Hong Kong Disneyland: Indeed, the Happiest Place on Earth

The main purpose of our trip to Hong Kong was to celebrate my niece’s 7^th birthday at Disneyland. We planned to go on the second day so we can have enough rest before facing yet another tiring day.

Disneyland is located on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. We were staying at Tsim Sha Tsui, which is a bit far from Lantau, so we took the train. We suggest that you buy an Octopus Card at the Airport by the time you arrive because you can use the card anywhere, that includes convenience stores, fast food chains, riding a cab, coffee shops, taking the MTR (train) or Bus. Some restaurants also accept Octopus Cards as payment. All you need to do is tap and you’re good to go. It’s like a debit card.

We bought the tickets from our hotel and got discounted rates of HK$465 for adults instead of HK$539.

Minnie kissed my niece after we said that it's her birthday

MTR (train)

• Take MTR to Lai King then change to Tung Chung Line. Take Tung Chung Line to Sunny Bay then change to Disneyland Resort Line.

Bus

• Take the R21 bus. It costs $48 return using the Octopus card. There are only 2 or 3 departures in the morning. You need to wait for it or else you’ll miss it. We suggest you take the train because it runs all day and of course, you’ll be able to ride the Disney train.

Going back, after taking the Disneyland train, you will alight at the Disneyland station. If you've seen or read Harry Potter films/books, the place looks like that. You can feel the excitement already. Outside the station is the entrance to Disneyland. If you took the bus, they will stop at the entrance itself.

Flights of Fantasy Parade

Entering Disneyland ticks an item on our Bucket List. You will feel happiness everywhere. The ambiance is very positive. The Cast members will welcome you and all of them are very active and very approachable. They will make sure that you are not bored because being sad is a no-no inside the theme park.

Tomorrowland

Disneyland is composed of 7 parks: The Adventureland, Fantasyland, Grizzly Gulch, Main Street USA, Mystic Point, Tomorrowland and the Toy Story Land. There are a lot of rides, souvenir shops, theaters, restaurants and attractions inside the park. There’s even a hotel where you can stay since you won’t be able to check the whole park 100% in one day since it is composed of an island.

The Adventureland

We stopped by Main Street USA where the souvenir and jewelry shops were located and since you will pass by it once you enter the park. All Disney toys, plates, shirts and merchandise, they have it all. We arrived there at lunch time so we stopped by the Royal Banquet Hall in Fantasyland. Foods were a little pricey but it’s worth it. If you want the more affordable ones like burgers or fries, go to the Comet Café in Tomorrowland. Trust me; there are lots of choices there so it’s up to you! Ice cream and pop corn/cotton candy stall are everywhere too!

The Golden Mickey Show, a must-see!

We rode Cinderella’s Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups; it’s a Small World, and the Slinky Dog Spin. If you are more of a daredevil type, go to the Toy Story land and take the RC Car and the Toy Soldier Parachute Drop.

Don’t forget to watch Mickey’s PhilHar Magic. It’s like watching a 3D movie plus a unique experience. Trust us! You can also check out Tarzan’s Treehouse and ride Jungle River Cruise (bring extra shirt since you might get wet from the water splash effects) and the Raft to Tarzan’s Treehouse.

There are also shows in theaters. We watched The Golden Mickey’s presented in Disney’s Storybook. The show is composed of a musical about the stories of Disney characters. It was also a good experience because the cast members were very good.

Dolls representing the Philippines inside the It's a Small World Castle

Lastly, don’t miss out on the Flights of Fantasy Parade. It features all of Disney’s famous characters plus people dancing and singing. You can take pictures with Mickey and friends at the Main Street after the parade. We wanted to wait for the Disney in the Stars Fireworks but it was cancelled since it rained that night. On our way home, we met Filipino families who said it was their third try to watch the Disney int the Stars Fireworks, sad. Maybe on their fourth try they were able to see it.