Hong Kong Disneyland is an amazing Park! It might possibly be the most underrated Disney Park, but it has received a lot of love in the past few years and is definitely worth a visit. I hope to one day do a full trip report of my time there but for now here are some of the top reasons why I love Hong Kong Disneyland! Hopefully this list will help anyone thinking of, or planning a trip to visit this Park. Check out another Top 5 post: Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Shanghai Disneyland.
1. No Crowds: None! Absolutely no waiting in lines! I went for two days on a Tuesday and a Wednesday in late February and it was completely empty. I have heard that during weekends and certain times of the year (i.e. Chinese New Year) it can get pretty crazy, but if you plan on going during a non-peak time during the week you basically have the park to yourself. I did not use a single Fastpass the entire two days and I could find a perfect viewing spot for the fireworks the moment the show started. It was a huge difference from the U.S. parks and it was awesome to have that experience.
2. Mystic Manor: Disney’s best dark ride! This attraction is phenomenal. It is Hong Kong’s nod to a Haunted Mansion attraction but with a completely different storyline. The story goes that you are guests at Lord Henry Mystic’s home to see his collection of antiques and artifacts he has collected from all over the world. He has a peculiar music box that is said to be enchanted and will bring all of the artifacts to life. His mischievous pet monkey Albert unlocks the music box and everything in the mansion is personified! The guests go through different rooms of the home and experience the enchantment. The technology of this attraction is amazing and the trackless ride system allows for slightly different ride experiences. All of this, paired with an amazing Danny Elfman soundtrack, definitely makes Mystic Manor worth a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland!
3. Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars: Set in the mining town of Grizzly Gulch, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars is an incredibly well themed and thrilling attraction. The scenery is beautiful as the Imagineering team visited the California Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yellowstone National Park for inspiration for the attraction. One thing that makes Big Grizzly Mountain stand out from other Disney Park’s roller coasters is the evident storyline with many audio-animatronics throughout the ride experience. As the mine train goes along throughout the mining company buildings and mining shafts, there are sights and sounds present of the three resident bears: Rocky, Mother Lode, and Nugget. Legend has it that they helped the original miners find the gold. The mine train is headed to tunnel 8, a luck number in Chinese tradition, when passengers see Rocky scratching his back on a track switch and accidentally sends the train down tunnel 4, an unlucky number. The train is sent on an adventure with many twists and turns and the bears keep popping up and causing more trouble. There are two huge surprises along the way that totally catch passengers off guard, making this one of the best Disney thrill rides I have ever been on.
4. Iron Man Experience: Disney’s very first Marvel attraction opened at Hong Kong Disneyland in January of 2017. Though the ride system is identical to the Star Tours attractions, Iron Man Experience is definitely unique enough to be on my list. The excitement starts right when you enter the queue. You are a visitor of the Stark Expo and the queue contains different halls to showcase what Stark Industries has been working on. There is the Hall of Protection, the Hall of Energy, and the Hall of Mobility. This last hall shows the Iron Wing, which is what visitors will soon board for a tour of Hong Kong. The film footage in the simulator shows that the Iron Wing visitors are riding in takes off out of Tomorrowland and heads to downtown Hong Kong, and this really adds an element of continuity to the experience. The trip soon goes sideways as Hydra has planned an attack on Hong Kong! Disney did a fantastic job with the theming and technology of the Iron Man Experience.
5. Afternoon Tea at Main Street Corner Café: One of my favourite memories from visiting Hong Kong Disneyland was having afternoon tea on Main Street as the Flights of Fantasy Parade went by. It was a very magical, and yummy, experience that was unique to Hong Kong Disneyland. The food came on a tiered platter which was shaped like Cinderella’s carriage and there was a variety of teas and other specialty drinks to choose from. The tea was only available from 3 pm to 5 pm but we were able to get a spot right at 3 without a reservation. This was perfect timing to watch the parade come down Main Street.
Overall, Hong Kong Disneyland is one of my favourite Disney Parks and is set to receive even more updates and new construction from Walt Disney Imagineering in the near future. It is a delightful and charming Park and I would love to visit it again someday soon.
Have you experienced Hong Kong Disneyland?
What is your favourite part of the Resort?
It sounds like someplace I need to go!
I loved Hong Kong Disneyland too. We went during 2016 and also experienced virtually no crowds. I was reading tripadvisor reviews however in 2015 and found that people were always complaining that the queues were far too long and that you needed 2 days to see the park. Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016 and I believe the crowds moved from Hong Kong to Shanghai (as most tourists to Hong Kong Disneyand were from mainland China). So this is good news if you are visiting Hong Kong! (not so good news if you are visiting Shanghai which has like 3 hours queues now apparently for some rides!). My favourite ride in Hong Kong Disneyland was Mystic Manor. Very unique. It was the family favourite. We also didnt’ stay at the resort – we stayed at the Salisbury Hotel in Hong Kong (and can recommned it totally). It wasn’t a hassle at all making the journey to Hong Kong Disneyland from there (it took about a hour to get there) but the trains were easy to use.
I have heard similar stories about Shanghai Disneyland as well, though I would still love to visit in the future. Mystic Manor is such an amazing attraction! We rode it over and over again and there was still always something new to see!
I can’t wait to go and try it!
I agree Mystic Manor looks amazing!