*The title specifically said small kids because I would just assume that the experience is different when you're in Disneyland with older kids (7 years old and above). I'm hoping it will be easier, but I don't know for sure.
I dreamed of going to Hong Kong Disneyland when it was built 10 years ago. I've heard a lot about the spectacular fireworks display that brought kids my age to tears. But now that I'm a mom to two little princesses, the dream grew bigger and bigger in my heart that I knew it had to be a reality. My parents were generous enough to treat the whole family to a four-day trip to Hong Kong and a major part of the tour was to bring us kids (yes, myself included) to Disneyland. I'm really super thankful for the opportunity.
As soon as we have established that HK Disneyland was happening, I searched the web for articles about going to Disneyland with a toddler. I got a lot of useful and practical tips from those, but most of the posts were about Disney World or the Disneyland theme parks in the United States. I found that some of those tips apply, but there are still some additional tips that might be helpful. Also, I've heard some friends and relatives planning to visit the theme park in a few months or later this year, so I'd like to share some of the things I learned based on my experience of bringing kids to this happy place.
The queues for the shows were more manageable than I expected (we were there on a Saturday), but it's still good to line up early to get the best seats.
If you're going to Hong Kong as a family and your main destination is Disneyland, I suggest you book for a night's stay at one of the two hotels inside the resort. It's convenient (they have shuttles going to the main park every 30 minutes), within the vicinity (saves you on the travel time) and definitely completes the whole Disneyland Resort experience (we had buffet breakfast with Chef Mickey!).
We stayed at the Hollywood Hotel, which I hear is more economical than the main Disneyland Hotel. It is quite expensive to stay the night, but it's definitely worth it. I mean, after an entire day of walking (and carrying the kids) around the theme park, you wouldn't really want to ride the train (although the Disney train was spectacular) and buses going to the city. You would rather hop on a shuttle bus and chill by the hotel's piano-shaped pool and enjoy the facilities. My husband and I agreed that when the kids are older, we'll go back there and still stay at the Hollywood Hotel. We have to save up big time though.
I dreamed of going to Hong Kong Disneyland when it was built 10 years ago. I've heard a lot about the spectacular fireworks display that brought kids my age to tears. But now that I'm a mom to two little princesses, the dream grew bigger and bigger in my heart that I knew it had to be a reality. My parents were generous enough to treat the whole family to a four-day trip to Hong Kong and a major part of the tour was to bring us kids (yes, myself included) to Disneyland. I'm really super thankful for the opportunity.
As soon as we have established that HK Disneyland was happening, I searched the web for articles about going to Disneyland with a toddler. I got a lot of useful and practical tips from those, but most of the posts were about Disney World or the Disneyland theme parks in the United States. I found that some of those tips apply, but there are still some additional tips that might be helpful. Also, I've heard some friends and relatives planning to visit the theme park in a few months or later this year, so I'd like to share some of the things I learned based on my experience of bringing kids to this happy place.
- Dress for summer, with a little contingency.
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate so the days can be pretty humid, but don't disregard any possibility that it might rain. And HK Disneyland is not an indoor park. There's a lot of walking under the sun. One minute we were complaining about how hot and humid it is, the next thing we were cramped in a hotel umbrella waiting for the rain to stop.
It's best to still dress yourself in light clothing; a shirt, shorts or jeans and walking shoes, and just have a foldable umbrella or a light cardigan with you. Hats are a must-have. If you're breastfeeding a toddler, shawls are the best because it can double as a cover up. And bring an extra shirt. Not just for your child but for you as well. It's going to be quite a long day.
If you're planning to dress your child in those frilly costumes, I suggest altering their length to one that's summer-friendly. My little girl turned heads in her Princess Aurora full ball gown, but after a few hours, my usually tiis-ganda little darling asked if she can change her dress into a shirt. Cosplaying is nice, but it's best to make them feel comfortable, especially if you want them to be walking around the park. Her Princess Anna cape was useful though, when it began to rain. (Yes, we brought two costumes with us.)
My biggest fear in coming to Disneyland was losing my kids inside the theme park, so I made sure that I, or their Tatay or one of our companions is holding their hand as we walk from one attraction to the next. And as the day goes by, the kids will be tired and will ask to be carried. This is why it's best to keep your hands free as much as possible.
- Choose to go hands-free.
My biggest fear in coming to Disneyland was losing my kids inside the theme park, so I made sure that I, or their Tatay or one of our companions is holding their hand as we walk from one attraction to the next. And as the day goes by, the kids will be tired and will ask to be carried. This is why it's best to keep your hands free as much as possible.
During our Disney trip, we opted to ditch the diaper bag and went with a sturdy backpack to carry the essentials. It was even spacious enough to carry our digital camera, when it's not in use and it has side pockets to store our water bottles.
I opted to use our lightweight digital camera instead of our cellphone camera because we can just hang it around our necks instead of reaching in our pockets for our phones to take a photo.
We didn't have a stroller with us because my kids aren't used to sitting in one and it would be just a waste of space to bring it in our case, but if your kids are okay with it, go bring one so you wouldn't have to carry the kids around especially when they're napping. I wish we brought a carrier with us though. Me and my daughters are joined at the hip, but carrying a toddler for the whole day surely took its toll on my back.
- Go early.
It's also best to get yourself acquainted with the theme park whereabouts and events for the day. There are three main attractions that you wouldn't want to miss when you go there. The Flights of Fantasy parade at around 3:00 (sadly, we missed this because it was canceled due to the weather), the light show at 7:00 and the awesome fireworks display that follows after that. Try to work your schedule around these activities so you don't miss them. My little girls loved the light parade. We had the best time there. The fireworks display wowed the adults more than the kids, but still great.
The queues for the shows were more manageable than I expected (we were there on a Saturday), but it's still good to line up early to get the best seats.
- Go Disney all the way ...
If you're going to Hong Kong as a family and your main destination is Disneyland, I suggest you book for a night's stay at one of the two hotels inside the resort. It's convenient (they have shuttles going to the main park every 30 minutes), within the vicinity (saves you on the travel time) and definitely completes the whole Disneyland Resort experience (we had buffet breakfast with Chef Mickey!).
We stayed at the Hollywood Hotel, which I hear is more economical than the main Disneyland Hotel. It is quite expensive to stay the night, but it's definitely worth it. I mean, after an entire day of walking (and carrying the kids) around the theme park, you wouldn't really want to ride the train (although the Disney train was spectacular) and buses going to the city. You would rather hop on a shuttle bus and chill by the hotel's piano-shaped pool and enjoy the facilities. My husband and I agreed that when the kids are older, we'll go back there and still stay at the Hollywood Hotel. We have to save up big time though.
- But be practical.
One bottle of mineral water inside the theme park costs 20 Hong Kong dollars. Bring your own water bottle instead. Also, if you're planning to bring home pasalubong to friends or officemates, opt to buy them outside of Disneyland to save. Unless it's for someone special or if you have the budget, then go nuts at the Disney stores inside the park. A set of key chains (around 3 or 4) at the Disney store costs a little over 100 HKD, but we bought ours (set of 5) for 50 HKD at Mong Kok (I wouldn't say it's authentic, but it will do). My sister bought these cheap light-up headbands for her nieces at Lan Kwai Fong that they wore during the Light Parade. I would imagine they would be quite costly if we get them inside the theme park. We did buy them some toys at the Disney store though, as a sort of memento for their first time at Disneyland.
- Manage your expectations.
The moment we stepped inside the theme park, my daughter's jaw dropped, gaping at the sight of Aurora's castle. Well, that's how I pictured it in my head. Instead, she was heavily distracted by the window displays at the Disney stores and wanted nothing else but to get inside and shop for toys.
Don't get me wrong, my kids had the time of their lives. You should hear my one-year old say the words Disneyland and Hong Kong. But what do we know about little kids and toddlers? They love to surprise us. What we think they'll do might not probably happen (although it's always best to be ready for anything), so while we're waiting for them to be amazed and swept off their feet, it wouldn't hurt for us to have a good time as well. Disneyland is for kids of all ages anyway, right?
My daughter was so shy around the mascots that we didn't even get a decent picture of her and Minnie Mouse (even though she loves to watch her on TV), wouldn't even go near Mickey, but she had a blast at the 3D animation theater. It rained when we were there, but instead of sulking that my girls wouldn't be able to see the princesses at the afternoon parade, I made the most of the kids' nap time to enjoy one "big kid" ride with my siblings.
When I wasn't focused on trying to make sure things went according to plan, I had a lot of fun being a kid with my kids; eating corn on the cob, admiring the awesome displays (how cool is Toy Story Land?!), blowing kisses at the Princesses... Fun times indeed.
So that's about it. I didn't expect this post to be this long, but I hope this helps some parents who are planning on going to Disney with their toddlers, and those who are still contemplating if their two-year olds are too small for it. Go for it, I tell you. You can manage. And don't forget to relax and enjoy the moment.
