Renee, where to next?

Hong Kong vs Shanghai Disneyland

Being able to finally realize a childhood dream as an adult brings and emotion that differs from those I already experienced in my lifetime. After being in China for four years and having Disneyland on my top things to do, I was finally able to make it happen last year. My very close friend invited me to weekend trip to the Shanghai Disneyland. Immediately I agreed to the trip and excitement and anticipation filled my heart for the remainder of the day. I immediately went to the time in my life when I was in primary school and there was to be a trip to Disney World in Orlando Florida, that I was unable to attend. Now an adult, I made this dream come through. Now, would I deem myself a Disney adult? I don’t think so. But, I am an adult that will make my childhood dreams a reality if I can. Now let’s skip the emotional and mental breakdown of this all and get to the happiness that is Disneyland.

To say I was determined to make this trip happen is an understatement. I was to leave from my city of Wuhan on a train after work on a Friday. To say the least we will just say that Friday went down hill. After being stuck in traffic I missed my train and had to tell my taxi to turn around and take me back home. While in the taxi back home I quickly booked a flight for early the next morning and made sure not miss this one. I landed in Shanghai and after checking in and dropping my luggage at the hotel, we made our way to the happiest place on earth.

I think I was happy for the entire day. It was my first time here and I had never felt like this before. Now, Disneyland is not a one day feat. But we made the best of the time that we had there. I was more than exhausted from that failed attempt at getting to my train the night before and then having to wake up extra early to catch my flight the next morning. In my opinion we didn’t get on as many rides as we could have, but the time spent there was fulfilling. Lines were definitely very long and buying a fast pass for all those rides just was not something I was up to doing. Nonetheless, it was an exceptional day of childhood dreams becoming a reality.

Fast forward to December only two months after my first trip to the Shanghai Disneyland, and I was ready to head to the Hong Kong Disneyland. Now, I know you maybe wondering why another Disney trip so soon? You definitely have gained your Disney adult card with this move Renee. But, hear me out, for one minute before you fully judge me. LOL. A New Year’s trip was planned to Hong Kong and I being friends with a true Disney adult, agreed happily to join her on her long awaited visit to Hong Kong Disneyland.

I can’t deny I was also excited at the thought of another trip to Disney. I mean it’s the happiest place on earth. So with my bags packed and my heart filled with excitement I made sure to make it to the airport early. I could not afford a repeat of the Shanghai Disney trip. After making it to the hotel, it was time to relax and get some rest. The next day would be our first full day in Hong Kong and it would be at Disneyland.

In comparison Hong Kong Disney is a lot smaller than Shanghai. We were really able to walk to the end of the park. That was something we were not able to do in Shanghai. But the best part was that the lines were a lot shorter and we did not need to purchase any fast passes like we needed to do in Shanghai. It’s pretty easy to get around Hong Kong Disney and with planning it’s a lot less tiring to get through. In my opinion you can make the trip to Hong Kong Disney in the afternoon. The main reason for this is that there is only one fireworks display. So if you’d like to experience the fireworks which comes on close to when the park is closing (9 p.m.), I Would go to the park at about 3 p.m.

In Shanghai there are two fireworks shows so for those who go early in the morning you are able to see the first one at about 7 p.m. (times are post on the APPs). However, In Hong Kong they did have a drone show at 7 p.m. instead of the two fireworks show like Shanghai. Since we saw both fireworks shows in Shanghai we decided to only watch the drone show and then leave. We were too tired to continue. Disney trips really require 2-3 days to get the complete experience.

But what I must say is that I experienced a form of happiness and fulfillment that I don’t recall ever feeling, while I sat and watched that last fireworks display while in Shanghai. the genuine feeling of happiness filled me entirely and I honestly did my best to hold my tears. So many of us experience different things later on in life and maybe the feeling is more intense because of that. Pure joy resides at Disneyland. Make those dreams a reality no matter how old you are.

Now on to costs. The prices were relatively the same across both. And prices generally vary depending on the time of the year. I would also recommend downloading the APP for any of the Disney parks that you visit. You are able to monitor all the rides, navigate the park easily and easily purchase fast passes if needed. Disney is not a cheap trip. Everything is overpriced in my opinion. From the food to the souvenirs, it is all overpriced. Shanghai Disney had a better variety of souvenirs. I had to have a serious talk with myself at Shanghai Disney, because I wanted to buy the whole store. Contrastingly, I left Hong Kong Disney with just one pin. I did see a Star Wars bag I liked but the price was not convincing me at all. And one thing to note is that as a person of color you will not see much of princess Tiana at the Shanghai Disney. We saw only one painting of her, while in Hong Kong we were able to see souvenirs and more images of her. Now, what you take from this point is really up to you.

Both parks gave me a different vibe and I had favorites from both. Shanghai had great parades and I definitely enjoyed the Tron ride the best. It was definitely worth the fast pass. In Hong Kong I enjoyed the Lion King show and Hyperspace Mountain. I must say Hyperspace was my overall favorite. I may be biased because I am a Star Wars fan and the ride was based on that theme. Just like the genuine happiness I felt watching the fireworks in Shanghai I felt that on Hyperspace Mountain. The Hong Kong park also has a lot of rides dedicated to the Avengers franchise unlike the Shanghai park.

If you’re thinking of making that trip to Disney, do it. This is something I will have to make happen for my kids in the future (if ever I have any). I can just imagine the joy a child feels being at Disney. So until next time stay tuned to see everything I ate while in Hong Kong.