11 Things I Learned From a Visit to Hong Kong Disneyland

During a recent visit to Hong Kong, my wife and I spent a day at Hong Kong Disneyland and thoroughly enjoyed it. The park first opened in 2005, making it a relative newcomer among Disney’s castle parks.

Hong Kong Disneyland underwent a significant facelift in 2020 and spendt a few years without visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. It boasts several unique features that make it my favorite Disney castle park out of the 5 I’ve visited (just missing Disneyland Paris). Not only did the staff speak English well and were friendly, but we also liked the park’s unique rides and layout.

Here are 11 things I learned from a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland that will surely help you when planning your next trip.

1. The Castle Is Unique

That facelift I alluded to earlier? It’s all about the Castle of Magical Dreams. Disney completed renovations to the old Sleeping Beauty Castle in 2020, transforming it into what you see today.

The facelift cost about $1.4 billion, and nearly half of that came from Hong Kong’s taxpayers.

This castle is distinct from the other 5 Disney castles because it features emblems from several Disney princesses. Merida’s bow and arrow, Snow White’s apple, and Mulan’s friend Mushu are among the many items on the exterior of the castle.

2. It’s a Small Park

The entire campus size at Hong Kong Disneyland covers 320 acres. That’s if you include parking, resort hotels, and everything around the theme park.

The park itself covers just 68 acres. With the upcoming expansion of Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris in 2025, Hong Kong Disneyland will be the smallest of all Disney parks.

While the size means you can’t fit in as many rides, shows, lands, restaurants, or character sightings as other parks, it also means exploring the compact park is relatively easy.

3. Opening Hours Are Relatively Short

Because of its size, Hong Kong Disneyland also has shorter operating hours than its peers in California and Florida. Generally, the park is open for 11 hours a day — roughly opening each day at 10 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. and closing at 8:30 p.m. or 9 p.m.

Compare that to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, which operates from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. during much of the year. Conversely, Disneyland in California is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight on numerous dates.

4. Very Little Is Open During Early Access Hours

If you want to beat the crowds and get pictures in front of the castle without anyone else in the background, Hong Kong Disneyland sells an Early Park Entry Pass, valid for entry up to 1 hour before the standard opening time.

While that sounds great, consider whether it’s worth it. Early entry typically costs 199 HKD (~$25.50) but includes very little. The following attractions are open during the early access period:

• World of Frozen: Both Frozen Ever After and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs
• Fantasyland: Cinderella Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Main Street: Some shops and food outlets are open

Moreover, consider that Tomorrowland and Toy Story Land sometimes open 30 minutes after the general park opens. This further reduces the number of activities available during your first hours at the park.

5. Tickets Are Cheaper Than Disney Parks in the U.S.

Admission tickets start at ~$82 per adult, though that can change during busy seasons, around holidays, etc. We visited during the peak summer season and paid $92 each for our tickets.

In contrast, if you’re a California resident (as I am), the cheapest tickets available for Disneyland Park access cost $108 per day per person — but you have to buy a 3-day pass to get that rate. That means shelling out $324 to get a discount. Otherwise, 1-day park tickets typically cost $120 or more.

While $82 isn’t something I’d consider “cheap,” it’s relatively cheaper than park tickets in the U.S.

Hot Tip:

When purchasing tickets directly from the park, these will likely code as “entertainment” on your credit card, so use a card that earns bonus rewards on entertainment purchases. However, if you purchase tickets or Premier Access from third-party provider Klook, this should code as “travel,” so use a credit card with bonus earnings on travel.

6. Their Version of Big Thunder Mountain Is Far Superior

Hong Kong Disneyland doesn’t have the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride like other parks do. No, it has something better.

Here, you’ll find Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars — still sporting an Old West theme, but it stops during the middle of the ride before retracing its steps as a backward rollercoaster. We didn’t know this in advance, and we loved it.

7. Premier Access (Instead of FastPass or Genie) Has Multiple Layers

At U.S. Disney parks, you’ll find the new Genie service that replaced FastPass and FastPass+. At Hong Kong Disneyland, you’ll use Premier Access. And get ready for complications.

You can purchase Premier Access before or during your visit. If you’re purchasing at the park, you can buy Premier Access in the mobile app or at self-service kiosks near the entrance to participating rides. Once you have Premier Access, you’ll get a QR code to scan at each ride for which you purchased access.

Now, for the complicated part: Prices for Premier Access range from 79 HKD (~$10.12) to 549 HKD (~$70.32) per person. This is determined by the number of rides you wish to bypass the line for, the rides you choose, and the demand.

You can purchase the ability to skip the line at a single attraction, with those like Mickey’s PhilarMagic and Mad Hatter Tea Cups offering cheaper prices than thrill rides like Hyperspace Mountain and RC Racer. The next option is to purchase a 3 Attractions pass, choosing 3 rides from a list of 5 options. Expect to pay around $28 or $30 for this package, depending on the day.

Hong Kong Disneyland also sells an 8 Attractions pass, costing around $65 or $70, depending on the day. You’ll get skip-the-line access to the following:

• Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars
• Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!
• Mystic Manor
• Iron Man Experience
• “it’s a small world”
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Hyperspace Mountain
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic

You also can add reserved viewing for shows to the 8 Attractions pass. This package costs around $100 or $110 most days, and you’ll get these additions:

• Priority entry to 1 show: Mickey and the Wondrous Book
• Reserved viewing area at 2 shows: Momentous nighttime castle show and/or Mickey and Friends Christmastime Ball castle show (depending on the shows available during your visit)

8. Premier Access Doesn’t Cover Everything

There are downsides to Premier Access. First, you can only use it once per ride. That means it’s not worth using your single opportunity to skip the line when the line boasts a 15-minute wait or during the first hour from park opening.

Then, there’s the list of rides you can’t choose in the Premier Access packages. The only option for skipping the line at rides in Toy Story Land or World of Frozen is purchasing single ride Premier Access. That can get expensive, depending on the number of rides you want.

9. Wi-Fi Is Available

The park offers free Wi-Fi for all guests, though it’s strongest around Main Street and the castle. However, we were able to use it in most outdoor areas of the park. Trying to use it inside the waiting areas for rides gave us spotty results.

The availability of Wi-Fi is good news for overseas visitors trying to check wait times or purchase Premier Access in the Hong Kong Disneyland mobile app.

10. Booking Hotels With Points Requires a Portal

There are 3 hotels on the Hong Kong Disneyland campus: Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney Explorers Lodge, and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. Unfortunately, you can’t book any of these with points or free nights from programs like Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, or Hilton Honors.

However, you can use your points at these properties by booking in a travel portal, such as Chase Travel or Citi Travel with Booking.com. At checkout, you’ll see the option to pay with points.

11. Public Transit to the Park Is Easy (and Cheap!)

Hong Kong Disneyland is located on Lantau Island — the same island as the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), though you wouldn’t realize it from all the green space around the park.

While there is parking at the entrance, it costs 260 HKD (~$33.30) per day. In contrast, you can get to the park on public transit for around $2 per adult each way (assuming you’re staying in the most popular hotel areas). The Disneyland Resort Line (pink on the subway maps) runs between the park entrance and Sunny Bay station on the Tung Chung Line (orange on the subway maps). From here, you can travel onwards to numerous connection points around Hong Kong.

Depending on transfer times, the subway journey to the park entrance will take 30 to 45 minutes from either Kowloon or Hong Kong station.

Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed our visit to Hong Kong Disneyland. With a little planning, you can have a great day here by maximizing your time at the park, using Premier Access efficiently (if you decide it’s worth it), and enjoying the park’s unique elements that set it apart from other Disney theme parks.