A (2019) HalloXmas trip to Asia - Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo! - COMPLETED 5/1!!!

[Lesley Wake]

Day 5 – Hong Kong Disneyland
October 24, 2019

Part 1 – Breakfast with Gelatoni and a Hotel Tour!

Today was my first day at Hong Kong Disneyland! However…the park didn’t open until 10:30am, so I had plenty of time! I had heard great reviews of the Dragon Wind Restaurant breakfast from TDR Explorer and Disney Tourist Blog, so I decided to give it a try!

I made sure to bring Gelatoni, because I heard what they did for the friends of Duffy… Oh so cute!

You can also see the Jafar sticker in front of him – HK has so many stickers and they end up themed for the seasons. The CMs just hand them out like crazy, which was so cool! Because it was Halloween, I saw a lot of villains!

They had an awesome assortment of food, with Western breakfast options and Eastern dim sum.

The make-your-own soup “bar” and various dim sum (shrimp dumpling, vegetable dumpling, steamed rice flour rolls. Various Pan fried dumplings

Cereal and yogurt/parfait. Lots of types of fruit (which I’ve heard are pretty expensive in some Asian islands like Japan).

Congee with toppings. Fried rice, wok fried vermicelli, mixed vegetables. Samosas and curry

Pastries and Mickey Waffles with chocolate or caramel sauce.

Honey baked ham (and I think turkey). Hash browns, bacon, sausage, baked beans. Various forms of eggs (fried, omelets, scrambled)

Salads and lunch meat

Juices and I think the kids station with pancakes and waffles. More cereals (extra sugar).

And the crème de resistance… candy! I loved how there was a family where the kid came back to the table with a plate of candy..and only candy! Her mom was like – here are some waffles with chocolate…

My various plates. The bowl at the top is actually the best thing, which was a fried rice flour dumpling with a condensed milk sauce (delicious)! Apparently there also was some pasta dish somewhere, because I ended up with pasta and tomato sauce.

This is also a character meal, with Goofy and Mickey. I could see them from my area and because the restaurant was pretty empty (a common theme at HKDL) they could spend lots of time with families. It’s not like the character meals where they come around to the tables, instead there is a photo area in the corner of the restaurant so you can go over whenever you want (i.e. when there isn’t anyone in line).

Once a family was too preoccupied with Mickey to give Goofy any attention, so he tried to leave the situation!

All in all, a delicious breakfast with choices for everyone! Highly recommend!​

 

[Lesley Wake]

By the time I was stuffed, I still had plenty of time before the park was scheduled to open, so I decided to walk around the outside of the hotel. (A note: I actually only explored ½ the landscaping this morning, but figure it would make more sense to include my photos from the other half I explored a few days later.)

As I mentioned, the Explorer’s Lodge is divided into 4 wings. Which all had their own landscaping and even different atmospheric music! It really reminded me of Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge – two of my favorite places at WDW!

To start, the India garden. “Hathi Jr Garden”

You can see the façade of the building, which actually changes when you get to a different wing. The second photo, the left side is in India, while the right side is in Oceania. The actual rooms are the same layout.

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Onto Oceania area, which, fittingly, was right near the ocean. “Little Squirt Garden”. It's not clear in the photo but the landscaping had hills in the grass that resembled waves, which I loved!

Oceania facades. I especially liked the ends of the wings, which looked like an over-water bungalow!

The pool area is located in the center of the site, and it just looked awesome! I wish I had time/brought a bathing suit to try it out. (I actually did get a bit lost as some of the walkways are camoflauged into the rockwork)

The Africa area. “Rafiki Garden” Again, the façade was appropriately themed!

South America. “Kevin Garden” I think there is a lounge that looks over this garden, but I never really checked it out.

A really gorgeous hotel that it would be awesome to explore more of!

Coming up - Arriving at HKDL! ​

 

[iheartglaciers]

Your trip report is bringing back so many memories!!! I can't wait to go back to all of the Asian parks, they're so much fun! And they take Mickey-shaped food to the next level .

 

[PlutosRHM55]

I'm CRYING at Gelatoni in her bib literally the cutest thing ever omg. Memo to me I need a Stella Lou A S A P

Those kids know what they are doing jumping on that candy buffet. We love to see it.

Explorers Lodge looks like the coolest place to explore. I love how it mixes the aesthetic of DAKL with some Chinese culture accents. So pretty.

 

[missangelalexis]

I love that you brought Gelatoni to breakfast! Cute pic of you guys with Mickey & Goofy!

The resort looked really awesome!

 

[vamassey1]

I made sure to bring Gelatoni, because I heard what they did for the friends of Duffy… Oh so cute!

This is cuteness overload.

They had an awesome assortment of food, with Western breakfast options and Eastern dim sum.

I can't believe all the different choices. So much variety.

Great picture with Mickey & Goofy.

As I mentioned, the Explorer’s Lodge is divided into 4 wings. Which all had their own landscaping and even different atmospheric music! It really reminded me of Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge – two of my favorite places at WDW!

Wow, I'm blown away with all the different areas.

 

[lvcourtneyy]

That resort looks amazing and definitely reminds me of AKL!

 

[KEK1]

Wow, I've not seen pics of the different gardens before, nice!
You are inspiring me with your travel by yourself.. now thinking I might go to SHDL for a couple of days by myself before meeting DH in HK. Haven't told him this yet, lol.

 

[cindianne320]

The hotel grounds look beautiful!

 

[tundra1]

What an amazing adventure you had! I can't wait to see what HKDL is like! That hotel looks so cool! Definitely my type of place to stay!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Your trip report is bringing back so many memories!!! I can't wait to go back to all of the Asian parks, they're so much fun! And they take Mickey-shaped food to the next level .

They definitely do!

I'm CRYING at Gelatoni in her bib literally the cutest thing ever omg. Memo to me I need a Stella Lou A S A P

Those kids know what they are doing jumping on that candy buffet. We love to see it.

Explorers Lodge looks like the coolest place to explore. I love how it mixes the aesthetic of DAKL with some Chinese culture accents. So pretty.

Yeah, the bib was the cutest ever! When I left the restaurant the CMs told me bye and then also said bye to Gelatoni!

I love that you brought Gelatoni to breakfast! Cute pic of you guys with Mickey & Goofy!

The resort looked really awesome!

It really was a pretty resort!

This is cuteness overload.



I can't believe all the different choices. So much variety.



Great picture with Mickey & Goofy.



Wow, I'm blown away with all the different areas.

It definitely had an awesome variety of breakfast! And you could totally eat there a couple times without getting tired of it!

That resort looks amazing and definitely reminds me of AKL!

Yeah, it was gorgeous!

Wow, I've not seen pics of the different gardens before, nice!
You are inspiring me with your travel by yourself.. now thinking I might go to SHDL for a couple of days by myself before meeting DH in HK. Haven't told him this yet, lol.

Haha, definitely! I really felt welcomed in Shanghai, with the CMs trying to show off their park!

The hotel grounds look beautiful!

They were! You could see plenty of opportunities for relaxing there, with the pool and fire pit in Africa!

What an amazing adventure you had! I can't wait to see what HKDL is like! That hotel looks so cool! Definitely my type of place to stay!

Yeah, I liked it a lot!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Part 2 – Arriving at HKDL!

Finally it was time to head to the park! There are shuttles that go from the hotels to the bus drop-off. In theory you can walk, but it is decently long (and also even though it was the end of October, it was HOT and HUMID there)!

Some views along the drive

And the lovely walk from buses to the entrance! It looks crowded here but that’s just because people are stopping to take photos!

Some fun banners to celebrate Halloween. It alternates between Fab 5 in Halloween outfits and the Villains.

Some more banners on the security entrance

A photo of my park ticket. I think I bought it when I made my hotel reservation (HKDL only has 1-day or 2-day tickets, but pretty much outside that it’s cheaper to get an AP, which I did consider doing, but ultimately decided against doing).

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[Lesley Wake]

After a short wait at the entrance turnstiles (and a delay with people who didn’t know what they were doing), we were let in. It was weird – familiar but not quite! Remember, Hong Kong Disneyland was really designed based on Disneyland (CA), down to the castle!

A look down main street. (They actually let you in 10-15 minutes before official park open and “hold” you halfway down main street before letting you go to the rides.) And I did get the sight of the cranes, not the finished castle (which as of this writing is still not finished)

10 parks down…2 to go!

Coming up - A Marvel Tomorrowland! ​

 

[KathyM2]

However…the park didn’t open until 10:30am

Wow that seems really late for opening!! I guess that's nice though...can have a leisurely breakfast and not have to get up super early!!

HK has so many stickers and they end up themed for the seasons.

I love this as a sticker fan! I wonder if the locals there are better behaved and won't stick them everywhere...I heard that is why they have no stickers in the USA parks...

It’s not like the character meals where they come around to the tables, instead there is a photo area in the corner of the restaurant so you can go over whenever you want (i.e. when there isn’t anyone in line).

I wonder if this will be the way down the road with character meals post covid....

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Omg I am obsessed with what HKDL's new castle is gonna look like. That poor park has been through the ringer. I'm so glad she's getting the attention she deserves. I also love how your park ticket has Ant-Man and the Wasp. Super cool.

So excited to hear about your first day at the park!

 

[missangelalexis]

I love all the Halloween banners and decor!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Wow that seems really late for opening!! I guess that's nice though...can have a leisurely breakfast and not have to get up super early!!



I love this as a sticker fan! I wonder if the locals there are better behaved and won't stick them everywhere...I heard that is why they have no stickers in the USA parks...



I wonder if this will be the way down the road with character meals post covid....

Yeah, the late opening (and relatively early closing) was actually appreciated since I had been having early mornings the past few days!

People there seemed to save all their stickers - super cute options too!

Omg I am obsessed with what HKDL's new castle is gonna look like. That poor park has been through the ringer. I'm so glad she's getting the attention she deserves. I also love how your park ticket has Ant-Man and the Wasp. Super cool.

So excited to hear about your first day at the park!

I know - a lot of people don't like the new castle, but I do. Especially some of the more recent photos when it really shines in the sunshine. I was happy though that they built up the facades before I got there, so it wasn't just a skeleton!

I love all the Halloween banners and decor!

Yeah, they did a good job with their Halloween offerings, as you will see!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Part 3 – A Marvel Tomorrowland…

A map of the park with relevant things pointed out! The Red shaded areas were under construction when I was there.

While the rides I was most excited to try were on the left side of the park, that area doesn’t open until about 30-60 minutes after the park opens (and it often closes a bit earlier). So, instead I headed to the right side and Tomorrowland.

First ride was also HKDL’s newest attraction – Ant-Man and the Wasp Nano Battle! This used to be Buzz Lightyear but they switched it up and it opened a few months earlier in 2019.

I’ll have more photos from the queue later, but it is pretty fun. Lots of little easter eggs! Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly also reprised their roles to film some snippets. (Oh and the ride was a complete walk-on. As in most of the ride vehicles around me were empty.)

I don’t have any photos on the ride itself (well at least this time), since I was too focused on playing the game, but I LOVED it! Pretty much they took the technology they had used at Buzz Lightyear in Shanghai and added a theme which I love! Lots of digital targets which would actually shut down after hitting them a couple times. And they included fun Marvel things. The story actually works in conjunction with the Iron Man ride, which is right next door (and opened a couple years earlier). While Iron Man fights big physical things, Ant-Man and the Wasp come in to help defeat the Nanobots who are trying to take over some of the Stark technology, and they need your help. Just a fun ride (and I really really hope the new Spiderman ride uses just as good of technology). Also my notes say you don’t actually steer the ride, it rotates you automatically, which is nice since there are various set pieces which move the story along!

My score, and remember, I SUCK at these types of rides, so I would love to see how high people who are good at it can do!

These are from the end scene. I think the head scientist’s name is actually Leslie, so I thought that was cool! Scott Lang also asks Hope if they can stop for Egg Tarts, which is a cute reference to Hong Kong!

Since I was over there, I decided to check out the Iron Man Experience, which had the potential to get some higher lines as I knew it was also a newish ride.

More queue photos; I’ll show more later, this time I really just wanted to get onto the ride, which, surprise surprise, another walk-on! Just had to wait for the next ride cycle (it’s basically a reskinned Star Tours). Oh and it was a walk-on with only ½ capacity being used!

Another fun ride! I didn’t get as queasy as I normally do on Star Tours, and my notes say it was smoother, so that’s something. Something that was SUPER cool was the end of the ride, you fly back to HKDL and they actually had the new castle on the image, not the old one!

Eventually they will be adding an Avengers E-ticket which I believe will be the same one being added to the Marvel land in DCA. Though with everything happening in the world, who knows when that will happen! This is the concept image for the future Avengers Campus (I'm not sure if they will basically create a new mini-land or just rename Tomorrowland).

​

 

[Lesley Wake]

Since I was over there, I decided to round up most of the Tomorrowland Rides and hit up Hyperspace Mountain. Their Space Mountain, which was permanently rethemed to Star Wars

I really did love these planet lights in the loading room

There was a slight delay after we loaded into the car (though the remainder of the queue was a walk-on…seeing a trend here). I think the one in front of us was off-balance or something because they had to unload everyone. I guess they don’t run enough rockets to cause the cascading failure that Space Mountain in the US gets.

As for the ride itself, meh. It pretty much was an exact copy of the version in California, which normally would be good for me. But I think there was too much light so I could see the track in front of me (I was in the front car) which really kills the experience. And I didn’t feel like it went as fast. Overall, it was just fine, but I didn’t bother doing it again. Though the photo screen at the end was sort of fun how they try to avoid people just taking photos... well so I just took a video and screenshot!

I figure this is a good point to bring up the Fastpass system. So, HKDL has fastpass, sort-of. The basic one is the same paper legacy fastpass where you get it at the ride itself. However, only 2 rides have fastpasses, Hyperspace Mountain and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Buzz Lightyear used to have one, but they removed it when they rethemed it.

You can buy fastpasses, called Priority Special or Special+ Attraction Admission, and similar to SHDL you can buy individual passes or a set. Prices range from ~$30 USD for 3 uses, or ~$50 USD for all 8 rides offered, and there is a discount if you are a hotel guest. However, these were completely unnecessary! As it becomes clear, on my trip I walked onto every single ride! Literally everything! It was amazing! Even at its busiest, the big rides only usually have 30-minute waits. So really, HKDL is such a low-stress park it is really an awesome experience!

*One thing though is character meet and greets do have longer waits; well, I’d say typical for the other Disney parks. Though they also have several unique characters (Iron Man, Cookie) and unique outfits during the holidays. And the park hours are pretty low, my first day the park was only open for 9 hrs and the second day for 13 hrs (because it was a Friday). So, while its low crowds, you also have less time to get everything done.

Ok, back to the Trip Report!

I rounded out the remainder of Tomorrowland by riding Orbitron, their version of Astro Orbitor, but it was flying saucers instead of rockets.

I appreciated the details on the queue posts

Of course I picked purple! The ride itself reminded me a lot of Magic Carpets and was fun enough! Though it didn’t go up high enough and some of the cars needed fresh paint. Maybe they need to actually retheme it to something Marvel or Star Wars themed, like so much else in this land!

Random Tomorrowland ambiance. These lights were gorgeous at night!

Ok, if you are wondering, it was about 40 minutes after opening. And I had ridden 4 rides, including the 2 newest and “in-demand” rides at HKDL! Pretty successful!

Though… I wasn’t totally in love with this park yet. I think starting in Tomorrowland wasn’t exactly the best idea as that land, while it has some fun rides, really is lacking in theming. So I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t love it… yet!

Coming up - Joe Rhode is a genius, obviously! ​