Hong Kong Disneyland has recently launched its latest attraction this year (2013), and since my last time there back in 2008, I had some serious thoughts about the new ride.

Anyway, I will cut a long story short and get straight to the good part. Disneyland has always been Disneyland to me, and I am pretty sure it has also been Disneyland to many others. Once you visit this fantasy land, you have done it all. Well, guess what? I was absolutely wrong!

Hong Kong Disneyland New Rides

My second trip to Hong Kong Disneyland in early June 2013 was an eye-opener. The last time I came here, I stayed at Kowloon in Hong Kong and took a day trip to Disneyland with one of the tour companies.

This time, I stayed in one of the park hotels, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, which is just five minutes from the park and has a free shuttle service. I would highly recommend the stay here to all families, but I will write about that in another article.

So, on the first day, walking into the park one more time, I saw a decent crowd on a Friday morning. Entering Disneyland brought back many memories of my previous trip. The Fire Station on Main Street USA, the various shops selling all sorts of Disney products and candy, and the beautiful building facades all looked like they had never aged a bit. Thumbs up to the team that maintains the park. 

Passing the ever-famous Sleeping Beauty Castle, I remembered my childhood watching the many television cartoons when the theme song suddenly ran into my head. After humming to myself, I was greeted by the extremely large and colourful Merry-Go-Round, which is called the Cinderella Carousel and is still one of the most popular rides here.

Walking past here, we were led to Toy Story Land, where the featured RC Racer ride was in bright orange, looking like a giant horseshoe put upright. So, the boys and I looked at each other, thinking it looked straightforward. I mean, it’s Disneyland, right?

Oh well, we got into our express lanes and waited our turn. For your information, Toy Story Land is also an Asia-exclusive attraction.

Toy Story Land

The RC Racer is a vast car that can seat 25 people in one go. It is projected to the front and then free-falling back and front and back. So this goes on for a few seconds before you are shot to the top of one end. And then, the weightlessness kicks in when you fall back to the other end, and it kicks in repeatedly.

Okay, the boys started to show signs of fear when I looked at them during the ride, and at one point, I even felt like my heart was left back each time we reached one end. Overall, the ride is quick and fun. It took us about two minutes of wow, gulps, and screams—something I never expected out of Disneyland but well worth it.

There are also two other rides here at Toy Story Land, which is quite exciting. One is called the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, where you are brought up about 20 meters high, then dropped and taken up again.

There is a minimum height requirement, but this is good fun for families overall. The other ride is called Slinky Dog Spin, which resembles a slinky dog chasing its tail. Patrons sit in between the slinks, and they get spun around, which is loads of fun.

After the RC Racer, our next destination was Mystic Point, which, from what I read, is a world exclusive. No other Disneyland has this except here in Hong Kong.

Arriving at the beautiful mansion on a hill, I could not figure out what kind of ride this would be. So, with our express passes, we went in quickly, as the waiting line can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes and even longer on weekends or holidays.

Mystic Point Hong Kong Disneyland

Mystic Point was the latest attraction here at Disney, as it only opened on the 17th of May, 2013. Therefore, many people were curious to see what it was all about. The ride is a unique adventure of theatrical wonders that combines traditional storytelling with innovative technology and special effects. The story revolves around an ornate music box where the owner’s pet monkey, Albert, messes around with it and takes us through a fantastic journey.

When we got into the room, there was a narrative and video, in Chinese, of course, before the main doors opened to a ride where we could sit in moving carriages, which took us through the entire mansion. I have to say, it was a good five to seven minutes of excitement, even for an adult, so you can imagine how the kids would feel. No more clues and spoilers; just head over to Hong Kong Disneyland and experience it yourself.

Mystic Point also has a themed photo area called Garden of Wonders with mystifying 3D illusions and the Explorer’s Club Restaurant, which offers international cuisines ranging from Chinese, Asian, Korean, and Japanese to Halal food in unique and exotic surroundings.

The Archive Shop is a souvenir shop where guests can purchase exclusive novelty items and collectables. There is the Mystic Point Freight Depot for some live entertainment, where Lord Henry’s grandnephews share stories from their adventures with Lord Henry with guests. It’s a good photo spot, too.

Grizzly Gulch Hong Kong Disneyland

Finally, there is the Grizzly Gulch, another cowboy and western-themed ride where, at one look, you would imagine sitting on a wooden roller coaster that takes you through the old western mines.

Simple, wouldn’t you think so? Again, for the third time, I was wrong, wrong and wrong. My fingers want to type every detail, but my mind tells me to keep the surprise for everyone reading this. If you love roller coasters (not those death-defying-zero-gravity-upside-down ones), the Grizzly Gulch is one you must try!

There is no need to think twice or three times, in my case. Just go in, line up, and feel the fun. Below are some photos of Grizzly Gulch, where everything reminds you of an old Western town.

Conclusion

In summary, all three rides I mentioned here were unexpected from the Hong Kong Disneyland new rides. These rides have brought new life to the conventional Disney theme parks, increasing the park size by an additional 25%.

Yes, in other words, you will have more time to spend here exploring the many attractions and shows where both adults and children will enjoy your magical experience. Stay tuned for my other Hong Kong Disneyland stories.