Hong Kong Disneyland vs Shanghai Disneyland: Which to Visit in 2026

Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) and Shanghai Disneyland (SHDL) are Disney’s two newest resorts. Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened in 2005, was Disney’s first foray into China. Then, in 2016, Shanghai Disneyland entered the Disney Parks pantheon. Each resort has its own distinct identity, with its own unique set of attractions, entertainment, hotels, restaurants, and more. I personally adore both of these resorts. Hong Kong Disneyland was my home park for most of my life, and I’ve been lucky enough to go on multiple trips to Shanghai Disneyland. The question becomes, however, which of the two should you visit? Well, that’s what this Hong Kong Disneyland vs. Shanghai Disneyland comparison post is all about!

In this article I am going to compare and contrast both resorts and dissect what each resort’s strengths and weaknesses are. At the end, I will give a recommendation as to what kind of visitor will enjoy each park. Rather than give a blanket “This resort is better” recommendation, I will segment my recommendations by the kind of traveler you are. For example, one park is bound to be better for your first Asian Disney Park experience while the other is more suited for seasoned international travelers. Just something to keep in mind as you read through this.

Let’s begin!

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Table of Contents

Location & Weather

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland’s location is probably the best location of any Disney Park. The resort is hugged on two sides by stunning mountains and by the sea on the other two sides, making the entire resort feel like you’ve just stepped into another world. Being surrounded by tropical jungle, mountains, and the sea makes this location the most beautiful Disney Parks location in the world.

Because of this, Hong Kong Disneyland is probably second only to Walt Disney World in terms of how immersive its “Disney Bubble” is. If you don’t know what the Disney bubble is, it’s the feeling or state of being completely immersed in a Disney resort that you can completely shut out the outside world. In HKDL, this is mostly accomplished due to its location, being surrounded by nature makes the resort feel like its on its own island, perfect for those who want to be completely immersed in the Disney vibe.

That being said, Hong Kong Disneyland is basically unvisitable for 4-5 months of the year due to its extreme weather in the summertime. Temperatures climb to above 39 degrees Celsius or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, plus not only is it extremely humid but it also often rains. Because of this, I would only recommend visiting Hong Kong Disneyland from late September to mid May. Going from mid May to late September will require you to find ways to keep cool while you visit the parks or keep dry when the rains descend on the park.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland’s location is nothing to write home about. It’s a little far from the city, but is relatively close to the airport. It’s located quite a ways inland from the shore, and unlike Hong Kong is missing dramatic features like mountains or jungle that separate it from the city it’s in. I would actually say that it’s similar to Tokyo and Anaheim in that its location is so close to the outside world. Its only benefit, however, is that it’s so large that you don’t necessarily feel like that’s the case.

Shanghai Disneyland’s Disney bubble is probably in between Tokyo’s and Paris’. It’s not the most immersive bubble, but because of the size of the resort, you can still get that feeling that you’re away from the rest of the world. Shanghai Disneyland has a number of non-Disney hotels and other establishments near its borders, so in a way it’s similar to Disneyland in Anaheim. But while you’re in the resort, you wouldn’t think that the outside world is just a short drive or walk away.

Shanghai Disneyland has a wider range of weather than Hong Kong Disneyland. It can get very cold in the winter, and while the summer isn’t as bad as HKDL’s, it can still reach the same highs as HKDL. I would say, overall, the weather in Shanghai is better than the weather in Hong Kong, although its rainy season is still very rainy also.

Transportation to Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland

There are many different ways to get to the Hong Kong Disneyland resort from around Hong Kong. The main three ways are taking a taxi, bus, or MTR, which is Hong Kong’s version of the subway. A taxi is the quickest and most straightforward way of getting to the resort from the airport. The airport is only 15 minutes away from the resort by taxi, and makes the most sense especially considering you have to change lines twice to get to HKDL from the airport via MTR.

Using the MTR might be more convenient if you’re coming from Downtown Hong Kong. Hong Kong Disneyland has its own dedicated train line, with Disney themed trains that immerse you in the magic as soon as you step inside them. The train station at Hong Kong Disneyland is also incredibly beautiful. It has a Victorian elegance to it, and it’s located a short 5 minute walk away from the park. Also, while I’ve never taken the bus, HKDL has a large bus terminal called the Public Transport Interchange that is located next to the MTR station.

However, just like Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland is a little far from the rest of Hong Kong. It could take you as long as an hour to get from HKDL to Downtown Hong Kong by MTR, as well as over 45 minutes if using a taxi. Having Hong Kong Disneyland be your base for exploring Hong Kong might not be ideal, and you should probably transfer to a hotel in the city to make your trip a little more convenient.

If you’d like more info on how to get to Hong Kong Disneyland, read my How to Get to Hong Kong Disneyland article

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland is similarly connected like Hong Kong Disneyland. You can get to the resort by Metro, Taxi, Bus, or Rideshare. Just like HKDL, they also have a dedicated metro stop. Shanghai Disneyland is located on line 11 of the Shanghai Metro. While it doesn’t have a dedicated line like Hong Kong Disneyland, being located right on a metro line means that you potentially don’t have to transfer lines when commuting to Shanghai Disneyland, which is a big plus. However, the station doesn’t look as nice as the HKDL train station.

You can also reach Shanghai Disneyland by taxi and by Didi, China’s version of Uber. It’s about 20-25 minutes away from Pudong airport and about 30-45 minutes away from Downtown Shanghai. Just like Hong Kong Disneyland, it’s a bit isolated from downtown Shanghai. It will take you a little while to get to Shanghai Disneyland from the Bund, for example.

I would also like to warn you that, if you plan on taking a Didi to the park, the walk from the Didi drop off to the park is a lot farther than the walk from the Public Transport Interchange to HKDL. It requires you to walk down a long, elevated walkway, walk past DisneyTown, before finally ending up at the park entrance. Which only means you’ll have to walk it all back, some of it on an incline, to get back to the Didi drop off, which can be brutal after a long park day.

Hotels

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland has three onsite hotels: The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Disney Explorer’s Lodge, and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. They’re all located on the same street on the south side of the resort. I won’t be doing a full in-depth description of each hotel, but I will say, however, that I think Hong Kong Disneyland has better hotel options as compared to Shanghai Disney Resort.

Hong Kong Disneyland’s hotels all have incredible themes and architectural styles that make them eye-catching and beautiful. They’re not the most unique themes, as each hotel’s theme can be found in another Disney Resort hotel, but the execution of said themes is superb. This is especially evident in the grounds of each hotel, which have impeccable themed landscaping that immerses you into the theme of each hotel.

The rooms at the Hong Kong Disneyland hotels are on par with the rooms in the two Shanghai Disneyland hotels. This is especially true of the Hollywood Hotel rooms, which have an either Marvel or Mickey and Friends theme. The Explorer’s Lodge rooms, while being a bit understated, are the most spacious of any hotel across both resorts.

The dining options at the hotels are also fantastic, although they’re not as varied as the Shanghai Disneyland Hotels. There’s only 1 quick service restaurant across all 3 hotels (Chart Room Cafe located in Disney Explorer’s Lodge) so your options for on-the-go meals are pretty slim. However, there is one character buffet restaurant in every single hotel, as well as a lounge or secondary restaurant or, in the case of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, two secondary restaurants. Some of them are even themed, such as The Archivist at Hollywood Hotel that is themed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So you may be wondering, if the dining options in Shanghai are better and the rooms are comparable, why is Hong Kong the better resort for hotels. Well, that’s because of two interconnected reasons: amenities and activities. There’s just simply more to do at the Hong Kong Disneyland hotels. While the Shanghai Disneyland hotels don’t really have much in terms of activities and amenities, the HKDL hotels are chock full of things to do.

For example, all three hotels have their own pools, the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel has drawing classes and scavenger hunts, the Hollywood Hotel has an arcade, and the Explorer’s Lodge has pedaled go-karts for kids. There are also a bunch of classes, workshops, and events that take place in the three hotels every day, and as a hotel guest of one of the hotels you can participate in all events at every hotel.

If you’d like more info on Hong Kong Disneyland hotels, read my Hong Kong Disneyland Hotels Comparison article. You can also read my Disney Explorer’s Lodge and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel articles.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland has two hotels presently: the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel. They are located quite a ways apart from one another, with the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel being located across the Wishing Star Lake from Shanghai Disneyland, with the Toy Story Hotel being located on the west side of the resort. This means hopping between both hotels is next to impossible without walking a far distance.

The themes of the hotels are pretty unique. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel has an early 20th century Art Nouveau theme, while the Toy Story Hotel is of course themed to the hit Pixar franchise. The Art Nouveau theme of the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is unique among the Disney Parks, while the Toy Story Hotel was subsequently copied over at Tokyo Disney Resort. This makes the Shanghai Disneyland hotels have an overall more unique aesthetic than the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels.

As mentioned, the Shanghai Disney Resort hotels have rooms that are on par with the rooms over at Hong Kong Disneyland. The Toy Story Hotel rooms may just have the most detailed hotel rooms of any hotel across both resorts, and the Disney touches present in the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel rooms give it a sort of whimsy that works very well for the theme of that hotel.

The dining options at the Shanghai Disney Resort hotels are more varied than the Hong Kong Disneyland hotels. Both Shanghai Disney Resort hotels have a quick service option and a character dining buffet option, with the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel even having an upscale restaurant and a lounge to boot. It wins the dining battle based on those offerings alone.

However, while there are some activities and amenities you can enjoy in the Shanghai Disney Resort hotels, they pale in comparison to those at the HKDL hotels. The Toy Story Hotel lacks a pool altogether, instead having a water play area. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel has a pool, but it’s indoors and does not include a water slide. The two hotels also only have a couple of activities for guests to do. Overall, there’s just less to do at these two hotels.

If we’re taking the hotel experience as a whole and looking at which resort provides the most complete, varied, and high quality offerings, then there’s no question that the Hong Kong Disneyland hotels do this more than the Shanghai hotels. Whether this will continue to be the case after the two planned hotels open at Shanghai Disney Resort remains to be seen.

Size of Resort and Park

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is the smaller of the two resorts. While this may seem like a bad thing, you’ll find out in the case of Shanghai Disneyland that sometimes bigger is not always better. Even though Shanghai Disneyland feels like it’s twice the size of Hong Kong Disneyland, they actually have the same number of rides. Hong Kong Disneyland, which is more compact, is easier to navigate and get your bearings in than Shanghai Disneyland.

The whole resort consists of Hong Kong Disneyland, the three Disney resort hotels, Inspiration Lake Recreation Center, the Public Transport Interchange, the MTR station, and Park Promenade. Its compact size and easy-to-understand layout makes it easy for guests to navigate the resort, and for me is the biggest reason why I recommend HKDL for Disney Parks newbies.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland is, of course, the larger of the two resorts. It’s so big that it takes 25 minutes to walk from one side of the park to the other. This makes it a little challenging to navigate as you’ll always have to cross long distances to get anywhere in the park and, by extension, the resort. As mentioned as well, its size doesn’t mean it has more to offer, with the number of rides, hotels, and restaurants being at par or lower than Hong Kong Disneyland.

The whole resort consists of Shanghai Disneyland, the two (soon to be three) resort hotels, the Wishing Star Lake and Wishing Star Park, the Disneytown Dining and Shopping district, the subway station, a huge car park and coach park, and a walkway that connects all of these things together. It’s a sprawling area that can seem quite intimidating the first time you visit the resort. You’ll definitely have to be more conscious of the time at this resort, for what looks close by on the map may actually be a 10-15 minute walk in reality.

Transportation Around the Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland offers shuttle buses that take you from each of the three Hong Kong Disneyland hotels to the Public Transport Interchange, which is a 5 minute walk away from the park. These buses arrive pretty frequently and operate regularly from 6am to 1am and on a reduced schedule from 1am to 6am. Along Park Promenade near the Public Transport Interchange is the MTR station as well.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland offers shuttle buses for Shanghai Disneyland Hotel guests and Toy Story Hotel guests. These shuttle buses drop you off at the West Public Transportation Hub, after which it’s just a short walk to the park turnstiles. Water taxis are also available for Shanghai Disneyland Hotel guests only, going from the hotel to a dock near the entrance gates of Disneyland. Just like HKDL, there is a metro station on the east side of the resort.

I wouldn’t say either resort has better transportation over the other. The addition of the water taxi is a great option for Shanghai Disneyland Hotel guests, but the Hong Kong Disneyland shuttles are more efficient and outnumber the Shanghai Disneyland shuttles. Overall, no resort has “the edge” in this particular category.

Shopping and Dining District in Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland has no shopping or dining district. It is the only Disney resort not to have one, and its lack of an offering like this brings it down a few notches in my opinion. A shopping and dining district gives guests more options for things to do at the resort, and without it the resort feels a lot more lifeless. This is the single biggest aspect of HKDL that works against the park and its overall impact on the guest experience.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland not only has a shopping and dining district called Disneytown, but they’re currently working on expanding it. It has its own entrance into the park from the north end of the district, as well as a plethora of shops and restaurants. There is a World of Disney here, as well as a Cheesecake Factory, a Pop Mart, a Starbucks, and a Lego Store, as well as a Donald Duck themed restaurant.

While it may not be the biggest shopping and dining district in the Disney lineup, it’s definitely one of the more aesthetically pleasing ones. The shops and restaurants are all laid out in a way that is easy to navigate, plus the fact that it’s going to be expanded is always a good sign. I can’t wait for more of Disneytown to be unveiled in the future, and I’m excited for the future of this area of the resort.

Rides and Attractions

Hong Kong Disneyland

Now we’re getting into the fun stuff. When it comes to rides, I think there’s only one way to describe the quality of both Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland’s rides: the average quality of the rides is higher in Shanghai Disneyland, but the top 2 rides across both parks are located in Hong Kong Disneyland.

Hong Kong Disneyland has some incredibly stellar rides. The best ride across both parks has to be Mystic Manor, while the second best ride and best coaster across both parks has to be Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars.

The story of Mystic Manor revolves around this eccentric collector named Lord Henry Mystic and his monkey sidekick Albert. One day, Lord Henry brings back to his manor an ancient music box that supposedly has the power to bring inanimate objects to life. Albert, being curious, opens the music box and everything in the house comes alive. What follows is an adventure through Henry Mystic’s collection as Albert tries to get everything under control. It’s a fantastic ride with amazing effects and a captivating story, and is in contention for best Disney ride in the world.

Big Grizzly Runaway Mine Cars is, in my opinion, the best Disney coaster in the world. Best described as a mix between Expedition Everest and Big Thunder Mountain, this coaster has you going through the mines of Big Grizzly Mountain, that is until your trip is sidetracked by a family of bears. This coaster will have you going forwards, backwards, and has a launch that will knock your socks off. It’s everything you could want in a coaster and more, and for that reason I think it’s the best of the best.

We also can’t forget about Frozen Ever After. This Frozen-themed boat ride takes you from the village of Arendelle to Elsa’s Ice Palace on a musical journey that will have you humming the Frozen songs for the rest of the day. Featuring stunning animatronics and a very steep and thrilling drop, Frozen Ever After has cemented itself as one of the park’s best attractions.

Hong Kong Disneyland also has some great secondary rides. It’s A Small World, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the Jungle River Cruise, Hyperspace Mountain, Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle, and the Iron Man Experience are all top notch. Sprinkle in the flat rides such as Cinderella Carousel, RC Racer, and Toy Soldier Parachute Drop and you have a solid group of attractions.

But the reason why I don’t rate HKDL as having the better set of rides across both parks is because the secondary rides in HKDL fall short of the secondary rides at Shanghai Disneyland. I’ll explain what I mean by this in the Shanghai section, but I just feel like the overall quality of rides in Shanghai Disneyland is higher.

If you’d like more info on Hong Kong Disneyland rides, read my Hong Kong Disneyland ride ranking or Hong Kong Disneyland attraction ratings articles.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland may not have the top 2 rides between the two parks, but it definitely has number 3…and 4…and 5…and maybe even 6. Shanghai Disneyland also has the better version of rides among the two parks. Most people would actually heavily disagree with the way I’ve piecemealed this section of the article, because to most people, the best ride among these two parks is in Shanghai.

Of course I’m talking about Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. I will admit, this ride took my breath away the first time I rode it, and it continues to do just that with each subsequent ride. It’s a technological masterpiece, but there are some reasons why I don’t rank it above Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars. It’s over-reliance on screens and its relatively small number of animatronics being the biggest two. But make no mistake, this is still a massive achievement of theme park design, and it is no surprise that it is in people’s top spot when comparing the two parks.

Another standout attraction is Zootopia: Hot Pursuit. This trackless dark ride takes you into the world of Zootopia on a high-speed police chase as you try to rescue pop singer Gazelle after she’s kidnapped by escaped convict and Zootopia villain Bellwether. It’s fun, has some cool animatronics, and has some amazing, well integrated screen moments. It’s the second best ride in the park, and it’s not even close.

Then of course we have to talk about Tron Lightcycle Power Run, a rollercoaster that has you sitting on the back of a lightcycle as you twist and turn your way through the world of Tron. Another highlight of the park for me is Roaring Rapids, the park’s only original, non-IP based attraction. In this ride, you head deep into the Roaring Mountain in order to encounter Q’araq, one of the most impressive animatronics ever made by Disney. Be warned: you may get wet.

Of course, the secondary rides at the park are no slouch either. Rides like Soaring Over the Horizon, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue, and Jet Packs are all fun experiences that add so much to the Disney magic in the park.

I will say something about Shanghai Disneyland as a lifelong HKDL fan: Shanghai Disneyland’s rides are better in quality overall than the HKDL rides. It might be because they’re newer so they can use more up to date technology, but the quality of even the rides at the bottom of the Shanghai Disneyland ride hierarchy are amazing.

Jet Packs may just be the best spinner ride in any Disney Park. Peter Pan’s Flight is best at Shanghai Disneyland. Of course I’ve gone on about Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, but there’s also Roaring Rapids and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, both of which are amazing rides only found at SHDL. Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue is the most unique Buzz shooter ride. Hunny Pot Spin might be the best teacup-style ride in a Disney Park. This is why I think HKDL and SHDL tie in terms of rides. Both have unique and one of a kind experiences you can’t find anywhere else, and both should be celebrated for that.

If you’d like more info on Shanghai Disneyland rides, read my Shanghai Disneyland ride ranking or Shanghai Disneyland attraction ratings articles.

Entertainment

Hong Kong Disneyland

Unlike rides, where the winner between the two parks wasn’t necessarily clear, there is a clear winner between both parks when it comes to entertainment: Hong Kong Disneyland. The entertainment at Hong Kong Disneyland is leaps and bounds better than Shanghai Disneyland. Let me explain why I think so.

I think the entertainment at HKDL is better mostly because, if we match up each kind of entertainment against one another in both parks, HKDL wins most of the match ups. HKDL has better stage shows, parades, fireworks, and streetmosphere entertainment. The only kind of entertainment that Shanghai Disneyland beats Hong Kong Disneyland at is the castle stage show.

Hong Kong Disneyland has four (that’s right, four) stage shows. And that number is soon to become five. They’re not all of the same quality, but I would say that they’re all good. The two highlights are Festival of the Lion King, which I think is the best Lion King show existing in a Disney theme park, and Mickey and the Wondrous Book, which to date is the best Disney theme park stage show I’ve seen. Add Moana: A Homecoming Adventure and Playhouse in the Woods and you have a solid entertainment lineup.

Hong Kong Disneyland’s parade is also excellent. Friendtastic features 11 floats representing different Disney movies with an overarching theme revolving around friendship. You have Zootopia, Big Hero 6, Inside Out, Encanto, and even Duffy and Friends. The Encanto float in particular may be the best float in any Disney daytime parade right now. The real stars of the parade, however, are the performers and music, who fully round out the friendship theme of the parade.

Of course, we can’t talk about entertainment and not talk about Hong Kong Disneyland’s nighttime spectacular. Momentous is the best nighttime spectacular currently existing in the world right now. The show revolves around the concept of time and marks every stage of life from birth to death using Disney songs. It’s an original concept, and one that makes for an incredibly moving nighttime spectacular. Everything from the music to the projections to the fire effects comes together to create a one-of-a-kind show.

While there’s no question that the best entertainment among the two parks is found at Hong Kong Disneyland, the entertainment at Shanghai Disneyland is no slouch either by any means. Let me get into why I think the entertainment at Shanghai Disneyland is amazing as well, even if it isn’t quite up to par with the HKDL entertainment.

If you’d like more info on Hong Kong Disneyland entertainment, read my Hong Kong Disneyland entertainment ranking article.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland has its fair share of entertainment options as well. It has three stage shows, a castle stage show, a nighttime spectacular, and a daytime parade. All of their entertainment offerings are good, but with the exception of the castle stage show, none of them reach the heights of their counterparts at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Shanghai Disneyland has a good mix of stage shows, including a clone from Hong Kong Disneyland. Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration, Eye of the Storm Stunt Spectacular, and Mickey’s Storybook Adventure. Frozen is a fine show but far from being a must-see, Eye of the Storm is entertaining but has a confusing narrative and really only has 1 stunt in a supposed stunt spectacular, and Mickey’s Storybook Adventure is a (weaker) clone of Mickey and the Wondrous Book. Still good shows, but they’re lacking in substance in my opinion. It also doesn’t help that I didn’t understand the dialogue of these shows.

Shanghai Disneyland’s current daytime parade has been the only permanent daytime parade in the park’s history. Mickey’s Storybook Express is a train-themed parade that, while it got a new Zootopia float as part of the park’s 10th anniversary celebrations, is starting to show its age. I still like the parade and its music, but it’s a far cry from Hong Kong Disneyland’s Friendtastic parade.

One of two areas where I think Shanghai Disneyland excels is their nighttime spectacular. ILLUMINATE is a great nighttime spectacular. It revolves around the idea that there is a light inside each of us that propels us towards our hopes and dreams, and while life may throw difficulties in our way, we must do what we can to protect our light. Featuring sections themed to Moana, Wish, and the best Marvel section of any Disney nighttime spectacular, ILLUMINATE is an amazing show. It doesn’t reach the heights of Momentous, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I would highly recommend seeing this show on your visit.

But the one offering at Shanghai Disneyland that beats Hong Kong Disneyland by a country mile is their castle stage show. Heart of Magic may be the best castle stage show ever made for a Disney Park. Featuring 9 segments themed to 6 Disney and 3 Pixar movies, it includes new musical arrangements to classic Disney songs, as well as costumes and sets that make the castle come alive. And the theme song is one of the catchiest ever made for a Disney Park. You must see this during your visit, and I saw it 7 times during my last visit.

Both HKDL and SHDL are in the upper half of Disney Parks in terms of entertainment. I would say that they still both have great pieces of entertainment, and entertainment is a big part of why I would visit both parks.

Dining & Restaurants

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland’s dining scene is, in my opinion, better than Shanghai Disneyland’s. Now my caveat with this is that I have been to Hong Kong Disneyland way more than Shanghai Disneyland, which means I’ve sampled more of the food options at Hong Kong Disneyland than Shanghai Disneyland. I did make an effort to sample as many of the Shanghai Disneyland snack and food options as I could on my last trip, and I will say that while some of it surprised me, HKDL’s overall quality is still better

Hong Kong Disneyland has a higher number of quick service restaurants than Shanghai Disneyland with seven restaurants to SHDL’s six. That being said, the Explorer’s Club Restaurant in Mystic Point is only a quick service restaurant for lunch while being table service for dinner. But even with that, HKDL has triple the number of sit down restaurants Shanghai Disneyland has, with SHDL having one and HKDL having three.

And with HKDL, every single restaurant has something different to offer. World of Frozen’s Golden Crocus Inn has dishes inspired by Nordic cuisine. Royal Banquet Hall has Japanese and Korean inspired dishes, mixed in with grilled and international offerings. Wayfinder’s Table has seafood dishes available and is fully Halal-certified. The mix of restaurants and cuisines at Hong Kong Disneyland makes it a more interesting food destination than Shanghai Disneyland.

In addition, while I think Shanghai Disneyland has a broader variety of snacks on offer, Hong Kong Disneyland scores points for its higher quality snacks. Things like the Dole Whip Float, Korean Squid, the Lotso Waffle Sandwich, the Soft Serve Slushy at Lucky Nugget Saloon, the Olaf Ice Cream, and the Chip ‘n’ Dale Mousse Cake are all amazing snacks and truly speak to how much HKDL has upped its snack game in recent years.

If you’d like more info on Hong Kong Disneyland dining, read my Hong Kong Disneyland snacks ranking, my Hong Kong Disneyland food ranking, and my HKDL Counter Service Restaurants ranking.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland, overall, has a weaker food selection than HKDL. While its snacks are more varied than HKDL’s, the restaurant options at Shanghai Disneyland leave much to be desired. The overall quality of the food at Shanghai Disneyland is also weaker than HKDL’s, although they have taken steps recently to correct this.

As mentioned, HKDL has more restaurants than Shanghai Disneyland, which is odd considering Shanghai Disneyland is the bigger park. Shanghai Disneyland’s restaurants also don’t offer the most unique dining offerings. Many of them serve theme park staples like pizza, chicken, and burgers, and the ones that don’t serve mostly American or American-adjacent dishes like spaghetti or barbecue dishes.

Shanghai Disneyland, however, has better snacks than HKDL as a whole. Individually, the best snacks of either park can be found at HKDL, but Shanghai has some truly unique and one-of-a-kind snacks. Things like the Takoyaki from Treasure Cove, the Crispy Nutella Croissant Biscuit from Adventure Isle, the Portobello and BBQ Pork Sandwich from Toy Story land, and of course something has to be said of the snacks in Zootopia, such as the Hawthorne-flavored Pawpsicle, the Chocolate Rice Crispy bar, and the Big Donut.

Shanghai Disneyland does some dishes incredibly well. The Pork Roll from Tangled Tree Tavern may just be the best quick service meal I had at either park. The Zootopia snacks, as well as the Takoyaki, are also some of the best snacks in any Disney Park. But on the whole, I would say that Shanghai Disneyland’s food scene still needs to be diversified and improved. They’re taking steps to do this by bringing back fan favorite snacks from the past, but more still needs to be done.

If you’d like more info on Shanghai Disneyland food, read my Shanghai Disneyland snack article.

Shopping and Merchandise

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland, in my opinion, has the best merchandise of any Disney resort, or is at least tied with Tokyo Disney Resort. Since the pandemic, HKDL has stepped up its merchandise selection big time, offering a huge assortment of merchandise lines. From blind boxes and gachapons to clothing and plushies, HKDL excels at giving guests a piece of the magic that they can take home.

In particular, I think HKDL does two things very well: park-specific merchandise and merchandise for Duffy and Friends. HKDL has started doing more merchandise for specific rides, attractions, and icons found in the park. Things like attraction vehicle blind boxes, trash can blind boxes, and collections themed to attractions around the park like Mystic Manor and Mickey’s Philharmagic have been huge hits with guests.

HKDL also has some of the best Duffy and Friends merch in the world. They’ve got hundreds of items representing each of the seven friends, from Duffy to LinaBell. A lot of the items too are unique to Hong Kong Disneyland, and they also have several collections of them as well. Safe to say that, if you’re a Duffy supporter, you’ll find so much merch of him and his friends at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland also has some amazing merchandise options. It’s probably tied with Disneyland Paris for having the third best merchandise items of any resort. The resort was the first to implement gachapons into its merchandise lines, and has come out with amazing merch options as part of its 10th anniversary. Whether you collect figurines, pins, ears, or clothes, Shanghai Disneyland will have something for you.

Shanghai Disneyland does Duffy and Friends merch especially well. Just like HKDL, they have exclusive Duffy and Friends merch that you can only find at SHDL. From plush keychains to ears, shirts, stationary, utensils, and everything in between, Shanghai Disneyland goes all out for Duffy and Friends.

I also love Shanghai Disneyland’s attraction merchandise. While I wish they sold specific attraction merch like HKDL, I do love their collections inspired by the different rides and lands around the park. In particular, I think their Pirates, Zootopia, Winnie the Pooh, and Tron collections are amazing and I had to pick up a few of them on my last trip as they were all so cute.

How Many Days Needed

Hong Kong Disneyland

I would say that, if it’s your first visit, I would spend about 2 days at Hong Kong Disneyland. The park is a lot smaller than Shanghai Disneyland, meaning it should take you between 1-2 days to do everything in the park. I’d recommend visiting for 2-3 days if you really want to see every show in the park as well as every ride. But if you just want to dip your toes into the Hong Kong Disneyland experience, then 2 days should be fine.

Read my How Many Days Should You Spend at HKDL article to get a better sense of how many days you’ll need.

Shanghai Disneyland

I would say that, for a first visit, it would be best to visit Shanghai Disneyland for 3 days. Even though there’s only 1 park, the park just so happens to be the most massive castle park ever. It’ll take you 20 minutes of continuous walking to get from one side to the other. There are also quite a number of rides and shows, all spread out across the park. If you want to do all of them, I’d budget 2-3 days, and definitely not just 1 day at the park.

Read my How Many Days to Spend at Shanghai Disneyland article to get a better idea of how long to stay at the resort.

Crowds

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland has the lightest crowds of any Disney Park in the world. Seriously, on most days rides like Mystic Manor and Frozen Ever After only have 5 minute waits. It’s known in the Disney community as the easiest Disneyland to tour because of how light the crowds are. In my 20 years of going to the park, I can only remember one instance when I felt like crowds were as heavy as the other parks and that’s only because it was the Saturday before Halloween.

Now it’s not a guarantee that you’ll experience low crowds when you go. If you visit during holidays like Chinese New Year, Golden Week, or Christmas then crowds will be heavy. Going during the summer will also mean larger crowds than normal. But if you visit during off-peak times like January, May, and September, then crowds will be light.

You’ll usually only encounter lines for the Toy Story Land rides and Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs. Other than that, however, everything will have low waits. This is why I say that the biggest factor that should influence when you go to Hong Kong Disneyland is actually the weather and not crowd patterns because crowd patterns should be fairly manageable throughout most of the year.

If you’d like more info on when to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, read my Best Times to Visit Hong Kong Disneyland article

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland, on the other hand, seems to be always crowded. It’s not the 5th most visited theme park in the world for no reason. I went at the end of May and the only reason why I encountered low wait times on all but one day in the park is because it was supposed to rain on four out of my five days at the park. This meant that everyone visited on the one day it wasn’t supposed to rain, and it was very crowded.

Lines reached three hours, and since I didn’t want to pay for Premier Access, I ended up doing a lot of non-ride attractions and shows. I remember doing things like the Alice in Wonderland Maze and the Once Upon a Time Adventure during my time at the park when crowds were heavy. Shanghai Disneyland, thankfully, has many things you can do with little to no wait because they know how heavy the crowds will be.

I would say that if you want your best chance of avoiding long lines for attractions and entertainment, avoid visiting during peak times. The peak times for Shanghai Disneyland are around the same as for HKDL. You should avoid visiting during Chinese national holidays and during the summer when kids are out of school. I’d highly recommend visiting in May, which is when I visited. Aside from that one really heavy day, I didn’t really encounter crowds during my visit.

If you’d like more info on when to visit Shanghai Disneyland, read my Best Times to Visit Shanghai Disneyland article

Prices & Budget

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is relatively affordable. Tickets to the park will usually come out to around HK$669 for a one-day ticket and HK$769 – HK$949 for a two-day ticket. That’s about USD$112 for a two-day ticket, which wouldn’t even equal a 1-day ticket to either Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Annual pass prices are also relatively cheap, with the cheapest annual pass costing USD$200 and the most expensive costing USD$640. That’s about half the price of a Walt Disney World and Disneyland annual pass.

Merchandise costs are also cheaper than at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Spirit Jerseys are about US$30 less, and pins are also sold at a fraction of the cost. The one thing at HKDL that is expensive which isn’t expensive at Shanghai Disneyland is food. Food costs at HKDL rival those of the US parks, with meals costing around USD15-20 dollars per meal. It’s the only really expensive aspect of an HKDL vacation.

The hotels are as reasonably priced as the parks. They range from USD$165 a night for the Hollywood Hotel to about $350-400 a night for the Hong Kong Disneyland hotel. You can get a stay at a 5-star hotel here for about half the price of the most expensive hotels at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The Asian parks are really much more affordable than the US parks, and this trend continues in Shanghai Disneyland.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland is more value for money than HKDL only because the food at the park is cheaper than HKDL’s. The ticket prices for Shanghai Disneyland are comparable to Hong Kong Disneyland. Tickets start at RMB 569 for a one-day ticket and RMB 1,024 for a two day ticket. That’s about USD$84 for a 1-day ticket and USD$154 for a 2-day ticket. That’s very cheap, and they usually have some sort of promotion going on that makes them even cheaper. Annual Passes start at RMB1599 to RMB4699, which is about USD$236 to USD$700. Both are cheaper than their US counterparts.

Merchandise in the parks is relatively fairly priced, with pins, plush keychains, and apparel being cheaper than their US counterparts. Food is also fairly affordable. It’s the most affordable food next to Tokyo Disney Resort. Snacks will cost less than $8, and most meals are also about $2-3 dollars cheaper than their counterparts at Hong Kong Disneyland. Considering the quality is about the same, this makes Shanghai Disneyland food a bargain compared to the food at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Hotel costs across both hotels are about the same as HKDL, with the Toy Story Hotel costing about as much as the Hollywood Hotel, with the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel costing about as much as the Hong Kong Disneyland hotel. I expect the upcoming Shanghai Disneyland Enchanted Star Hotel and the unnamed fourth hotel to have similar prices to the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, meaning around US$300-400 dollars a night. It is still cheaper than the US parks, but expensive for Asia.

Nearby Attractions & Their Cities

Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong has many tourist attractions. You can go to the Giant Buddha statue via the Ngong Ping 260, which is 1 stop away from Sunny Bay Station, the station that serves the Hong Kong Disneyland resort. Downtown Hong Kong is also a fun place to explore, with temples, museums, malls, promenades, markets, shops, and restaurants occupying almost every corner of the city. My favorite attraction in the city has to be the Peak tram, which goes up a mountain that gives you amazing views of the Hong Kong skyline.

You can also go to Hong Kong’s other theme park called Ocean Park, which also has a great aquarium in it. Hong Kong is also very close to other cities such as Macau, which is the gambling hub of China that has some cultural attractions in it as well, and Shenzhen and Guangzhou, which are dynamic cities in China that are definitely worth the visit if you can visit them.

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai has a lot of attractions as well. The Bund is one of my favorite places in China as it has a great view of the Shanghai skyline. The Pearl TV Tower is also a fun place to visit to get cool views of the city. The Yu Gardens, Yuyuan Gardens, and Tianzifang are also really cool neighborhoods that you can visit. Shanghai is chock full of unique places to visit, making it a really interesting and enjoyable destination.

From Shanghai, you can also take a train and visit nearby cities. Or you could take a long train ride or plane ride to get to Beijing. Beijing is also full of things to do, such as the Forbidden City, The Great Wall of China, and for theme park fans, Universal Studios Beijing. It’s the capital of the country and if you’re already in China you might as well visit it while you’re there.

Who Should Go to Which Resort?

So in the end, you must be wondering which resort you should visit. I would say that the answer to that question depends on a few factors, mostly hinging on if you’ve been to a Disney theme park before. I would say HKDL is better for those who have never been to an international Disney theme park before, or even just any Disney Park.

Its cheap prices (except for food), lineup of stellar attractions and entertainment, and low crowds mean it’s the perfect “intro park” for someone who wants to visit the Disney theme parks but wants practice before they tackle the bigger parks like Tokyo Disney Resort. Its small size also makes it manageable for children who might otherwise get tired too fast from roaming around the bigger Disney theme parks.

You should also visit Hong Kong Disneyland resort if you want to stay on property and experience a good Disney Bubble. While the Shanghai Disney hotels also offer you the same Disney immersion, I would argue that the immersion aspect of the resort is best seen at Hong Kong Disneyland. Because the resort is surrounded by mountains, it makes the resort much more isolated, giving you a more immersive Disney Bubble experience.

Meanwhile, you should visit Shanghai Disneyland if you want a grander Disney parks experience. If you’re fine dealing with crowds, then this park might be the better option. Food prices are cheaper, they have multiple ticket deals happening at once, and its easily connected to outside hotels making it cheaper and easier to visit than Hong Kong Disneyland.

I will say though that Shanghai Disneyland is best visited if you already have Disney theme park experience. It’s a harder park to navigate than Hong Kong Disneyland due to its humungous size and number of must-see attractions that garner long waits. That being said, if you really want to experience this park then make sure to visit when crowds are at their lowest so that the park gets easier to tour.

I would also say that Shanghai has better weather overall compared to HKDL. Hong Kong Disneyland is basically unvisitable during certain periods due to the heat and humidity but also because, in recent years, strong rains have been known to descend on the park. Shanghai has its own rainy season as well, but it’s much shorter and doesn’t usually last the whole day which sometimes happens in Hong Kong. Although this can be remedied by visiting during non-rainy months, it also means that Shanghai has more flexibility when it comes to when you can go weather-wise.

But now you’re probably wondering which of the two resorts is better overall. Honestly, I don’t think I can definitively point to one resort and say it’s better because they’re so close in quality that I simply don’t think one is objectively better than the other. They both have different strengths that might appeal to you and weaknesses that might discourage you from visiting, but unlike comparing, say, Disneyland Resort to Disneyland Paris, there is no clear cut winner here. Which is why my advice to you is that, if you can swing it, visit both.

Why You Should go to Both

I think these resorts complement each other really well. You have the smaller, more intimate experience at Hong Kong Disneyland and the larger, grander experience at Shanghai Disneyland. There’s a reason why Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland are usually visited together by a large number of foreign Disney fans. It’s because not only is it convenient to get to both of them in one trip, but they offer complementary but vastly different Disney experiences.

It isn’t the same as visiting the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World resort as I think that, at their core, the experience at both of those resorts is a lot more similar than the experience at HKDL and SHDL. With HKDL and SHDL, you’re getting two unique Disney experiences. One is laid back, the other is more chaotic (in a good way). One is smaller, the other is larger. One is more traditional Disney, the other is more experimental Disney. But both are tied together by this East Asian culture that gives them a lot of similarities.

Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland both have their strengths and weaknesses. But visiting both on the same trip, in my opinion, will give you a deeper appreciation for how versatile, innovative, and creative the Disney organization is. They’re capable of designing two vastly different experiences, and it’s in immersing yourself in both experiences that you can truly marvel at what makes Disney Parks great.

So while one park is more suitable for a certain kind of guest than the other, I would still encourage you to visit both parks. I would even go so far as to say that every single Disney Park in the world is now worth visiting. Disney Parks are identified by their similarities as well as their differences. And once you see those similarities and differences for yourself, then you’ll appreciate the vision Walt Disney had all those years ago for what would eventually become these 12 Disney parks.

Hong Kong Disneyland vs Shanghai Disneyland Conclusion

And that’s the end of this Hong Kong Disneyland vs Shanghai Disneyland article. I hope I was able to convince you to visit one, or both, of these resorts. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to me via social media.

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