Even though it is my second time here in Hong Kong Disneyland, I am still in awe of this magical place. There are new attractions to be explored and delicious Disney-themed treats to try.
Over the years, Hong Kong Disneyland has attracted an increasing number of visitors from all over the world. With a larger crowd, the atmosphere seems livelier. However, more visitors would also mean that the queue for each Disney ride will be longer.
In fact, with the new attractions and rides, it will probably take up to 2 days to cover Hong Kong Disneyland. Unfortunately, I had only one day to explore Disneyland during my Hong Kong trip. If I had known this earlier, I would have booked a one-night stay at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.
Nonetheless, I had learnt a thing or two after touring this magical theme park. Based on my experiences, I had created this ultimate Hong Kong Disneyland ‘battle plan’ just for you. You can thank me later.
The Hong Kong Disneyland Battle Plan
1. Arrive before opening hours
Hong Kong Disneyland opens daily at 10.30am. There was already a queue forming at the ticketing area and entrance. As such, it is better to arrive there earlier before 10.30 am.
You will also need to factor in time for go through security checks. It is probably not a good idea to enter the park with your luggage though there is a luggage valet service.
I highly recommend that you purchase your tickets online so that you will only have to wait in line to get your tickets scanned.
Since you will probably spend a whole day at Disneyland, it is worth purchasing the admission tickets with the meal vouchers.
2. Download the Hong Kong Disneyland Mobile App
The official mobile app for Hong Kong Disneyland is a life saver. With this app, you can browse the map and see approximate wait times for each attraction. Why bother to take a hard copy of the Disneyland map? Save the Earth and go digital!
You can also find the Character greeting timings and other park information all in one app. This mobile app will be your best tool to conquer Disneyland.
3. Travel light to Disneyland
We made a mistake of bringing our heavy jackets with us to Disneyland. I thought it would be cold in Hong Kong during December. To my surprise, it turned out to be hot and sunny at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Since we will be walking around all day with our bags, we decided to rent a locker to store our jackets and other items. The locker rental service costs HK$100.
There are drinking fountains all over Hong Kong Disneyland so it is not necessary to bring along your water bottles.
4. Queue up for the less popular rides first
We noticed that the more thrilling rides like Hyperspace Mountain (Tomorrowland) and RC racer (Toy Story land) appear to have a longer waiting time. But the queue will start to thin out by late afternoon. Thus, here’s our recommended game plan – start with the least popular attractions first.
We aimed to visit at least one attraction or ride in each themed areas. I thoroughly enjoy some of the attractions and rides which might seem boring to the thrill seekers. Here is my recommended list of attractions and rides which have a shorter waiting time.
STAR WARS™: Command Post
Post a picture with your favourite Star Wars Characters in this movie-like setting!
Mystic Manor
Surprise, surprise! This is my favourite attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. It is an ‘interactive’ ride with several twist and turns.
5. Queue up for the more popular rides in the evening
If you are an adventure seeker, you will enjoy these heart-pounding rides. By late afternoon, most of these rides have shorter queues as most of the visitors start to make their dinner plans.
Toy Soldier Parachute Drop
This is another fun ride! You will experience a sudden drop as the seats get released. You will be at a ‘free-fall’ state while you are up there.
Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars
This is not your usual roller coaster ride as it has a twist to it! The loud cheers and screams I heard go to show how thrilling is this ride.
6. Plan your meals ahead
There are several restaurants serving both Western and Asian cuisines at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Unfortunately, a few eateries were closed that evening. So we could only use our meal vouchers at Clopin’s Festival of Food. The meal portions are very generous!
Remember to leave some stomach space to try out some Disneyland-themed food too! If you are staying for the night at one of Disneyland Resort Hotels, you can enjoy a sumptuous Disney-themed Dim Sum at Crystal Lotus.
You can also watch our Disney vlog to find out what we ate at Disneyland.
7. Try Disney-themed Food!
Here comes my favourite part – eating Disney-themed food! These food are only made available in Disneyland. Hence, don’t forget to try some of their Disney specialities while you are here. Besides the ever-popular Mickey Mouse waffles and Disney Ice creams, we also tried these irresistible treats.
Darth Vader Lava Cheese Tart
The Lava cheese tart is surprisingly very creamy and delicious! If you have not had your breakfast, you can make a trip down to the Main Street Bakery to get some delicious treats before heading out to queue for the rides.
Mickey Lava Egg York Tart
This mouth-watering Mickey egg tart did not disappoint us at all. The filling was delicious and the crust tasted buttery! It is totally worth the price, even though it is more expensive than the regular egg tarts.
Bubble Waffle Cone Ice Cream
Bubble waffle is a popular street snack in Hong Kong. We are so glad that they are also offering it here at Disneyland. The bubble waffle is warm and toasty. It is such a pleasant treat to have when the weather turns cold.
8. Bring Home Exclusive Disneyland Souvenirs
This year is Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary. To commemorate this special occasion, they sell exclusive Disney merchandises like this Mouse Party T-shirt at the shops.
Even the park tickets are limited edition too! Make sure to keep them in your treasure box as souvenirs!
9. Watch the final parade of the day!
To celebrate the ‘World’s Biggest Mouse Party’ of the year, there is a spectacular “We Love Mickey!” projection show. During the show, the buildings along Main Street, U.S.A. will be transformed into a canvas of vibrant visuals.
We did not manage to catch the projection show but we caught the “Disney Paint the Night” Parade. The whole Main Street, U.S.A was illuminated with the dazzling colourful lights. You can’t help but dance along with the Disney character as they parade down the street.
10. Dance and smile with Mickey even if your plan fails!
Sometimes, the unexpected might happen. If everything else fails, just follow your heart and make a wish upon the star.
Don’t worry as you have not missed the biggest party of the year! This party is on from now till February 2019. Remember to plan ahead before visiting Hong Kong Disneyland to make your Disneyland trip a memorable one!
Do check out Hong Kong Disneyland website for the latest events and special promotions!
Also, read more about my Hong Kong adventures here.
