget about it. I would not forget about it, I sent a letter to Walt Disney himself, and I felt that Walt was not the sort of a guy who just forgot about anything. Six weeks went by, seven weeks, I never lost hope, I knew Walt would not let me down. Just shy of eight weeks from the very first day I posted my letter to Walt, and huge brown envelope was waiting for me on the kitchen table when I got home from school. Can you see the look on my face, it was a package from Disneyland, I ran to my bedroom, package tightly tucked under my arm.

I could not believe my eyes, inside was a letter answering all of my questions made by a typewriter, this was official stuff, this was the real deal. On top of the letter and that would have been more than enough for me, there was a Disneyland park map, information about the Disneyland Hotel, a sheet in color about Main Street U.S.A., information about attractions, and a event list for the rest of the year. There was information about the prices to enter the park, wow a one day ticket was $5.00, I better save up every penny of my allowance, it would take me five months to save for a one day ticket to Disneyland. There was information about the ticket books, and the cost of the different ticket books. There was a sticker of Mickey Mouse, wow a sticker, this was ground breaking stuff! I clearly remember saying to myself again, Walt is a sure guy, and my dream was to one day, go to Disneyland and enjoy the happiest place on earth, I needed some happy. By the way I was seven years old when I sent that letter to Walt, and to this day, I have never forgot the kindness of Disneyland to send to me so much cool stuff. I have never to this very day forgot, I was hooked.

One Sunday Walt came on his show and told us that he has a big announcement. Walt was standing in front of a huge map hanging on the wall with a pointer in hand, and this pointer must have been ten feet long, well not really, but it was the longest pointer I ever saw in my life. Walt went onto tell us all about a new project, Walt Disney World in Florida. I just melted. Yes I sent off a letter to Walt Disney World in Florida, and yes they answered me, the envelope was packed full of Disney World stuff and again, I have never forgot that Kindness of the Disney company for answering me. I said to myself, one day I will go to Walt Disney world, watch me, one day.

Time went by, a few years, and upon my return from school one day, a family meeting was called in the kitchen by my Mum, Dad was there also and he did not look happy. This was never a good thing, what did I do now? Dad sat there and stated that we were all going on a family vacation. We had never had a family vacation, apart from filling up the plastic pool in the backyard of our home. I said okay. They then went onto say that we would be going to Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. I was speechless, I was ready to get a kick in the head again, but this time this kick was a good one. I could not sleep that night, I said that I have to get ready. The next day I went to school library, there was nothing about Walt Disney World in Florida, but there was lots of information about Florida. I studied everything I could about Florida. I had the information that I was sent from Disney World, and I knew all that one could know about Florida. Do you know that real oranges grow on trees everywhere in Florida?

As Christmas 1971 came ever so closer we packed for our big trip. You know what, dreams do come true! I was on my way to Walt Disney World. My report here is an introduction about me, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Thus I will not go into detail of our trip at Disney World only three months after it opened, and the very first Walt Disney World Christmas. I was there and I will never forget that magical trip, I was now hooked, I was everything Disney.

To fast forward a bit, I have over the years visited every Disney park around the world. I study everything Disney, and I love everything Disney. I’m a pin collector, and I’m a bit nutty about pins. I trade pins, and collect pins from around the world. If you were to ask me what my favorite Disney park is, I would answer you by saying Walt Disney. I just returned from a trip at Disneyland in southern California, and I had a great 16 days there, running all around the park. The blisters on my feet hurt, but I was at Walt’s place, I was at Disneyland, I went nonstop for every minute of the 16 days. I loved it! Every single time I walked past the fire station on Main Street, I looked up, and I said, “Thank you Walt, thank you”!

Well, I now live in Hong Kong, and guess what?

I will start out with reports about our Hong Kong Disneyland. I will cover everything, and if you want to know about anything about Hong Kong Disneyland, then just ask. I will include photos, and video when possible. It is my dream to have a Hong Kong Disneyland podcast, and I will move in this direction. I have been listening to the Dis Unplugged for over 10 years now, along with a few other podcasts. I will be right up front with you, I’m going to work real hard on all of my trip reports here for you all to enjoy. It is my dream to one day be able to work with the fine people at The Dis, and it is my dream to one day have a Hong Kong Disneyland podcast at The Dis Unplugged.

I also want to dispel the fact that Hong Kong Disneyland has had all bad press, and let you see from my eyes just what is going on out here in Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland is small you say, well I don’t think so. Nothing to see at Hong Kong Disneyland you say, well I don’t think so. I will also organize Hong Kong Disneyland meet and greet, pin trading meet you, and quiz nights. Stay tuned for the time and dates. I just returned from a full day at Hong Kong Disneyland, I had a wonderful time. I will return to the park tomorrow, so let’s keep in touch.

Remember what Walt said, “Dreams can come true”, and I’m living proof of that!

Cheers & Love:
 
Excellent! A real live resident HKDL Dis-ser on the boards. Good on you for filling this gap. :thumbsup2


How long have you lived in HK?
 
Thank you and it is my pleasure to meet you, and everybody! I have lived in Hong Kong for 27 years. I have had a pass to Disneyland right from September 5, 2005, I'm a lover of everything Disney.

Cheers & Enjoy!
 
27 years??


Where were you when I was trip planning for last year??



(Never mind - rhetorical question! :goodvibes)
 


Hi, yes I was here, but I had a family situation that had to be sorted out first. That took about one year of my time. I'm working at it still, but I'm also returning back to everything Disney. I hope to meet many other Dis people in at Hong Kong Disneyland soon!

Cheers & Enjoy the Magic!
 
Hi Rob

I have been enjoying your posts about Hong Kong Disneyland. We visited about 4 years ago and have another visit planned for later this year.

Am interested to know about pin trading, my children have traded pins in Disneyland and really enjoyed it and want to do some traidng in Hong Kong. They trade purely on what a pin looks like and if they like it and have only ever traded with cast members. Will there be many cast members for them to trade with?

Many thanks, I am sure I will have more questions as our holiday gets closer :)
 
Hi, yes Hong Kong Disneyland does trade pins, and I'm a huge pin collector and trader! The only problem is that if any of the local people have a lanyard of pins, they will not trade as they are only displaying the pins that they have purchased on ebay. Thus the only other pin trading going on is with cast members. I get many pins, and pin sets through cast members.

Do take care as many of the cast members do have fake Chinese pins on their lanyards as no one at Hong Kong Disneyland monitors the pins that are displayed on cast lanyards. Strange enough, but the fake pins on the lanyards are not from the Chinese, but rejects from California, and Orlando. I have reported with photos many fake cast member pins, but Hong Kong Disneyland does nothing about it, and they do not care at all. It is up to us to do our home work first.

If you need any help with Disney pins here in Hong Kong, let's hook up in the park for a coffee, and I would bring some of my pins to trade with your kids.

Cheers & Enjoy the Magic!
 


Hi Rob! I have been to HK twice and HKDL once. I hope to return at Halloweentime. I'm also a pin trader, but I prefer to trade with cast members and never approach guests to trade (I have traded with small children who asked me) so I find HK a great place to trade since it seems most cast members wear a lanyard. I have some fantastic beautiful pins from HK as well.

Good luck with your future podcast and thanks for starting this thread. I'll be following along!
 
You are most welcome, and if anyone has any questions I will do my best to help. I'm off to spend the day in the park, I can't wait!

Cheers & Enjoy Hong Kong Disneyland!
 
Hi Rob - Thanks for the reply, its good to know there will be plenty of cast members for the kids to trade with. I'll pm you closer to our holiday and maybe we can catch up for a coffee in the park :)
 
Hi Rob! I'm starting to think about booking our trip for Halloween, but the web site is not very helpful. It just says mid September - Oct 31, but no details on what days they have the event (in DLR they only do it 3 times a week, for example) or if you need a separate ticket for the Halloween party like you do in US. If you see anything more firm than that while at the parks, will you please post? I appreciate any info you can provide and I will keep checking the web site too.
 
Halloween at HKDL is quite cool, September 15 through October 31. It in years past has run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including Halloween night. Your normal park ticket will get you into all events for Halloween. "HOT TIP", come early as Halloween at HKDL is VERY popular with the local crowd. I like that by the way, we locals need to support our park as much as we can!

Booooo, and enjoy the magic at Hong Kong Disneyland!
 
Thanks so much Rob!

I wanted to add that there are public holidays on the 1st and 14th of Oct this year, in case anyone else is considering an October trip. :)
 
Hi Rob

How great that you live in Hong Kong and now Disneyland HK so well.
Me and my husband are going to visiting Disneyland real soon. We arrive 29th of Oct and want to go 31 oct for Halloween and later during are stay in Hong Kong on a quite day in the week after Halloween

I also have seen on a picture of you above here that you also collect pins, or have pins on you're lanyard.
Is there Pintrading with CM and guest in the parc? Normally I go to Paris because I'm from europe and I love trading there but how is that over there?
And do you know if there is a big pinbag on sell in the parc? I love to get one form Hong Kong.

Thanks and Greetings calimero
 
Hey Rob! Thanks for the great info on HKDL. Very helpful.

My DD19 will be in HK for a semester of school from Sept thru most of Nov. She will be going to HKDL with her roommate. :thumbsup2 They won't have classes on a Friday, so what day would you suggest they go? (A Friday? Saturday?) What day would be less crowded? Would there be a specific day that would be more fun or interesting due to something special going on (like Halloween)?? They will probably have about a 20+ minute train ride to get there from Gold Coast. (?)

Also, have you ever been to Ocean Park? (I assume you have.) They would love to hear your thoughts on that. THANKS!!


.
 
Hi HKDL Rob! We are planning a trip in Oct - the week after the holidays so hopefully the parks are empty! :)

I am hoping I can pick your brain a lot and you can help us with planning our trip.
 
Hey Rob! Thanks for the great info on HKDL. Very helpful.

My DD19 will be in HK for a semester of school from Sept thru most of Nov. She will be going to HKDL with her roommate. :thumbsup2 They won't have classes on a Friday, so what day would you suggest they go? (A Friday? Saturday?) What day would be less crowded? Would there be a specific day that would be more fun or interesting due to something special going on (like Halloween)?? They will probably have about a 20+ minute train ride to get there from Gold Coast. (?)

Also, have you ever been to Ocean Park? (I assume you have.) They would love to hear your thoughts on that. THANKS!!


.

Hi There

I don't know how often your daughter and her friend are wanting to go to Disneyland but if it is more than once then you might like to look at the annual pass (called a magic access pass). In comparison to the parks in the US it is very inexpensive and would give them the flexibility to just pop in for a few hours if they wanted to, you will find all the details on the HKDL website. Te website will also have information about special events.

Weekdays are always going to be quieter than weekends as long as it is not a public holiday or school holidays.

Personally I didn't enjoy Ocean Park nearly as much as Disneyland but I know of others who really enjoy it. Given the amount of time your daughter is in Hong Kong I would recomend that she visit. It is very hilly so it would be wise to wear comfortable shoes.

Public transport is quite easy to use in Hong Kong and I have always found people (including bus drivers) really helpful with directions.

I hope you daughter has a wonderful time and is able to experience as many different things as she can while she is away.
 

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