Hong Kong Disneyland with Kids: Our Family’s Experience and Advice
Last Updated on December 4, 2025 by Kay
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I’ll say it right off the bat — Hong Kong Disneyland is amazing for families with kids.
I traveled to Hong Kong Disneyland from Japan with my friend and our daughters (ages five and six). Although I wanted to see the rest of the city, we decided to base the entirety of our trip in Hong Kong Disneyland because my friend’s daughter is a free spirit who likes running where the wind takes her, so my friend figured that it was less worrying if she kept her child contained in a theme park.
Below is what we planned for our Hong Kong Disneyland trip:
Day 1 (Monday) – Arrive in Hong Kong, check into the hotel, relax, and enjoy the pool and facilities
Day 2 and 3 (Tuesday and Wednesday) – Full days at Hong Kong Disneyland
Day 4 (Thursday) – Pool time in the morning, check out, and fly back to Japan
Since traveling from Japan to Hong Kong just to experience this Disney park was a bit of a trek, I worried about getting my money’s worth. But it ended up being such a wonderfully memorable experience, which I’m excited to now share with all of you.
In this article, I’ll share an honest and detailed review of my experience traveling to Hong Kong and going to Hong Kong Disneyland with kids. Hopefully, by the end of the article, you’ll have a good idea about whether you want to go.
Table of Contents
- Arriving in Hong Kong
- Disney Explorers Lodge
- Park Entry Process and Tips
- Kid-Friendly Rides and Attractions at Hong Kong Disney
- What are the Best Rides for Babies and Toddlers?
- Character Greetings at Hong Kong Disneyland
- Parades and Shows at Hong Kong Disneyland
- Kid-Friendly Restaurants at Hong Kong Disney
- Wrap-up: Hong Kong Disneyland with Kids
Arriving in Hong Kong
As mentioned earlier, we flew into Hong Kong from Japan.
I wrote an entire article about our experience at Hong Kong International Airport. This includes a detailed play-by-play of everything from arrival to departure, as well as information I wish I knew ahead of time so that you, dear reader, might be better prepared than I was.
Disney Explorers Lodge
We stayed at the Disney Explorers Lodge for three nights, and planned to visit Hong Kong Disneyland for two days.
I highly recommend this hotel if you’re traveling with kids. My family and friends enjoyed it so much that I wrote an entire article about it, so make sure to read about our stay at the Disney Explorers Lodge to find out more and see if it’s right for you!
Notably, if you stay at the Disney Explorers Lodge or another Disney hotel, you also get to use a special entrance just for hotel guests when you visit Hong Kong Disneyland.
Other Disney hotels include the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. I compare these hotels in my article about the Disney Explorers Lodge.
Park Entry Process and Tips
We bought 2-day tickets for Hong Kong Disneyland online. (The staff at the hotel even told us it was cheaper to buy it online than at the hotel, which was a surprise to us!) We chose to visit for two days so that we wouldn’t be rushed and could enjoy the park fully, and two-day passes are also discounted.
Unlike Tokyo Disney, Hong Kong Disney mercifully opens later in the day at 10:30 AM, which means no lining up at 7 AM. And if you have kiddos who wake up super early, this is another reason to stay at the Disney Explorers Lodge since they have on-site activities for kids (including a pool that opens at 8 AM).
As we visited the park for two days straight, I thought I would share in detail our experiences entering Hong Kong Disney on both days.
Day 1:
On the first day, we arrived at 9:45 AM via the hotel’s shuttle bus. It’s also super easy to get to Hong Kong Disneyland using public transportation; just take the Disneyland Resort Line to Disneyland Resort Station, which is right outside the entrance.
We took some photos in front of the cute entrance and then beelined to the special lanes for hotel guests.
The park would open at 10:30 AM, but there were already people waiting in line to get inside. However, it was nothing compared to the rope drop crowds at Tokyo Disney. I still made a mental note, though, to try to arrive earlier the next day.
If you’re staying at a Disney hotel, make sure to bring your key card and envelope with the room number on it because you’ll need to show it to the staff. (Also, as an aside, bring a water bottle because water in the park is expensive!)
After we went through the baggage check (super fast, it took less than ten minutes), I chose the line on the farthest right because it was shorter. Well, I found out the lack of people was for a reason. It only had one gate, whereas people in the line next to it (in the middle) got to go through two gates, meaning the line would split into two.
I don’t understand why the line next to us wasn’t two lines to begin with, because it’s confusing! (Maybe a space issue because of the trees?)
Anyway, to our welcome surprise, the gates opened at around 10:10 AM, and we were inside the park by 10:18 AM!
I should note that we visited at the beginning of September, which was low season for the park because it’s typhoon season, right after summer vacation ends, and right before Halloween starts. I heard that the Halloween season at Hong Kong Disneyland (starting from mid-September) is very busy, so my friend and I were willing to travel during typhoon season to avoid it.
We also figured that since we were going to Hong Kong Disneyland for two days, if it rained heavily on one of the days and the park was possibly closed, it wouldn’t be such a big deal.
Although it was lightly raining that day, the rain let up when we entered the park, so we were able to take lots of photos before heading for the souvenir shops on Main Street to take a quick look.
We also saw Mickey greeting guests, but the staff told me the wait time would be about 30 minutes, and the kids didn’t want to wait.
I’m glad we did that instead of going to Mickey or leaving Main Street for the rides because it started pouring rain. We had umbrellas, but our shoes would get soaked (I forgot my daughter’s rainboots in the hotel.)
So we browsed in the shops for about twenty minutes before the rain stopped. We didn’t buy anything at the time because I wanted my daughter to think carefully about what she wanted. If she still wanted those souvenirs in the evening, I would get them. (I also didn’t want to carry around her haul for the rest of the day.)
Can I also point out how adorable the headbands are at Hong Kong Disney? You can even customize one to make it all your own! I also found that their headbands are a bit larger than Tokyo Disney’s, which hurt my head. (And I have a rather small head!)
After the rain let up, my daughter and her friend got some Duffy and Friends donuts from Main Street Bakery, and I was able to pay using my Wise Card while my friend used her Japanese credit card. There’s no place to sit and eat there, so they had to scarf it down while standing, but this wasn’t a problem.
The kiddos wanted to go to the World of Frozen, so we made our way there while taking photos. Although the sky was grey, I still thought the castle (Castle of Magical Dreams) was lovely.
We went through the castle and saw they had princess greetings. The princesses change every few hours or so, and during our two days at Hong Kong Disneyland, the only princesses we saw doing greetings were Tiana and Pocahonus.
Our kids weren’t interested in the princesses, so we skipped the greeting and entered Fantasyland. I’ll share more details about the rides and restaurants later on, but for now, let me share what it was like to enter the park on the second day of our visit.
Day 2:
Although we wanted to arrive earlier the next day, our buffet breakfast at the Dragon Wind restaurant located in the Disney Explorers Lodge took a little longer than we expected (more on that later), so we ended up arriving at the park at 10:00 AM, even later than the previous day.
Perhaps because it was a Wednesday, there were far fewer people waiting than the previous day (despite that it was perfectly sunny, too, and the previous day was rainy).
We got through the gates in ten minutes, but we couldn’t go past Main Street until 10:30 AM, the official opening time of Hong Kong Disneyland.
So we took some pictures and browsed souvenir shops until 10:30 AM.
For more detailed information about exactly how we spent two days at the park with kids, check out my Hong Kong Disneyland itinerary.
Kid-Friendly Rides and Attractions at Hong Kong Disney
Pretty much all of the rides at Hong Kong Disneyland are kid-friendly, even for toddlers!
Before getting into the rides, I highly recommend downloading the official Hong Kong Disneyland app. This way, you can see ride times and decide to skip a ride if the wait time is too long. We did this and often found that the wait times for some rides would peak at 20 minutes and then drop down to 5 minutes sometimes.
The best times to go on rides are early mornings and evenings, but typically, we found wait times for most kid-friendly rides were only around 5 to 10 minutes long.
The app also helps you figure out where everything is located and what times shows are.
I should also mention that some of the staff at Hong Kong Disneyland aren’t as overly cheerful as the ones in Tokyo Disney. This might bother some people, but I didn’t find them rude by any means. They just seemed tired.
Also, it’s completely fine to use your smartphones on most of the rides at Hong Kong Disney, which is a huge no-no in Japan. This really shocked me because what would happen if someone accidentally dropped their phone and it hit someone else?
Fantasyland
After you pass the castle, the first area you’ll enter is Fantasyland.
Like all Disney parks, Fantasyland is an amazing place for younger kids (especially babies and toddlers), but we also saw plenty of adults without kiddos enjoying the attractions!
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
This is quite a popular ride at Hong Kong Disney! When we first rode it at around 11:10 AM, the wait time was only 5 minutes, but it quickly ballooned to 10 minutes and then 20!
This ride is pretty basic as you sit inside a Dumbo car and “fly” through the sky while moving up and down. My daughter has never been much of a fan of these types of rides, so we only rode it once.
Our Kids’ Score: 3/5
The Parents’ Score: 3/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
This was my daughter and her friend’s favorite ride in the park. I don’t know what it was about this ride, but they went on it repeatedly throughout their two days at Hong Kong Disney and kept chanting “Pooh Pooh!” at random intervals. I think the short wait time, at around 5-10 minutes, definitely helped.
I found this Winnie the Pooh ride a little more intense than the one at Tokyo Disney. You ride in a honey pot cart that goes through the world of Winnie the Pooh. It sometimes moved up and down, to the delight of the kids but we parents felt a little nauseous.
Near the end, you get a photo taken of your group on the ride, which you can purchase later. We didn’t buy any but my daughter made sure to make a different pose each time, and liked looking at the picture when we got off the ride.
One thing to note: I found some of the staff were blase about the rules. For instance, one ride attendant let my daughter and her friend ride sitting next to each other, while my friend and I sat in the back. The next time we rode, though, there was a different (older) attendant, and he said a parent always had to sit next to a child. And honestly, I agree with him!
Our Kids’ Score: 5/5
The Parents’ Score: 3/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Mad Hatter Tea Cups
This is another classic ride where you whirl around inside a teacup, and you can make it go faster depending on how hard you spin the dial.
Our kids naturally went crazy on this. Although the wait times were always less than 10 minutes long, our kids only went on this once (because there was so much more to experience at the park!).
Our Kids’ Score: 5/5
The Parents’ Score: 3/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Fairy Tale Forest
This is such a beautiful area! Here you can walk into the storybooks of various Disney princesses like Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, and Ariel. Every princess has a unique area where you can press buttons to see their tale come to life.
It’s absolutely magical, and I love how everything lights up at night as well!
Naturally, the kids had a great time here, and we visited it three times. Make sure not to miss this place, it’s perfect for children of all ages! (Well, maybe teenage boys won’t be so into it since it features Disney princesses…)
Our Kids’ Score: 5/5
The Parents’ Score: 5/5
Cinderella’s Carousel
This is a typical merry-go-round that’s perfect for all ages. The wait time was never over 5 minutes when we went.
Just be careful when you get inside because an adult was determined to get on a particular horse for photoshoot purposes, and she ran past me so fast that she almost knocked me over!
Our Kids’ Score: 4/5
The Parents’ Score: 3/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Fantasy Garden
This is less of a ride or attraction and more of an area to take photos. When we visited, they didn’t have any particularly special decorations, but depending on when you go, this area might have cute seasonal decor.
There was zero wait time when we went, but I’ve heard that sometimes during peak seasons, they limit the number of guests who can go inside.
Our Kids’ Score: 3/5
The Parents’ Score: 3/5
It’s a Small World
This ride is a bit of a walk from the Mad Hatter Tea Cups, but it’s worth it, especially since the wait time is usually only around 5 minutes.
You ride a boat that takes you around the world, and you’ll see many familiar Disney characters throughout, like Cinderella, Aladdin, Lilo and Stitch, etc., which is what made this ride a hit for our kiddos.
As parents, we were happy just to have the opportunity to sit down!
Our Kids’ Score: 5/5
The Parents’ Score: 4/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Mickey and the Wondrous Book
I had heard great things about this show, which runs several times throughout the day at the Storybook Theatre. However, our kids were just not interested in going, which was too bad.
World of Frozen
The name speaks for itself! The World of Frozen is beautiful, and although it’s not as impressive as Tokyo DisneySea‘s, it’s considerably less crowded.
We saw Elsa, and my daughter was able to go right up to her and get a high-five! (At Tokyo Disney, there are so many people that Elsa “chooses” what kids to greet.)
Frozen Ever After
Unfortunately, this was under repair when we visited Hong Kong Disneyland, which was a shame because my daughter loved it at Tokyo DisneySea.
The best part about Hong Kong Disney’s Frozen Ever After is that the wait time is much shorter than Tokyo Disney’s. I’m checking right now using the app, and it’s only 20 minutes!
This boat ride takes you through the story of Frozen. You get to see all your favorite characters, hear songs from Frozen, and there’s a fun backwards drop at the end. (Not intense whatsoever, so it’s perfect for young kiddos but still fun for parents.) Note that you may get wet on this ride after the drop.
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs
My daughter and I were obsessed with this roller coaster! We first rode on it at night, which was still fun, but it was cold and we couldn’t really see the view of the Frozen area since it was dark.
We went on this ride again at around 11 AM on the second day of our visit to the park, and then we rode it again three times because the wait time was only 5 minutes long! It’s definitely better during the day.
We also happened to come across an animated troll at the entrance, which made my daughter’s day! There was no one else around, so my daughter got to talk to the troll, and I made sure to take plenty of photos. It was such a magical moment (I’m smiling just remembering it!).
My daughter’s friend went on this roller coaster once, but it was too fast for her, which was unfortunate because my friend loved it.
My Kid’s Score: 5/5 (Friend’s Score: 2/5)
The Parents’ Score: 5/5
Minimum Height Requirement: 95 cm
Playhouse in the Woods
Playhouse in the Woods is an indoor interactive stage experience that’s perfect for younger children who love Anna and Elsa. This did require a bit of a wait (I believe about twenty minutes), but it was absolutely worth it.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we went. We were led into a small room and everyone sat down on the floor in front of a stage. Olaf appeared, followed by Anna and Elsa. Anna then asked us to choose a statue representing an element and then stand by it.
And imagine our surprise when Anna and Elsa came down from the stage and walked right up to all of us!
Anna noticed my daughter was dressed like her and said, “We’re the same!”. She then led my daughter and her friend to the area near the stage while Elsa followed with some other kids, and then artificial snow started falling! It was such a wonderful and memorable experience.
The show was a mix of Cantonese (Olaf) and English (Anna and Elsa), but even if your kids can’t understand those languages (like my friend’s daughter), they’ll have a great time.
Our Kids’ Score: 5/5
The Parents’ Score: 5/5
Toy Story Land
This is another kid-friendly area, although our kids didn’t enjoy it as much as Frozen and Fantasyland. I think if you have very young kids and are short on time, this area isn’t a must.
The wait times for rides here are also among the longest in the park.
It’s located on the opposite end of the park from the entrance, and although Hong Kong Disneyland is much smaller (and more doable with kids) than other parks, we didn’t even make it here on our first day!
Slinky Dog Spin
This is like a slow version of a caterpillar ride, where you sit in a ride vehicle and move forward along a looped track. The track for this ride, though, is Slinky Dog!
We found this ride a bit bumpy rather than smooth, perhaps showing its age, and it wasn’t fast enough for it to be very enjoyable. However, I think this makes the ride perfect for toddlers or kids who don’t like anything intense.
We waited about ten minutes to go on this ride.
Our Kids’ Score: 2/5
The Parents’ Score: 2/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Toy Soldier Parachute Drop
This ride has you sit under a “parachute” and then slowly brings you up and drops you down, as if you’re a toy soldier from the movie. At a height of around 80 meters, it looks intense, but it’s not whatsoever.
When we lined up for it, the wait time was reported as 20 minutes, but we only waited ten minutes. There’s also a single-person line that moves much faster, but you won’t be able to sit with your child.
My daughter and I went on this ride twice, but I’m not sure it’s worth more than a ten-minute wait. I had also hoped to see a nice view of the park, but you can only see the Toy Story area or the surrounding green mountains.
My daughter’s friend was too scared to go on the ride.
My Kid’s Score: 4/5
My Score: 4/5
Minimum Height Requirement: 81 cm
RC Racer
This was another ride where the wait time was reported to be 20 minutes but turned out to be only ten.
RC Racer is one of the most thrilling rides at the park and reminds me of a Viking boat ride at carnivals as you’re launched back and forth along a U-shaped track.
The minimum height is 120 cm, meaning my daughter was too short to ride on it. So my friend watched her while I went on the ride alone.
It was really fun but definitely intense, and I screamed. A lot.
One time was enough for me, but I do hope to ride again with my daughter when she’s tall enough.
My Score: 4/5
Minimum Height Requirement: 120 cm
Mystic Point
This area is unique to Hong Kong Disneyland, so it was somewhere my friend really wanted to visit. She had heard the ride, Mystic Manor, was a must.
Mystic Manor
Mystic Manor takes you on a ride throughout an enchanted mansion where a mischievous monkey has done something he shouldn’t have.
My friend and I really enjoyed this ride, but it was too scary for my daughter and her friend. My daughter was really angry with me when she got off the ride and made me promise we would never go on it again. (A bit of a shame since the wait time was consistently only 5 minutes on the day we visited.)
I think the dark rooms, loud sounds, and creepy “magical” effects scared the kids too much.
Our Kids’ Score: 1/5
The Parents’ Score: 4/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Garden of Wonders
Located right across from Mystic Manor, this is a great place for kids to play and explore. There are fun sculptures and optical illusions that are pretty basic (don’t expect anything remarkable), but younger kids will enjoy them, and you can take some great photos.
There’s no wait time for this attraction as it’s an open space outside.
Our Kids’ Score: 3/5
The Parents’ Score: 2/5
Grizzly Gulch
Grizzly Gulch only has one ride, which our kiddos couldn’t go on because they didn’t meet the height requirement. However, while my friend and I took turns going on the ride, the kiddos had fun exploring the area. There are fun “geysers” and free water guns.
And at one point, our kids randomly met Minnie and didn’t even have to line up to greet her! (But once other people noticed, a queue started.)
Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars
My friend and I absolutely love, love, loved this ride!
At first, we weren’t sure what to expect, especially with the animatronic bears doing… odd things. The roller coaster was also really slow in the beginning, but this was a trick because it unexpectedly sped up, which was really thrilling.
I hope my daughter is tall enough to ride this the next time we go! The only downside is that the wait time is usually 20 minutes unless you go first thing in the morning.
The Parents’ Score: 5/5
Minimum Height Requirement: 112 cm
Adventureland
This area has fun tropical vibes. They really did a great job with the design.
There are statues spitting water and mist, as well as instruments that kids can freely play.
At the moment, there’s only one ride here as Tarzan’s Treehouse seems to be indefinitely closed.
Jungle River Cruise
I thought this cruise was loads better than the one at Tokyo Disney.
There are two entrances, one for an English-speaking guide and another for a Chinese-speaking guide. Make sure you go to the correct line because the tour will be done in that language.
I thought our tour guide was hilarious, and I enjoyed some unexpected surprises during the cruise, including fire. My daughter, though, didn’t appreciate these as much as I did and found it a little too scary, although her friend didn’t mind.
Our Kids’ Score: 3/5
The Parents’ Score: 4/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Moana: A Homecoming Celebration
This is a performance featuring Moana (although I thought the cast member looked nothing like her). When we arrived, about ten minutes before the show was to start, all the seats were taken!
We managed to find a spot to squeeze our kids and my friend and I stood at the back.
This show is really short and overall, my friend and I didn’t think it was worth the time.
Our Kids’ Score: 3/5
The Parents’ Score: 1/5
Festival of The Lion King
Unfortunately, this show wasn’t running when we visited, which was a shame because my daughter loves The Lion King. (I guess this is another excuse to go back!)
Tomorrowland
This area is dedicated to the Avengers and also has one Star Wars attraction.
Our kiddos weren’t interested in anything there, so my friend and I took turns going on rides.
Iron Man Experience
This is a 3D motion simulator ride where you fly through Hong Kong with Iron Man battling Hydra. It’s fun if you’re a fan of Iron Man (like me), especially since the queuing area is filled with Iron Man decor and gadgets with explanations.
However, I don’t think it’s worth a long wait, especially if you’re prone to motion sickness.
The Parents’ Score: 3/5
Minimum Height Requirement: 102 cm
Ant-Man and The Wasp
This laser-shooting dark ride has you sit in a car and help Ant-Man and The Wasp fight off an army of Hydra bots. I thought this was painfully boring, and I was relieved when the ride broke down so I wouldn’t have to ride it again with the kids.
The good thing is that the ride usually has little to no wait time!
The Parents’ Score: 1/5
Minimum Height Requirement: None
Hyperspace Mountain
Hyperspace Mountain is a Star Wars–themed indoor rollercoaster that has you speed through space. I loved riding through the starry darkness as did my friend, but it is definitely intense. Our eyes were watering!
We each waited about ten minutes to go on this ride, which wasn’t bad, but since we were with our kids, who had no interest in riding, we decided not to go on it again despite really wanting to.
The Parents’ Score: 4/5
Minimum Height Requirement: 102 cm
What are the Best Rides for Babies and Toddlers?
My daughter and her friend were age five and six when they visited, but since some of the rides didn’t vibe with them, it made me wonder about what they would have liked when they were younger. As a parent, I would want to know in advance what rides my baby or toddler could go on before deciding to go to a theme park.
The best rides for babies and toddlers at Hong Kong Disneyland are in Fantasyland, specifically Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Winnie the Pooh, Cinderella’s Carousel, and It’s a Small World.
In terms of other areas of the park, Slinky Dog Spin has no height requirement, but I’m not sure how babies would feel about the clankiness of the ride.
Although the Jungle River Cruise and Mystic Mansion also have no height requirements, I think the rides are too scary for little ones. Frozen Ever After might frighten young children when the car starts moving backwards, but if your kiddo likes Frozen, it’s worth riding.
Babies and toddlers can also enjoy all the aforementioned shows at Hong Kong Disneyland! So I think there’s plenty for little ones to experience and do.
Character Greetings at Hong Kong Disneyland
There are several character greetings throughout the park. You can find the times and where the characters will show up by checking the app.
Honestly, we stumbled on most of the characters. For instance, Snow White was walking by and she very kindly stopped to say hi to our kids.
My daughter also spotted Nick from Zootopia, and without us even saying anything, he grabbed my little girl in a hug.
Our kids were also at the right place at the right time when Minnie started her greetings at Grizzly Gulch. We didn’t wait at all!
Let me tell you, this would never happen at Tokyo Disney.
Duffy and Friends Play House
If your kids are fans of Duffy, make sure to go to the Duffy and Friends Play House. This is located near Main Street.
Depending on the character, the wait time can vary from 15 minutes to a whopping 2 hours or more! The most popular character is LinaBell, so expect wait times to meet her to be long. If you don’t want to wait, I suggest purchasing an early entry pass for the park, which will let you get in an hour earlier than usual.
Although we arrived at Main Street right at opening (10:30 AM), my friend and I made a mistake and went the wrong direction when going to the Duffy and Friends Play House. I felt like we were not heading the right way, so I asked a cast member to help us. By the time we got there, it was 10:40 AM.
My daughter was able to see her favorite character, Gelatoni, in 15 minutes.
He even signed a Gelatoni paper bib she got from the Crystal Lotus restaurant we visited the previous day. (More on that later.)
All the characters will give you their autograph if asked, so I suggest picking up an autograph book from one of the souvenir shops on Main Street.
Meanwhile, my friend and her daughter waited 2 hours to see LinaBell, and this was in the morning!
There are also fun displays and interactive screens for kids here, so visit even if you’re not interested in seeing a character.
Parades and Shows at Hong Kong Disneyland
There are various parades and shows at Hong Kong Disney, including seasonal ones for Christmas and Halloween.
When we visited Hong Kong Disneyland with our kids, we saw the following parades and shows.
Friendtastic Parade
Unlike Tokyo Disney, it was super easy to find a spot for this parade, which travels throughout Main Street.
We showed up fifteen minutes before the parade started and got a spot right in front of the castle.
This parade lasts 30 minutes, and it was really enjoyable. My friend and I loved all the characters and floats, and needless to say, our kids did as well.
It had floats featuring the Disney princesses (including Frozen), Inside Out, Up, Baymax, Monsters Inc, Encanto, Toy Story, Turning Red, and of course, Duffy and Friends, as well as Mickey and Minnie.
Disney Friends Live: Party at the Castle!
This is another show where we showed up minutes before it started, and we were at the front, although a little bit to the side. But our kids were able to see everything.
This show features Duffy and Friends characters as well as Disney Princesses, and everything is in both Chinese and English. (Mickey speaks Chinese, unsurprisingly, but a dancer translates for him.)
I especially loved the fountains during the show; it gave everything a nice touch.
There’s no story with this show, which might bother some guests, but I didn’t mind. The music and dancers paired with Disney characters were enough for me!
Momentous
Momentous is absolutely spectacular and a must-see when you’re at Hong Kong Disneyland. During the show, scenes from Disney movies are projected onto the castle while Disney songs play. There are also fireworks, water effects, and Disney characters lit up in the sky. It’s so beautiful!
Unlike the other shows and parades, you do need to secure a spot early if you want a good view. The first night we saw it, we arrived about ten minutes before it started (oops). Although we were able to find a spot near the side, it’s obviously better to see the castle directly rather than at an angle.
This is what Momentous looked like from the side. As you can see, the trees are blocking the view and you can’t see the projections on the castle very well.
The second night, we made sure to arrive an hour early, but even then that wasn’t early enough. We were hoping to secure some benches where the kids could sit but they were all taken. However, I managed to squeeze my daughter and her friend into a gap between a bench and the fence, so they were able to see the castle straight on.
My friend and I took turns taking our kids to the washroom and to the nearby Starbucks for dinner (although I don’t recommend doing this 30 minutes before the show because the line can be LONG. Also, don’t buy a huge drink for your kid, because they’ll need to go pee during the show like my friend’s kid).
Here’s what the view on the second night looked like:
As you can see, it was much better than the side view we had on the first night.
Overall, my daughter absolutely loved Momentous. She was enraptured the entire time, and she wouldn’t stop talking about it afterwards. However, her friend got bored about five minutes into the 30-minute show on both nights and wanted to leave.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of finding a good spot for Momentous, you can purchase a combo ticket that will let you go into a special viewing area at the front of the castle and also give you entry to 8 attractions and one other show.
Kid-Friendly Restaurants at Hong Kong Disney
One thing that was disappointing about Hong Kong Disney was the lack of food carts, and there were absolutely no cute character-themed popcorn buckets.
I don’t think food is Hong Kong Disneyland’s strong suit, but we generally enjoyed what we got.
Here’s where we ate with our kids at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Golden Crocus Inn
Located in the Frozen area, we came here at around 7:20 PM for dinner, and were surprised that there was no one else waiting and plenty of tables available. (Probably because Momentous would be starting shortly after.)
I loved the decor here, which really feels like an inn from the movie.
The food arrived very quickly. I got a vegetarian dish, Forest Mushroom Strozzapreti Pasta, which tasted nice but I got sick of the taste about halfway through.
I wish I had gotten the Innkeeper’s Special Braised Lamb Shank that my friend ordered, because there was more variety on the plate.
Our kids got the Arendelle Pasta Kids’ Meal. It had cheesy pasta that were shaped like snowflakes, Olaf, and the castle. The kids liked that, but they didn’t like the sausages that came with it at the time. Since then, it looks like they changed the menu and it now comes with chicken breast, which hopefully tastes better!
The meals also came with water and an Olaf cookie.
If your kids like Frozen, you might want to visit Hong Kong Disneyland on a Saturday so everyone can enjoy a royal breakfast buffet in Arendelle and meet Anna and Elsa. Note that this must be booked in advance.
Explorer’s Club Restaurant
We had lunch at the Explorer’s Club Restaurant on our second day at Hong Kong Disneyland. My friend’s daughter was very hangry, so we went to the closest restaurant to us, where we could sit down, which happened to be this one in Mystic Point.
It’s a semi-buffet and a little expensive, but we liked the food. My friend and I both ordered the mushroom lasagna, which was very tasty.
Our kiddos got the Meatballs with Disney Characters Pasta.
I was pretty impressed with the dessert that looked like a banana — I genuinely thought it was a real banana! (Maybe I was just really tired, because my kid knew it was a confectionery right away, haha.)
We also got to help ourselves to various salads and desserts.
Although the dining time is 75 minutes, my daughter fell asleep here, and they kindly didn’t kick us out. I think we ended up spending 90 minutes or so at the restaurant.
Crystal Lotus
This is outside Hong Kong Disneyland and is located at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, so you’ll need to leave the park to dine here.
We went here for lunch on our first day because we wanted the cute, character-themed dim sum. It’s pricey, but it’s worth it.
We got the Winnie the Pooh Honey and Milk Custard Bun:
Duffy & ShellieMay Steamed Sweet Bun:
We also ordered a plate of fried rice with wagyu beef, and this was so good. It was honestly the best thing I had during my trip to Hong Kong. The beef was so tender and the rice was super flavorful.
The staff also prepared a cute bib for my friend’s StellaLou stuffie! How cute is that?
I want to dine here again, but I’ll get the course next time.
Note that if you want the character dim sum, you need to make a reservation at least two days in advance. I did this through the official Hong Kong Disneyland website.
Wrap-up: Hong Kong Disneyland with Kids
Hong Kong Disneyland was such a magical experience for my family. We got to meet Disney characters up close without crowds, went on every single ride without having to wait more than 10 minutes for each, and saw amazing performances and shows.
The friend I visited with had actually gone to Hong Kong Disney a few years back with her two older kids (before my daughter’s friend was born), so I completely understand why she wanted to go again.
I think dedicating two days to Hong Kong Disneyland was also a great idea because we weren’t rushed whatsoever, and everyone could take their time fully enjoying the park. This also allowed us to watch Momentous twice from two different angles!
So believe me when I say I can’t wait to visit Hong Kong Disneyland again!
If you’re a planner and curious about exactly how we spent our time, including when we had meals, check out my Hong Kong Disneyland itinerary.