There is something slightly strange about going to Disneyland in Asia.
You know what to expect: the castle, the characters, the music, the rides, the endless shops filled with things your children suddenly need. But at the same time, everything feels just a little different.
And that was exactly what we loved about Hong Kong Disneyland.
After spending days exploring Hong Kong — rushing through busy streets, riding the MTR, looking up at skyscrapers and discovering the quieter corners we mention in our Hong Kong: Asia’s Most Exciting City for Families guide — Disneyland felt like a completely different world.
Or perhaps it was simply the world our girls had been waiting for.
Because the moment we arrived, they were off.
And suddenly Mum and Dad were no longer interesting.

We stayed at the Disney Hotel

We decided to stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, and honestly, this made the whole experience even more special.
One thing that surprised us was the price look here
Compared with Disney hotels we have stayed at or looked at elsewhere in the world, the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel felt surprisingly affordable. For us, this was one of those moments where staying on-site actually made sense.
The girls loved it, of course.
Because why just visit Disney for a day when you can sleep in Disney too?
There was no worrying about getting back into central Hong Kong after a long day, no tired children on public transport and no moment where we had to say, “Come on, we really have to leave now.”
Well… technically we still had to leave the park.
But we could walk back to the hotel.
And that made all the difference.
If you’re planning your own visit, we put everything we learned into our Hong Kong Disneyland: The Ultimate Family Guide (2026). That’s where you’ll find the practical details on the Disney Hotel, tickets, planning your day and the things we think are worth knowing before you go.

How many days do you need at Hong Kong Disneyland?

This is one of those questions we get asked quite often.

We would plan at least one full day.

And when I say a full day, I mean arriving early and staying until the evening if the children still have energy.
There is more to do than you might initially expect.
You’ve got the classic Disney attractions, character meetings, shows and parades, several themed lands, World of Frozen, the unique Hong Kong attractions, restaurants, snacks and, of course, the shops.
And with children, everything simply takes longer.
Someone needs a snack.
Someone wants a photo.
Someone has suddenly spotted a Duffy & Friends plushie.
Someone needs the toilet.
Someone absolutely must go on the ride you just walked past.
You know how it goes.
So don’t make the mistake of thinking you can race through Hong Kong Disneyland in a few hours.
You can’t.
Or at least, you can, but you’ll probably spend the entire time looking at your watch.

One day or two?

If you have the time, two days is even better.
Hong Kong Disneyland currently has tiered 1-day tickets, with the price depending on the date and ticket tier. There are also 2-day tickets, and in 2026 the resort is offering a special 2-day option where guests can add another day for HK$100 to a regular 1-day ticket, subject to the offer’s terms and ticket availability.
For us, the beauty of two days would be that you don’t have to rush.
You can spend one day enjoying the big attractions and exploring the different lands, and use the second day to revisit favourites, watch more shows, meet characters and simply enjoy the atmosphere.
And let’s be honest — with children, there will always be a favourite ride they suddenly need to do one more time.
Tickets also need a little planning because of the tiered pricing and park reservation requirements, so this is something we would check before buying rather than simply turning up and hoping for the best.
For current ticket options and the best way to plan your visit, we would always check the latest details when booking, because Disney does change ticket prices, offers and conditions.

Stepping into another world

Hong Kong Disneyland isn’t the biggest Disney park we’ve visited, and actually, with children, we found that quite nice.
You don’t spend half your day simply trying to get from one attraction to another.
Instead, you can wander.
And wandering is part of the fun.
You start on Main Street, U.S.A., with the Castle of Magical Dreams in the distance, and then the park opens up into completely different worlds.
There is Adventureland, where you can take the Jungle River Cruise and explore around Tarzan’s Treehouse.
There is Fantasyland, with all the classic Disney magic you would expect.
Then there is Tomorrowland, where suddenly you’re travelling into the Marvel and Star Wars universe.
And our girls were very happy in Toy Story Land, where everything looks as though Andy has simply left his toys lying around and you’ve somehow shrunk down to their size.
But then Hong Kong Disneyland starts showing you why it is different from the other Disney parks.
You walk into Grizzly Gulch and suddenly you’re in an old Wild West mining town surrounded by mountains.
And then you discover Mystic Point, home to one of our absolute favourite attractions in the park.
It feels less like a collection of rides and more like stepping from one little story into another.
That is something Hong Kong Disneyland does particularly well.

The rides that make Hong Kong Disneyland special

Of course, we couldn’t just walk around admiring everything.
The girls wanted rides.
And Hong Kong Disneyland has some seriously good ones.

Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars

This one deserves a special mention.
Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars is one of the attractions that makes a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland worthwhile even if you’ve already been to other Disney parks.
It’s a roller coaster through Grizzly Gulch, but there is a little surprise involved.
The mine cars don’t simply go forwards.
At one point, they shoot backwards.
And that was the kind of moment where the girls were laughing and screaming at the same time.
It doesn’t feel like a huge, terrifying roller coaster, which makes it particularly good for families who have children who want a thrill without necessarily being ready for the biggest coasters.
And the setting is brilliant.
You aren’t just sitting on a ride.
You’re racing through a Wild West mining town with mountains around you.

Mystic Manor

Then there is Mystic Manor.
This might be the attraction we would tell anyone visiting Hong Kong Disneyland not to miss.
Mystic Manor is completely unique to Hong Kong Disneyland. Instead of the traditional haunted-house concept found in some other Disney parks, you follow Lord Henry Mystic and his mischievous monkey, Albert, through a magical collection of artefacts.
And it is just brilliant.
You never quite know where you’re going next.
There is music, movement, special effects and plenty of Disney storytelling, but it doesn’t feel like a copy of something we’ve experienced elsewhere.
Even the area around Mystic Manor is fun to explore.
There is Mystic Point, a wonderfully atmospheric little corner of the park, and the Garden of Wonders, where you can find optical illusions and playful details.
It’s the kind of place where you might initially think, “Let’s just walk through here.”
And then the children discover something else.
And something else.
And suddenly you’re still there twenty minutes later.

And then we found Arendelle

For our girls, though, there was one new world that was always going to win.

World of Frozen.

And this isn’t just a Frozen ride tucked into a corner of the park.
It is an entire land.
You actually walk into Arendelle.
There is Arendelle Village, the castle, the mountains and the forest, with all the little details that make you feel as though you’ve stepped into the movie.
World of Frozen has two attractions: Frozen Ever After and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs.
Frozen Ever After is more relaxed, taking you by boat through the world of Anna and Elsa.
But Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs gives you a little more excitement.
The girls were completely sold.
And honestly, so were we.
Even if you’ve seen Frozen approximately 47,000 times at home, there is something quite different about suddenly standing in Arendelle.
And yes, there were Frozen souvenirs.
Obviously.
Because apparently our suitcase had not suffered enough already.

Even the snacks become part of the experience

One of the things we really enjoyed about Hong Kong Disneyland was that food didn’t feel like something you simply grabbed because everyone was hungry.
The snacks are part of the fun.
You find beautifully themed treats throughout the park, and Hong Kong Disneyland is particularly good at combining Disney characters with flavours and food ideas that feel a little more Asian.
Depending on the season, you can find themed waffles, soft serve, popcorn, cupcakes, egg puffs and character-inspired desserts.
Of course, the girls wanted to try things because they looked cute.
This is one of those parenting traps.
You tell yourself you’re buying a snack.
But then it comes in a special Disney cup.
Or it’s shaped like a character.
Or it comes with a souvenir.
And suddenly you’ve spent far more money than you intended on something that will be eaten in approximately three minutes.
Still worth it.
Probably.

And then there was Chinese New Year

We happened to be in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, which made Disneyland even more colourful.
The park was decorated for the celebrations, and because it was the Year of the Horse, there were themed decorations and, most importantly — according to our girls — special Year of the Horse merchandise.
We didn’t stand a chance.
They spotted the limited-edition items almost immediately.
“Mum, look!”
I looked.
“It says limited edition.”
“I can see that.”
“So we have to get it.”
“No, we don’t.”
“But Mum…”
“We already have souvenirs.”
“But this is different.”
“How?”
“It’s limited edition.”
There was a pause.
I could already see where this was going.
“But I know what limited edition means,” I said.
“Exactly.”
“Exactly what?”
“It means you can’t buy it later.”
I had to admit, the logic was annoyingly solid.
“So?”
“So we HAVE to buy it now.”
And then came the final argument.
“It’s the Year of the Horse. We won’t be here again during the Year of the Horse.”
I looked at my husband.
He looked at me.
We both knew we were losing.
The girls had clearly prepared their case.
Eventually, we gave in.
Because yes, it was special. And yes, it was something they wouldn’t be able to pick up again next year.
At least, that was the argument we used to justify it to ourselves.
And apparently, Chinese New Year was also the perfect excuse for more Duffy & Friends merchandise.

Then we discovered Duffy & Friends

We knew Disney characters.
Of course we did.
Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, the princesses… the usual suspects.
But Duffy and Friends were completely new territory for our family.
And apparently, we had been living under a rock.
Duffy & Friends are hugely popular in Asia, and once our girls discovered them, there was absolutely no going back.
They were everywhere.
Plush toys.
Bags.
Clothes.
Keychains.
Stationery.
Things we didn’t even know existed suddenly became extremely important.
“Mum, look!”
“Mum, look at this one!”
“Mum, this is SO cute.”
And then:
“Can we buy it?”
This was how the souvenir situation started.
It would not be the last negotiation of the day.

Disney, but with a little Hong Kong twist

That’s what made Hong Kong Disneyland so much fun for us.
It wasn’t simply Disneyland.
It was Disneyland with a little bit of Asia woven into it.
The Chinese New Year decorations.
The Asian popularity of Duffy & Friends.
The special seasonal merchandise.
The food.
The characters dressed in festive outfits.
Even the atmosphere felt a little different from some of the other Disney parks we have visited.
And that is why I wouldn’t recommend treating Hong Kong Disneyland as simply another Disney park that you can tick off your list.
Take your time.
Look around.
Go into the shops.
Try the snacks.
Let the children choose a ridiculous souvenir.
And perhaps most importantly, don’t underestimate how much fun it is simply to wander around and see where you end up.

Sometimes Disney is exactly what you need

We had already spent so much time exploring Hong Kong that Disneyland was actually the perfect change of pace.
Hong Kong can be intense.
It’s exciting, colourful, noisy, busy and full of things to see. You can spend an entire day walking around and still feel like you’ve barely scratched the surface.
Disneyland gave us permission to stop thinking about the itinerary for a while.
No deciding which neighbourhood to explore next.
No checking the map.
No wondering whether everyone had enough energy for one more attraction.
Just rides, characters, food, music and two very happy girls.
And a lot of shopping.
A lot of shopping.

And yes, we came home with a bag full of souvenirs

By the time we left Hong Kong Disneyland, the girls were carrying bags filled with their treasures.
Duffy & Friends.
Year of the Horse merchandise.
Disney souvenirs.
Little things they had spotted throughout the day and absolutely could not live without.
At the time, I remember thinking:
“Where on earth are we going to put all of this?”
But looking back, I’m glad we let them have those moments.
Because those souvenirs are not really just souvenirs anymore.
They remind us of Hong Kong.
Of Chinese New Year.
Of the Year of the Horse.
Of discovering Duffy & Friends for the very first time.
And, most importantly, they remind us of the completely serious negotiations that took place between two determined girls and their parents.
Funny enough, those are often the moments we remember most.
Not necessarily the biggest ride.
Not necessarily the most impressive attraction.
But standing in a Disney shop while your children passionately explain why a limited-edition horse souvenir is absolutely essential.
That’s family travel.
And that’s exactly why we loved Hong Kong Disneyland.
It gave us the Disney magic we expected — but with just enough Hong Kong and Asian character to make it feel like an adventure of its own.
And if your children discover Duffy & Friends while you’re there, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Your suitcase may never be the same again.