If you like your Halloween celebrations to be more ‘not-so-spooky’ rather then horror-filled, then a day at Hong Kong Disneyland is just what the doctor (Frankenstein) ordered! I managed to visit as part of my stopover in Hong Kong on the way home from Japan and I had such a fantastic time.
Much like Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan, seasonal events are included in your regular day ticket at Hong Kong Disneyland. This means you can enjoy all of the Halloween fun in the park without an up-charge. This includes a special parade, stage shows, character greetings, snacks and even trick-or-treat stations, alongside decorations and merchandise.
The park is truly decked out, especially down Main Street and up towards the castle, with a giant Mickey pumpkin at one end and Malificent’s dragon at the other. There are a lot of decorated pumpkins scattered around the park and Malificent is featured heavily in the park’s celebrations.
Malificent headlines the Uninvited! Villain’s Takeover Party Parade and also features in the Let’s Get Wicked stage show. The stage show has a selection of villains singing their own theme songs in the round utilising the same stage that The Lion King usually uses. There are quite a lot of theatrical moments including puppetry, moving stage pieces and an aerial artist performing amazing feats on an aerial hoop. A lot of the singers were incredible (I loved Dr Facilier) and the show lasts about 30 minutes, but I don’t think it’s a must do if you’re short on time.
The parade show has Maleficent gathering all of her villain pals for a party, with each on their own float with their own minions. They sing an anthem about being uninvited and enjoy a party in the streets instead. You’ll catch Jafar, Gaston, and Captain Hook among others and the floats pause while they’re on the route to enjoy their party, so if there’s a specific villain you want to celebrate with, then make sure to find out where their float will stop. The costumes for the dancers were absolutely fantastic and despite the sweltering heat, they gave 110% at all times.
The parade happens at least a couple of times a day (alongside the regular parade) and the show three times a day. There’s also a castle-front stage show with Mickey and Friends that happens multiple times a day, but I missed this!
There is a huge selection of merchandise, including bag charms, clothing, accessories, treats and Minnie ears, including the build-your-own headband characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas. While I was there, they were offering a deal on their cute Mickey Mouse pumpkin trick-or-treat bags. I picked one up, which already comes with marshmallows inside, and took it to one of the treat stands.
I had to wait a bit, but once I got to the front, I was tested on my Marvel trivia and given a handful of Disney themed sweets! There were five in total around the park in different themes and a lot of fun. If you’re only here for the day, I recommend doing at least one, but you probably wouldn’t want to sacrifice your time to queue for all of them.
However, there are many places to pick up Halloween themed treats and meals while in the parks. If you’re more into snacks, then there are plenty to be found. This year features ‘blood’ bag drinks, ‘poison apple’ candy apples and coffin desserts, plus, purple soft serve in a pastry cone with Maleficent’s horns, all of which are wonderfully themed or beautifully decorated. The biggest Halloween meal is the Nightmare Before Christmas menu at River View Cafe, which features fantastically themed food in a multi course menu, plus there’s a character meet and greet too.
If you’re not able to get reservations, then you can also see characters around the park too. Some characters meet in the gazebo area in Halloween outfits (I saw Daisy Duck!) and there are villains just wandering around the park, like the Ugly Sisters and the Evil Queen. There is an animation activity where you can draw some of the Fab Five in their spooky season costumes, plus there are still all of the normal meet and greets too.
Obviously you’re also at Disneyland for the rides! There aren’t any special rides for the season, BUT I can share a couple that might give you a few thrills or screams. The Hong Kong Disneyland version of Haunted Mansion is called Mystic Manor, but instead of ghosts haunting the house there’s a mysterious music box. Its music dust makes things come to life and cause havoc around the museum, which is in no thanks to Albert the monkey (you can meet him too!). This is a fantastic ride and unique to Hong Kong, so you should definitely ride it regardless.
The other ride is Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, which will definitely make you scream, but in the best way possible. It goes forwards and backwards and towards the end it blasts you forward and shoots you round the track at high speeds. Hold onto your hats! There’s also a cute photo op where you can put your plushies into a fake car from the ride and pretend they’re riding.
One of the best things about this season is that you’re able to dress up in the parks. Normally adults aren’t allowed to wear costumes to the park, but Halloween is an exception. There are some restrictions, but otherwise you can fulfil your dreams and get some fantastic photos while you’re at it.
People say that one day at HK Disneyland is enough, but I disagree, especially during a seasonal event. While lines may be shorter than at other parks around the world, there is a lot to do and see. If you want to see parades and shows, plus ride attractions, meet characters, eat and get a taste of the park, you’ll definitely need two days for everything. Park hours are fairly short and it’s suggested to be in position for the castle show and fireworks a minimum of 30 minutes beforehand, so two days would be so much better for a relaxing exploration of all that the park has to offer.
Prepare for long lines to enter, even on a week day, so be there an hour early if you don’t want to lose out on any of your park day (or purchase early entry). Luckily, queues for most things in the park tend to remain short all day if you visit on a weekday (non-holiday day), but there’s a lot to see and do. I love that everything is included in your ticket and I would definitely look for any ticket offers that might allow for a multi day entry for less. I had a blast exploring the park during spooky season, but it would be just as fun without the extra entertainment too.
Halloween celebrations run from mid-September until November the 1st and you can get your tickets directly from the Hong Kong Disneyland website. Would you want to visit?
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