When planning a trip anywhere, one of the first things you need to ask yourself is when to go. Things like weather and holidays can make or break your vacation. This is especially true when visiting the Disney Parks. Disney Parks are some of the most visited attractions on the planet, with millions of people strolling through their gates every year. This makes deciding on when to go crucial. In this post I will go into detail on the best times to visit Hong Kong Disneyland to make sure you have the most amazing time on your trip.

Now with that being said, you don’t need to stress as much about figuring out when to go to Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) compared to the other parks. Hong Kong Disneyland, while it has slowly increased in popularity due to additions like World of Frozen, is probably not busy for 75% of the year, with some obvious exceptions. As such, it doesn’t really need a crowd calendar as you’re probably good to go on most days. In fact, I would say that crowds aren’t the main factor you should consider when planning a trip to HKDL, which I will explain below. 

There are still some times of the year that are better than other times of the year, though. So in this post, we’re going to detail when the best times to go to Hong Kong Disneyland are, as well as when the worst times to visit are.

Click the following links to access my Hong Kong Disneyland Attraction and Ride Guide, my 1-Day HKDL Itinerary, my 2-Day HKDL Itinerary, and my posts explaining the Premier Access skip-the-line system and the Early Park Entry Pass.

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Why Hong Kong Disneyland Usually Has Low Crowds

There are a couple of reasons why HKDL has lower crowds compared to the other Disney resorts. HKDL’s attendance figures are about 40% of what they are in the other Disney Parks around the world. It’s ranked second to the last in attendance among all the Disney Parks, only beating out Walt Disney Studios Paris. 

One reason for this is its size. HKDL is the smallest of the castle parks and is one of the smallest Disney Theme Parks in the world. As such, they don’t really have the capacity to accommodate more guests, making HKDL relatively less crowded than other parks around the world.

This makes Hong Kong Disneyland completely different when compared to nearby Tokyo and Shanghai Disney. Those parks can see wait times reach up to 60 minutes for smaller attractions. In comparison, I have seen Frozen Ever After at HKDL, which is HKDL’s newest E-ticket, have a wait time of only 10 minutes. This is why a lot of people call HKDL the best “starter park” as it is easy to tour and you should be able to do everything you want to do on the day of your visit.

Another reason is that it faces stiff competition from nearby tourist attractions. Even though it is the most visited paid tourist attraction in Hong Kong, competition from nearby Ocean Park, Macau, and even Shanghai Disneyland has made it hard for Hong Kong Disneyland to garner a very high attendance number. It’s also lacking in infrastructure to make it a true destination, with no shopping and dining district to speak of to draw crowds to the resort. This causes most visitors to just tack on an extra day to visit the park when already visiting Hong Kong. 

It’s for these reasons also that HKDL is the easiest park to tour. While crowd patterns should still be considered when visiting HKDL, as you wouldn’t want to visit when the park is absolutely slammed, they aren’t the primary factor you need to consider. Let me explain what I mean below. 

The Biggest Factor You Should Consider When Planning Your HKDL Trip

Deciding when to visit Hong Kong Disneyland will come down to two factors. As mentioned, holidays and school breaks are the first factor you need to consider, but they are secondary to the main factor you should take into account when visiting Hong Kong Disneyland: the weather. 

Weather in Hong Kong can be brutal, especially in the summer months. From the months of June to September, you can expect not only intense heat and humidity, but also the possibility of typhoons. I have personally visited during this time and, while I encountered minimal rain when I was there, the heat was pretty horrendous. It felt like a blanket of warmth was enveloping you the entire day. We found ourselves bouncing from indoor ride to indoor ride just to escape the heat.

It really is an abysmal time to visit the park, so I would recommend you steer clear of these months to ensure you have the best experience possible in the park. The months of May and October can also be hot, but it won’t be as bad as the summer months. Meanwhile, the months of November to April are the best times to visit Hong Kong Disneyland weather-wise. 

Here’s the approximate temperatures for each month of the year:

Month Average High / Average Low

Celsius

January 18° / 14°

February 18° / 14°

March 21° / 17°

April 25° / 20°

May 28° / 24°

June 30° / 26°

July 31° / 27°

August 31° / 26°

September 30° / 25°

October 27° / 23°

November 23° / 19°

December 20° / 15°

 

Fahrenheit

January 65° / 57°

February 65° / 58°

March 70° / 62°

April 77° / 69°

May 83° / 75°

June 87° / 79°

July 88° / 80°

August 88° / 80°

September 86° / 78°

October 81° / 74°

November 74° / 66°

December 68° / 59°

Not every week from October to May can be considered the best times to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, however. Things like Christmas, Golden Week, and Lunar New Year can cause crowds to descend on the park. I’ve written recommendations for when to go to Hong Kong Disneyland and when not to go, with the hope that these recommendations can help guide you on when to plan your visit to the park. 

Worst Times to Visit Hong Kong Disneyland

We’re going to start with the worst times to go to HKDL so that you know upfront which times of the year you should avoid. I would highly discourage travel during these times of year.

Avoid Visiting in the Summer Months 

As mentioned in the previous section, the summer months of June to September are to be flat-out avoided. Weather wise, visiting during this time is terrible. It will be incredibly hot and humid, with the possibility of typhoons affecting park operations. 

It will also be crowded during this time as it is summer vacation for schools in Hong Kong and other nearby countries. So not only will it be unbearably hot, but it will also be packed to the gills with people. I visited on a weekend in 2023, and let me tell you it was not a fun time. Not only was it hot but every ride had a longer than normal wait.

While there are also reasons to visit in the summer, such as the summer celebration HKDL normally puts on during this period, the cons far outweigh the pros. The heat and crowds really take away from the experience, and I noticed many people being just uncomfortable in the heat. If you have to go to HKDL during this time, visit during June or September to avoid the height of the heat. But if you can, avoid these times. 

Avoid Visiting During Holidays

While secondary to weather, you still want to avoid Hong Kong Disneyland during holiday periods. HKDL doesn’t have that many high capacity rides, which means you could be looking at long waits for many attractions. Here are the times you should avoid. 

Avoid Hong Kong Holidays

Hong Kong Holidays like Chinese New Year, Easter, Labour Day, Establishment Day, National Day, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, and Christmas should be avoided as crowds tend to rise during these holidays and celebrations. For a complete list of holidays, visit the HK Government website. 

I would say the main ones to avoid would be Chinese New Year, Easter, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Christmas. Crowds during these periods can be even worse than those in summer, necessitating the use of Premier Access and Early Park Entry Passes to make the most of your visit. I have posts explaining the Premier Access system and the Early Park Entry Pass that should be helpful to you if you plan on visiting during these times. 

Avoid Mainland China Holidays

Mainland Chinese make up the bulk of outside-HK visitors. As such, it would be pertinent to avoid visiting during Mainland China holidays are crowds will descend on the park at these dates. You can find a list of holiday periods here, but generally you want to avoid Chinese New Year, the Qingming Festival, Labor Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, and National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Best Times to Visit Hong Kong Disneyland

Now we’re going to talk about the best times to visit Hong Kong Disneyland. In reality, there are more days when you can visit than there are days when you can’t. I’ve listed the prime HKDL visiting days below. 

Visit from Mid-October to Mid-December

Visiting in Mid-October from after the Mid-Autumn Festival until December before the week of Christmas is a great time to go to Hong Kong Disneyland. Temperatures should be beginning to cool down, although October may still be hot (although not as hot as June to September). Most tourists from Mainland China and surrounding regions would have visited during the Mid-Autumn festival or will visit during Christmas so the period in between both celebrations tends to be a slow time for the park.

The park would also be alive this time of year with the tail end of the Halloween celebrations and the beginning of the Christmas season at the parks taking place at this time. HKDL will be full of decorations, special experiences, and limited time shows that make visiting this time of year more enticing. 

It’s also worth noting that the week of American Thanksgiving falls in this period of the year. Hong Kong and Mainland China do not celebrate Thanksgiving, making this a prime time to visit the park for American tourists. If you’re thinking about visiting during this time of year, consider doing so at this time. 

Visit in January to May

Visiting from January to May is also a great time to go to HKDL. Just remember to avoid Holidays, particularly Chinese New Year and Easter, as the park tends to get busy at these times. But this time of year sees cooler temperatures generally (although temperatures start to increase substantially in May). 

HKDL usually celebrates Chinese New Year from Late January to Early February. However, as mentioned, I would not recommend visiting during this celebration as throngs of crowds will be making their way to the park. 

The period between Chinese New Year and Summer usually has some sort of special event happening to drum up crowds as this is usually the low season for the park. In the last few years, a Duffy and Friends celebration has taken place during these months. While popular, it doesn’t draw in as large a crowd as visiting during holidays does, so you should be fine to visit at this time. 

I would say Mid-February to April would be the best time to visit during this period. Crowds will be low and temperatures and humidity won’t be as high, making it an attractive time to visit as long as you avoid Easter Week.

Best Times to Visit Hong Kong Disneyland During the Week

While you may choose a good period of the year to go to Hong Kong Disneyland, you must now also consider which day of the week is the best time to visit Hong Kong Disneyland. I will explain to you which days of the week you should consider visiting and which days you should avoid. 

Avoid Weekends

It goes without saying but avoiding weekends whenever possible is the best way to go. While weekend crowds at HKDL won’t be as bad as weekend crowds at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, you will still find wait times to be higher than normal on the weekend. If you must visit on a weekend, I would suggest picking a Sunday over a Saturday. When I was at HKDL, Sunday seemed to be less crowded than Saturday, especially towards the end of the day. 

If Going During the Week, Avoid Mondays and Fridays

The next busiest days are usually Mondays and Fridays. Fridays tend to get busy, especially later in the day as a lot of passholders get out of work for the week. Mondays, on the other hand, are usually full of tourists visiting the park. Most people who start their vacations on the weekend usually add an extra day to visit the park on Monday, which is why crowds are relatively heavier on that day of the week. 

Best Time to Visit it Tuesday to Thursday

With that, the best time to visit HKDL would be Tuesday to Thursday, with Wednesday being the best day. Of course when a major holiday falls on these days, it’s best to avoid visiting the park on these days, but these days are generally the best days to visit Hong Kong Disneyland. 

This is also when things like Premier Access and hotel rooms at the three Disney hotels will also be at their cheapest. This makes it a prime time to stay at the resort. Couple this with visiting during the low season and you’ll encounter a Disney Park with very minimal crowds and low waits for every ride and attraction. 

My Recommendation and Conclusion

As mentioned, the best times to go to Hong Kong Disneyland would be on Tuesdays to Thursdays from Mid-October to Mid-December and from January to May, except Chinese New Year and Easter seasons. If you have to visit during a busy time, I do have 1-Day and 2-Day itineraries that can help guide you around the park so you can still do the major attractions while avoiding most of the long lines that come with visiting during these periods. 

I also have an HKDL Attraction and Ride Guide where you can learn about the different rides in HKDL so you can have a better idea of which rides you may want to experience, as well as some touring tips for when in your day you should ride these rides. 

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