Hong Kong Disneyland, located in Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island, an island it shares with the Ngong Ping 360 and the Hong Kong International Airport, has had a tumultuous history, to say the least. Opening with only 4 lands, 11 rides, and several years in the red, the park has since blossomed into Disney’s most underrated park, with a lineup of attractions that has earned Hong Kong Disneyland, called HKDL by fans, its place as a castle park. While still the smallest among the current castle parks, it packs a huge punch, recently elevated by its World of Frozen land that has been a hit among guests.
While many fans have viewed HKDL in a negative light until recently, I have always looked at the park fondly. Growing up in the bustling metropolis of Manila, Philippines, HKDL was the closest Disney park to where I lived and was also the park I frequented the most growing up. It was my first Disneyland experience way back in Halloween 2006, and one that I’m glad I had. HKDL is the perfect “starter park” in my opinion. It’s small enough that you can do it all in a day, has a couple of unique attractions, and allows you to learn how to navigate a disney park with minimal stress and planning. Even when drawing capacity crowds, it’s normal for rides like Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars to see less than 20 minute waits at the height of the day.
I have many fond memories tied to HKDL. I remember making a beeline for Space Mountain at the beginning of each park day, getting dazzled by the different special effects on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, feeling an adrenaline rush from witnessing the ending of the Jungle River Cruise, and seeing the park grow from being the ugly duckling of the Disney parks to being one of its crown jewels. HKDL isn’t perfect, however, and has a lot of growing up to do if it wants to reach the heights of the other castle parks (and hopefully Disney announces big things coming soon) but for what it is, it is worth flying all the way to Hong Kong for, at least in my opinion. That is mostly due to the new ride additions HKDL has added to its lineup over the years.
Starting with the now defunct Autopia in 2006 and continuing to the opening of World of Frozen in November 2023, HKDL probably leads the entire Disney Parks lineup in number of new expansions opened since the year 2000. HKDL has added not only 10 new rides since opening, almost doubling its attraction count, but has also added things like Paint the Night, Fairytale Forest, and its new Castle of Magical Dreams. HKDL fans have been blessed with so many new attractions and experiences, and I will always be proud to call it my favorite park and my home park, even though I live halfway around the world now.
Before June 2023, my last trip to the park was in 2016. Back then, the castle was still Sleeping Beauty Castle, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was still a thing, and Paint the Night was still running. Due to many factors, including the pandemic, it took 7 years for me to return to my home park. But I eventually did, catching myself up to speed with all the new developments the park added since 2016, including staying at the new Disney Explorers Lodge. In the time I was gone, they added 1 new ride (Iron Man Experience), rethemed another (Ant Man and the Wasp Nano Battle), and debuted the new castle with Momentous. I then visited the park again in January 2024 on the way back from a trip to New Zealand to check out World of Frozen and its two new attractions: Frozen Ever After and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs. Given that I’ve now experienced every attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland, I thought this would be the perfect time to write this and rank all the rides in HKDL.
Rankings like this are always difficult, because everyone experiences the stories of these attractions differently, and some attractions have clear advantages when it comes to making them “better”. For example, I don’t think anyone will disagree that Mystic Manor is a better attraction than the Main Street Vehicles, although the Main Street Vehicles still serve their purpose of bringing life and kinetic energy to the front of the park very well. I also have to define what a ride is, which I decided is something that moves a stationary human through a space.
I tried coming up with a criteria that I could use to objectively rank these attractions, but soon realized that even my objective standards can only be viewed subjectively. For example, one rubric was going to be how much a ride encapsulates and exemplifies its story and theme, but the determination of that could be very subjective as for some The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh could tell its story better than Mystic Manor, and for others it could be the opposite.
So I ultimately decided that I will be ranking these rides on the basis of how much they add to the identity of HKDL, how they are viewed by the public, how much they contribute to the story and theme of the land they’re in, how well they execute their story and theme, how groundbreaking (or not) they are, how they act operationally, and my own personal preference with regards to their quality. I want to stress again that all of these criteria are entirely SUBJECTIVE, and many of you aren’t going to agree with how I rank these ride, which, in my opinion, is great as it allows us to have a discussion of what we think are the best HKDL rides and attractions. So if you do disagree, please disagree kindly, and remember that at the end of the day this is just the opinion of some guy on the internet.
Without further ado, let the ranking commence!
20. Rafts to Tarzan’s Treehouse
If we were ranking this alongside the actual treehouse experience, this would be ranked a couple of places higher. Tarzan’s Treehouse in HKDL, for those of you who don’t know, is on an island in the middle of the Rivers of Adventure, the same river that the Jungle River Cruise boats motor down. It’s your standard treehouse attraction, but is elevated by the amazing views you can get of HKDL, the surrounding mountains, and even the HKDL hotels.
But we’re only ranking the rafts here, and more as a technicality because it technically moves you through space that you would otherwise not be able to move through without it. So strictly speaking, it is a ride, and is the weakest one in HKDL because of the fact that, aside from moving you across the Rivers of Adventure, it does nothing else. It barely provides kinetic energy to the land because of the short distance it travels, and if a Jungle River Cruise boat is coming it has to stop and let the boat pass, which can cause slight delays in the raft’s journey. It’s nicely themed for what it is, being made of wood so it simulates actually being on a raft, but as far as attractions go, this is undeniably the weakest ride in the park.
19. Main Street Vehicles
From one form of transportation to another, this ride manifests as three different vehicles that plow through Main Street USA. Similarly to the Rafts, these vehicles are well designed and are themed enough to fit the aesthetic of the land. At the end of the day, however, it’s still just a transportation option that is honestly slower than just walking down Main Street yourself. But they do provide a nice kinetic energy to the land, especially with the lack of street performers in Main Street USA. They’re integral to the overall theme of the land, which is why they rank higher than the rafts.
One downside of these vehicles is that after about 4 or 5pm, they stop running. Which is a shame because they would be nice to have at night. But I guess they don’t want a bunch of vehicles clogging up the main artery of the park right before Momentous. Another downside of these vehicles is, unlike Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, there are no horse drawn street carriages in the park, mostly because there is no track for them in HKDL, as the entirety of Main Street is covered in red brick, which to me actually makes the thoroughfare look better, but having a horse drawn streetcar elevates the vehicles for me, so lacking one does the opposite. So if you happen to be on one side of Main Street and want to kick your feet up for a while and relax, this is a good option for you. But like I said, it’s not groundbreaking in any way, and is even inferior to the ones found in other parks. For that reason, I rank it as number nineteen.
18. Mad Hatter Tea Cups
Now we’re getting to the rides that are actual rides in my opinion. And at the bottom of the “actual ride” barrel are the Mad Hatter Tea Cups. I don’t know if this is a hot take or not, but this is last on the list for a couple of reasons. First, it’s placement. It’s kind of awkwardly placed at the exit of Fantasy Gardens across from Clopin’s Festival of Foods. Its placement has always made me suspect that the imagineers knew they had to put a teacup style ride in the park but didn’t know where to put it and simply plopped it in an area of Fantasyland where it would fit. This would normally be fine because Disneyland’s Mad Tea Party has the same problem, but at least Disneyland’s version of the ride has the beautiful outdoor setting to set it apart from the rest of them. HKDL’s tea cups have a roof over them, which makes sense given HKDL is in a tropical country that frequently gets rain, but because of this it lacks the charm of Disneyland’s tea cups.
Second, I would argue that, among all the Tea Cup rides in the world, HKDL’s is the worst themed one. A couple of leaves peppering the area around the attraction and the lanterns hanging from the ceiling make it obvious that this attraction was part of the cheap HKDL original attraction lineup. Now here is where my personal preference comes in: I don’t like rides that spin. I always get dizzy on them and they make me feel sick most of the time. So this is a ride I’ll only go on if the wait is 5 minutes long or if I’m trying to do every ride at the park. But other than that, I don’t usually go on it. Similarly to the other two rides preceding it, it does provide some kinetic energy to the land, and I will admit that at night the ride does look a lot more beautiful and inviting than during the day. But at the end of the day, it’s a mildly themed spinner ride, and there are better spinner rides in the park in my opinion, which is why this is ranked the way it is.
17. Slinky Dog Spin
Our first Toy Story Land ride on the list, this surpasses Mad Hatter Tea Cups for me because of its queue. The queue is relatively well themed. Not as well themed as other rides like Mystic Manor or BGMRMC, but well-themed nonetheless. The attraction as a whole is nothing to write home about, as is drastically inferior to Slinky Dog Dash at Hollywood Studios. Similarly to Slinky Dog Dash, you ride inside Slinky Dog but, instead of a rollercoaster, Slinky Dog in this version just chases his tail around and around. It’s not exciting, to be honest. There are some dips and lifts to the ride and the music is cute, but that’s about it.
Among the three Toy Story Land rides, this one is the most forgettable. It doesn’t provide the views that Toy Soldier Parachute Drop does, and lacks the thrill of RC Racer, but Toy Story Land as a whole suffers from a myriad of problems. From cheap looking theming, having absolutely no shade, and lacking in any people eating or groundbreaking attractions, you can feel that this was added just to pad the ride count. None of the attractions here really resonate with me, and for a lot of reasons. They are all off-the-shelf rides that can be found in any other amusement park. Disney has built its reputation on making groundbreaking, immersive rides, and all of these rides are just more filler than anything else. What would really elevate this land is if they added a Toy Story Mania ride to it, or bring in a Toy Story dark ride of some sort. But for what it is, it’s the weakest land in the park. And Slinky is the weakest ride in the weakest land in the park, which is why it ranks so low.
16. Cinderella Carousel
Located in the heart of Fantasyland, this ride is your standard carousel. It does have some pretty murals of scenes from Cinderella dotting the upper portion of the base of the ride, and the music they play while you’re on it is pretty nostalgic, fits the pace of the ride well, and contributes well to its theming within Fantasyland. But other than that, like I said, it’s a standard carousel. To my knowledge there isn’t any special horse similar to Jingles over at Disneyland but, and I may be starting to sound like a broken record, situating a kinetic ride right by the entrance of Fantasyland is a good choice, one that’s been replicated around the world.
At this point you’re probably wondering why kinetic energy is such a big factor at Disney parks. It’s mainly due to the fact that these rides serve a purpose other than being your standard flat rides. The kinetic energy that comes from seeing these rides in action brings hustle and bustle to their respective lands. It gives your eyes something to look at, which helps these areas feel more alive with activity. The more alive with activity they feel, the more appealing and visually impressive they are to guests. Seeing things like Dumbo or Orbitron or the Carousel, even if they aren’t groundbreaking rides, add an extra layer of magic and theming to the lands they occupy. Cinderella Carousel does a good job of this. It anchors the whole Fantasyland so well and, on top of that, it’s a very nice tribute to one of Disney’s greatest animated movies. It also looks fantastic at night, and for me is a better experience when all the lights are on, but it is by no means unique. It doesn’t have anything special to it like Jessie’s Critter Carousel at DCA or the Fantasia Carousel at Shanghai. This is why I rank it towards the bottom of the list.
15. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
One of the two aerial spinners found in Hong Kong Disneyland, Dumbo is a classic and is the only ride that is located in all six Disney resorts around the world. This particular version of Dumbo is located next to Philharmagic, in front of the Fantasyland Train Station and Fairy Tale Forest. One of HKDL’s original attractions, this version of Dumbo is most similar to the version found in Disneyland. It doesn’t surpass Dumbo in Magic Kingdom, which has its two carousels and play area queue to elevate it above the rest, but it is definitely better than the Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris versions by virtue of the stunning views you get of the surrounding mountains and the castle.
If you’re keeping count, this is the fourth flat ride or spinner that’s been ranked, with one more incoming. If I’m being honest, Disney parks in general have too many flat rides or spinners in them. I don’t think Magic Kingdom, for example, needs an Astro Orbiter, Dumbo, and Magic Carpets in the same park. It could do without Magic Carpets, but I guess for capacity reasons they still keep that one. At the same time, they are necessary to the overall guest experience. Aside from upping the hourly capacity of the parks they’re in, spinners and flat rides provide a more engaging form of theming for the lands they’re in, and give young kids more things they can do given that a lot of major attractions have height requirements. Even though they aren’t the epitome of storytelling given that there’s only so much you can do story wise with a very simple ride system, they still add so much to the parks they’re in. Dumbo exemplifies this, allowing us to relive a classic Disney animated movie using a very simple ride system that just feels very Fantasyland, which is why it’s ranked above the other spinners on this list.
14. Toy Soldier Parachute Drop
My personal favorite ride in Toy Story Land, the Toy Soldier Parachute Drop is a fun attraction, even though it pales in comparison to its more extreme counterparts found in other resorts around the world. Painted different shades of camo green, it’s also a fairly simple ride. It takes you up…then down…then back up again…then back down again…and continues doing so about 4-5 times. During the construction of Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Manor, and World of Frozen, it provided great views of the construction. When the ride is at its peak, you can even see the HKDL hotels!
The queue is one of the more elaborately themed queues. Like the exterior, most of the things in the queue are painted different shades of green. Green Army Men populate the crew, and a screen informs you of the story: you’re gonna undertake some drills with the army men. Soon you’re whisked off into the ride area and your training gets underway. It’s a fairly simple concept, but is one that is sorely lacking from the other two Toy Story Land attractions that are happening “just because”. Even with the backstory, however, it ranks lower than the last Toy Story Land attraction on this list because of its horrible ride capacity. Only 30 riders can ride in a given cycle and since most of the time the single rider line for this attraction is closed, it means you’ll end up waiting a frustratingly long time as you see empty seats on the ride because they couldn’t fill them due to there being no single rider line. It’s an operational flaw that docks a few points from this ride. Once HKDL reinstates the single rider line, this should jump up a few spots.
13. Orbitron
Among all the “simple” flat rides and spinners in the park, this one takes the cake, and for a number of good reasons too. First of all, while you would normally ride a rocket like in Disneyland and Magic Kingdom’s Astro Orbiters, in Orbitron you ride in a flying saucer, which is a unique experience you can only do at Hong Kong Disneyland. Second, the central axis is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, central figures of any spinner anywhere. Its ginormous Blue and Black galaxy ball with the planets rising majestically from it is a pretty sight no matter where you are in Tomorrowland. Just like Dumbo, the views can’t be beat, and it’s one of the prettiest attractions to experience at night. The saucers themselves have little buttons that you can push to hear zany space sound effects, which adds another layer of fun to the ride. But the reason this ride excels is because of how it uses its story and concept to further the story of Tomorrowland.
Pre-Marvel Tomorrowland was themed not to tomorrow, but to a spaceport. All the attractions had you leaving on some intergalactic mission from the spaceport known as Tomorrowland. This was evident by attractions such as Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, and Orbitron. Orbitron’s story is fairly simple. You get on a UFO spaceship and travel around the cosmos, which are represented by the central galaxy ball and surrounding planets. But it’s a story and context that ties into and exemplifies the story of the greater land it’s in. I don’t think any other spinner contributes to the story of the land they’re in more than Orbitron, which is why it’s the highest ranked flat ride or spinner on this list, and rightfully so.
12. Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad
I think some of you may be shocked to find this at number 12, especially given that there’s one more Toy Story Land attraction that has yet to be ranked, but allow me to explain myself as to why I think this should be this low on this list. I personally think that, among all the railroads around the world, this one is the worst. It only has two stops, one in Main Street and the other in Fantasyland, and while the Main Street to Fantasyland leg is pretty cool, with there being a couple of animal statues and peeks into the Jungle River Cruise, the Fantasyland to Tomorrowland leg leaves much to be desired. And with the retheme of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters to Ant Man and the Wasp Nano Battle, the best section of the train, which was the Green Army Men scene, was removed and replaced by a generic Iron Man billboard.
This railroad also does not have the amazing Grand Canyon and Dinosaur dioramas. For about 90% of the journey, all you’re looking at is trees, which makes for a very uninteresting ride. I also don’t like that the cars face sideways, which makes sense for the other parks as all their rides and attractions are located within the berm. But at Hong Kong Disneyland, It’s a Small World and Iron Man Experience, along with Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, Toy Story Land, and World of Frozen, are all located outside the berm. I think it’s a missed opportunity that the cars don’t face forward so you can see into the other areas of the park. And there should really be a train station at Mystic Point given how inaccessible that part of the park is without it. In summary, the whole thing is a missed opportunity, but has a lot of potential.
11. RC Racer
So this may come as a surprise given what I said about Toy Story Land, and it might be a hot take given where I put it vis-a-vis the Train, but I did so for a few reasons. First off, the queue of RC Racer is a lot more fun than the queue for the railroad, especially the outdoor part where it feels like you’re walking down a hot wheels track. The big switch that’s on the building that moves whenever it “turns on” is also pretty unique. And the ride itself, even though its an off the shelf pirate ship ride, is very thrilling, which is something HKDL needed at the time.
Before RC Racer was built, HKDL only had one thrill ride: Space Mountain. The lack of thrill rides in the park contributed to the park’s poor image with the Hong Kong people. They saw the park as incomplete, leading them to go to Ocean Park instead. While public opinion has substantially changed in recent years, partly due to the triple Grizzly Gulch-Mystic Point-Toy Story Land expansion, the introduction of Marvel to the parks, the all-new World of Frozen and, perhaps most significantly, the new castle and nighttime spectacular Momentous, the roots of this change can be traced back to the opening of Toy Story Land and, specifically, RC Racer. With a new thrill ride to offer the public, coupled with the opening of Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars the year after, HKDL started to look like a legitimate destination for most people in Hong Kong and neighboring countries. It’s for that reason that it’s ranked higher than the railroad.
We are now in the Top 10! Here’s where it starts to get fun as, in my opinion, the remaining attractions on this list are the bread and butter of HKDL. They’re all the “good” rides, or at least the ones with more complex stories and themes. So without further ado, here is the top 10.
10. Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs
Our first entry in the top 10 takes us to the newest land of Hong Kong Disneyland. Now I know most people find this ride disappointing, and their criticisms of it are valid. It is on the short side, clocking in at around 35 seconds. Not only that, there aren’t really that many animatronics on it, save for the Sven and Olaf one at the beginning. I think people were expecting this to be the next Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, with indoor dark ride segments followed by some thrill element. So you’re probably wondering why, in spite of all of this, it still ranks in the top 10 in front of all the rides I previously ranked. Well that’s the case for a bunch of reasons.
The queue for this ride is fantastic. It’s probably a top five queue of the park. I know queues can’t replace the actual ride experience, but this queue, which takes you to Wandering Oaken’s shop and into the mountain the coaster moves through, is so full of detail and subtle storytelling elements that it’s hard to separate it from the ride itself. In particular, the little sketches of how Oaken was trying to get the coaster to work add a layer of storytelling that breathes new life into the coaster. Secondly, the views you get of World of Frozen are spectacular. It’s a perspective you can only see from the coaster, and one that I find breathtaking. Thirdly, this coaster brings a new family-thrill element to the park that it was sorely lacking. Disneyland and Magic Kingdom both have family coasters that allow young kids to experience a little thrill and take a small step towards tackling the bigger rollercoasters. This park, with Space Mountain, RC Racer, and Big Grizzly Mountain, was sorely lacking in that department, and thanks to Oaken’s it finally feels more complete as a park. Add to that that it’s a unique to Hong Kong attraction and the mountain it’s on makes World of Frozen feel more immersive and you’ve got a lot of solid reasons why this should be in the top 10.
9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle
Ant-Man is only this high up because it incorporates a story that is more layered than those of the attractions preceding it. I don’t feel comfortable ranking it any lower, but also don’t feel comfortable ranking it any higher. While it is innovative in some aspects, it’s also an incredibly flawed attraction. As a whole, I think it fails to tell its story in the best way possible and is a downgrade from Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.
Let’s start with the positives though: the shooting technology is a lot more improved here than in Buzz. I like the fact that the targets close whenever you hit them too much, forcing you to find new targets to hit. I miss getting to spin the car in any direction I want, but I understand why it was taken out. During the ride, you need to see the portion where you shrink and get bigger and, if you were allowed to move your car whenever, you could potentially miss that part of the story. So that’s not a problem for me. The queue is also incredibly detailed, and the story is actually exciting and engaging. How it ties into the story of the Iron Man Experience is pretty unique and having an overarching thread that connects rides has only been attempted twice before: with the Society of Explorers and Adventurers and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands. So it has everything that should make an attraction great.
What disappoints me, however, is how static this attraction is. It doesn’t have a single animatronic, instead relying on screens to tell its story. The only thing I remember from the attraction that moved was the big wheel in the middle of the attraction. It makes the whole thing feel so lifeless and boring. Contrast this with Buzz where there were multiple animatronics and moving set pieces that really told its story effectively. So while it has an engaging story, it fails in bringing that story to life. I firmly believe that screens shouldn’t be used in place of animatronics unless it’s trying to accomplish something animatronics can’t. So this misses the mark for me, and is only placed where it is because, like I said, it at least makes an attempt at being good.
8. Iron Man Experience
The second attraction found in Stark Expo at Tomorrowland, Iron Man Experience is a motion simulator similar to Star Tours. But unlike Star Tours, the scenes aren’t random and it follows the same story every single time. While technically impressive and a welcome addition to Hong Kong Disneyland, this ride is ranked relatively low on this list for a number of reasons. But just like Nano Battle, let me start with the positives of this ride.
Despite its flaws, it’s a very engaging experience. When you first leave Stark Expo and fly over Hong Kong Disneyland en route to the Stark Tower is a moment that will undoubtedly leave an impression. The whole storyline and action sequences are also very immersive and the ride system, although a bit antiquated, does its job of effectively communicating the story points of the attraction. The queue is also a stunner. Seeing all the models of the different stark ride vehicles and seeing the Iron Man suit were big highlights for a marvel fan like me. For Disney’s first foray into doing Marvel-based attractions, this was definitely a fun one.
That being said, like I mentioned, this ride also has its flaws. The ride system, although being able to communicate the story effectively, is not particularly innovative. It even takes a step back by not having randomized scenes like on Star Tours. I get that it’s difficult to have varying scenes when the storyline calls for the ride to take place in one time period and in one location, but varying action sequences would’ve helped this ride excel even more. But the biggest flaw of the ride, and the aforementioned Ant-Man and the Wasp ride, is how it ruins the thematic and story integrity of Tomorrowland. By setting a ride in modern day Hong Kong, it automatically makes the land dated, and ruins the whole “spaceport in space” theme of the land. This is the biggest reason why the ride isn’t high on this list. What it did to the story of Tomorrowland merits it being ranked below the other rides on this list. At least in my humble opinion.
7. Hyperspace Mountain
Ah, Space Mountain. When I had only been to HKDL, this was my favorite Disney ride in the entire world. Nevermind that the queue looks more like an airport terminal than a spaceship launching area. Nevermind that they replaced the excellent Michael Giacchino score with Star Wars music (still good but not as good). To me, it’s still an excellent ride, although not as excellent as it could be (I am heavily biased to the old version of it).
This ride would honestly rank in the top 3 if it were still the original version of Space Mountain. I’m glad I live in Los Angeles now and can experience the Michael Giacchino score here in Disneyland, but I really believe that is the superior version of Space Mountain, only being overshadowed by Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris. Hyperspace is great. The Star Wars projections and lasers that are present in that attraction add another layer to it. But just like the Marvel retheme of Buzz, this retheme should have been left on the drawing board if we knew it was going to be replacing the original version completely.
But other than that gripe, there are other things about it that make it a flawed experience now. The queue is probably the worst space mountain queue. It’s bland and, like I said, feels more like airport security than an immersive experience. I guess this would make it accurate to the original intention of the land as a spaceport, but just because something is thematically integrated, doesn’t mean it’s well designed, which is what can be said for most of HKDL 1.0. But for what it is, I still love this attraction, and it pains me to put it this low. I had to be as objective as possible, and objectively this belongs on this spot on this list.
6. Jungle River Cruise
Numbers 6 and 5 were probably the hardest for me to rank, and honestly these two rides are interchangeable, with the number 5 ride slightly edging out Jungle River Cruise, but just by a hair, and I’ll explain why in this section.
This ride is probably the best version of the Jungle Cruise anywhere. It may not have the backside of water or the indoor sections of Disneyland’s and Magic Kingdom’s versions respectively, but its natural setting among the jungles of Hong Kong, as well as that explosive finale, push it above the other versions.
The way that the Jungle Cruise circumnavigates the Rivers of Adventure brings kinetic energy to this land that is otherwise static. As the only ride in Adventureland too (because I normally wouldn’t count the Rafts as a ride), it has big shoes to fill, and it does so expertly.
All your favorite Jungle Cruise staples are there. The hippo pool, the piranhas, alligators, elephants, cobras, and even the headhunters still make an appearance here. And then the whole thing culminates in this finale that is literally explosive. You’re about to make your way back to the loading dock when a giant fountain of water suddenly blocks your path. Your boat then careens its way into the temple of the water and fire gods. At first, fire erupts everywhere, including in the water ala Fantasmic, and then a burst of water from the water god ceases the fire god’s rage, and you make your way back to the dock. It’s exciting, to say the least, and makes it the only Jungle Cruise variant to actually have a story climax.
There is one negative to this version of the Jungle Cruise, though, and that is the language barrier. HKDL recently eliminated the three-line system and now one ride through of the attraction is done in 3 languages. Doing so eliminates a lot of jokes that would have otherwise been heard in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. If there were boats entirely dedicated to the three languages, this would be number five easily. But the new version of the ride bumps this down to sixth place.
We’re now in the top 5! The upper echelon of HKDL attractions, if you will. So let’s finish strong!
5. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Coming in at number five is the attraction that made me a Disney fan. Yup, I mean it. It’s why I’m such a huge Disney nerd now. When I was 9 years old, everything in this attraction felt REAL. Some of the effects were jaw dropping for its time, like the levitating Pooh effect in the middle of the attraction. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that part of the reason I rank it so high is because of nostalgia, but I also truly believe that it is a well-built attraction that honors its source material, with great show scenes, eye-popping effects, and a story that stays faithful to the spirit of Winnie the Pooh.
It’s a very simple story, as it follows the cast of Winnie the Pooh on a day in the Hundred Acre Wood. Some people say the story doesn’t really flow from one scene to the next, but I think hidden within the structure of the ride is a narrative, or better yet an emotional, thread that ties everything together. A blustery day signifies to us that something catastrophic is afoot, complete with Owl’s house falling down as a warning for the next scenes of the ride. Tigger then takes us to Pooh, who falls asleep thinking of Heffalumps and Woozles. We think that that is the catastrophic threat, but then it’s revealed to be a flood instead. But all is well as the rain goes away and everyone gathers together to celebrate.
The effects in this ride are simple but effective. The way the Hunny Pot bounces and tilts like it’s floating are simple and yet add so much to the story. The flood scene, complete with rain and items seemingly “floating” in the water is a classic dark ride scene up there with flying over London in Peter Pan’s Flight (I know, that might be too much praise, but it’s just so spectacular in its simplicity). I know this attraction gets a bad rap for replacing Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and Country Bear Jamboree, but it’s a good ride, and one that should be on the top of your HKDL to-do list.
4. It’s a Small World
A classic and an icon, It’s a Small World is Disney at their best. Opening at HKDL in 2008, this ride needs no introduction. It’s known for its colorful scenes of dolls dressed up in different national costumes singing about world peace. It is a ride concept that was so innovative for its time, and it has aged incredibly well. I consider this one of Disney’s first “auteur” attractions as the style and look of the ride was heavily influenced by Mary Blair’s distinctive art style.
It’s a pretty simple concept, and it doesn’t really have a plot per se unlike other attractions. Rather, It’s a Small World works well because it has a thematic thread that weaves the entire attraction together. Getting into a boat and seeing scenes from different countries with dolls that look identical really brings home the message that, at the end of the day, there is more that connects us than divides us. It’s a powerful message, and one that is very relevant to today’s world. With the division and pessimism that drives a lot of our world today, it’s nice to be able to get on an attraction that celebrates the best of humanity with hope and optimism.
Now for the technical stuff: HKDL’s It’s a Small World is one of the best. It’s definitely better than Magic Kingdom’s version, and possibly Tokyo’s too. The only one I would say is better than it is Anaheim’s and maybe Paris’ on a good day. The sets are well-made, the dolls all work, the Disney characters are blended in seamlessly, the flume twists and turns enough to make it feel like you’re discovering new areas and that new areas are being gradually unveiled to you, and the final room is simple but spectacular.
I also appreciate that the queue is indoors, but it could use some more immersive theming. As it stands it’s just a bunch of switchbacks and walls with cutout designs. But the queue is my only gripe about this version of the attraction. The exterior is beautiful with its myriad of pastel colors, and the parade of dolls that run every quarter hour includes a unique doll only found at HKDL. The music is also sung in several new languages, including Tagalog, an inclusion I’m very happy about. All in all, this is one of HKDL’s crown jewels and deserves all the hype and praise it gets.
3. Frozen Ever After
HKDL’s newest E-ticket attraction, this Frozen Ever After is the much improved version of its sister counterpart at Epcot. With a simple story that takes place after the events of Frozen, Frozen Ever After brings us on a journey to the North Mountain on Summer Snow Day, the anniversary of the day Anna saved Elsa with a selfless act of true love. We meet Frozen characters who are singing iconic songs from the movie as we make our way to Elsa’s ice palace, where we encounter Anna and Elsa and are then sent down the north mountain in a drop that is steeper and more intense than the Epcot version. We end up back in Arendelle where we bid goodbye to Anna, Elsa, and Olaf.
This ride is HKDL’s first water flume ride, which is crazy considering how hot Hong Kong gets. I like how the story of the ride extends out into the land. Cast members of World of Frozen are all wearing Summer Snow Day ribbons to mark the occasion, which is a kind of story integration we haven’t seen in HKDL up to this point. The animatronics of Frozen Ever After are also the most advanced AAs to be introduced in the resort. They’re miles ahead of the projected faces in the Epcot version. This alone merits it being in the top 3 of this list, but one of the other things that lands it this high is its story.
It’s a fairly simple story, and some would argue that it’s a weak story because of the lack of tension and stakes, which is the same issue people have with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But it works for Frozen. Not every ride needs earth shattering stakes. Haunted Mansion doesn’t have high stakes too but everyone loves it. Frozen Ever After is a good ride because its execution of its plot is top tier. The animatronics, the music, the effects, the ride system, all of it blends perfectly to tell this story of celebrating Summer Snow Day.
The ride is also incredibly well themed. The queue is beautiful and gives the Mystic Manor queue a run for its money. Its environments are also incredibly immersive, with things like the troll area, the ice palace, and Arendelle being so well themed that you forget that you’re in the middle of Hong Kong. I also love how the ride system sends you backwards for a time, which makes for an interesting ride. All in all, it’s a beautiful attraction and fits perfectly in HKDL.
Now do I wish we had Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey instead of Frozen Ever After? Of course I do, but that doesn’t make Frozen Ever After a bad attraction. It accomplishes what it sets out to do and does it almost perfectly. I’m glad HKDL has it now, and I’m excited to ride it again when the time comes.
Read my full review of Frozen Ever After here!
2. Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars
HKDL’s best coaster, located in HKDL’s second (or third, depending on who you ask) best land, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars is a smashing success of a ride (despite the incredibly long name). It’s innovative, thrilling, immersive, and has the most adorable and mischievous cast of characters in the form of a family of 3 bears. It’s been one of my favorite rides since it opened in 2012, and has put Hong Kong Disneyland on the map.
From the moment you walk into the queue, you’re immersed in the story of this mining town that has struck gold. As you make your way to the ride area, you pass by mine shafts, miners offices, and other areas of the Big Grizzly Mining company. The queue sets you up perfectly for the adventure that lies ahead as you make your way to your mine car to begin your tour of Grizzly Gulch’s many mines.
Now of course, once you get in your vehicle, something goes horribly wrong (as with most theme park rides) and you’re sent down the wrong shaft after Papa bear scratches its back on the track switch lever (which makes me realize that this could have inspired the track switch element at the beginning of Runaway Railway). Suddenly your mine car is sent careening down a dangerous section of track.
You then reach Big Grizzly Mountain and, right when you get to the top and think that you’re safe, one of the bears has chewed on the rope that’s pulling you up, snapping it and sending you back down the mountain backwards. You then enter a mining cave and Mama Bear and Baby Bear accidentally light up some TNT, launching you out of that tunnel as you make your way back to the loading area.
It’s a simple story, but just like Frozen, it works well because of its execution. It’s a thrilling attraction, even though the backwards portion feels a little tame. The launch is great, however, and everything about it is just so fun. I like that they included animatronics in this ride, and these animatronics are more advanced than those of the critters on Big Thunder Mountains around the world. I also love how it shapes the area. Grizzly Gulch was basically designed around the coaster, with its geysers, buildings, and rock formations all contributing greatly to the ride’s theming. It’s probably second only to Mystic Manor in terms of how beautiful the theming is. The geysers alone give it that distinction.
I also appreciate that this is an original story not found in any other park. It represents a (sadly) seemingly bygone era of imagineering when they focused on creating original attractions for the parks. I hope that they return to making original stories one day, as rides like this showcase just how creative imagineering can be.
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The number one attraction in HKDL is…
1. Mystic Manor
The undisputed king of Hong Kong Disneyland! The most innovative, engrossing, immersive, captivating, and rewarding experience in the entire park. It’s been the envy of Disney fans everywhere, and an example that, if they really put their heads together, imagineering can still create unique, amazing experiences.
Meant to be HKDL’s Haunted Mansion, Mystic Manor and Mystic Point were created after it was decided that they couldn’t use a mansion filled with ghosts in an attraction because of Chinese views on ghosts and the afterlife. So instead, imagineering crafted an entirely original story, one that centers on what is probably the cutest original Disney Parks character ever created (sorry Orange Bird, Figment, and Chandu).
From the moment you step into Mystic Point, the manor towers over you, imposing but welcoming. Its eclectic style matches the eccentricity of its owner: Lord Henry Mystic. A collector and member of SEA, you will see some of the artifacts that he’s collected when you step into the queue. You also see how he met Albert through a series of drawings which depict Henry Mystic saving Albert from a giant spider. You also get to see an amazing model of Mystic Point in the queue.
You’re then ushered into the pre-show room where you first meet Albert in his animatronic form. Henry Mystic introduces you to the newest acquisition to his collection: an ancient Balinese music box that supposedly has the power to bring inanimate objects to life. After exiting the pre-show room, you’re taken to the loading area of the Mystic-Magneto Electric Carriage, and soon enough you’re ushered into the acquisitions room to see the music box. Of course, mischievous Albert opens the music box, and soon all mayhem breaks loose throughout the house.
As you go from room to room, the inanimate objects all come to life. From musical instruments to suits of armor to murals, paintings, tikis, and mummies, the whole manor comes to life in fun and engaging ways. Albert is our guide through all of this as we see him try to dodge and survive each thing that’s thrown his way. As we go along, the dangers get more dangerous and the stakes get higher, culminating in the Chinese salon where a monkey statue comes to life and throws a lightning bolt at Albert, causing the walls to fly away. We see Albert get a hold of the music box and, when he finally closes it, we’re back in the acquisitions room again. Albert, tattered and beat up, is checked on by Lord Henry Mystic, who warns us that the legend just might be true. Albert then bids us goodbye and we exit the ride.
The attraction is so beloved because of its innovative technology, which includes a state of the art music dust effect that takes over the exhibits and looks especially impressive in the last room. The attraction is also full of wonderfully funny sight gags and effects that will leave you blown away. From a mummy that freaks out when scarabs are released to tiki gods who blow darts at an unsuspecting Albert, all the show scenes of this attraction were made with so much thought and care. Albert is an appealing protagonist, and we’re able to root for him very easily. The rooms are beautifully designed and maximize the space that they’re in. Mystic Manor is also, along with probably Rise of the Resistance, the best use of the trackless ride system anywhere. It also has a clear moral and lesson, as Albert learns that action shave consequences.
Its worldwide popularity, just like Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, is a testament to the creativity of Imagineers. It shows that, with the right tools and a clear opportunity, imagineering can still make spectacles that dazzle us for years on end. This ride was made during the transition period when imagineering started focusing on IP based rides, and while those can still be great, there’s something to be said of the storytelling possibilities of rides like Mystic Manor or Journey into Imagination that are stories that can only be told by the theme park artistic medium.
This has been a worldwide theme park staple, and will continue to be for many years to come. I can’t wait for more guests to experience Mystic Manor, a true pinnacle of Walt Disney Imagineering’s pantheon.
Now of course, my hope is that one day, there will be a ride in HKDL’s future that surpasses Mystic Manor. Disneylands wasn’t meant to be complete, as Walt said, and I can’t wait to see how the park grows and changes in the years to come. As I’m typing this, it was just revealed a few days ago at D23 that a Spiderman attraction similar to Tower of Terror is coming to HKDL. I can’t wait to see that and anything else Imagineers are cooking up for HKDL in the future.