The Surprise of Disneyland Hong Kong: A Guest Post by Kathryn of kathroundabout

Cheers Sippin Gypsy Travelers! This series comes to you while enjoying my Sippin Gypsy Jalapeno Margarita inspired by my favorite Margarita at La Cava del Tequila in EPCOT at Walt Disney World Orlando.  My friend Kathryn of kathroundabout is sharing her experiences and tips with us for Disneyland Hong Kong.  Her blog is absolutely enjoyable with a unique approach to her travels and how they may not have gone quite as planned....Enjoy!

The Surprise of Hong Kong Disneyland
Is it a good surprise or a bad surprise?

Read more to find out!
 
So just imagine me, little Kathryn, acting like a 10 year old as I walk into Hong Kong Disneyland!  For those of you in other parts of the world, this may not be as much of an exciting event, because, well, you have a Disneyland in your country.

Australia is yet to catch up.

Anyway, I had been to theme parks before, we have Dreamworld, Movieworld and a few others about an hour from where I live. They are pretty cool, but apparently, they were nothing compared to the amazement that people would describe a Disneyland to be.
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I WAS SO EXCITED!

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking-“Why would you go to Hong Kong for a Disneyland Anyway?”. Let me just reassure you, I was in China and Taiwan for Chinese New Year and Hong Kong was our little stop in between.

So we kind of thought, hey if we’re there anyway!

Yeah…

I’m about to break a big dream here.
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It’s not worth it. 

Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a hardcore Disney fan I am sure you would absolutely love it! But the rides were mediocre (compared to our Gold Coast homies), the food was average (I mean, it was normal theme park food, so meh), and there just wasn’t that overall, you know…vibe.

Hong Kong has some pretty cool off the wall places and is KNOWN for being a little bit out there, so I was super surprised that their Disneyland wasn’t giving me 110%!

It is a pretty cool place to go if you haven’t seen theme parks before, although I would expect a little bit of a letdown if you have been to other Disneyland’s around the world. BUT just in case you’re thinking of going, here are some HOT TIPS!


​When Should I Go?
​I was in Hong Kong during winter (February). It was cold enough for me to wear a coat outside but not so cold I needed a bazillion layers (let’s just remember I am an Aussie over here).  I would say that it would be best from April-September because I don’t like the crowd but from June-August you’re likely to see the crowds for the summer school break. 

How Do I Get There?

​Hong Kong is C.R.A.Z.Y to get around (although this may have changed in the last few years). There are not very many buses or trains and it is super challenging because there are just roads to a bunch of different islands. We caught a taxi, as this was the easiest option. From Kowloon it was about $40AUD each way.  Yeah, Hong Kong ain’t cheap.

PLUS, Disneyland is the furthest away from everything else that it could get! Legit, you have to go back out past the airport to even get to the island and then continue on.

Should I Stay At The Park?

This was one of the options when I was there and I’m not sure if it still is. I would vote no on this, unless all you plan on doing in Hong Kong is the theme park. Which would be a shame to miss out on everything else Hong Kong has to offer. If you stay at the Disneyland Hotel, you will be 40 minutes, without traffic, from the inner city (and subsequently, all other attractions). If you have kids, this could be a good option, but if you don’t I would recommend you cop the taxi charge (or maybe see if they have Uber?) and get out there for one-day trip. 

What Should I eat?

The answer to this is: whatever you want.

The theme park has a mixture of both western and Chinese favourites-so you literally have free choice of any of your normal favourites!

Me? I had a Space Burger from near the kid’s section, some fairy floss and I snacked on oddly fishy-tasting popcorn throughout the day. All of it was yummy, but not overly delicious (Compared to the dim sum I had the night before!).

What is one thing I CANNOT miss here?

The parade.
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I am pretty sure that most theme parks do this nowadays-but I love it!

All of the characters came out and were singing and dancing and for the first time all day I felt a little bit of that Disney magic!

So, if you’re off to Hong Kong Disneyland, that’s great! Just keep those expectations low and hopefully you’ll have a few little magic surprises come your way!

Happy Travels!

Thank you Kathryn for sharing your Hong Kong Disneyland experience and suggestions with us! Check out Kathryn's blog at kathroundabout here, and check out her Instagram @kathroundabout .  Also check out my own Sippin Gypsy post on her blog about travels that didn't go quite as planned for me and my family during the Eclipse of 2017! 

Also check out our other Disney Parks Series for tips and suggestions on Disney tips around the world!