Before I even left the United States, my best friend and I knew we were going to Hong Kong Disneyland. Neither one of us had gone to a foreign Disneyland before, but also Hong Kong was the owner of the well-known ride Mystic Manor. They also had just opened their new Iron Man ride, titled the Iron Man Experience. We had heard how fun it was and that it was worth the trip out to Lantau Island, where Hong Kong Disneyland is.
My friend and I decided to hit up Hong Kong Disney during our first weekend in Hong Kong. We wanted something familiar to help us through the initial culture shock. Disney and I have a very long relationship spanning back to when I was six months old, so to me, it was a familiar setting in the United States. I knew the park would not be exactly like the one in the United States, but I knew it would help with the anxiety of being in a foreign country for the first time. We did our research online about how to take transportation effectively to get to the park. We left our apartment around 9 a.m. My friend and I are hardcore Disney lovers, so when we go to a Disney park, it is open to close, no exceptions. To our surprise, Hong Kong Disneyland had a later opening time of 10 a.m. We thought an hour would be enough time to get to Disneyland, but we underestimated the travel time and arrived at the Disneyland metro line around 10:30 a.m. When we exited the metro at the Disneyland metro stop, we should have expected what we saw next.
Across the platform was the Disneyland metro with Mickey Mouse shaped windows. I immediately turned to my friend with a grin on my face. I did not know what to expect from Disneyland in a different country. When I saw the train that took us into the park, I immediately started smiling. Disney has always been one of the happiest places for me. It is where all my worries and problems fade away. It's a place of bliss and youthful excitement. We entered the train car to be welcomed with gold statues of the signature Disney characters. The seats were velveted red, and the overall seating was a lot more comfortable than the usual metro seats.
When we arrived at Hong Kong Disney, we saw a wide walkway with a fountain in the middle. To the right of the fountain was the entrance to Hong Kong Disney. Straight ahead was the Disneyland Resort. They also had an area where people could leave their suitcases if they came before their resort check-in time. I wondered to myself if the Disneys in The States had a place to hold luggage. If they didn't, they should get some, because it was efficient for people. I have never stayed on property, so I did not know, although staying on property is a dream of mine.
My friend and I bought our entrance tickets on-site. They were no more than 70 U.S. dollars. We went through the standard bag check and entered the park. It was the Springtime Festival during our visit, so the entire entrance was decked out with beautiful flowers and Easter decorations.
We walked down Main Street and checked out where we could buy some breakfast. We ended up just going to a quick cafe where we shoved our faces with pastries and ran to the rides. When it came to the food in the park, I noticed that a lot of the food options were a lot healthier than the American parks. Instead of having churros and popcorn stands, they had food stands with bananas and apples. The sides offered at lunch were fruits and vegetables rather than fries or chips. The portion sizes were a lot smaller than usual as well. Each Disney park caters to the country's culture and food.
The rides were amazing. The two attractions that stuck out to me the most were Mystic Manor and the Iron Man Experience ride. Mystic Manor is the equivalent to the Haunted Mansion ride back in America. I found Mystic Manor much more entertaining than Haunted Mansion. Mystic Manor has a story that the attraction follows. The animatronics seemed brand new and were super smooth. The ride is appropriate for younger kids, but be forewarned there are a lot of loud noises, and even some jump scares. The Iron Man ride was incredible. It was brand new that year and my friend and I were delighted that it opened a few months before we went. At the time, I had never seen one Iron Man movie (don't worry, I have now seen all three) and was disinterested in actually seeing the movie. The ride was easy to follow, and you do not need any knowledge about Iron Man to have a great time. It is a simulation ride, so if you get motion sickness, this ride may not be for you. Overall the attraction is appropriate for children and a blast!
Another aspect of this park that surprised me were the parades. The afternoon parade was engaging and entertaining! Most Disney parades have this factor anyway, but I found the Hong Kong Disney afternoon parade to be unique. The dancers' costumes were colorful and represented different cultures well. I missed this aspect in the Disneys in America because I feel like they go for a more flashy style and do not relate every costume to culture. Also, the dancers interacted with the crowd! They handed out fans with Disney characters on them to children for free, and they also passed out candy. I do not know if this is just me, but I have not been to a parade where the people interact with the crowd since the late '90s. It was a nice touch of nostalgia for myself and my friend. We honestly felt like little kids again. The night parade, or known as the Paint the Night, was incredible also. I had seen Paint the Night at Disneyland in California, so I knew what this parade was. My friend had never seen a Paint the Night parade, and I was excited to see her expression. I feed off other's emotions, so I love experiencing something again if it is new to someone else. The parade is overall the same as the one in America, but watching my friend's face light up with wonder, happiness, and delight will never be a site I forget.
Overall, the park in Hong Kong is small compared to the ones I was accustomed to. We burned through the park within half a day. That was also an advantage because we were able to take our time and relax at some points throughout the day, unlike when we are in Florida's or California's Disney parks.
Hong Kong Disney has it's own personal touches too. They have a garden that includes miniature replicas of all the Disney Princesses castles, which some would move and show scenes from the films. I thought this was so cute and unique. I can honestly say I had never seen anything like it before. Hong Kong Disney also has some specialized shows, which you cannot find in any other park. The lines were relatively short, which was a nice change from the American parks. My friend and I did not have to wait any longer than thirty-five minutes for any particular ride. Now, this could have been because of the day we chose to go, but one of my friends, who is a local to Hong Kong, said that was pretty regular.
Hong Kong Disney is a great day trip for the family or with friends. It is on a remote island, so it also gets you out of the busy city. It was a great way to spend a day and was an excellent way to subtlety transition into the culture of Hong Kong. Some things were familiar to me, but also enough was new that it did not seem like I was in the American parks. I highly recommend taking the time to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, and the merchandise there is also so adorable!
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