Ahh, Disneyland. It’s really the happiest place on earth for both the young and young at heart. There’s so much to do inside: you can get on rides, watch shows, meet your favorite Disney characters and eat Mickey themed food as you walk along the beautifully decorated streets.
But if you’re traveling with young kids, the sheer enormity of the park (yes it’s still big, even though it’s the smallest of all the Disneyland parks!) could overwhelm.
So if you’re with the little ones, remember these 5 tips to help make sure everyone in the family has a great time!
1. Download the HK Disneyland app
Hong Kong Disneyland has its own app and it’s very useful. It actually gives you the following information:
- List of all the characters you can meet and greet
- Times when the characters will appear and where
- Wait time for each ride
- Schedules for the shows and parades
- A map of Disneyland
This app could save you lot of time because it allows you to plan your day accordingly. As a bonus, there’s free wifi all around the park, so you can use this app even without data or a pocket wifi.
2. Rent or bring a stroller
Although, like mentioned, it’s the smallest Disneyland in the world, it is still a huge park. Especially from a kid’s point of view! You will be covering long distances to get from one section of the park to another so it’s best to bring your own stroller.
In case you forget to bring your own, you can always rent inside the park. Just be prepared to pay a heavy fee for a stroller without cushioned seats.
3. Collect stickers from cast members
Every cast member you meet (at least, those that are wearing bags!) have stickers that they give away for free to anyone who asks. Each cast member has a different set of stickers so your kids will definitely have fun treasure hunting around the park! It’s also a great way for them to practice improving their social skills.
4. Let them participate in the parade
There’s a street parade every afternoon at Main Street USA and they encourage kids to participate. Towards the end of the parade, they usually ask kids to walk the street with them until it ends. It’s great fun for the kids and a story they will enjoying telling their relatives and friends back home.
5. Stay at a Disney hotel
Staying at a Disney hotel is truthfully, pricey. But there are a lot of perks that go with it. One of the best things about staying at a Disney hotel is its proximity to the park. After a long day, you can just hop on their complimentary shuttle and it will whisk you off to your hotel’s front door. It’s very convenient especially if you have kids too tired to walk already.
There’s another perk with staying at a Disney hotel and that is that you have the opportunity to enjoy breakfast with your favourite Disney characters. Character breakfasts are paid separately and like everything in Disneyland, it is also quite expensive. But if your kids really MUST meet Mickey and Minnie (and you don’t want to line up for hours under the sun at the park,) then it is highly recommended that you bring your kids to the meet-and-greet breakfast at the hotel!
There are 3 Disney hotels to choose from in Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, The Hollywood Hotel and the latest one, Disney’s Explorer’s Lodge. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
READ: A comprehensive list of regular holidays and non-working days for 2018!