Best Hong Kong Disneyland Attractions & Ride Guide
Our Hong Kong Disneyland ride guide offers reviews and numerical ratings for every attraction in HKDL, located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, China. This will help plan your visit, and provide analysis on which rides are must-dos, and what you can skip. (Last updated August 10, 2018.)
If you’re planning a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland, this is a great place to start when determining what to do and when to do it. The guide will give you a rough idea of an itinerary, and we update this regularly with our experiences from our annual visits to Hong Kong. If you’re planning a trip and want comprehensive advice for all the ins and outs, make sure to read our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide, too!
We’ve tried to keep this guide to Hong Kong Disneyland’s attraction as objective as possible with enough description so you’ll know whether particular attractions will appeal to your group. This Hong Kong Disneyland guide includes headliners, smaller attractions, and shows. Due to its relatively low number of attractions and limited waits at these attractions, you probably won’t want to skip much here, but we’ve still divided the list into “Top” and “The Rest” sections in case your time is limited or you’d rather enjoy the ambiance of the park or its dining.
Since its opening, Hong Kong Disneyland has developed a reputation of being an incomplete park full of clones that isn’t worth the time of an American guest who has visited Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Regardless of whether this reputation was deserved at one time, it no longer is. In the last few years, Hong Kong Disneyland has made numerous additions, with many more on the way–as well as a new castle–as Hong Kong Disney embarks upon another colossal expansion.
The newest of these major attractions is Iron Man Experience in Tomorrowland, which will soon be joined by two other Marvel rides. Prior to that, three new mini-lands open that include Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars and Mystic Manor, two of the best attractions Disney has to offer. Add to this a selection of other solid rides and a great setting, and Hong Kong Disneyland is a park that is really coming into its own.
Still, this doesn’t change the fact that it’s a one-park resort in a foreign country with a surplus of unoriginal attractions. Everyone but the biggest Disney fans or those visiting during the Halloween or Chinese New Year seasons will probably be able to finish the park in a single day. Because of these things, we do not recommend a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland solely for the park.
This shouldn’t be a problem, because Hong Kong is a culturally-rich metropolis and a visit to it is an easy stopover on most flights to Tokyo (the hotels at Hong Kong Disneyland could be considered “airport hotels” given their proximity to Hong Kong International Airport). So there’s minimal cost in spending a day or two here, besides the time, for those already visiting Hong Kong or heading on to Tokyo Disney Resort.
This guide will mention similarities and differences between attractions in Walt Disney World & Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland where pertinent. This is for those of you who have been to the U.S. parks to determine what can be safely skipped, should you so desire. Hong Kong Disneyland is a 1-day park, and most guests will be able to accomplish all they wish to see in that one day.
If you approach Hong Kong Disneyland with an attraction checklist and that’s it, you’ll certainly only need one day. This guide is written in English on a site catering to US Disney theme park enthusiasts, so it’s written from the perspective of Disney fans. If you’re not, our recommendations and ratings are still relevant, you just might not be quite as enthusiastic about some of these attractions as us.
Numerical scores are on a scale of 1 to 10, and only take into consideration overall quality relative to that specific type of attraction. Dark rides are judged against other dark rides, roller coasters are judged against other coasters, etc., to create a relatively level playing field. Attractions are rated based upon how much their target audience will enjoy them. In our ratings, we only consider how well done the attraction is, overall and within its category, when experienced by its target demographic.
Top Hong Kong Disneyland Attractions
Paint the Night Parade (9/10) – Hong Kong Disneyland’s nightly light parade, that runs so long as there is not seasonal entertainment instead (usually this happens at Halloween). If you’ve ever seen Main Street Electrical Parade, the Disneyland classic, you’ll be familiar with the idea of Paint the Night.
The main concept of the light parade is the same with Paint the Night, but the execution has been technically modernized, as has the soundtrack and the Disney characters featured. This parade is heavy on Pixar and newer characters, and is high-energy fun. Grab a spot ~30 minutes in advance.
Disney’s Flights of Fantasy Parade (8/10) – Hong Kong Disneyland’s daytime parade debuted during the park’s 5th Anniversary and is very solid for a daytime parade. There are some cool floats (the lead Mickey Mouse balloon float is very impressive and definitely the highlight) and the music is very catchy.
It has two show stops, and features a combination of more traditional floats and higher energy acrobatic performers. It’s especially popular in the hub around Sleeping Beauty Castle, so should up at least 30 minutes (more if it’s busy) in advance to stake out a spot for the parade.
Mystic Manor (10/10) – Trackless dark ride “tour” through manor/museum with displays coming alive due to enchanted music box. Mystic Manor sets the new gold standard for Disney attractions. There really aren’t enough superlatives to describe this attraction (that bears little resemblance to the Haunted Mansion attractions to which it’s often erroneously compared).
Its exterior is beautiful, the queue sets the tone for what’s to come, the pre-show introduces the attraction’s memorable characters, and then the main ride itself blows guests away with a combination of ride technology, an engaging story, details, and beautiful music. This is arguably the best attraction Disney has ever done. Mystic Manor alone is reason-enough for a stop in Hong Kong Disneyland if you’re a Disney fan visiting Asia. Despite its incredible quality, we never encounter any waits for Mystic Manor. If you visit on a busy day, it likely will have lines, and should definitely be prioritized.
Iron Man Experience (9/10) – A simulator attraction that flies guests above Hong Kong in the park’s first Marvel attraction (with a couple more to come). The concept here is that Tony Stark is hosting Stark Expo where he’s showcasing his latest inventions, which guests see up close in the queue before boarding the Iron Wing flight vehicle.
Iron Man Experience is a lot of fun, and a great addition to Hong Kong Disneyland. The queue is interesting, and the ride itself is a hoot, with a ton of detail and eye-candy. If you’ve spent at least a couple of days in the city before heading to HKDL, you’ll see many recognizable landmarks–and we think all of this detail adds to re-rideability as you’ll want to see everything you missed. One of the few rides with FastPass, and it should be utilized unless you do Iron Man Experience at the beginning or end of the day.
Jungle River Cruise (8/10) – Comedic boat ride through the jungles of the world. Jungle River Cruise has the same premise as the Jungle Cruise–the skipper is still the star of the show, with the scenery as a backdrop for their jokes. Three separate lines are available, for Cantonese, English, and Mandarin and boats.
Unfortunately, the skippers are (usually) not native English-speakers, so the dry comedy of the attraction doesn’t totally work. Comedy that’s dependent upon delivery is hard enough in your first language, so I can’t even imagine trying it in a second language. Fortunately, that ride has been enhanced with better effects and a really impressive finale. Due to having three lines for different languages, Jungle River Cruise can have long lines; we recommend doing it early in the day, after Toy Story Land if you do that.
Festival of the Lion King (8.5/10) – Acrobats, singers, and other performers in tribal attire and vibrant costumes, plus barges with Lion King characters and other creatures enact scenes from the Lion King in a very lively theatrical show. There’s a lot of stuff going on, but unlike the Animal Kingdom abstract version, this is a condensed retelling of the movie.
The performers are still the highlight of the show, and they are fantastic–and high energy. I prefer the abstract style, but this lacks the audience ‘animal sounds,’ which was nice. Regardless, an amazing show that is absolutely worth seeing. This version is in English with supplementary performers repeating some lines in Cantonese.
Tarzan’s Treehouse (8/10) – Similar to Tom Sawyer Island, this is a walk-through/play area on an island (in the center of the Jungle River Cruise) that is serviced by ferry. This is much more than just the Treehouse at Disneyland. There’s plenty to do on the island without going into the treehouse, with areas to explore, and several interactive exhibits. Tarzan’s Treehouse itself offers stunning views of the park, too.
Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars (10/10) – Themed roller coaster with Audio Animatronics and a section that goes backwards. Think of it as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad meets Expedition Everest with a slight dash of Country Bear Jamboree. The result is a great mix of thrill ride and detailed Disney attraction, with some really lovable bears.
While I have a soft spot for Space Mountain at Walt Disney World, this might be my favorite Disney coaster anywhere. This is like a milder version of Expedition Everest, although it also made Sarah nauseous the one time she did it. This had mostly short waits during our visit, but it has the potential for longer lines. We recommend doing it first thing on your way back to Toy Story Land (if you’re doing those attractions).
Animation Academy (7.5/10) – A drawing class, plus the adjacent ‘Art of Animation’ (we don’t consider that a separate/distinct attraction). For those interested in sketching a character, the drawing class is fun. The walk-through Art of Animation portion includes an awesome Toy Story Zoetrope, maquettes, storyboards, and background paintings of Disney characters.
Mickey and the Wondrous Book (8.5/10) – Stage show that is basically a montage musical show within the framework of Mickey Mouse getting stuck in a book and Olaf getting stuck outside of it. There are some humorous moments, and the music is very catchy. The show is in Cantonese with English subtitles, which likely cause the nuance and comedic delivery of spoken language to be lost (other guests were laughing).
Mickey’s PhilharMagic (9/10) – 3D montage film mostly from the “Disney Animation Renaissance” cleverly tied together with Donald Duck. Children of the 90s are sure to love this film, but really, anyone should enjoy it. The theater in Hong Kong was specially built for PhilharMagic, so it’s a little bit nicer of a venue than the other parks’ venues that show PhilharMagic. This show is in Cantonese.
it’s a small world (8/10) – The classic boat ride featuring the children of the world. This was the first version to feature Disney animated characters (certainly a divisive addition, but one we don’t mind), and it does the best job of integrating them. It also seems to be the longest version of the attraction, with scenes not found elsewhere. Unlike the Disneyland Paris version, this maintains the original Mary Blair style, and executes it well. Nothing tops the Disneyland version of ‘it’s a small world’ for us, but the Hong Kong Disneyland version is a close second.
Fairytale Forest (7/10) – A walk-through area with a variety of cute vignettes and photo ops themed to various Disney fairytales and princess films. This is really charming, and vaguely reminiscent of Storybook Land at Disneyland.
For what it is, it’s a nice attraction, but it’s far from ambitious (and probably would’ve been better as a boat ride). There’s never a wait, so do it whenever, but just be careful of that midday heat during the summer.
Orbitron (6.5/10) – Spinner ride similar to Dumbo; this one makes it onto our ‘top’ list because it has cool UFO ride vehicles, and offers great views of Space Mountain and the mountains behind Hong Kong Disneyland. Side by side seating is also more comfortable. Do it at dusk when the neon is coming on and the mountains are still visible.
Hyperspace Mountain (9.5/10) – Part of the Star Wars Tomorrowland Takeover, Hyperspace Mountain a dark roller coaster through outer space that encounters X-wings and other starfleet along the way. The LaunchPort queue and load area is a bit different than the Disneyland version of Hyperspace Mountain, with Star Wars props making it seem a bit like a hangar. The projections and laser effects are really cool, making Hyperspace Mountain the most popular attraction right now at Hong Kong Disneyland. Use FastPass for Hyperspace Mountain.
RC Racer (6.5/10) – Steel shutter ‘half loop’ coaster where guests strap into the RC car from Toy Story and go back and forth on the track. As guests are parallel to the ground at the top of each side of the track, this is deceptively thrilling and offers cool views of the park. Do all of the Toy Story Land attractions first thing in the morning, if at all.
Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad (6/10) – A railroad ride around the perimeter of Hong Kong Disneyland with scenic surprises along the way. Inferior to the Disneyland Railroad, but still worth doing to see parts of the park you otherwise wouldn’t.
The Rest
Slinky Dog Spin (5/10) – The tamest of the Toy Story Land attractions, a ride with Slinky Dog essentially chasing his tail as it spins in circles. Do all of the Toy Story Land attractions first thing in the morning, if at all.
Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop (6/10) – A tame, slow-moving up and down drop ride themed to Toy Story. Do all of the Toy Story Land attractions first thing in the morning, if at all.
Moana: A Homecoming Celebration (6/10) – Cute for what it is, which is a small scale stage show (say that 3 times fast!) aimed exclusively at children. The songs are nice, but the presentation and production value will bore most adults.
Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple (7.5/10) — Replacing Autopia in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, this small scale stage show giving kids the opportunity to become Jedi. This is an attraction that kids will absolutely love if they’re into Star Wars and are extroverted. It’s not quite as much fun for the audience, but it’s still decent.
Cinderella Carousel (5/10) – Garden variety carousel located behind Sleeping Beauty Castle. (Isn’t it odd the Cinderella has a carousel behind the castle that’s home to Sleeping Beauty?)
Dumbo (6/10) – The iconic Disney spinner attraction. The highlight of this version is that it’s behind Sleeping Beauty Castle and offers a nice view of the mountains behind Hong Kong Disneyland. Otherwise, it’s nothing special.
Mad Hatter Tea Cups (5/10) – The spinning teacups at every castle park in the world.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (6.5/10) – Fantasyland dark ride through the world of Winnie the Pooh. Due to its otherwise complete lack of Fantasyland dark rides, this one is very popular. As best we could tell, this was a near-identical clone of the Walt Disney World version. If you do this, use FastPass. We went on slow days, and it was the second-longest wait in the park.
This leaves out some additional photo ops (which are listed as attractions on the map!), small play areas (in abundance in Hong Kong Disneyland), entertainment, and character meet & greets, but it’s all of the significant, year-round attractions. You should have the time to do virtually everything on this list in a single day. Make sure to take time to enjoy the park’s dining (including afternoon tea!), too.
For the rest of your planning needs, consult our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. It covers everything you need to know for a visit to HKDL, including reviews, strategy, packing, and more. If you’re visiting the city as well, please consult our Hong Kong City Guide on TravelCaffeine, our non-Disney planning site.
Your Thoughts…
Which of these attractions interest you the most? If you’ve been to Hong Kong Disneyland, what are your favorite attractions? With which of our ratings do you agree and disagree? Anything else to add? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your questions and thoughts in the comments!
Is it possible to finish Hong Kong Disneyland in a single day? I’ve set aside three days for it. Is it too long?
Hi. Thanks for your comprehensive review. Just wondering if you’ve ever been to Universal Studios Singapore and how it compares to Disney Hong Kong? Trying to decide which would be the better park to take my 12 year to in mid February… and I’ve heard due to the unrest in Hong Kong, the lines are much shorter than normal (a plus) while Universal lines are horrible… would love to hear your opinion. But my kid thinks universal has better rides. Thanks! Erika
Hi! I’m not the author, but I’m a teenager from Hong Kong and I’ve been to both parks. Can’t claim to be an expert (have been to HK Disneyland many, many times but universal studios only once) but I can give you my two cents…
As of now we’re still experiencing some unrest. There are still large scale protests– one took place this afternoon in fact– so I wouldn’t advise you to visit due to the violence that occasionally takes place. The dwindling visitor numbers can be a plus (there are little to no tourists since no one dares visit lol) but since you’re travelling with your kid, safety should be your primary concern! The lines usually aren’t super long anyway.
As for the quality of the parks, I think that Universal definitely has more exciting rides; they have a lot more rollercoasters, of which Disneyland only has 3, so Universal wins if your kid prefers thrilling rides and stuff. Their Jurassic Park rapids ride is also really great. Disneyland has some pretty boring rides like the slinky ride or teacups that a 12 year old is likely to skip. Universal also has better food as a whole. Disneyland is pretty hit or miss, with some restaurants serving bad food for a very high price.
However, in terms of the atmosphere, landscaping, and shows I think Disneyland wins hands down. The different sections of the park are beautifully decorated and create the magical, quintessential Disney atmosphere, which I think Universal lacks. The shows are much more spectacular than those of Universal. Mystic Manor and Grizzly mountain mine cars are some of the best Disney rides that can’t be found elsewhere.
Anyway, these are just my (biased) thoughts on the two parks. I enjoyed visiting both but Disney wins in my opinion. Although seeing as this isn’t the best time to visit HK, you should probably go with Universal. It’s still a great park and you definitely won’t regret visiting!
Thank you SO much for taking the time to write this! Especially as a teen your opinion is so relevant. And thanks for being honest about the current situation in HK. Sorry about that… hope it improves soon. I’ll show this to my daughter so we can make an informed decision.
Hi. WNna ask if you have max seat list per ride? We are five in our group and is wondering if one of us will forever be the odd person out on each ride that we try…
Excited to be planning a day at the park (Hong Kong is a port on our cruise itinerary and having been to Hong Kong before but not Disneyland we think its a must do!!). Any tips for the best snacks or food to try?
We visited HK Disneyland recently on a weekday in March, and the queues were non-existent for most rides, with the exception of Slinky Dog (due to the limited capacity of the ride) and the Jungle River Cruise. Absolutely fantastic, since we could go on the rides we liked repeatedly, without having to queue at all! A lot of the restaurants were closed due to it being low season, but I think it was worth it to avoid the queues!
One thing to note about HK Disneyland is that the photo ops with the characters were very restrictive, in the sense that the cast members closed the lines very early. If there is any character you are interested in, it is essential to ask a CM first thing in the morning where and what time the photo ops are, and to make sure you get there AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BEFORE. We wanted a photo with Elsa, which was supposed to start at 4pm. The queue for Elsa started forming at 3.30pm, and by 3.50pm, the line was closed, even before Elsa appeared! Many little girls were turned away, totally disappointed! Elsa herself appeared at 4pm, and left by 4.30pm.
We are planning a trip this October 21-22. Will it make that much of a difference crowd-wise if we book one day earlier? I also noticed that it’s even cheaper on Sunday the 23rd. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Thank you.
We are planning our Disneyland hong kong trip on 20 DEC 2016 will it be crowded?
Hi,
I’m planning to have a trip this aug 17-22. Is it ok to plan a vacation at this time to Hong Kong disneyland?
yeas mike .It’s nice. There might be rain in the morning. Or else weather is clear. Have fun.
We are planning to visit the park this summer – Aug 3 and intend to use the park’s tour service, but we need to tell them which attractions we want to visit. This site will be so useful!
Also, would it be possible to send an update with any new recommendations since this was posted? (We have no idea what to choose, so we are relying solely on your recommendations.)
Thank you!
Hi, C Kimball, nice to meet you. I’m from Hong Kong and a HKDL annual passholder for two years. I have a bit updates for the park:
The musical : Golden Mickey is now replaced by another muscial the Mickey and the Wondrous Story Book. By the time you travel to Hong Kong, tomorrow land will be transform to sort of star wars mini-land. Space Mountain will be a star war version on 11june2016 and the Venue for Stitch Encounter will become the Command Post for “Jedi Training” experience, thus, Stitch Encounter is likely to be closed, possibly permanently I guess. Revealed by the official press, the Iron Man Experience will be opened in late May this year. And there will be a Duffy the disney bear theme restuarant opens this summer as I read from the news. One kind reminder is that Summer is the Monsoon season in Hong Kong, and due to rains or thunderstorm or bad weather, outdoor rides and shows may be cancelled. Good Luck
Hi.
What are the other tips you can recommend while we are in HK? We will be in HK in June 22 to 24. One whole day in HKDL and the rest will be touring around the city, As a first time traveler, what are the spots you can recommend? And thank you for letting me know that I can collect stickers while enjoying in HKDL 🙂
Am going to Hong Kong Disney from 24th April this year for 3 nights. Is that a good time to visit. Going during weekdays.
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me.
Thanks a lot!
Hi, Tom! Can you go to HKDL again by Summer 2016? I wish to see the ratings of Iron Man Experience and Mickey and the Wondrous Book! Also, the Castle has been refurbished into a new pink color so that you can take photos that are more beautiful than the previous ones.
I’m here today, and Mickeys Philharmagic is in English.
Can you tell us about Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in HKDL? How does it compare to the other Disney castles? Can you go inside of it/is it a walk-through attraction?
It is not a walk-through like the one in Paris (sadly)