“There is just one moon and one golden sun. And a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide, it’s a small world after all.”
– Disney
*Note: For this article, $ = HKD.
GETTING THERE
From HK International Airport:
1. Ride the S1 bus going to Tung Chung Station. (30 – 35 min, $3.50)
2. From the Tung Chung Bus Station, go to Tung Chung MTR station by passing through Citygate Mall.
3. Ride MTR and alight from the train at Sunny Bay Station.
4. The Disneyland Resort train is on the other side of the station. Cross the railway using the overpass.
5. Ride the train and alight at the entrance arc of Disneyland Hong Kong. (total of 18 – 20 min from Tung Chung MTR, $14.5 single / $13.3 using octopus)
MTR from Sunny Bay Station to Disneyland Resort
From Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station
1. Ride the train going to Tsuen Wan direction and alight at Lai King.
2. Use the interchange at Lai King Platform 3 to ride the train going to Tung Chung. Alight at Sunny Bay.
3. The Disneyland Resort train is just on the other side of the platform. Ride the train and alight at the entrance arc of Disneyland Hong Kong. (40 min , $21.5 single / $19.0 using octopus)
The Entrance Arc
TICKETS AND DISCOUNTS
Standard Day Tickets cost $450 each.
You may purchase discounted Disneyland tickets at the China Travel Services (CTS) in HK International Airport. Also available in CTS are tickets in Ocean Park, The Peak (plus Madame Tussauds and Sky Terrace 428), Ngong Ping Skyrail, Prepaid Sim Card, etc.
Discounted tickets are also available online: Asia Travel, Ticket Mart.
MUST-TRY RIDES AND MUST-SEE SHOWS
– Festival of the Lion King, Adventureland (Show schedule: 12:00PM, 1:30PM, 4:30PM, 6:00PM)
– Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Fantasyland (10:00AM – 8:30PM)
– The Golden Mickeys, Fantasyland (11:00AM, 12:15PM, 1:15PM, 3:30PM, 4:30PM, 5:45PM, 7:00PM)
– Space Mountain at Tomorrowland
– RC Racer at Toy Story Land
– Mystic Manor at Mystic Point
DISNEY’S FASTPASS
There are attractions (two as of AUGUST 2014: Space Mountain and The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh) that offer FASTPASS. It allows a visitor to get a reservation to the attraction at a certain time period for FREE. However, you cannot choose the time period since it is pre-determined by the system. The FASTPASS gets forfeited after the time period specified on the stub. Visitor can get one FASTPASS at a time. Meaning, the FASTPASS should be used (or forfeited) first before getting another FASTPASS of the same or another attraction.
FASTPASS stubs could be acquired from the computer counters available in the attraction area. Just insert the Disneyland ticket and it will automatically print a FASTPASS stub.
You may read more about FASTPASS here..
To reserve a queue, use Disneyland FASTPASS.
MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DAY
The park opens at 9AM and closes at 9PM.
It is recommended to be at the Entrance Gate (not the arc) before the park opens to avoid most of the long queues in the afternoon. If you have luggage with you, there are self-service storage lockers inside the park (ask the Guest Relations Staff for the exact location). Large lockers (14.5″ x 23″ x 16.5″) costs $80 for the whole day while small lockers (11″ x 11″ x 17″) costs $60. They are available from park opening time to closing time. There is also a luggage storage kiosk outside the main entrance to the park (near the ticket kiosks just before entering the park). Charge is $80 per luggage. This kiosk is ideal for very large luggages.
Don’t forget to get a Park Map before entering the Disneyland Gate! It is very important for a quicker decision making just in case conflicts arise.
The very first attraction to go to is the Space Mountain (roller coaster ride in the dark, located at Tomorrowland) as the queue in this ride really gets very long in the afternoon. If for some reason, the line gets too long in the morning, get a FASTPASS stub, then enjoy another ride while waiting for the schedule indicated in the stub. After Space Mountain, go straight to Fantasyland.
At this moment, the objective is to see two must-see shows: The Golden Mickeys and Mickey’s PhilharMagic. The Golden Mickeys is a live sing-and-dance show of the various Disney characters that we love: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Tarzan, Ariel, Belle, etc. PhilharMagic, on the other hand, is a 3D digital theater show, which features various Disney songs that we are familiar with.
Bear in mind that The Golden Mickeys show starts at 11:00 AM (so be sure to be on the queue at least 45 minutes before the show starts). If the time permits, go for PhilharMagic first before The Golden Mickeys. Otherwise, make it the other way around.
After these shows, have your lunch at the quick self-service restaurants in the dining hall at Fantasyland. The food there is more affordable than the other restaurants in the park.
Don’t ride extreme attractions after lunch. Better to watch a show first. You have two options: Festival of the Lion King (at 1:30PM) or Stitch Encounter. The Festival of the Lion King stars the most-loved characters and music of the 1994 animated-film The Lion King. On the other hand, Stitch Encounter features a digital Stitch talking to the audience in real time. Go to Adventureland to see the Festival of the Lion King or go back to Tomorrowland to attend the Stitch Encounter. Just in case you want to see the Festival at a later time, you can also do it at either 4:30 PM or 6PM.
Afterwards, ride the following: target the RC Racer and the Toy Soldier Parachute Drop that could be found at Toy Story Land, see the amazing, fantastic and magical Mystic Manor located at the Mystic Point, queue for the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars in the Grizzly Gulch, and enjoy the Jungle River Cruise in Adventureland. For the Jungle River Cruise, be sure to be on the queue for the language that you understand.
Ride and see the rest of the attractions or shop for souvenirs. But don’t leave yet. At 9PM, witness the Disney in the Stars Fireworks display above the Cinderella Castle in the Main USA.
IT IS STILL UP TO YOU
The plan provided above is just one of the many possible ways to enjoy Disneyland in one day. You may follow it, modify some parts or create your own plan. It’s really up to you to decide.
Just be aware that trying to ride and see all the attractions in a day would be really tiring. If you feel thirsty, the park provides drinking water fountain near the wash rooms. But it’s best to bring a water bottle with you so you have something to drink while in the queue. If you go there on a summer day, best to bring a small face towel. Some attractions require to leave your things in the provided shelves, so it’s also best to bring a small bag where you can place all your staff.
TL;DR
To maximize a day in Disneyland Hong Kong, do the following:
- download the Android or iOS app
- plan which rides you want to prioritize, check the schedule of the shows
- bring a refillable bottle of water to save money, water fountains are available in the park
- bring a small bag to place your things in
- be at the gate before the opening time
- get a park map before entering the park
- affordable lockers are available inside the park
- ride the most in-demand ride first in the morning to avoid the long queues in the afternoon
- do not miss the shows
- make use of the FASTPASS
Enjoy!
For questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
Love,
Lakwatserong Developer
Lakwatserong Developer 