Trip Report Sometimes going halfway is a good thing - Max's Hong Kong Adventure

Hello All and welcome to another Max Trip Report

This one is solo - sans family - as it was a quick stop at a new park for me
Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) opened in 2005 and has slowly been growing into itself
Initial feedback on HKDL was too small and not enough to do.
As you will see in this brief stop I had plenty to do (and actually did not accomplish everything I wanted to do)

Who: Max , aka Clarence to those who read my Cali report recently.
What: HKDL for a day and a bit
When: Friday Oct 6and Saturday Oct 7
Why: A Disney park I have not been to AND my company was sending me back to Japan so I detoured at the start of the business trip to catch this gem of a park.

Up next: Intercontinental travel !!

Max

 

[MinnieM123]

@wdisney9000 and @lostpro9het , you two crack me up! (And, why do I think you're only getting started with your comments here, on Max's new thread? )

Max, I haven't forgotten to thank you for tagging me to your new trip report.

 

[Swissmiss]

Thanks for tagging me Max ... even though I didn't get it either (@wdisney9000 - hmm, you may be onto something with your conspiracy theory ).

I'm always curious to hear about other parks and I am sure that your TR will not disappoint!

 

[amjt660]

I can also handle that other folks can't handle the amount of awesome I radiate or how humble I am...and if there is one thing I'm know for its being humble...and awesome.

You might want to look up the definition of humble....

that long list of tags and I wasnt mentioned? Its cool, Max. I see how it is, lol. JK

Your were in the list - I swear!!

Did @amjt660 really tag me?

Yes

Max I'm so glad that you started this up. I'm looking forward to seeing HKDL through your eyes since it will take a while for me to get over there to visit.

I will do my best to make you want to go!!

Looking forward to this!!

Thank you for following

Yay! Can't wait to hear all about it and see your pics!

More pics to come - phone quality though

Yay! Thanks for the tag! Following along!

Welcome aboard!

Thank you for tagging me. Can't wait to read what you thought of HKDL. I hope you had time for the shows as I thought they were better than at WDW. Can I say that on this forum?

You can say anything you want (within reason) on this forum!!

Thanks for the tag friend!!! I'm in...

Good to hear you are following

Looking forward to reading - went to HK a couple of years after the park opened on the way to Australia/ Tasmania but didn't have time to go to the park. (OVERNIGHT does not allow enough time☹). Hope this TR lives up to our expectations.

Easy on the expectations there buddy - If I want more stress in my life I can stay home or go to work!!!

Here for the party!

Thanks for the tag! Can't wait.

Thanks for joining!!

Thanks for the tag! I can't wait to see what shenanigans you go up to overseas!

Shenanigans?? I'm sorry - have we met - no shenanigans here

We went to HKDL for the first time in June. I am interested to read your take.

I hope you follow along and give me your opinion too!!

"When: Friday Oct 7 and Saturday Oct 9"
Not only did you somehow miss out the 8th of October but Friday was the 6th not the 7th! Did you travel to Hong Kong or into another dimension?
Also, I'm looking forward to the trip report.

OK - so I messed up the dates - I expected Tuvalu to jump all over that one!!

Looking forward to seeing another park!

It is fun to see different parks !!

Looking forward to this!

I will do my best!

Max, I haven't forgotten to thank you for tagging me to your new trip report.

Thanks for tagging me Max ... even though I didn't get it either (@wdisney9000 - hmm, you may be onto something with your conspiracy theory ).

I'm always curious to hear about other parks and I am sure that your TR will not disappoint!

No conspiracy theories aloud !!
JK
I will try not to disappoint
So much pressure to perform!!!

Max

 

[amjt660]

Day 1 (I guess) Thursday Oct 5 - Travel day
So the reason I say I guess is because I started my travel on Thursday but landed in Hong Kong on Friday
So it felt like one continuous day but it was two - sort of

So first off :

1 million points to the first one that can explain the title

and remember


So I left the house at 5:30 and was driven to the airport in a van
(yes it had windows AND no it did not have candy to give out )

Flight was direct from Toronto , Ontario, Canada to Hong Kong
Because I was flying busines class this was my home for the next 16 hours

And yes it was a pod and I am spoiled but as the saying goes


Took off at 10am on Thursday and landed at 2pm on Friday (Day 2)

 

[amjt660]

Day2 : End of Travel day and evening in HKDL
One picture from the plane

and in the taxi on the drive to the resort - the word for this is "lush"
Hong Kong is basically in the middle of the tropics
I checked the latitude before going and it is the same as Key West Florida

Best I could do to get the entrance sign

and in the lobby of the Hollywood Hotel

The Hollywood hotel is one of 3 HKDL onsite hotels available
Because I was doing such a short trip (land Friday at 2pm and fly to Japan on Sunday at 9am) I decided to stay onsite and just do Disney.

The high level hotel in HK Disneyland hotel
Hollywood and the Explorers lodge seems more moderate level to me
I picked HH because the online detail was better

Forgot to mention that I had to add a vacation day to my business trip to make this one happen
Normally we fly Friday, land Saturday.
So for this trip I ended up paying for 1 day of meals/1 night of hotel and my park tickets.
My work picked up Saturday meals and Saturday night hotel
Another reason I picked the less expensive hotel - I had to keep it reasonable for the work guidelines for hotels.

Was able to get right up to my room (after about 20 min of lobby wait - it was busy - no issues with customer service at all)

Room decoration on my door and the hallway

I will have more pictures of the hotel grounds coming up

 

[amjt660]

Pictures from the end of the hall looking out on the grounds at the back of the hotel

Door decoration from another door (this one came home with me!!)

Inside the room

You have to put your room key in the slot to turn on the power (although any other card or paper will work too)

Storage area, washroom , etc

First mistake of the trip (and this one is so unlike me) is I did not look up the Voltage/Freq in Hong Kong
Turns out it is 220V/50Hz (European) rather than 110V/60Hz (North American)
Lucky for me my iPhone charger can handle the difference and one plug in the washer (for shavers) accepted my plug.
I am sure I could have asked for an adapter at the front desk but one outlet was fine for this solo traveler

 

[amjt660]

More room pics
I have read that this hotel has been open since 2005 and is in need of refurb
I was fine with the look of the room for my short stay

This cute little tin case was in the bathroom
I ended up getting 2 of them

And the shampoo and conditioner were appropriately themed as well

 

[amjt660]

After settling in and showering after a long flight I left the room at 4:30 and heading toward the shuttle bus to the park.
A few more shots of the lobby

Disneyland in Cali has similar bench designs - although these ones are white

And outdoor decorations

The shuttle bus was a full size coach (but only this time)

And I arrived at the bus station (not my kids in case you were wondering)

and got my first of many pictures of the gateway sign

Halloween banners were out - I took more pictures later - the purple ones were villans

 

[amjt660]

Continuing to walk up to the park entrance

This fountain is in the entrance to the park
I turned right to go to the entrance
If you kept walking straight
1) You would walk through a fountain and get wet AND
2) You would arrive at the Disneyland hotel

Mickey surfing on the water from the whales spout and the other Fab 5 around the fountain

Next up : actually entering the park!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm loving your pictures so far. The fountain statues are cute!

 

[LadyBelle]

What an adorable hotel. I wouldn’t mind that tin at WDW.

 

[krause]

And I arrived at the bus station (not my kids in case you were wondering)

 

[Matt and Kelly]

The hotel looks amazing!!! And love the fountain. Great way to fly especially for a 16 hour flight.

 

[LisaBelle]

Thanks for the tag! Sorry I'm late. Don't think I could handle a 16 hour plane flight. Did your seat recline? My daughter and I were trying to figure out how the whole pod thing works. Your room looked really nice. I love the fountain!

 

[Swissmiss]

Very cool fountain! I don't recall reading that you had coffee as well as a shower ... that'd be the only way I'd make it out the door again after a 16 hour flight

 

[Bullseye1967]

I am in! Loving it so far!

 

[fractal]

Nice!

 

[MightyMouse]

All wow! Very picturesque.

I've been looking to get a bench for my backyard. Looks like you've just provided me with the inspiration of what to build.

 

[kaitertot5249]

I love reading about the parks in other parts of the world, I've never been to any and I would love to try to make it to every Disney park at some point. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[amjt660]

I'm loving your pictures so far. The fountain statues are cute!

Both Tokyo and Japan have something like this
A large display outside of the entrance to the park
An obvious picture taking magnet
I am trying to equate it to the NA parks
Perhaps the old CALIFORNIA letters outside of DCA?
I cannot remember if Paris had something similar
@Laurenciaa or @Songbird76 might be able to help me out

What an adorable hotel. I wouldn’t mind that tin at WDW.

It is a nice little collection of essentials and the tin is a great souvenier

The hotel looks amazing!!! And love the fountain. Great way to fly especially for a 16 hour flight.

I have more pictures of the hotel grounds later that you will also like

Thanks for the tag! Sorry I'm late. Don't think I could handle a 16 hour plane flight. Did your seat recline? My daughter and I were trying to figure out how the whole pod thing works. Your room looked really nice. I love the fountain!

So the chair opens up like a recliner but then keeps going until it is near flat
This is not me but hopefully this pic will help you understand the mechanics of the pod

Very cool fountain! I don't recall reading that you had coffee as well as a shower ... that'd be the only way I'd make it out the door again after a 16 hour flight

First off not a coffee drinker but I do get my caffeine from tea and pop/soda/coke (depending on where you live - pick a name)
So the flight landed at 2 which felt like 2 am for me.
I had slept for about 4-5 hours up to midnight my time.
So by going to the parks till about 9 was just staying up for 7 hours - it was not that bad actually
Coming home ( west to east) is much more taxing on the system

I am in! Loving it so far!

More to come soon!

Nice!

A man of few words (but many pictures)!!!

All wow! Very picturesque.

I've been looking to get a bench for my backyard. Looks like you've just provided me with the inspiration of what to build.

I am glad that Disney has inspired you and that I brought it to your attention
Here is a throw back picture of my daughters in DLR (approx. 9 years apart)
The Cali benches use the raised aggregate concrete while HKDL is smooth / white.

I love reading about the parks in other parts of the world, I've never been to any and I would love to try to make it to every Disney park at some point. Can't wait to hear more!

To put in in perspective I visited WDW only up to my 39 year on this planet.
Then came DLR (2005) , TDR(2006), DLP(2011) and now HKDL (2017)
So four other resorts in only 12 years
Good things come to those who wait???

I love reading about the parks in other parts of the world, I've never been to any and I would love to try to make it to every Disney park at some point. Can't wait to hear more!

Keep the dream alive
More to come

Max