Having been numerous times to other Disney parks in Paris, Orlando and Anaheim, I didn't hesitate to add Hong Kong to the list. If you go knowing in advance that this is a much smaller park, then you shouldn't be disappointed. We found it a beautiful park, and we had a super day there.
Unlike other Disney parks, there's no need to be there especially early, so we casually made our way from Kowloon by MTR, which includes a changes before getting on Disney's very own train from Sunny Bay station. The detail in the train alone is worth seeing. We arrived not long after midday, and bought tickets there and then without having to queue.
We went
on a midweek day at the end of November, and were pleasantly surprised by the number of people there. It was quiet enough to get on most rides without much of a wait, but busy enough to have a great atmosphere. The Christmas festivities that were in full swing may have added to the attendance.
The park was spotlessly clean, and all the staff were very friendly, chatty and smiling - just like you always want to find at Disney. We first went over to Adventureland, and across the raft to Tarzan's Treehouse, which was as good as other parks. Next, we went on the Jungle Cruise (offered in three languages, including English) which has a great surprise at the end. This is a really neat version of the old classic ride.
We then headed over to Fantasyland to see the 3D Philharmagic show - having only seen this in Orlando a few years ago, I was delighted to see this superb attraction attain. We then got a fastpass ticket (not that any were needed throughout the day) for Space Mountain before heading to see the 2pm showing of Festival of the Lion King. The show seemed similar, from my memory, to that in The Animal Kingdom, and it is amazing - personally, I think it's worth the entrance fee alone. IMHO, this is one of the best short, live, shows that I've seen at any of the Disney parks over nearly 20 years of going!
The parade had a Christmas 'makeover' and was excellent. Every performer was so professional and kept their smiles going throughout.
After that we went onto Space Mountain (as good as ever), Winnie the Pooh (good fun for the young at heart and similar to that in Anaheim, I think) and a round trip on the Disney Railroad.
Mid-afternoon we wanted something to eat, and went to the Royal Banquet Hall. We were astonished at the value of the food here at the park. For just HKD50 (approx £3.50/$7) we had a bowl of mushroom soup followed by a plate of bratwurst sausage, fries and vegetables. I really think food like this would have been double the price, or more, at Paris or the American parks.
We went to see the 5pm showing of Golden Mickeys - a live, broadway-like musical performance. Again, this was very well done, although not as impressive as the Lion King show, to me. We then walked down towards Main Street, where the parade was going again, and was delighted to see it 'snowing' all down the street - a great touch.
We finally headed over to Tomorrowland again, to do Buzz Lightyear and my first ever go on an Autopia (I've always found other things I'd rather do in the other parks, but since there's less choice here, we thought we'd give it a go, and it was really rather fun, and extremely well designed). After that, there was just time for another walk down Main Street, to buy some gifts and souvenirs, and a quick look round The Disneyland Story before ending the day watching a super fireworks show that is on each evening throughout the year - a great end to the day.
As I said at the start, the park is small at the moment. Many of the 'usual' great Disneyland attractions are not here yet, but it doesn't mean that you can't have a wonderful day. There are other attractions in the park that we didn't go on, and noticeably plenty of photo opportunities for the youngsters with lots of Disney characters throughout the day.
We paid just HKD295 (approx £18.50/$37) for the one-day ticket - which is considerably less than the Paris and American parks. As well as the food and snacks, we also found the gifts and souvenirs to be markedly cheaper. So even though there's 'less to do' you really do get a great day out for your money.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Hotel - 308 Des Voeux Road West, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 73 - 75 Chatham Road South, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Hong Kong - 4 Stars, 3 Stars - 308, 205 Rooms
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Apr 3rd, 2008
very helpful by (75%):
helpful by (25%):
