Trip Report - Hong Kong Disneyland Resort & Shanghai Disney Resort - Oct/Nov

[Daphne0890]

Hi there! I'm mostly a viewer here on the forum, but I made a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland & Shanghai and in my preparations I didn't find a lot of trip reports, so maybe I thought it could be helpful for some other people who want to go there, so here I am! I'm from Europe, Belgium, so I'm not a native English speaker/writer but I will do my best!

Just some little things about me, i'm a 34 year old, working at a kitchen company, calculating kitchens for big projects. Alone and I don't have kids, but I love my adorable nieces and godson. I live very close to the French border so I had an annual pass for Disneyland Paris for so many beautiful years until the prices were to high for me, mainly because you pay more but you loose a lot of advantages. So it's almost a year now since my last visit to DLP, but I know I will be back someday. I went to WDW in 2017 and will be visiting again in january for two weeks. I also did a cruise with Disney on the Magic to the Norwagian Fjords in 2022.

The Trip:

Who: Me, Daphne and two friends
When: October 26 - November 5
Where: Arriving sunday october 27 in Hong Kong, staying in the Disney's Hollywood Hotel until friday november 1, take the flight to Shanghai, staying there in the Toy Story Hotel, go home early in the morning of november 5


We booked everything separated, first the flight with Hainan Airlines, for the low cost we chose a flight with a transfer in Beijng, so flying from Brussels - Beijng - Hong Kong, the flight back was straight from Shanghai to Brussels. We paid for the three flights (also Hong Kong - Shanghai) a total of € 665 ($ 707) In Hong Kong, we chose the Disney's Hollywood Hotel, it was the cheapest of the three hotels and was perfectly fine. Also good to know if you stay in a Hong Kong Disneyland hotel, you don't have any special advantage, you don't get in an hour early, you have to pay extra for that like everbody else. You can do some activities exclusive for the hotel guest or use the pool of the three hotels. We had 3,5 park days in Hong Kong, that means you are cheaper buying the Silver Annual Pass, € 173 ($ 184), it's only valid on weekdays but that was perfectly fine for us.

In Shanghai we stayed at the Toy Story Hotel for 3 nights, the cheapest of the two hotels, here you do get a hour early for hotel guest, the park opens at 8.30 a.m for everbody, so it's rather early for hotel guest but in the end it's necessary. We bought our tickets on the Shanghai Disneyland website, saturday was the most expensive, last day of Halloween, € 78 (€ 83), the cost for the tickets for sunday and monday were € 60 ($ 64) each but with the ticket we had a coupon to use at a quick-service restaurant, value of € 13 ($ 14).

We used the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, which allows people from certain countries to enjoy six days of travel to select areas of the country of China without applying for a visa beforehand. One of the most crucial condition is that, foreigners have to hold a connecting ticket to a third country/region with confirmed seat, date within 144 hours. Hong Kong and Macau are regarded as third regions from China's mainland, so for us Brussels - Hong Kong - Shanghai was perfectly fine, all I needed was an international pasport that didn't expire in 3 months after arriving.

Not a lot preparation more except I bought an e-sim with VPN from Airalo for China (didn't work in Hong Kong, but enough Wi-Fi there), because of the 'Great Firewall' in China, you can't acces there to most Google and Social media apps like Facebook and Instagram, but I had no problem with these apps in China, because the e-sim worked perfect on my iphone 11.

I hope I can inform you a bit with my trip report! Off we go!

Hong Kong Disneyland: Castle of Magical Dreams

Shanghai Disneyland Resort: Enchanted Storybook Castle​

 

[Daphne0890]

Day 1: October 26


Finally the day arrived, we are leaving for Hong Kong and Shanghai Disneyland. After a fairly smooth car ride to Brussels Zaventem we arrive at a slightly busier airport (it is also een Belgium school holiday)
I soon see my travelmates so we can wait together to check in. After saying goodbye to my parents, we go through customs and soon we arrive at gate B15 to Beijing. We arrange to sit next to each other on the plane,
because something with wrong with that at check in, but luckily we are now seated together in row 55. We can board very soon and our plan departes at 1:20 PM. Normally we land around 11:10 PM (local time 5:10 AM) at Beijing.

At the Airport

Papers ready


The flight went smoothly, the flight attendants were very friendly and kind (and I love their outfit). The food was very decent, I ate the chicken with rice and a Belgian chocolat mousse for diner and something with eggs and chicken
for breakfast. Before the flight I read about people complaining about the entertainment on board that it was mainly Chinese, but that wasn't like that, probaly less English-language films than other airlines, but the movie Wish
for example was on it. Time went by watching series and listing to (the non-explicit version) of Taylor Swift's album TTPD and then we arrived in Beijng!

Goodies

The flight

Diner is served

Pepsi Max Chinese

Breakfast

We had not received our boarding pass for the Beijing to Hong Kong flight, so upon arrival we arrange this very quick. Then we have to follow transit signs since we are not staying in Mainland China but flying to Hong Kong. After passport control and another hand luggage check, we arrive at the Bejing Terminal, which looks very deserted, probably because it was very early local time. We have about 4 hours to wait until our next flight, we try to fall asleep a bit, because we were awake more than 24 hours. Fortunately, time passes quickly and we are allowed to board with Hong Kong Airlines, where we are served breakfast, noodles with scampi and after about four hours we are finally at our destination!

Destination Hong Kong

My view from the window seat

Another Breakfast


Once we arrive we have to follow the signs for foreigners, this is still quite far away, because we have to use the Skytrain to Immigration and Customs, then we see random people are checked for their temperature and you have to join the queue to check your passport, since mid-October there is no need anymore to fill out an arrival card, so everything goes very smoothly. The luggage is already there, so after buying some bottles of water, and getting some cash, we are ready to go to the official taxi stand, where we easy find a cab to Lantau Island, where the Disneyland Resort & hotels are located. We are almost there!

Love the sign​

 

[Daphne0890]

Day 2: October 27

The taxi ride costs us 25 euros ($27) and we are dropped at the entrance of the hotel, the staff at the luggage service comes immediately to help unload and take our suitcases and they later send them directly to our room.

The Hotel

The entrance


Meanwhile we enter the hotel and the first thing we notice is how nice the smell is here and the lobby looks so beautiful and does have that Hollywood feel.

Love the chandelier

Mickey statue

Reception

We quickly check in and I had bought my Silver Pass online but at the hotel reception you can have it printed and I get a nice lanyard as a gift!

Gifts

After exploring the store, we are curious about our room, which is located on the fifth floor, number 5692. The Hollywood hotel has been steadily renovating the rooms for a while now and we are lucky to have a new room themed Mickey & Friends (the others are Marvel themed). The room is spacious and clean and has many nice details like the black floor lamp with Mickey head. The print above our beds is so beautiful!

Detail elevator

Level 5

Room number

Love the mural

Tv

Detail

Bathroom

Shower curtain

Cuties

Then it's time to freshen up a bit and hit the road again.​

 

[zanzibar138]

I love HKDL and SDL! Always great to see them from a different perspective. Great start so far, looking forward to reading about your adventures!

 

[DisneySwede]

oh wow that was a really good price to fly during school holidays, it is the same time as our school holidays in Sweden. We are heading to Hong Kong and Shanghai again soon and I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

 

[Daphne0890]

I love HKDL and SDL! Always great to see them from a different perspective. Great start so far, looking forward to reading about your adventures!

Thank you. I love both parks, I was so impressed

oh wow that was a really good price to fly during school holidays, it is the same time as our school holidays in Sweden. We are heading to Hong Kong and Shanghai again soon and I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

Yes, we were very lucky for the price, it was a long traveling day, but I worked out fine. Good to hear you are going there, wishing you a good trip!

 

[Miffy]

Following along and really enjoying your trip report!

 

[Daphne0890]

Day 2 - Part 2

We decided to quickly visit the Chi Lin Nunnery, which closed at 4:30 p.m., so we booked an Uber and headed out. Hong Kong has numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries, but the Chi Lin Nunnery effortlessly stands out in terms of beautiful architecture. This large complex was built in the style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), although it looks ancient, this Buddhist monastery complex was built in the 1930s and later renovated in 1998.

Built entirely with cypress wood, without the use of nails, it is currently the largest handmade wooden building in the world. This construction is based on traditional Chinese building techniques using special interlocking systems cut into the wood to hold them in place. The complex with 16 halls, a library, a school, a pagoda, a bell tower and a drum tower covers an area of more than 33,000 square meters. The Chi Lin nunnery buildings are the only buildings built in this style in contemporary Hong Kong.

The garden with lotus ponds is located in the first courtyard with beautiful floral arrangements that gives access to the Hall of Heavenly Kings with statues of the 4 heavenly kings, where believers can pray for protection and prosperity. The Great Hall, honors Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of the Buddhist religion, with an impressive statue. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures of the Buddha statues, but they were very impressive and beautiful! The whole complex is definitely worth seeing, it is a nice contrast of the traditional and the modern buildings around it.

Then we'll head to the nearby Nan Lian Garden, a public park created in 1934 that stretches over 3.5 acres of dramatic scenery. You'll see Chinese-style pagodas and pavilions, graceful bridges and rock formations. Unfortunately, there is some renovation going on in most places, but the beauty continues to shine through.

Then it's time to continue exploring the city!


​

 

[Daphne0890]

Following along and really enjoying your trip report!

Thank you very much, nice to hear.

 

[zanzibar138]

The nunnery and gardens look very interesting and beautiful - I didn't even know they existed (my trips have always been pretty Disney-centric ). Will have to put that on the list for the next trip

 

[Daphne0890]

The nunnery and gardens look very interesting and beautiful - I didn't even know they existed (my trips have always been pretty Disney-centric ). Will have to put that on the list for the next trip

Very beautiful! And I forget to say, they are free to visit!

 

[zanzibar138]

Very beautiful! And I forget to say, they are free to visit!

Bonus!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Awesome trip report so far. I stayed at the Hollywood Hotel on my visit to HKDL and these updates they've made to it are awesome.

 

[Daphne0890]

Awesome trip report so far. I stayed at the Hollywood Hotel on my visit to HKDL and these updates they've made to it are awesome.

Thank you and agree, we really loved the vibe of the hotel!

 

[Daphne0890]

Day 2 - Part 3

After this we take the subway to Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, where we will have a view of the Victoria Harbour skyline. But first I score my YAH mug of Hong Kong in the Starbucks, very happy with it.

On the promenade, there is also the 'Avenue of Stars', based on Hollywood's "Walk of Fame", that celebrates stars of the Hong Kong Film Industry. The only one that we recognize is Jackie Chan, but is very nicely done.

It's nice busy along the boardwalk and it's also the first time we've been approached to get our picture taken as Western tourists, which was kind of funny because those people were immensely happy with their picture. It's relaxing to walk near the water and the skyline is beautiful to see, very enjoyable!

The fatigue started to catch up with us, so we decided to head back to our hotel. This time, however, we skipped the taxi and took the Disneyland Resort Line instead—a metro line specially designed to take visitors to the Disneyland park.

This line has only two stops: Sunny Bay and the Disneyland Resort, stretching just 3.5 kilometers and taking only six minutes to travel. What makes it even more special is that the metro itself is fully in Disney style. The windows are shaped like Mickey Mouse heads, as are the handles inside. Various Disney sculptures, such as Mickey, are seen throughout the train, and there are also photos of Walt Disney with trains, adding a nostalgic and unique touch to the experience.

As we arrived at the station, I caught my first glimpse of the park—it's already looking magical! But that's an adventure for tomorrow. We hopped on the bus to our hotel and headed straight to bed to ensure we’re refreshed and ready for our first park day!

​

 

[zanzibar138]

Ooh I think I've been to that promenade, maybe on my trip in 2000 - it looks vaguely familiar. Can't believe that was a quarter of a decade ago

As a very obvious westerner with blonde curly hair, I very rarely get asked for photos these days. Not even in Shanghai! I remember as a little girl with almost snow white hair getting mobbed in Bali

I'm always amazed at the efficiency of the public transport in those big Asian cities - it's absolutely the best way to get around!

 

[Daphne0890]

Ooh I think I've been to that promenade, maybe on my trip in 2000 - it looks vaguely familiar. Can't believe that was a quarter of a decade ago

As a very obvious westerner with blonde curly hair, I very rarely get asked for photos these days. Not even in Shanghai! I remember as a little girl with almost snow white hair getting mobbed in Bali

I'm always amazed at the efficiency of the public transport in those big Asian cities - it's absolutely the best way to get around!

We have been asked once in Hong Kong, and once in Shanghai Disneyland, not that much. But my one friend is tall and he got some comments about that from the characters

The public transport was very good indeed!

 

[Daphne0890]

Day 3: October 28

Today was our first day at Hong Kong Disneyland. The park doesn’t open until 10 AM, so we had a relaxed start to the morning before heading over. The temperature was already around 27°C. We hopped on the bus and soon saw the iconic “Welcome” arch. A little further, we spotted the fountain of Mickey surfing on a whale near the entrance—what a beautiful sight! Occasionally, the water shoots higher and higher, adding to its charm.

Wihieeee

Linabell - Miss Populair

The Fountain

If you’re staying at a hotel, you get access to a special line to enter, which means a less crowded bag check and entrance queue. Once we passed through the gates, we caught our first glimpse of the Main Street Railroad Station, complete with a Vampire Mickey made of plants right in front. We were really here!

Vampire Mickey for Halloween

Love the detail

Yes please

Walking under the station, we entered Town Square, complete with a gazebo. We saw City Hall and several other buildings—it felt familiar but also different. You could tell the buildings were slightly shorter than in Disneyland Paris, but sill beautiful. There are no horse-drawn trams here, but instead, a variety of cars drive around. Then we turned to face Main Street and caught our first glimpse of the castle—it was definitely a goosebumps moment. The castle looks so stunning, framed by the mountainous backdrop.

City Hall

Main Street Car

Beautiful Flower Display

Giant Mickeyhead Pumpkin on Town Square

The Castle

Main Street USA

Before exploring further, we stopped at the Main Street Bakery for breakfast. The pastries and treats, all with a Disney twist, looked amazing! I chose a bagel with Parma ham and cheese, plus something sweeter—a LinaBell donut with strawberry. After all, calories don’t count in Disney! Both were absolutely delicious.

Too much choice

The bagel was soooo good

Even the packaging looks good

Happy Me

On the corner, we noticed Chip and Dale meeting guests in their Halloween outfits. They were dressed as bats and looked so adorable that we couldn’t resist joining the queue. The wait was longer than expected—it’s noticeable here that ride queues are short, but meet-and-greet lines tend to be longer. Still, we stuck it out, and it was worth it. The characters gave everyone plenty of attention. When it was our turn, we got hugs and even struck a “scary” pose with them—such a fun meet-and-greet!

Scary Pose

Cuties for sure​

 

[zanzibar138]

Great start to the day - I love how relaxed everything is at HKDL and all the cute Halloween decorations and outfits. I'm a big fan of Duffy and friends too. Gelatoni is my favourite

I've always loved the unique backdrop of the mountains against the castle. One day I will get there to see the new one! The special line for hotel guests might also be new since my last trip, or maybe I've just always been at quiet times of year so have never needed it.

 

[Daphne0890]

Great start to the day - I love how relaxed everything is at HKDL and all the cute Halloween decorations and outfits. I'm a big fan of Duffy and friends too. Gelatoni is my favourite

I've always loved the unique backdrop of the mountains against the castle. One day I will get there to see the new one! The special line for hotel guests might also be new since my last trip, or maybe I've just always been at quiet times of year so have never needed it.

Thank you. Very much relaxed and I really started to like the Duffy and Friends when I was there. Lucky I got to meet them all in Hong Kong, because in Shanghai, the lines were crazy. (360 min voor Linabell)