Why Hong Kong Disneyland Might be a Good Idea for Your Family

As a family travel blogger it’s hard to admit that my husband is a little Disney-hesitant.  He would much rather head to a beach or museum than chance the misery of  crowds, lines and the over zealous pizzazz of all things Disneyland.  It doesn’t mean we haven’t been.  But it means that it’s not on our list of top places in the world we are going to try and visit.  But the kids and I still love all the magic so when we were faced with a rainy day in Hong Kong on our recent trip, I suggested Hong Kong Disneyland.

“If we’re going to be miserable somewhere, why not take a chance on the Happiest Place on Earth.”  I told him.  I think I have impeccable logic in even the most dire of times.

So we took a taxi from our hotel, the Royal Plaza Hotel Kowloon and it was under 25 dollars US for two adults and two kids and about a 20 minute ride.  We had a bit of time to spare because we left early not knowing how long it would take to get to Hong Kong Disneyland or how busy it would be.  Our ticket prices ended up being 250 dollars US for the whole family to go to Hong Kong Disneyland for the day which seemed a lot more reasonable than what we’ve paid at Disneyland in California. (The Royal Plaza hotel also ended up being a great choice for us in Hong Kong.  It’s in the MOKO mall, and I think this was the mall we found when we went on our first Hong Kong trip with kids.  The hotel was also within walking distance of the Bird and Flower markets which made it easy to go and see these places too!)

We waited at the entrance and watched as cast members downgraded a sign displaying the storm forecast from a red to an amber storm (It is helpful to know what these weather forecasts mean and Disney has a list of what happens in what types of inclement weather at Hong Kong Disneyland.) We all took off our rain jackets while we waited for the gates to open.

When the clock struck 10 am and we could enter it took only seconds before the skies also opened up and we were barraged by torrential rains.  We had about 30 minutes to shop and hang out on Main Street during this storm and it would start and stop and start and stop.  The rest of the park would not open for another half an hour- we were told that this is how the park opens everyday.  And it was actually a little nice having things open in this slow way.  I never get enough time to see Main Street and we poked around in the shops and hoped the rain would stop.

It didn’t.  Instead it slowed enough for us to get to Tomorrowland where we took shelter in the Buzz Lightyear ride.

After we went through that ride 3 times it was still pouring and the rain water was now up to our ankles. We had all had enough of Buzz Light Year so we decided to sit out the storm and plan where we would go during the next break.

We ended up at It’s a Small World and it’s amazing how shiny new this ride was.  It was also really neat to see this ride in Hong Kong and it made Hong Kong feel a lot more like a place we know from home.  Our day became exponentially better as we came out of the Small World ride to better weather and more adventure.  The rain dried quickly and we went from ride to ride with very few people in line even though there were definitely a lot of people in the park.  It did not feel the least bit as crowded as Disneyland in California when we’ve been.

My favorite part of the day was the Lion King show.  It was an amazing Broadway-quality spectacle and I could have happily watched it again.

The food was also quite neat at Hong Kong Disneyland with a lot of Hong Kong Dim Sum type foods but there was definitely still a variety.  We found some great vegetarian options-the kid’s pizza was actually vegetarian and we had an interesting vegetarian patty that was quite tasty too.

And we saw Maxim’s bakery everywhere on the rest of our trip to Hong Kong, so I was glad we got to taste one of the pastries at Hong Kong Disneyland.

We also saw a few foods that we were not adventurous enough to try.  I didn’t get a clear enough picture but the top right hand drink is a wild mushroom latte….

The boys’ favorite ride was in an area called Grizzly Gulch.  They loved the roller coaster called the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars and I don’t think we have this ride in the United States.

They also loved driving the electric cars in Autotopia.  We noticed a ton of electric cars, especially Teslas and it was nice to see that even in Hong Kong Disneyland kids could drive electric too!

Another thing from Hong Kong Disneyland that we won’t see at Disneyland in the United States are these toilets.  There were only a few of them but it was definitely something that made this Disneyland unique.  The restrooms in Hong Kong were also EXTREMELY clean.  I so appreciate places that keep clean restrooms and toilets especially with kids in tow!

We were a little tired but all smiles when we left Hong Kong Disneyland.  We had done so many rides and seen so many things that we were tired long before it was time for the fireworks.  Even my husband had a fabulous time.  So if you are considering a Disney adventure you may want to consider Hong Kong Disneyland too!

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)