You paid a whopping price of about $100 for a Disneyland ticket, but with the snaking long queues, it is almost impossible to visit every attraction/show when the park is only opened from 10:30am to 7:30pm (Time varies slightly).
Here are 5 tips that I recommend if you wish to maximise your time at Disneyland based on my personal experiences.
Tip #1
Pick the Correct Date
Visiting the park during peak season is not recommended, unless of course you don’t really have a choice. My family and I went to HK Disneyland last year during Chinese New Year and because of the CNY visiting practices, there were not a lot of people, at the very least there will definitely be less locals. My friend and I also went there in May and the park was considered quite empty, in fact I didn’t even have to queue for some rides! I tend to avoid weekends too, for the same reason. Tourists’ visits are inevitable though.
Tip #2
Fast Passes
Regulars would know by now that fast passes are available for a few attractions. Unlike other theme parks such as Universal Studios, these fast passes are available for the public on first come first serve basis, and you won’t have to purchase anything. Just insert your main ticket into a Fast pass machine and a Fast pass will be given straightaway.
Feel free to return to the ride between the stated time duration e..g 11:00-12:00. They can be rather strict about the time so don’t be late even by a minute! It surely feels good to be ahead of the queue isn’t it?
Tip #3
Prioritise and Plan Ahead
Are you only interested in the scary rides? Or more keen on performance and parade? It’s important to think through before even stepping in to the park, or you’ll spend more time deciding where to go than queuing for the rides. Parades are not really my kinda thing, and I’d usually give that a miss unless I happen to pass by one of the performances in between my rides.
Some of the main performances are worth watching, and it’s a waste if I happen to miss it. For such shows, I usually plan ahead and queue at least 30 minutes ahead of time to get a good seat. In fact, seats do run out for some performances! You wouldn’t want to spend so much on the ticket and realise that you’re not maximising the most out of it.
Tip #4
Get a Head Start
The park usually opens earlier for people to shop and dine, but they will block out the area towards the attractions. Be kiasu and stay at the head of the line. When the park officially opens, go towards Tomorrowland first, grab a fast pass at Iron Man attraction and queue for Space Mountain just beside, or vice versa (Usually about 10 minutes waiting time at this point). After Space Mountain, go for the next popular attraction that is nearby.
Just before the fast pass is due for your next ride, head to another land to collect your fast pass ticket for another attraction. If you’re in a group, get the fastest person to do the job and meet at the same point. This allows you to maximise the use of Fast passes.
By lunch time, I would have completed about 4 main attractions that usually have relatively long waiting time.
Tip #5
Use the Disneyland app
I’m impressed, after all these years they finally created a Disneyland app that has a detailed view of the map, including showtimes, character appearances time slots and allows you to track waiting time for the rides. With the app, you may not even need the map brochure, which can be rather inconvenient to take in and out of your bag. (Although I must say it’s a good alternative to a fan/shades if the weather is way too hot)
Checking the waiting time on the app allows you to preplan your next ride just in case the one you wanted to go for has a longer waiting time. Well, at least you have your queuing time to check on all these information before making any decisions!
I guess that’s about it! There might be a few more kiasu tips here and there but here are the main ones to get you through your Disneyland visit! Thanks for reading! 😉
