The state of Hong Kong Disneyland

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

It opened as the smallest Disneyland with only a handfull of rides. The entire park took just a few hours to see and do. Everything was new and it semed like that saved it a bit from getting too much of a bad reputation. Reputation is really what stopped alot of persons to go there and see for themselfes how nice the park really was despite it´s lack of things to do.

Six years have past and Hong Kong Disneyland is not that very new anymore. Big changes are comming and that means there will be alot more new things in the park to look at.
But how about what is already in the park?

​When I walk around in Hong Kong Disneyland I tend to notice more and more things that are not the way they could be or have been. I don´t go looking for small faults. They look for me.

Flights Of Fantasy is already showing signs of wear and tear. Dumbo has cracks where the ears starts and white plastic is showing through and many of the ballons look dirty and alot older than they are. There are many rips and tears on the parade floats that seme a bit too obvious to not just paint over. The sound in the speakers on the streets is very bad in some places during the parade. Either the speakers have been damaged or the sound levels need some fine tuning. It simply sounds very bad in some parts of the park from certain speakers.


The Jungle Cruise has effects that only work from time to time at best.

The roof of Space Mountain needs attention. It looks alot worse when ones sees it in person. The signs of weather and wind go all the way around.


The Autopia cars are like a blast from the past. I got dirty after sitting in the car.


Another problem is the lack of entusiasm the CMs show the guest. Hong Kong Disneyland is the Disneypark where smiles only come from the guests. I´m not saying that no CMs ever smile, but most of them seme either very tired or unhappy. Many of them do not even try to be nice. When guests smile at them they turn away or simply stare back without moving a muscle in the face. They always seme busy with the problems of real life that haunt them at work.

The biggest problem in Hong Kong Disneyland are some of the mainlanders that get to act as if it was their park and as they don´t care at all about other guests. Some wellknown problems are linecutting, spitting and urinating wherever it semes fit. Disney´s reaction: NOTHING. It´s like Disney does not care that their park is being ruined by people that simply do as they feel. Disney let´s it happen.


The birds love Fantasyland and all other places where they serve food outside in Hong Kong Disneyland. A bird or three at times are ok. But when a restaurant is empty and there are birds all over the place all day is another thing. Disney shouldn´t be cheap and they should hire one more person to take out all the dishes.


This may all seme trivial. But it increases each year. Many small things build up to one big mess. They are not there yet. But I can see it comming if they don´t step up the keeping of the park.
I know that we are not in Japan where things always look as if they were new. But this is still a Disneyland.

More about HKDL: Timmy in Hong Kong Disneyland

[Witches of Morva]

ORWEN: Oh, Timmy! Are you sure that wasn't a clip from Alfred Hitchcock's movie, The Birds?

ORGOCH: Sure looked like that ta me!

ORDDU: Here in Morva it's bats that we have that same problem with. You have no idea what it's like inside our cottage attic each night when we try to go to bed in the midst of all the bats that fly around the room--keeping us awake at all hours of the night. But I digress...

[whaleatcoast]

The worst part of the FoF parade is the elephant animatronic on the Simba/Jungle Book float, its skin is tearing off due to the continuous movement. I don't know why they have to save money on these parts, like maintenance, to make an illusion that they are earning money. Although earning money can encourage the government approve the next round of the expansion, I think its not worth to do such things to destroy the image of Disneyland.

For the mainlanders, they could hardly be controlled by the cast members since that is a part of their culture, they think they have done nothing wrong on that.

[SirEdge]

I also noticed about two AAs not working on my last visit. The last Tigger in the Tigger sequence in the Pooh ride and the piranhas at the Jungle Cruise.

[Dagobert]

It will be interesting to see how these problems will turn out at Shanghai Disneyland, since it's on the mainland.

To all who have already visited cities in China, how are people behaving there in terms of urinating and spitting?

As for queue jumping, that also happened to us several times at WDW as well. I guess you find that at every themepark with the exception of Japan.

[Malin]

I'm very sad to read about the current situation Timmy. Back in 2008, on my first visit to the park. I felt the standard and quality of the park upkeep and Cast Members were just as high to what could be found at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Now it seems to be more closely matched to Disneyland Paris. Hoping the park will get its act into gear. Since I do not want the decline to drop any further. Especially with two new areas opening soon.

[keithlee83]

I want to see how wdi work with shanghai government and how can they facing large amount mainlanders inside the park! Beautiful shdl but the odd mainlanders

[ree523]

The biggest problem in Hong Kong Disneyland are some of the mainlanders that get to act as if it was their park and as they don´t care at all about other guests.
-> It's really difficult to control, as SOME of them indeed it's not small group of them and they are united , even you remind them not to do so, they may be reluctant to response; and similar situation do occurs in the MTR in Hong Kong. Hong Kong people just guess that after the opening of SHDL in 2015, the problem cease automatically, though that's may not mean a good thing.

[SirEdge]

It will be interesting to see how these problems will turn out at Shanghai Disneyland, since it's on the mainland.

To all who have already visited cities in China, how are people behaving there in terms of urinating and spitting?

As for queue jumping, that also happened to us several times at WDW as well. I guess you find that at every themepark with the exception of Japan.

I didn't see anyone urinate on the streets, since there seems to be a lot of toilets around Beijing. Spitting is prevalent.

[tloolgb]

To all who have already visited cities in China, how are people behaving there in terms of urinating and spitting?

Depends on the city. In a cosmopolitan city like Shanghai almost non-existant in most "city" areas. Spitting is still a habit among the older generation but that isn't worse than what you'd find in some cities in the states.

[lighttragic]

This is very sad... Other than the Tokyo Disney Resort who gets an A in my opinion and Disneyland Resort in California which for the most part gets a B to me in upkeep.
Why cant Disney get it act together with the other parks?

With Disney world the general consensus is that it has become years of declining while raising costs and hey what do tourists know.

But What is going on with the International parks that are basically half owned by Disney? Is it written in contract somewhere who takes care of maintenance costs and upkeep. I would think the Honus would actually fall less on disney here and more on the HKDL goverment. Disney may design all the attractions and help fund the projects however the day to day operations may fall on HKDL.

I hope as these two construction projects come to a close, HKDL willl show a little love to its park and fix these glaring issues and customer service issues.

[Dagobert]

Depends on the city. In a cosmopolitan city like Shanghai almost non-existant in most "city" areas. Spitting is still a habit among the older generation but that isn't worse than what you'd find in some cities in the states.

I expected it to be that way. I've never been to China or somewhere else in Asia, so I was very surprised to hear about such behaviour.

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

Looks like Mystic Point is in need for a small refurb aswell





Pics from HKMSG

[whaleatcoast]

Looks like Mystic Point is in need for a small refurb aswell





Pics from HKMSG

I think they will fix it right before the gate needs to be opened, because they still have to open and close frequently for the trucks going in and out.

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

From HKMSG: