Hong Kong Day 1 - Reminiscing Childhood at Hong Kong Disneyland

It was a perfect sunny day to be out and about today! Perfect that the weather cooperated since today is Hong Kong Disneyland day! Definitely, you don’t want to have it rain when visiting an outdoor theme park.

night view of the Hong Kong Disneyland arch

Mickey during the Flights of Fantasy Parade

Although situated at the edge of Lantau Island – far away from the city center – the Disneyland Resort is very accessible with the help of Hong Kong’s very sophisticated MTR system. Only a few line transfers and you’re there!

As we are already on the topic of the MTR, the Disneyland Resort line is specifically designed to capture the feel of the theme park. The interiors of the train coaches are all filled with Disney motifs and décor that will surely delight children and everybody with a child at heart. Not even at Disneyland yet and you feel the excitement already! Isn’t this a great way to start your Hong Kong Disneyland experience?

details inside the Disneyland Resort line MTR

Upon arrival at the platform of Disneyland Resort Station, you will be greeted by high ceilings and large stairways that will lead you to the gateway of the theme park.

night view of Disneyland Resort MTR station

Visiting this place for the second time now, it still brings a smile to my face. Somehow, Disneyland always awakens the inner child in me and makes me feel like a kid all over again. I find that amazing!

After purchasing tickets, we proceeded to explore the theme park. Given that we have been here before, we first ventured to the new attractions – namely, Toy Story Land and Grizzly Gulch.

got Slinky for my ticket
450 HKD

Toy Story Land is really amusing – especially for the little ones. You will definitely feel like one of the toys from the movie since everything here is larger than life – the toys I mean. I like how they incorporated so many toys in this area to make it look like a giant playpen which resembles Andy’s backyard.  Oh yeah, if you’re lucky, you might even catch a few of the characters from the movie and take photos with them!

welcome to Toy Story Land

nope, those are not statues!

As for the rides, there are several in this area – the Slinky Dog Spin, Toy Soldier Parachute Drop, and the RC Racer. Great fun to go on these rides! You just have to bear with the long lines especially if you come on a weekend.

Slinky Dog Spin

Toy Soldier Parachute Drop

a view of Toy Story Land

After conquering Toy Story Land, we already got hungry so we grabbed lunch in Main Street, U.S.A. – at the Corner Café to be exact. The food here tasted so good that all of our orders disappeared so fast!

band at Main Street, U.S.A.

After that, we checked out Grizzly Gulch to feel the vibe of the Wild West. It’s a gold mining town in this area alright! There are so many features here to prove that – not to mention the big gold nugget to be found at the weighing scale. With that, there are so many photo spots to choose from!

wishing this giant gold nugget was real enough to bring home

There’s entertainment here as well with the Welcome Wagon Show. They put up a good musical performance to invite everyone to explore this friendly mining town and show some great hospitality. 

performance at the Welcome Wagon Show

If the weather is too hot, this is the perfect place too cool down with the numerous water features near the geyser (if you dare to get wet, that is).

the geyser

the water drum

There’s just one ride here – the Runaway Mine Cars. Cool ride for those who want some form of adrenaline rush!

part of the Runaway Mine Cars tracks

When we finished at Grizzly Gulch, we proceeded to explore the older parts of Hong Kong Disneyland – namely, Adventureland, Tommorowland, and Fantasyland.

hey Merlin, want some help?

By late afternoon, it was time for the Flights of Fantasy Parade. So off we went to catch it! Even if it was my second time seeing this performance, it was still really enjoyable. The performers were really talented and showed their skills. Also, it was fun to watch and to mingle with the Disney characters as they frolic around and dance to the tune of the lively music in the background.

performers at the parade

the whole gang during the parade

princesses on board

Aloha! Lilo and Stitch

Tinkerbell spreading some pixie dust

the jungle folks visiting the city

Buzz Lightyear has landed

When the parade was all over, we headed to the Festival of the Lion King show. Being the first time I saw this performance, I was really impressed. The actors and actresses played their respective parts very well with such talent. More so, I liked how the animatronics used for the show seemed so real – you can even see the emotions in their eyes (if you look close enough).

took a photo by Tarzan's tree house while waiting for the Lion King show

A little bit of exploring the theme park again and it’s time for Disney in The Stars Fireworks. Watching the fireworks display that illuminates Sleeping Beauty Castle was a good way to end the day here at Hong Kong Disneyland! You can really feel the magic while gazing at the night sky to see the bright displays of color match the musical background.

cool fireworks!

Oh yeah, before you leave the theme park, if you haven’t bought any souvenirs yet early on, be sure to drop by their gift shops to purchase one of a kind souvenir items. You won’t regret taking a piece of Disneyland back home with you! I know I surely didn’t!

the illuminated souvenir shops and the numerous people

How to get here:

MTR: interchange at Sunny Bay Station to transfer to the Disneyland Resort Line

So, what are your thoughts on Hong Kong Disneyland? Did this post make you want to go and visit it too? Tell me about it by commenting below or using the Contact button on the right.

Oh yeah, if you have some questions about Hong Kong Disneyland, feel free to ask. I’ll try my best to help you out.

Up next, bargain hunting at Mongkok.