Only 14 months left, I have some questions!

[Karin1984]

As I only have about 14 months to plan left, it’s time to start asking questions! Who can help me with more information on Disneyland Hong Kong?

2 adults with a love for characters and shows will be visiting Disneyland Hong Kong 2 weekdays, last week of August 2017. AP-holders in Disneyland Paris. I’ve been to WDW twice and once to Disneyland Anaheim. My friend has been to WDW once.

General

- Tickets
I read a review where the writer talks about getting their tickets via Grayline or Kkday, because they offer discounts. Anyone here with experience on these companies?

- Arriving before park opening
How long before park opening should we arrive?

- Photopass
Are there photopass photographers in the park?
Also, at which rides they take an on-ride picture?

- Website/Blog
Like we have the Dis for the WDW & Disneyland Anaheim, TDR Explorer for Disneyland Tokyo, is there something similar for Disneyland Hong Kong?

Rides

- Priority
Can we give low priority to the following rides as they are identical to either Paris or WDW?
Toy Story Land -> RC Racer and Parachute Drop?
I don't want to skip the land completey and want to walk through it to see the differences, but if necessary we could skip the rides if they are similar/identical.
What about Mickey’s Philharmagic or Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters?

- FP
We do have 2 days, but which ride should we get a FP for first thing in the morning? Winnie the Pooh? Or should it be Space Mountain? (*edit* This point probably doesn't matter, as there are only 2 FP rides in Disneyland Hong Kong)

- Jungle Cruise
All reviews I read weren’t very positive. Should we skip it (or low priority), and if not to skip it, should I bring a list of bad jokes from the US versions to keep ourselves entertained? ;-)
And as there aren’t any jokes, would it matter which language we pick?

Characters

- Mickey and friends
I’m confused by the website of Disneyland Hong Kong. When you look at the map, it says Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, etc. are meeting on Town Square. When you look at the list of things to do, it says they are meeting in Fantasy Gardens. For such a small park it doesn’t make sense to have them meeting in both places on the same day. So… where are they? And judging by the pictures, are they in Chinese outfits?

- Princesses
Also a bit confused where the princesses are meeting. According to the map, they are all meeting behind the castle. Are they roaming around or is it indoors?

It’s quite a list of princesses they seem to have: Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, Anna & Elsa. And Alice. I don’t assume they are all out at once, but are rotating?

Parades, shows and things to see

- Midday Parade
Parade is important, we don’t mind waiting. But the question is, what are the best spots? We will probably see the parade on both days, but I would like to see it from both sides of the street and preferably with a nice background for pictures ;-)
I’m thinking both at the hub, first time facing the castle and the second time on the other side of the hub looking down Main Street. But I have no idea how busy these spots are and how long before the parade starts

Also in which direction does the parade go? Looking at the map, I guess starting between Space Mountain and Mickey and the Wondrous Book and ending on Main Street.

Sitting or standing? In Tokyo the norm is to sit while watching the parade, what do they do in Hong Kong?

- Rain
Just to confirm: There is a rainy-day-parade?

- Paint the Night
At night the background for pictures is less (/not) important for Paint the Night, any tips on where to watch the parade?

- Mickey and the Wondrous Book
How long before the show starts should we start queuing to get good seats?
And… what are the good seats? Of course, we preferably sit in the center of the audience, but do they make you move all the way to the end to fit in as many people as possible? Then we shouldn’t enter first. Also, how close is the front row to the stage? I remember from seeing Aladdin in Disneyland Anaheim there was quite a large walkway between the front row and stage.

Any advice on doing the first or last show of the day? In other parks those are usually less busy.

Food & Drinks

- What time?
The park in Hong Kong opens ‘late’, I saw for during the first week of July it opens at 10:30!
What does this mean for quiet times to have lunch?
Same questions for dinner.

- Crystal Lotus
This restaurant in the Disneyland Hotel, is it only accessible for hotel guests? I think I read something like that.

- Menus
There aren’t many pictures of the menus and the menus are not online. I found two blogs that have some pics, but these are from 2014.
Does anyone know if there is an English website/blog dedicated to Disneyland Hong Kong dining?

That's it for now, I will probably come back later with more questions Thanks for helping!

 

[zanzibar138]

As I only have about 14 months to plan left, it’s time to start asking questions! Who can help me with more information on Disneyland Hong Kong?

First of all, it's definitely not time to start panicking yet. 14 months is a LONG time in HKDL where all you really need to do in advance is book your hotel lol!

- Tickets
I read a review where the writer talks about getting their tickets via Grayline or Kkday, because they offer discounts. Anyone here with experience on these companies?

I've always just gone through the official website for ticket purchases, so can't help there I'm afraid.

- Arriving before park opening
How long before park opening should we arrive?

I've been in the park at 11:30am on a Saturday and it was practically empty. Especially on a weekday, you don't need to get there early. If the park is opening at 10:30am, I'd expect them to start letting people into the Main Street area at 10am. I can't imagine there would be any need to get there before 9:45am.

- Photopass
Are there photopass photographers in the park?
Also, at which rides they take an on-ride picture?

PP is a little bit different in HK. Your PP package only includes one day. If you want the other day as well, you have to buy another package. If you plan on using PP, I recommend choosing a day and find as many locations as you can. I don't remember seeing heaps of photographers wandering around, but I can confirm that they do tend to accompany the characters.

- Website/Blog
Like we have the Dis for the WDW & Disneyland Anaheim, TDR Explorer for Disneyland Tokyo, is there something similar for Disneyland Hong Kong?

No, there is no website/blog specific to HKDL. It really doesn't require much planning, so general information can be pretty tricky to find. I would use this board as a guide. There are a few TRs around that you could browse to get an idea of what to expect.

- Priority
Can we give low priority to the following rides as they are identical to either Paris or WDW?
Toy Story Land -> RC Racer and Parachute Drop?
I don't want to skip the land completey and want to walk through it to see the differences, but if necessary we could skip the rides if they are similar/identical.
What about Mickey’s Philharmagic or Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters?

Over two weekdays, there is no reason why you can't ride everything AND meet all the characters. However, if you did want to skip the Toy Story Land rides, yes they are identical to the ones in Paris. I actually prefer the theming at DLP's Toy Story Land to be honest. I wouldn't bother to spend much time there.

As far as I'm aware, Mickey's Philharmagic is an exact copy of WDW's version, and Buzz is pretty similar to the other versions as well. I think these are fun attractions though worth doing, and they don't require much time investment. There aren't that many attractions at HKDL, and if you start skipping too much, you'll find yourself running out of things to do.

- FP
We do have 2 days, but which ride should we get a FP for first thing in the morning? Winnie the Pooh? Or should it be Space Mountain? (*edit* This point probably doesn't matter, as there are only 2 FP rides in Disneyland Hong Kong)

Get a FP if you like. I would recommend Pooh. Both rides are likely to be walk ons first thing in the morning. The line for Pooh will build up, but I've never seen the line for Space Mountain get longer than about 15 minutes.

- Jungle Cruise
All reviews I read weren’t very positive. Should we skip it (or low priority), and if not to skip it, should I bring a list of bad jokes from the US versions to keep ourselves entertained? ;-)
And as there aren’t any jokes, would it matter which language we pick?

Personally I didn't mind the Jungle Cruise. I have to say though, I didn't really 'get' the one at DLR, so I didn't miss the spiel. In my experience, the CMs have attempted to make the jokes, and have done so very enthusiastically, but it's possibly gotten lost in translation. It's still worth doing as it has the special ending, but if the jokes are what really makes the experience for you, then you'll probably be disappointed, and perhaps it won't matter which language you do.

- Mickey and friends
I’m confused by the website of Disneyland Hong Kong. When you look at the map, it says Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, etc. are meeting on Town Square. When you look at the list of things to do, it says they are meeting in Fantasy Gardens. For such a small park it doesn’t make sense to have them meeting in both places on the same day. So… where are they? And judging by the pictures, are they in Chinese outfits?

Yes, the characters do meet in both places. Sometimes they are wearing a different outfits in each location. I've seen Donald in a Chinese outfit at Fantasy Gardens, but I've also seen Minnie and Goofy there in their regular outfits. This is highly likely to change in 14 months too. I would check with Town Hall when you arrive. FWIW, you can also meet Goofy at the Hollywood Hotel if you're planning to check that out at all.

Characters are popular in HK, especially now with some people from Tokyo making the trip across because character lines are too long over there! Be prepared to wait it out.

- Princesses
Also a bit confused where the princesses are meeting. According to the map, they are all meeting behind the castle. Are they roaming around or is it indoors?

It’s quite a list of princesses they seem to have: Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, Anna & Elsa. And Alice. I don’t assume they are all out at once, but are rotating?

I've never really tried to meet the princesses. I know that you can definitely meet them at the Disneyland Hotel with a very short wait. Worth thinking about if you were thinking of going over there anyway. They only meet there during the day.

I did see Elsa and Anna in a little gazebo to the side of the castle on my last trip. It looked like the line was pretty short.

- Midday Parade
Parade is important, we don’t mind waiting. But the question is, what are the best spots? We will probably see the parade on both days, but I would like to see it from both sides of the street and preferably with a nice background for pictures ;-)
I’m thinking both at the hub, first time facing the castle and the second time on the other side of the hub looking down Main Street. But I have no idea how busy these spots are and how long before the parade starts

Also in which direction does the parade go? Looking at the map, I guess starting between Space Mountain and Mickey and the Wondrous Book and ending on Main Street.

Sitting or standing? In Tokyo the norm is to sit while watching the parade, what do they do in Hong Kong?

The day time parade is still my favourite of all time, and definitely worth seeing. You are right, it comes from the castle up Main Street towards Town Square. The hub facing the castle would be a great spot! However, not sure about the other side of the hub facing down Main Street. You'd mainly see the back of the parade as it went down Main Street. A better spot might be in Town Square facing towards the castle (ie down Main Street). I've also watched from the train station platform before. I got some great photos with the castle in the background, and also of the whole parade approaching down Main Street. You don't get much interaction with the street level performers from there though.

You won't need to invest hours in this. On a Saturday, we got a second row spot on Main Street about 15 minutes before the parade started. As in the US parks, the first row tends to sit on the curb, and the second row backwards stand.

- Rain
Just to confirm: There is a rainy-day-parade?

Yes, there is a cute rainy day parade.

- Paint the Night
At night the background for pictures is less (/not) important for Paint the Night, any tips on where to watch the parade?

I don't think it really matters if you're not fussed on the background. I imagine anywhere in the Town Square, Main Street or hub area would work fine. Disclaimer - I haven't seen PTN in HK so maybe do a bit more research on this.

- Mickey and the Wondrous Book
How long before the show starts should we start queuing to get good seats?
And… what are the good seats? Of course, we preferably sit in the center of the audience, but do they make you move all the way to the end to fit in as many people as possible? Then we shouldn’t enter first. Also, how close is the front row to the stage? I remember from seeing Aladdin in Disneyland Anaheim there was quite a large walkway between the front row and stage.

Any advice on doing the first or last show of the day? In other parks those are usually less busy.

We went when this show was relatively new (and on a Saturday), and the theatre was always full when we walked past 20 minutes prior to the show. To be safe, and if you specifically want good seats, I would go 45 minutes early. This will be your biggest time investment of the entire trip.

- What time?
The park in Hong Kong opens ‘late’, I saw for during the first week of July it opens at 10:30!
What does this mean for quiet times to have lunch?
Same questions for dinner.

It won't be busy enough that you have to worry about specifically choosing quiet times. When we were there on a Saturday, the QS restaurant in Mystic Point only had one dining room open, and it was half empty at lunch time. Just eat when you're hungry.

- Crystal Lotus
This restaurant in the Disneyland Hotel, is it only accessible for hotel guests? I think I read something like that.

Anyone can eat at Crystal Lotus, but you need to make reservations. I would call the Disneyland Hotel to find out more information (but not for a while - you won't be able to make reservations until about 60 days out).

- Menus
There aren’t many pictures of the menus and the menus are not online. I found two blogs that have some pics, but these are from 2014.
Does anyone know if there is an English website/blog dedicated to Disneyland Hong Kong dining?

As I mentioned before, there is no website/blog for HKDL, and especially not just for dining. Your best bet is to scour this board. I think someone started a thread with menu pictures at some stage. Also check out the TRs to get an idea of what sort of food is available. I recommend the Minnie ice-cream bar!

Phew! That was a lot of questions! Hope I've been able to help.

 

[Karin1984]

First of all, it's definitely not time to start panicking yet. 14 months is a LONG time in HKDL where all you really need to do in advance is book your hotel lol!

I know but I need to do something to pass time!

I've been in the park at 11:30am on a Saturday and it was practically empty. Especially on a weekday, you don't need to get there early. If the park is opening at 10:30am, I'd expect them to start letting people into the Main Street area at 10am. I can't imagine there would be any need to get there before 9:45am.

Check! We can sleep in a bit

PP is a little bit different in HK. Your PP package only includes one day. If you want the other day as well, you have to buy another package. If you plan on using PP, I recommend choosing a day and find as many locations as you can. I don't remember seeing heaps of photographers wandering around, but I can confirm that they do tend to accompany the characters.

Mmm... I don't want it to be my mission to get as many pictures as possible. We will manage with our own cameras.

Over two weekdays, there is no reason why you can't ride everything AND meet all the characters. However, if you did want to skip the Toy Story Land rides, yes they are identical to the ones in Paris. I actually prefer the theming at DLP's Toy Story Land to be honest. I wouldn't bother to spend much time there.

As far as I'm aware, Mickey's Philharmagic is an exact copy of WDW's version, and Buzz is pretty similar to the other versions as well. I think these are fun attractions though worth doing, and they don't require much time investment. There aren't that many attractions at HKDL, and if you start skipping too much, you'll find yourself running out of things to do.

You are right, but it's hard to determine how much time you need in a park that's new to you. How much time does it get from a to b? I like to go in with a plan instead of looking at the map and discuss 'what to do next' or 'where to eat'. I will leave above rides for the second day.

Personally I didn't mind the Jungle Cruise. I have to say though, I didn't really 'get' the one at DLR, so I didn't miss the spiel. In my experience, the CMs have attempted to make the jokes, and have done so very enthusiastically, but it's possibly gotten lost in translation. It's still worth doing as it has the special ending, but if the jokes are what really makes the experience for you, then you'll probably be disappointed, and perhaps it won't matter which language you do.

Yeah, to me the corny jokes are part of the charm of the ride, but we'll see what happens.

Characters are popular in HK, especially now with some people from Tokyo making the trip across because character lines are too long over there! Be prepared to wait it out.

I will be prepared!

I've never really tried to meet the princesses. I know that you can definitely meet them at the Disneyland Hotel with a very short wait. Worth thinking about if you were thinking of going over there anyway. They only meet there during the day.

I did see Elsa and Anna in a little gazebo to the side of the castle on my last trip. It looked like the line was pretty short.

I never understood Frozen's hype so these sisters will get assigned a low priority
Where in the hotel can we find the princesses, just in the hotel lobby? I think I saw pictures of it in one of the trip reports on here.

You won't need to invest hours in this. On a Saturday, we got a second row spot on Main Street about 15 minutes before the parade started. As in the US parks, the first row tends to sit on the curb, and the second row backwards stand.

I will take second row, I prefer to stand as you are on the same level as the performers. Or the dancers at least. I only hope the Chinese guests do not mind my European tallness

It won't be busy enough that you have to worry about specifically choosing quiet times. When we were there on a Saturday, the QS restaurant in Mystic Point only had one dining room open, and it was half empty at lunch time. Just eat when you're hungry.

Good, as when the park only opens at 10:30, I won't be hungry till 1 or 2.

I recommend the Minnie ice-cream bar!

Phew! That was a lot of questions! Hope I've been able to help.

*makes notes: Minnie ice-cream bar.

And yes, this helps a lot! I love your trip reports to Hong Kong and Shanghai, and the one to Paris. It's fun to see your 'home'park through the eyes of an international guests.

 

[zanzibar138]

I know but I need to do something to pass time!

Oh, I hear you on that! Nothing quite beats planning a Disney trip!

You are right, but it's hard to determine how much time you need in a park that's new to you. How much time does it get from a to b? I like to go in with a plan instead of looking at the map and discuss 'what to do next' or 'where to eat'. I will leave above rides for the second day.

The park is very small - it takes maybe half an hour to walk all the way around. You don't need to allow much time to get from A to B.

Where in the hotel can we find the princesses, just in the hotel lobby? I think I saw pictures of it in one of the trip reports on here.

Not sure if it was my pictures you saw, but I met the princesses in the lobby.

I will take second row, I prefer to stand as you are on the same level as the performers. Or the dancers at least. I only hope the Chinese guests do not mind my European tallness

Usually the crowd doesn't get more than 2 rows deep, so you shouldn't be blocking anyone. I agree, I prefer to stand for parades too.

And yes, this helps a lot! I love your trip reports to Hong Kong and Shanghai, and the one to Paris. It's fun to see your 'home'park through the eyes of an international guests.

Well thanks! I love to see all the little differences between the parks - it's so much fun!

 

[taiko225]

Ok...as a 8th year AP holder in HKDL... let me provide some information for you. 14 months is way too early to prepare HKDL. Start looking 6months ahead for info and try booking it 4months out... dining reservation is around 4-6 weeks out.
Last week of Aug is still summer holiday for kids here. So it should be a little busy than usual. Looking at around 20-45mins wait maximum for popular rides.

Tickets, I will say KKday has the best price. I used them for Tokyo Disneyland too, so very reliable.

If you have 2 days you have plenty of time to finish everything. No need to worry about FP, I only use them when Space Mountain is not a 5min standby. Winnie the Pooh the FP could save you some time but this one is not as magical as the one in Tokyo Disneyland I will say try everything. You got all the time you need.

Parade, I found it best to watch in main street, close to the shops, as you got "sip" of air con coming out while you wait. But many like to watch in front of the circular garden by the castle when they take the turn into the main street. If you watch there, the parade will arrive like 15-20mins after it started. And I will suggest if you want to stand in front and get best view, start securing a spot 30mins before parade start. If you are on the kerb side, you can either sit or stand there is no norm for that.... just whatever you like. Parade route, you are correct. The parade ends at the photo shop on main street. It goes around the gazebo then exit next to the photo shop. If it rains and is not safe for performer, they will send out a one car rainy days parade.

Park normally opens 10am, just arrive 10 mins before if you want to go in first thing. But really there is no need to do rope drop.

You can ask for specific characters meet & greet schedule and venue at City Hall, usually you can find most characters in the main street area with their special costume. They only wear Chinese style costume during CNY. Currently they are in their 10th Anniversary costume. You can easily find Chip&Dale, Mickey & Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald by the main street. Lotso, Woody & Jessie by Toystoryland. Buzz at tomorrowland. They just started the Star war stuff. So Chewie and R2D2 can be found in Tomorrowland too. And you could find the traditional costume Mickey & Minnie in Fantasy Garden. And don't forget the Enchanted Garden Character buffet. (Duffy Shelliemay Mickey and Minnie)

For shows, please rock up there at least 30 mins before to ensure you could get into the show you want to.

My favourite rides are : Mystic manor and Grizzly Mountain mine car.

Feel free to ask if you need any other info.

Happy planning.

 

[Karin1984]

Ah, an expert! Just what I need!
As you had an AP for 8 years in Hong Kong, then you probably can give me advice on what to do while in the city of Hong Kong? What are your not-to-be-missed spots?

Ok...as a 8th year AP holder in HKDL... let me provide some information for you. 14 months is way too early to prepare HKDL. Start looking 6months ahead for info and try booking it 4months out... dining reservation is around 4-6 weeks out.
Last week of Aug is still summer holiday for kids here. So it should be a little busy than usual. Looking at around 20-45mins wait maximum for popular rides.

I know it's way too far in advance, but I don't have any vacation plans for this year, I need to plan something to keep me entertained. No doubt I will change my plans a hundred times before we arrive in Hong Kong.

I based my trip plans on quiet times for Tokyo, the first week of September is supposed to be reasonably quiet. And as I want to finish our trip inTokyo, Hong Kong will be right before it. But it's good to know vacations are still going on. Fingers crossed then.

For restaurants, it depends a bit on how the budget for food will be. If we can, we might do Crystal Lotus or another table service dinner, but if we must we can also do counter service.

Tickets, I will say KKday has the best price. I used them for Tokyo Disneyland too, so very reliable.

I didn't know they have Tokyo as well. As ticket prices are lower in Asia than in Paris or the US, this wasn't the biggest part of our budget, but every little bit helps.

Parade, I found it best to watch in main street, close to the shops, as you got "sip" of air con coming out while you wait. But many like to watch in front of the circular garden by the castle when they take the turn into the main street. If you watch there, the parade will arrive like 15-20mins after it started. And I will suggest if you want to stand in front and get best view, start securing a spot 30mins before parade start. If you are on the kerb side, you can either sit or stand there is no norm for that.... just whatever you like. Parade route, you are correct. The parade ends at the photo shop on main street. It goes around the gazebo then exit next to the photo shop. If it rains and is not safe for performer, they will send out a one car rainy days parade.

It will also depend on the weather, last year I waited in the blazing sun of Florida in front of the castle for the parade for an hour. If it's as hot and humid as back then, I won't wait at the hub.

Thanks for all the tips and advice, really appreciate it!

 

[taiko225]

Sight seeing in HK I will suggest : Star Ferry ride, The Peak(go at night view is magnificent, take peak tram up then bus back down <-the bus roll downhill with speed just like riding roller coaster), Repulse bay, Stanley Beach & Market, The big Buddha in Lantau Island, Jumbo the seafood floating restaurant, Clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui, Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui as well, Temple street (night market) women street (street stores). Shopping area : Causeway Bay, Mongkok(for sneakers) and don't forget to take a ride on the tram (HK island side). If you still have time to spare a one day trip to Macau will be interesting too. And there is another theme park in HK - Ocean Park... nothing exciting... but it is a sort of a must see for tourist. In my opinion... don't waste money and time on this. Summer is way too hot for this park... you will melt before you hit the Aquarium 100 meters away from the front entrance.

KKday has tokyo disney tickets. And it is around HKD100 cheaper than gate price. The thing is Tokyo Disney... you really need to do rope drop to get some of the FP such as Tokyo Story Midway Mania... You won't want to queue at the ticketing booth talking to a very hard to understand English Japanese CM sorting out your ticket. I normally get my tickets at Disney Store the day before I hit Tokyo Disney Sea or land... so I shoot right in to security line and then mad dash to get FP... And their parks open 8am as well... a bit of a challenge for a night owl like me (it's now 2am in HK already). Yes and the ticket price in Asia is much cheaper than US.... Tokyo Disney is USD74 roughly for 1 day and if you buy 2 day pass it is a little cheaper too. But beware, 2 days ticket need to be used consecutively... unlike the US you could choose 2 days within 14 days and there is no park hopping option unless you buy 3days pass which the 3rd day ONLY you can park hop). And if you want to save a bit of money... they have after 6 pass or during weekend After 3 pass... which sometimes I will buy. Just to go in and get Duffy seasonal costume. (In fact I am also a Tokyo Disney expert... only had 1 year AP before but went 22 times that year... ha ha and went twice this year already. Just get the itch of going every 2-3 months)

Crystal Lotus we Hong kong people will never go... it's sort of gimmick stuff and the food is way too over priced. Enchanted Garden food is doable (haha) I only go for the characters... cos I am big Duffy fans. The food court in park is quite expensive though... 6USD for a small box of popcorn... meal deals are around 15-20USD per set ...

I could say if you go on a sunny it will hit 34-35C on late Aug..... it is already 33C in June... that's why I suggest main street... as you got shade off by the trees and shops while you wait... and from time to time... a small blow of air con from the shops nearby.

 

[katt789]

Sight seeing in HK I will suggest : Star Ferry ride, The Peak(go at night view is magnificent, take peak tram up then bus back down <-the bus roll downhill with speed just like riding roller coaster), Repulse bay, Stanley Beach & Market, The big Buddha in Lantau Island, Jumbo the seafood floating restaurant, Clock tower in Tsim Sha Tsui, Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui as well, Temple street (night market) women street (street stores). Shopping area : Causeway Bay, Mongkok(for sneakers) and don't forget to take a ride on the tram (HK island side). If you still have time to spare a one day trip to Macau will be interesting too. And there is another theme park in HK - Ocean Park... nothing exciting... but it is a sort of a must see for tourist. In my opinion... don't waste money and time on this. Summer is way too hot for this park... you will melt before you hit the Aquarium 100 meters away from the front entrance.

KKday has tokyo disney tickets. And it is around HKD100 cheaper than gate price. The thing is Tokyo Disney... you really need to do rope drop to get some of the FP such as Tokyo Story Midway Mania... You won't want to queue at the ticketing booth talking to a very hard to understand English Japanese CM sorting out your ticket. I normally get my tickets at Disney Store the day before I hit Tokyo Disney Sea or land... so I shoot right in to security line and then mad dash to get FP... And their parks open 8am as well... a bit of a challenge for a night owl like me (it's now 2am in HK already). Yes and the ticket price in Asia is much cheaper than US.... Tokyo Disney is USD74 roughly for 1 day and if you buy 2 day pass it is a little cheaper too. But beware, 2 days ticket need to be used consecutively... unlike the US you could choose 2 days within 14 days and there is no park hopping option unless you buy 3days pass which the 3rd day ONLY you can park hop). And if you want to save a bit of money... they have after 6 pass or during weekend After 3 pass... which sometimes I will buy. Just to go in and get Duffy seasonal costume. (In fact I am also a Tokyo Disney expert... only had 1 year AP before but went 22 times that year... ha ha and went twice this year already. Just get the itch of going every 2-3 months)

Crystal Lotus we Hong kong people will never go... it's sort of gimmick stuff and the food is way too over priced. Enchanted Garden food is doable (haha) I only go for the characters... cos I am big Duffy fans. The food court in park is quite expensive though... 6USD for a small box of popcorn... meal deals are around 15-20USD per set ...

I could say if you go on a sunny it will hit 34-35C on late Aug..... it is already 33C in June... that's why I suggest main street... as you got shade off by the trees and shops while you wait... and from time to time... a small blow of air con from the shops nearby.

LOVING all the information in this thread!! I was just wondering, since you've been to HKDL so often, when do they regularly start their Christmas decorations/festivities? WDW starts theirs so early, and we'll be in HKDL November 10-13th, any chance of seeing stuff?

 

[taiko225]

LOVING all the information in this thread!! I was just wondering, since you've been to HKDL so often, when do they regularly start their Christmas decorations/festivities? WDW starts theirs so early, and we'll be in HKDL November 10-13th, any chance of seeing stuff?

It really depends... I will say you have a 50/50 chance.... I have seen early Nov in some years and mid-late Nov in others. They are not as regulated as other parks. So really don't know until Halloween time and they announce the Xmas programs...

 

[katt789]

It really depends... I will say you have a 50/50 chance.... I have seen early Nov in some years and mid-late Nov in others. They are not as regulated as other parks. So really don't know until Halloween time and they announce the Xmas programs...

okay!! Thank you so much! Hopefully we'll catch it!

 

[GabBeFit]

Hey I was just there in October, so I will see how many questions I can answer!:

- Tickets
I purchased mine at the park, but I bought an Annual pass because I was doing 5days.

- Arriving before park opening
Take a look at holiday scheduale for Main land China and in Hong Kong. Our first 2 days there was a holiday in Main Land China, and it was quite busy. We arrived 45 mins b4 gates opened and there was a line. 2 days later it was very dead. Arrived 15 mins early and were near the front of the line to get in.

- Photopass
yes!! The photo pass photogrpahers were great!! We got so many cute photos! (if you search for me on instagram Ive posted tons: gabbefit)
I remember: Winne the pooh, & Space Mountain for sure.

- Website/Blog
I watched some youtube videos. Not too sure of many blogs. I did look through all of the forums on here though! I am slowly putting out my trip vlogs.. I am still on the Shanghai Disney portion of my trip, but will be onto Hongkong soon if you wanna check it out (youtube.com/gabbefit)

Rides

- Priority
Can we give low priority to the following rides as they are identical to either Paris or WDW?
Toy Story Land -> RC Racer and Parachute Drop?
Yes they are the same. The Slinky dog roller coaster is also one that isnt a must. All the toy story rides have very long rides. The parachute drop though you can single rider line it, and thats only like a 5 min wait (otherwise youre looking at 60)
There is a dole whip sundae in Toy Story land that is AMAZING!!! I had it 3 times while there
Mickey’s Philharmagic is the same. You can watch it in Cantonese if you want though haha or Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is the same, you can take the guns out of the holsters though.

- FP
We do have 2 days, but which ride should we get a FP for first thing in the morning? Winnie the Pooh? Or should it be Space Mountain? Winnie the pooh is exactlly the same as WDW. We rode it once and that was enough. We just kept getting fast passes for Space all day... BUT the stand by was often only 5-15 mins long!!!

- Jungle Cruise
DO IT!! Its great! Better than WDW! The jokes are not great because they do not translate hahah.

Fave ride: Big Grizzly Mountain run away mine cars. It was amazing!!! The Mystic Manor ride was also really really well done!


Characters

When you enter the park Mickey, Minnie, Donald Daisy, Chip & Dale, Goofy and Pluto are in Town square. Which is nice because the park isnt open yet, so you can line up to meet characters. When I was there they were dressed in Halloween outfits. Mickey and Minnie and Chip and Dale were also in Grizzly Gulch.

- Princesses
There are 2 areas behind the castle to meet them. It is outdoors. Once you are there it will make sense. The castle in tiny. When you are at the back of the castle and facing it: To the Left was Ana and Elsa and to the right was Aurora while we were there. Alice was by the tea cups. That is all I noticed when I was there, so I am assuming they rotate. Although when we were there is was Haloween so in the fantasy gardens were all villains. You can also met Tinkerbell in one of the attractions ( I cant remember the name! Its a walk through attraction that is adorable though!)

\

Parades, shows and things to see

- Midday Parade
We watched from near space mountain... where the character meet and greet for the Star wars characters are. Near the Mickeys Wonderous book attraction. It was a perfect spot.

We stood. Saw some people sitting though. People are pushy!

- Rain
They cancelled the parade one day we were there because of rain.

- Paint the Night
There was no paint the night while we were there

- Mickey and the Wondrous Book
AMAZING show!!! We went once 30 mins early and got seats in the middle of the audience. And we went once with only 10 mins before, and had seats near the back and it was still great. Part of the show is in english and part is in cantonese. The subtitles are on the right hand of the stage. If you have poor site I would sit closer to the right.. but its pretty big.

We always did a mid day.. and it was so busy. Its an amazing show though so I get it haha.

Food & Drinks

- What time?
I am not too sure... We didnt have breakfast there and just brought in snacks and ate around 2-3ish
Same questions for dinner.

- Menus
I am not too sure for blogs... Our fave dinning was in Mystic Manor: There is a building there with foods from a few different spots in the world. We had the Indonesian Dish (peanut satay, rice, veggies and shrimp) and it was so good!! It was around 20 CAD for the meal.

I had fish and chips in Tomorrow land. It was okay.

If you find merlins shop there is lots of discount stuff there to purchase! In the shop outside of Buzzlight years astro blasters we found discounted cookies and chocolate and popcorn. They have so many flavours of popcorn!! The strawberry wasnt very good. BUT we bought a mix pack with 4 flavours: caramel, tiramasu, cookies and cream and cinnamon and it was really really good!! If you see any with multi colors that one is the best! The little tins with cookies and chocolates are so yummy! We found lots at 50% off!!

 

[Karin1984]

Hey I was just there in October, so I will see how many questions I can answer!:

- Tickets
I purchased mine at the park, but I bought an Annual pass because I was doing 5days.

- Arriving before park opening
Take a look at holiday scheduale for Main land China and in Hong Kong. Our first 2 days there was a holiday in Main Land China, and it was quite busy. We arrived 45 mins b4 gates opened and there was a line. 2 days later it was very dead. Arrived 15 mins early and were near the front of the line to get in.

- Photopass
yes!! The photo pass photogrpahers were great!! We got so many cute photos! (if you search for me on instagram Ive posted tons: gabbefit)
I remember: Winne the pooh, & Space Mountain for sure.

- Website/Blog
I watched some youtube videos. Not too sure of many blogs. I did look through all of the forums on here though! I am slowly putting out my trip vlogs.. I am still on the Shanghai Disney portion of my trip, but will be onto Hongkong soon if you wanna check it out (youtube.com/gabbefit)

Rides

- Priority
Can we give low priority to the following rides as they are identical to either Paris or WDW?
Toy Story Land -> RC Racer and Parachute Drop?
Yes they are the same. The Slinky dog roller coaster is also one that isnt a must. All the toy story rides have very long rides. The parachute drop though you can single rider line it, and thats only like a 5 min wait (otherwise youre looking at 60)
There is a dole whip sundae in Toy Story land that is AMAZING!!! I had it 3 times while there
Mickey’s Philharmagic is the same. You can watch it in Cantonese if you want though haha or Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is the same, you can take the guns out of the holsters though.

- FP
We do have 2 days, but which ride should we get a FP for first thing in the morning? Winnie the Pooh? Or should it be Space Mountain? Winnie the pooh is exactlly the same as WDW. We rode it once and that was enough. We just kept getting fast passes for Space all day... BUT the stand by was often only 5-15 mins long!!!

- Jungle Cruise
DO IT!! Its great! Better than WDW! The jokes are not great because they do not translate hahah.

Fave ride: Big Grizzly Mountain run away mine cars. It was amazing!!! The Mystic Manor ride was also really really well done!


Characters

When you enter the park Mickey, Minnie, Donald Daisy, Chip & Dale, Goofy and Pluto are in Town square. Which is nice because the park isnt open yet, so you can line up to meet characters. When I was there they were dressed in Halloween outfits. Mickey and Minnie and Chip and Dale were also in Grizzly Gulch.

- Princesses
There are 2 areas behind the castle to meet them. It is outdoors. Once you are there it will make sense. The castle in tiny. When you are at the back of the castle and facing it: To the Left was Ana and Elsa and to the right was Aurora while we were there. Alice was by the tea cups. That is all I noticed when I was there, so I am assuming they rotate. Although when we were there is was Haloween so in the fantasy gardens were all villains. You can also met Tinkerbell in one of the attractions ( I cant remember the name! Its a walk through attraction that is adorable though!)


Parades, shows and things to see

- Midday Parade
We watched from near space mountain... where the character meet and greet for the Star wars characters are. Near the Mickeys Wonderous book attraction. It was a perfect spot.

We stood. Saw some people sitting though. People are pushy!

- Rain
They cancelled the parade one day we were there because of rain.

- Paint the Night
There was no paint the night while we were there

- Mickey and the Wondrous Book
AMAZING show!!! We went once 30 mins early and got seats in the middle of the audience. And we went once with only 10 mins before, and had seats near the back and it was still great. Part of the show is in english and part is in cantonese. The subtitles are on the right hand of the stage. If you have poor site I would sit closer to the right.. but its pretty big.

We always did a mid day.. and it was so busy. Its an amazing show though so I get it haha.

Food & Drinks

- What time?
I am not too sure... We didnt have breakfast there and just brought in snacks and ate around 2-3ish
Same questions for dinner.

- Menus
I am not too sure for blogs... Our fave dinning was in Mystic Manor: There is a building there with foods from a few different spots in the world. We had the Indonesian Dish (peanut satay, rice, veggies and shrimp) and it was so good!! It was around 20 CAD for the meal.

I had fish and chips in Tomorrow land. It was okay.

If you find merlins shop there is lots of discount stuff there to purchase! In the shop outside of Buzzlight years astro blasters we found discounted cookies and chocolate and popcorn. They have so many flavours of popcorn!! The strawberry wasnt very good. BUT we bought a mix pack with 4 flavours: caramel, tiramasu, cookies and cream and cinnamon and it was really really good!! If you see any with multi colors that one is the best! The little tins with cookies and chocolates are so yummy! We found lots at 50% off!!

Thank you so much for all your input, Gab! I will certainly take a look at your youtube channel this weekend. I couldn't find any Chinese holidays when we are there. But I did find that as it's the year of the Rooster, the symbol is HeiHei from Moana

 

[GabBeFit]

Thank you so much for all your input, Gab! I will certainly take a look at your youtube channel this weekend. I couldn't find any Chinese holidays when we are there. But I did find that as it's the year of the Rooster, the symbol is HeiHei from Moana

Youre lucky! Hopefully you have low crowds then! If you're a pin trader we got some awesome hong kong exclusives (even a 5 year anniversary one!) Actually, I have a haul video showing all the things we picked up! (some hong kong and some shanghai)

Haha! what a cute idea of theres! I love HeiHei!

 

[MaddieHatterSF]

Big Grizzly Mountain railroad and Mystic Manor are my two favorites at HKDL. Particularly being a bit different from Disneyland.

I had a "BB8" slush drink (white shaved ice with orange syrup). It was quite refreshing.