Complete Hong Kong Disneyland Guide - All The Best Rides, Nearby Hotels & Tips To Optimise Your Visit (2024)

Guide to Hong Kong Disneyland for Singaporeans

Of the 6 Disneyland theme parks around the world, Hong Kong Disneyland is the nearest to home, just 3 hours and 45 minutes away by air. It may be the smallest, but it’s no less magical a place, and it’s perfect for a quick weekend getaway, be it with your little ones or friends.

If you’re headed to the +852 Disney park, here’s a complete guide to Hong Kong Disneyland ahead of your trip.

When is the best time to visit Hong Kong Disneyland?

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

The most comfortable seasons to visit the park are in spring and autumn, when temperatures hover between 18°C-28°C. These are the months of February-April, and October-November. If you don’t mind cooler weather, December-January sees temperatures of 14°C-19°C, though the year-end holidays mean the park is more crowded.

It’s also important to note that Hong Kong Disneyland is typically closed on Wednesdays, unless a public holiday falls on that day. Refer to the park calendar when you’re planning your trip, to find out the specific opening hours.

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

Weekdays are generally less crowded, too, and you should look up public and school holidays in Hong Kong as well as China ahead of your visit. A good gauge of how crowded it’ll be is to look at the 1-day ticket calendar on the park website – the lower your tier, the cheaper your ticket, and the less crowded the park is estimated to be.

FYI, you can enter the park on a lower-tiered day, but not a higher-tiered day than your purchased tier.

How long should I spend at Hong Kong Disneyland?

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

At 27.5 hectares, or approximately 1/3 the size of Tokyo DisneySea, Hong Kong Disneyland is smaller than Singapore Botanic Gardens, which stands at 82 hectares big. That said, 1 day is more than sufficient to loop the park multiple times – depending on the crowd situation and the number of rides you want to take.

There are 8 themed lands here, including the world’s first and only Frozen-themed land, and 21 rides in total. If you’re looking to leisurely cover all the rides, with ample time to catch all the shows and take breaks, then you should consider taking 2 days to explore the park and its attractions.

What to know before visiting Hong Kong Disneyland

Yes, it’s a small park, but it’s good to go in with eyes wide open – we’ve got you covered with handy tips to have in your pocket ahead of your visit. With some luck, you’ll be able to plan your trip for a less crowded day, if not, here’s what you can prep so you can enjoy your day at Hong Kong Disneyland to the fullest.

1. Pre-book your tickets

Book your tickets ahead of time to enjoy savings on entry. For example, a 1-day adult ticket on the official website costs HKD639 (~S$111) on 16th May, but is priced at S$102.69 on Klook – or approximately 8% cheaper. A child’s ticket on Klook will set you back S$78.15, and senior citizens aged 65 and above only need to pay S$17.40 for their ticket.

Booking ahead also means you don’t have to line up to buy tickets at the entrance. All you’ll have to do is to flash your ticket on your phone to enter.

2. Visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

If you look at the fare calendar, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the only days on which Tier 1 tickets are available – these are the lowest-priced tickets of the week.

3. Download the Hong Kong Disneyland app

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland mobile app

The Hong Kong Disneyland app is your handheld, interactive map to the park – gone are the days when you’d have to navigate with a paper map, cross-check timings and Fast Pass ticketing times. With the GPS-enabled app, you can also check the live waiting times at all rides and attractions across the park, and plot your day with the most updated showtimes.

With the app, you can ballot for Disney Standby Passes from 30 minutes after the park has opened – these are time slot reservations for attractions like Playhouse in the Woods. Note that you are only allowed to book these passes after it detects that you’ve entered the park.

You can also purchase Disney Premier Access Passes which are fast passes to skip the queues, and Early Access Passes which allow you to enter the park 1 hour before the park opens. You can also make dining reservations, and order food on the go when you use the app.

4. Go for Frozen Ever After once you enter

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

As the only Disney park in the world to have a zone dedicated to Frozen, Frozen Ever After is, unsurprisingly, the most popular ride in this park. The average wait time for this ride is an hour, so it’s most advisable to make a beeline for it once you enter the park. Go straight down Main Street, U.S.A., then cut through the castle and Fantasyland so you don’t have to circle around the park.

If Arendelle isn’t your cup of tea, another ride here with very long queues is Toy Soldier Parachute Drop. Alternatively, Ant-Man and the Wasp is Hong Kong Disneyland’s equivalent of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, with laser-guided blasters.

Guide to all 8 Hong Kong Disneyland zones

1. The World of Frozen – Frozen Ever After, Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

You don’t have to limit yourself to just spending the day in The World of Frozen – you can even book yourself a stay in the Frozen Suites at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, inclusive of Premier Access tickets to both the Frozen-themed rides and themed merch.

Board a boat in Frozen Ever After that’ll take you through Troll Valley, up the North Mountain to Elsa’s Ice Palace, and through the beautiful landscapes of the hit Disney movie. Be warned: this ride includes drops both forward and backwards.

Thrill factor: 3/5
Kid-friendliness: 2/5

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

For as much as Frozen is a much-beloved franchise the world over, and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs is a gorgeous carnival coaster that hits the speed button, the ride is only 25 seconds long. It whisks you over the lake and high above Arendelle, but it’s over before you can catch a proper breath.

Thrill factor: 4/5
Kid-friendliness: 2/5

2. Adventureland – Jungle River Cruise

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Take a break from the more thrilling rides with the Jungle River Cruise, which will take you down the winding Rivers of Adventure through a tropical jungle. This kid-friendly ride is led by skippers who will accompany you on the journey – spot elephants and headhunters, and pass through the Canyon of the Gods.

Thrill factor: 1/5
Kid-friendliness: 5/5

3. Grizzly Gulch – Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

If you’ve been to the larger Disneyland parks, you’ll have walked through Frontierland – home of 19th-century American cowboys, saloons, and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride. Grizzly Gulch and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars are the Hong Kong-exclusive equivalent. You’ll need to measure in at 112cm and taller to take this ride.

Thrill factor: 5/5
Kid-friendliness: 1/5

4. Mystic Point – Mystic Manor

Image credit: Disney Parks

For those of you who are spooked by Haunted Mansion, head to Hong Kong instead for Mystic Manor. It’s the only Disney haunted house ride that’s light-hearted and fantasy-based. There are no spooky guests in your buggy, and you will not encounter any ghostly apparitions here. It runs on the same trackless system as Pooh’s Hunny Hunt – a kid-friendly haunted house if there was ever one.

Thrill factor: 3/5
Kid-friendliness: 3/5

5. Toy Story Land – RC Racer, Toy Story Parachute Drop

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

If none of the other rides has hit the thrill factor for you, consider RC Racer, found at the second Toy Story-themed land in the world after Paris Disneyland. Think Viking ride, but in RC – the remote-controlled car from the Toy Story franchise. You’ll get bird’s eye views of the park, that’s for sure, as you are revved back and forth on a 27m-tall halfpipe.

Thrill factor: 5/5
Kid-friendliness: 1/5

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

Almost as tall as RC Racer’s halfpipe is Toy Story Parachute Drop, which takes you 25m above ground level. Just like the little toy soldiers in the film, you’ll be dropping – albeit gently – and ascending in mock parachuting drills to views of the park.

Thrill factor: 4/5
Kid-friendliness: 2/5

6. Fantasyland – “it’s a small world”, Mad Hatter Tea Cups, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

For a 9-minute ride that’ll take you through 7 continents and a cast of almost 300 papier-mache figurines dressed in traditional attire made with authentic materials shipped in from the specific regions, head to “it’s a small world”. The familiar tune is sung in languages including Tagalog, Swedish, Italian, Japanese and Spanish; spot Disney characters in the cast too.

Thrill factor: 1/5
Kid-friendliness: 5/5

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

Trigger warning: Mad Hatter Tea Cups is probably not for you if you easily get motion sickness. Join his tea party in life-sized tea cups that spin in dizzying circles under a lantern-decked canopy. Take it slow, or go wild – spin the wheel in the centre of each cup to adjust the spinning to your preference.

Thrill factor: 2/5
Kid-friendliness: 4/5

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

Enter Hundred Acre Wood in Pooh’s Hunny Pot, to join The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as he goes on an adventure with his pals. Bounce up and down with Tigger, enter Pooh’s dream world, and find him some honey while you’re at it.

Thrill factor: 2/5
Kid-friendliness: 4/5

7. Tomorrowland – Hyperspace Mountain, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, Iron Man Experience

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

Blast off on Hyperspace Mountain into outer space – this is Hong Kong Disneyland’s version of the classic Space Mountain ride. It takes you into the middle of a Star Wars battle as you dodge enemy fire between the Imperial Star Destroyer and your comrades from the Rebel Alliance.

Thrill factor: 4/5
Kid-friendliness: 2/5

Image credit: South China Morning Post

Pick up the EMP Blaster in your combat vehicle and join Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle! to protect the S.H.I.E.L.D. Science & Technology Pavilion from Hydra agent Arnim Zola and his army of Swarmbots. P.S. the smaller the target, the more points you get. Each target deactivates for a while after it’s shot, so you’ll have to be constantly re-aiming.

Thrill factor: 2/5
Kid-friendliness: 4/5

Image credit: @hkdisneyland via Instagram

Join Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, in the Iron Man Experience as he saves Hong Kong from outer-space invaders: this 3D motion simulator is this park’s answer to Star Tours, which you may be familiar with from Tomorrowland’s around the world.

Thrill factor: 2/5
Kid-friendliness: 4/5

8. Main Street, USA

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Stock up on Disneyland merch and snacks at the shops along Main Street, USA to get yourself in the mood for a day in the happiest place in the world. You’ll even find costume jewellery at Main STreet Jewelers Presented by PANDORA, for themed bling blings, as well as Main Street Cinema: My Journeys with Duffy – presented by FUJIFILM, which stocks the widest collection of Duffy and Friends merchandise.

Guide to Hong Kong Disneyland shows

1. Duffy and Friends “The Joy of Sharing” Show

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

Another world first is the new “The Joy of Sharing” Show performance, which takes centre stage in front of the Castle of Magical Dreams. For 12 minutes, you’ll join Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, StellaLou, CookieAnn, ‘Olu Mel, and LinaBell as they head out for a picnic. Do note that this show is performed in Cantonese.

Showtimes: 11.30am, 12.55pm, 3.05pm, 4.30pm, 6pm

2. Moana: A Homecoming Celebration

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

First premiered in 2018, Moana: A Homecoming Celebration is a high-energy outdoor show in Adventureland. The first row is reserved for little ones, who’ll get to beat on drums during the performance; guardians may sit in the second row. It’s a 20-minute tale of Moana’s adventures and triumphant return to Motunui.

Showtimes: 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm, 5pm

3. Festival of the Lion King

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

One of the highlight shows at the park is Festival of the Lion King, an arena-style theatre that brings you into the world of Pride Rock. Expect aerial performances, acrobats, fire dancers and spectacular floats, alongside hit songs from the animation. This is a 30-minute show, with both English and Cantonese dialogue.

Showtimes: 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 5pm, 6.30pm

4. Mickey & The Wondrous Book

Image credit: Hong Kong Disneyland

Mickey and the Wondrous Book is a 28 minute-long musical set in a magical library, where Mickey and Goofy find a magical book that brings stories to life. Join them and Olaf as they deep dive into 7 Disney tales and meet beloved Disney characters, including Ariel, Genie, Abu, Rapunzel, even Elsa and Anna.

Showtimes: Suspended till 17th May 2024

5. “Momentous” Nighttime Spectacular

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No visit to Disneyland is complete without ending the day with the park’s fireworks display that takes place each evening. At Hong Kong Disneyland, this takes the shape of the “Momentous” Nighttime Spectacular, which they debuted in 2022 at the revamped Castle of Magical Dreams.

Taking place at 9pm each night, the 20-minute showcase sees lasers, fireworks, pyrotechnics, illuminated fountain choreographies, and 3D projections spanning classic Disney moments and more than 100 Disney and Pixar characters, with much-beloved Disney songs.

Showtime: 9pm

Where to stay at Hong Kong Disneyland

1. Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel – Direct access to Disneyland

Image credit: Klook

Disney fans, you definitely have to get the full Disneyland experience by booking a stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. It’s not cheap, with rates starting in the S$200s per night, but it’ll allow you to be fully immersed in the world of Disney. Do note that the hotel is done up in grand Victorian-style decor, which adds to Disney’s timelessness.

While this hotel doesn’t come with early access to the park, you’ll have a dedicated entrance so you don’t have to squeeze in with everyone else to enter. Plus, if you end up buying lots from the shops along Main Street, you can request to have your stuff delivered straight to your room.

Book your stay at Hong Kong Disneyland hotel.

2. Noah’s Ark Hotel & Resort – Beach resort 12 minutes from Disneyland

Image credit: Klook

Located on Ma Wan Island, Noah’s Ark Hotel & Resort is just a 12-minute cab ride away from Disneyland, with rooms from S$106.90/night. You can even take a ferry to Central from the Park Island Ferry Pier, which is just a short walk from the hotel.

The life-sized replica of the biblical ark houses rooms perfect for families of up to 4 with bunk beds, or themed rooms that take you to space or even on a dinosaur adventure.

Book your rooms at Noah’s Ark Hotel & Resort.

How do I get to Hong Kong Disneyland?

Ignore the Google Maps directions that require you to take the bus and walk from Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre.
Image credit: Google Maps

The easiest way to get here is to hop on a cab. If you’re taking the MTR, you’ll have to transfer to the Disneyland Resort Line at Sunny Bay Station – all in, it’s a 30-minute journey from Kowloon and Hong Kong Stations.

Don’t be alarmed by the time shown on Google Maps, as it directs you on a circuitous route outside the park. The Disneyland Resort Station is directly connected to the Park Promenade, which leads you to the entrance of the park.

There are free shuttle bus services from Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong, and Regal Airport Hotel if you stay at these hotels.

All you need to know before visiting Hong Kong Disneyland

And you’re all set for your day at Hong Kong Disneyland. Don’t miss out on the themed dining experiences, and iconic popcorn buckets, with flavours including Italian Salt and Honey Mustard.

For more Hong Kong content:

• Hong Kong hotels from $53/night
• Must-know Cantonese phrases

Cover image adapted from: @hkdisneyland via Instagram, Hong Kong Disneyland