Disney – Cheap Tickets, Full on Magic!

Disney – Cheap Tickets, Full on Magic!

$40 2-day Park Entry

A Hong Kong Disney Resort two day park entry ticket with a meal plan cost us just US$40! Hong Kong Disneyland offers really, really low ticket prices, nearby bargain accommodation and a chance to see one of the world’s most interesting cities.

$600 Return Trip USA to Hong Kong

Late in 2018, I needed to take a flight to gain Platinum status on Delta. After doing some online ticket shopping I found a round trip from Portland, Oregon, to Hong Kong for just over US$600 round trip. That is not much more than flying to Orlando, Florida. Recent ticket searches have found even lower prices from various U.S. cities to Hong Kong.

We Love Disney

Hong Kong vs. Florida

My wife and I love Disney, so the opportunity to go to Hong Kong Disney for a flight cost of just US$150/per person more seemed like a no brainer. But that was just the beginning of the cost savings of going to Hong Kong vs. Florida.

After doing more research, I discovered the entry fees for Hong Kong Disneyland was cheaper than any of the US Disney Parks. So this trip became solidified. In this post, I will go through our experiences and a brief history of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and what it has to offer.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

1st Disney Park Outside USA

The first Disney Park outside of the US opened in Tokyo in 1983. Paris Disneyland (originally EuroDisney) opened across the pond in 1992. Hong Kong is the third park outside of the US and the first in China opening in 2005. Since its opening, Shanghai Disney opened in 2016.

Of all the Disney Parks, Hong Kong is currently the smallest but is constantly expanding. It is built on an artificial island and has a rail connection to the city. Its Castle was a duplicate of California’s Disneyland and is currently being re-imagined and enlarged. It retains some classic Disney rides but has some of its own unique rides or re-imagined classic attractions. Here is a list of some key attractions as of late 2019.

Rides Same/Similar to Disney USA

• Disneyland Railroad: The locomotives may look like steam, but they are diesel, with much-simplified operator controls
• Small World: That song will never get out of your head.
• Winnie The Pooh: One of the few dark rides in Hong Kong
• Tea Cups, Carousel and Dumbo rides
• Hyperspace Mountain (Formerly Space Mountain). For Hong Kong folks, this is a very intense ride and has more warning signs than normal. But it is basically the same as the US mountains.
• Jungle River Cruise – Similar to The Jungle Cruise

Rides not in USA Parks, but in Paris and Shanghai Disney

• RC Racers: Paris and Shanghai have this Toy Story related up and down ride. Similar to a swing boat ride, but with a car
• Toy soldiers Parachute Drop: Pretty much what it sounds like, a parachute drop ride
• Slinky Dog Spin: a spinning ride

Rides Unique to Hong Kong

• Phantom Manor: This is Hong Kong Disney’s reimagined Haunted Mansion. It is a trackless ride with a theme of a gentleman who collects antiquities. He collected a relic that probably he should not have. His mischievous monkey opens the relic that causes mayhem. It is an awesome ride that is a must-do several time during your visit
• Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars: This is Hong Kong Disney’s reimagined Big Thunder Mountain railroad. This ride adds a feature that part of the ride you run backward (like Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom’s Everest ride). 
• Ant-Man and Wasp Nano Battle: This ride was not opened during my visit. However, it uses the same ride system as Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters re-themed for Ant-Man.
• Iron Man Experience: This ride uses the same ride scheme as Star Tours at other parks, re-themes for Iron Man. It involves flying over Hong Kong, and a superhero fight ensues.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is in the middle of a major makeover and expansion. The castle is changing to become the Castle of Magical Dreams in 2020. A Frozen Land is under construction to open in 2021. An Avenger car type ride to open in 2023. A lot of exciting things are coming!

Where To Stay

There are currently two hotels that are part of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort resort: Otherwise, it is a relatively short journey from central Hong Kong with a multitude of hotels on offer.

Getting to Hong Kong Disney

IF staying in Hong Kong, the best way to get to DL is by the MTR (Mass Transit Railway). Take the Orange (Tung Chung) Line from Hong Kong Central or Kowloon to Sunny Bay. There transfer to the Disneyland Resort Line train to the resort. These trains are all decked out with Mouse Ears everywhere! It is a short walk from the Disneyland Resort Station to the park.

From the Airport, it might be better to take a bus or taxi transfer. It is possible to take the Airport Express Train to Tsing Yi, then backtrack on the Tung Chung Line to Sunny Bay, and finally transfer to the Disneyland Resort line. But for some that might be a hassle

How We Really Saved Money

As I mentioned we got a great deal on the airfare, but I was surprised to find other discounts, plus using hotel points to make this a very cost-effective trip.

I could have stayed at the Disney resort, but since I also wanted to visit Hong Kong itself, I decided to stay in Hong Kong. I used my points for two nights and paid for two nights at the Holiday Inn Express Causeway Bay. The Hotel was one block from the MTR, and the trams are just down the street. The hotel included breakfast, so it was perfect. We just took the train to Disney for two days.

As far as theme park tickets, I found two different ways to save money. I bought my wife’s ticket directly from Disney as she is over 65 and qualified for very cheap senior tickets. The US parks don’t offer senior rates. I also bought a meal plan that included one meal plus one snack. Her tickets for two days plus the meal plan turned out to be around US$40.

For my ticket, I bought via the website Klook.com. I was able to get a 20-day ticket plus a US$54 credit to use in gift shops plus the same meal plan as my wife. All for about US$120: so between my wife and I, we spend two days at the parks with one quick-service meal each day and one snack each day for US$180. $180 would not even cover the admission for one person for two days, let alone two people plus meals.

To see read more about KLOOK and of the great deals on offer see this article Cheap Tickets, Tours & Attractions – KLOOK.

Our Trip to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

We loved our impromptu trip to Hong Kong. Yes, it was a long flight, but we ticked off two items from our Bucket List, the city of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Disney. We only need to go to Shanghai Disneyland now. Hong Kong Disney is a small park that is growing. You can do it in one day, but 1.5 days is a better experience. Phantom Manor and the Grizzly Mountain Railway are two must-sees that you can’t ride at any other Disney Park. So book your Hong Kong Disneyland adventure soon!

More Hong Kong Travel Information

For more on Hong Kong see the articles Hong Kong – Your Guide to & the Best Things to See & Do! and Hong Kong – 3 Great Places to Visit.

Feature Image Hong Kong Disneyland Resort