How many days?

[hungrygreenhippo]

I'm going to Guangzhou for about 2 1/2 weeks in late Nov/early Dec and I'd like to pop over to Hong Kong for part of the vacation. Recently I've been going to WDW every year, but haven't been to any of the Disney parks outside the US before. I want to treat this like a once in a lifetime trip and be able to thoroughly explore HKDL without feeling rushed. How many days would you recommend for HKDL? Is there any benefit to staying onsite at one of the Disney hotels? Also if you don't mind, what other attractions in Hong Kong would you suggest I visit? Thanks in advance!

 

[PrincessInOz]

What a fantastic opportunity to visit China (and Hong Kong!).

When are you planning on going to HKDL? If you visit mid-week, the park should be quieter than at the weekend. And I'm not sure if you've checked if there are any public or festival days in Nov/Dec. If it corresponds with school holidays or festivals in China.....and it will be busy.

Are you looking to add extra time after Guangzhou in Hong Kong or are you looking to include sightseeing in your 2.5 weeks?



There is lots to see in Hong Kong and it depends on what you're interested to see.

I spent 12 nights in Hong Kong last year and wrote this PTR/TR. Head to the second post for the quick links and you can take a look at some of the things I saw when in Hong Kong (inc Disneyland).

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2823458


There are a number of other Aussies that do pop in on the HKDK subforum; and HKDL Rob is local in HK. So ask away.......we *might* even be able to provide answers.

 

[zanzibar138]

I've been to HKDL twice now, and loved it both times! The first trip was part of our honeymoon and we stayed onsite for 4 nights. For me, it was a good amount of time to really take it all in, spend a decent amount of time relaxing at the hotel, do our favourites a few times, and greet some characters. The second time was only for 2 nights, and for me it was way too rushed and I felt like I was just scratching the surface of what there was to offer (but it was really only to check out Grizzly Gulch so it served its purpose ). Both times we went were quiet times of year and mid-week. Most rides were only a 15 minute wait max, and we got decent seats at the shows without having to line up for ages. Having said that, a lot of people say that a day is plenty of time to experience HKDL, and if you're used to WDW, you might find it difficult to fill in time. There is only one small park with only a few major attractions, and no shopping/dining district. There is a lake/recreation area which I haven't managed to find time to check out yet.

As always, there are pros and cons to staying onsite. HKDL is quite a hike from the main hub of Hong Kong, and there really aren't any other restaurants or shopping in the area. A lot of people do a split-stay (stay a few nights in the city, then a couple more at HKDL), which seems to work well. I have found HKDL a great opportunity to stay at a deluxe level hotel for the price of a moderate. The HKDL Hotel is just beautiful. We've also stayed at the Hollywood Hotel, which was nice as well, but if money was no option we'd always go with HKDL Hotel Both hotels are an easy walk from the park though a nicely landscaped (and Disney-fied) path, or there's a free shuttle bus.

As far as other attractions, the only things that are on my must-do list are the cable car up to Ngong Ping, and the tram up to Victoria Peak. But check out PIO's TR to get more of an idea about what's around.

My TRs are both very detailed about HKDL, but not so much info about the rest of HK. Feel free to have a browse

 

[CaliBear]

I have been to HK a few times and have been to HKDL once. Heading back for a weekend trip just for HKDL in Oct. and we will stay at the HK Disneyland Hotel.

I did a split stay my first time. One week in Central and then a night at HK Hollywood Hotel, followed by a night at the Novotel City Gate, which I *believe* is the closest hotel to HKDL not on site. If we were going for anything other than HKDL this next trip, we'd again do a split stay. The on-site hotels are convenient to the park, but not to anything else. We did do a weekend at City Gate once, and I don't think we'd do it again unless we weren't planning to leave Lantau.

I've read PiO's TR. It's a great source. I read the HKDL portion of zanzibar's latest as well. Another really good source is the Hong Kong Tourism Board. My first trip I literally planned an entire week's activities using just that site. Here's the link http://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/index.jsp

One tip: The HK Tourism has an office in Kowloon, just after you get off the ferry. Drop by with passport in hand. They always have extra activities tourists can sign up for, like baking local treats or riding the junk.

I agree with zanzibar about the Ngong Ping with Giant Buddha and The Peak being must-dos, but I can recommend more places if you'd like. Feel free to ask.

 

[donkeykong91]

We just visited in July for a single day and wasn't able to see everything. But it also seemed pretty crowded that day. We mostly skipped the rides that were available at the US parks. Even though the park is small, I would suggest two days to enjoy the park at a leisurely pace. I'm going to post a trip report as soon as I get my post count up.