Hong Kong and Macau, both Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China, are worlds apart in terms of colonial influences, but are united by their generally tourist-friendly atmosphere. As casual travelers, we loved the fact that you can have your own moment to mill about, despite the frenetic pace of activities around you. We also loved the range of options available for every tourist, from theme parks to countless lifestyle districts. It’s no wonder why the tandem destinations are a popular choice for family travel.
Perhaps the most popular destination for families in its home country, Hong Kong Disneyland needs no introduction. The theme park, which is located on Lantau Island, began its operations in 2005 and occupies 27.5 hectares of land. According to The Standard, Hong Kong Disneyland accommodates around 34,000 people per day.
Follow us around as we retrace our Hong Kong Disneyland day tour through this throwback article. More information on how to get to the resort can be found at the latter part of this article, so skip and scroll down if you’re in a hurry.
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Entrance, Fountain and Mickey’s Castle
We didn’t really plan ahead before going to the resort. We basically wandered around, doing photo-ops at sites that were popular among tourists (but FYI, no, we were not doing it for the gram). Our first stop was the fountain just by the entrance of the resort, and then Mickey’s castle (I just assigned that name as I do not know what the structure is called).
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Mickey and Minnie Afternoon Meetup, Shopping for Souvenirs and Walking About Town
The next section was the mini-island near a roundabout behind Mickey’s Castle. You’d see tourists lining up in the scorching heat there to have their pictures taken with Mickey and Minnie. Depending on the number of tourists in line, it is safe to say that at a photo-op stopover at the Mickey and Minnie mascots’ post may take 30 minutes to an hour.
Mickey and Minnie were quite the characters (well, they were cartoon characters in the flesh after all). Both would make all sorts of cute and coy gestures to amuse their audience. At one point, Minnie pretended to be jealous of us, as if we were hogging Mickey to ourselves. Too funny.
Next up on our walking tour is the Disney merchandise store along Main Street, where we snagged some Star Wars merch for my brother. I also visited some stores that had vintage and novelty items on display.
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Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Adventureland, and a Maze
Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is another center of activities in Hong Kong Disneyland. It was among the first of all Disney castles at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, which was originally built in 1955. It was modeled after the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany, but is now sporting a new look following a massive reconstruction in 2017.
We headed next to Adventureland after several photo stops and a little bit of exploration inside the castle grounds. It was an easy choice as it was beside the Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. It’s on your left before you reach Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.
Adventureland was inspired by the Tiki craze of the 1950s. Sadly, we weren’t able to explore it as much as we wanted because we arrived at Disneyland in the late afternoon (we went to Ngong Ping Village first). Let me to refer you to another blog here, which offers more information and snaps of what to expect at Adventureland, such as Tarzan’s Tree and the Jungle River Cruise.
Our next stop is a garden maze with dedicated corners for various Disney fairy tale franchises. The area is perfect for winding down before the grand parade.
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Closing Parade
The Disney Paint the Night parade was held at around 8:00 or 9:00 pm, marking the theme park’s closing time. The parade involved a procession of our favorite Disney characters on their own floats.
The parade was punctuated by a fireworks show. I think this was my favorite part of the parade and I am not ashamed to say it despite my age. I’ve always had an affinity with fireworks and this was a treat for the senses. (Not relevant, but I’m actually very easy to please.)
Where to Buy Hong Kong Disneyland Tickets
We purchased our tickets via Asia Travel, an online reseller of discounted travel tours and hotel accommodations. It was a popular website, although I don’t think they’re still active at this point (or their website may be down). We paid around P3,500 pesos for an adult pass, which gets you access to most of the popular rides.
Alternatively, you can also purchase your pass online via the Hong Kong Disneyland website itself. Hong Kong Disneyland packages are also available via Klook.com, an up and coming travel reseller. We bought our Peak Tram Ride on their site (unfortunately, we had a tour mishap so we weren’t able to use it).
If you’re buying tickets in person, you can of course purchase them at the Hong Kong Disneyland entrance, and from the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express at the Tung Chung MTR station. If you’re coming to Disneyland from the airport, you can purchase your tickets from The Magic of Hong Kong Disneyland at Terminal 2 of the Hong Kong International Airport.
How to Go to Hong Kong Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui
Getting to Hong Kong Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui only takes an hour, thanks to Hong Kong’s highly efficient MTR station. While the trip sounds a bit long and comprise several MTR line/coach transfers, it’s the fastest and most hassle-free way to get to the theme park. Besides, you probably won’t even notice time passing by as the bullet train darts through one eye-catching urban district after the other, and that give way to interchanging sea and mountain views.
Directions:
To go to Hong Kong Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui, your journey will start at Tsim Sha Tsui Station. Exit B1, board the Tsuen Wan Line. There will be 9 stops from the Tsim Sha Tsui station, the first of which is Jordan Station. Take off at the Lai King Station, then transfer to the Tung Chung Line. Alight at the Sunny Bay Station.
If you have some extra time, you can check out the Citygate Mall which is right above the Tung Chung MTR terminus. The mall is famous for its Nike and Adidas factory outlets, so if you want to go sneaker shopping at bargain prices, then allot some extra time and shopping money for that. From the mall, you can walk for a few minutes to cross over to the Sunny Bay Station, where you can finally go aboard the Disneyland Resort Line. The map below is a more accurate depiction of your route.
If you’re having some trouble viewing the map above on your browser, you may click this link: https://goo.gl/maps/CKvSayE7Af92
How to Get to Hong Kong Disneyland from Airport
Hong Kong Disneyland is very easy to get to from the airport more than you think. Take the Airport Express then alight at the Tsing Yi station. Then, just follow the same steps as when you’re traveling to the resort from Tsim Sha Tsui. From Tsing Yi, take the Tung Chung line, which will make a stop at the Sunny Bay Station. Alight at that station, take a quick walk to the interchange station (you will pass by several buildings and a bus terminal).
In a nutshell:
Hong Kong Disneyland Opening Hours: 10:00 AM
Closing Hours: 8:00 / 8:15 PM
Ticket Price: HKD $619 (Adults) / $458 (Child) / $100 (Senior Citizen)
Address: Lantau Island, Hong Kong
All Photographs were taken and owned by Sandy Miguel. All Rights Reserved.
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