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Family fun at Hong Kong Disneyland

International Traveller
Quentin Long reports from the front line of fun at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.

Life is magnificent inside the Disney bubble.

A world meticulously built for children with a single purpose: to make every possible moment of their time there as magical as can be. And by catering so singularly to kids, Disney makes parents very happy too.

Standing in the check-in queue at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel (the park’s five-star resort), a concierge in a Cinderella coachman’s costume makes sure my children are entertained.

Do they want to sit and watch Disney cartoons while Dad queues? My three- and four-year-old sons decide to cling to my legs instead, but the concierge eventually wins them over with ubiquitous Disney stickers.

The exterior of the hotel is suitably fairytale in execution, a huge white Victorian-style manor with a red, spired roof, while the interiors, as you would expect, are magical.

An entire wall of the triangular lobby is glass looking out onto a manicured garden (not a single frangipani petal is out of place) and hedge maze, and the South China Sea beyond.

There are two huge chandeliers hanging from the towering ceiling, while a pianist puts the cherry on top of the grand welcome. After checking in we head for a buffet lunch at the Enchanted Garden (one of three restaurants) and start our Disneyland immersion.

Meeting Mickey, Minnie and the crew over what my vehemently anti-buffet wife describes as the best she has ever experienced, fills the kids with an excitement that borders on hysteria.

We manage a behind-the-scenes tour of the park and rides, which proves a Godsend.

Thanks to a private guide, jumping all the queues saves us from having to entertain children for half-an-hour while waiting for our turn on the rides, and maximises the number of attractions we can enjoy. Every single experience is enjoyed with wide-eyed wonder.

Being too small for Space Mountain is of little consequence: hours are filled with the Pooh Bear mini roller-coaster, the Lion King show, the Slinky dog ride, the jungle river cruise and, yes, even the tea cups.

With little minds full and tiny legs exhausted, we decide to retire to the pool. Incredibly well designed, it has a wet-edge wading pool gently deepening before coming to an end at a waterslide exit.

It becomes our oasis. Add to the mix Art Deco tiles and covered cabanas and we feel like we are staying at our own mansion (thankfully, it is outside school holidays so the pool doesn’t feel crowded).

After a fast dinner in Walt’s Cafe we retire to huge rooms (the shower alone is as big as the kids’ entire bathroom at home), with our towels sculpted into the form of Mickey.

After two days in a place that was, for once, built for them, we prepare the kids to head back to the real world. From the park to the hotel, they have lived in a world that met and exceeded their craziest fantasies and they have loved it, even if they were possibly a bit too young to get the most out of the entire park experience.

As I wait to exit the Disney bubble, I feel aggrieved for poor Mickey Mouse. How did his name come to be so taken in vain? Labelling something ‘Mickey Mouse’ should not be synonymous with the inauthentic. Is the world so cynical that it has to besmirch a simple, wondrous family friendly fantasy?

Maybe Mickey’s greatest crime is to show just how difficult and challenging our day-to-day lives have become when viewed in comparison with the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’.

My kids may not remember this trip to Disneyland, but I will. And there’s always next time (and, trust me, there will be a next time).

Details

GETTING THERE

Hong Kong Disneyland is on Lantau Island, a 15-minute cab ride from the airport.
The resort has an MTR station accessible from Sunny Bay station only (with cute Disney train cars with Mickey-shaped windows).
It’s a 40-minute ride from Central.

PARK ADMISSION

General admission tickets are sold for one or two days.
Our tip: take two days if possible so you don’t feel like you have to cram everything in.
Single day tickets cost $88 for adults and $62 for a child (3–11); two-day tickets cost $120 for adults and $84 for a child.

TAKE THE TOUR

The Disney Spectacular Tour takes up to six guests for three hours of priority access to all rides and shows, for $830.
hongkongdisneyland.com

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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

    In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

    In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

    Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

    At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

    While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

    It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

    2. Better sleep options

    Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room
    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

    The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

    3. More ways to move

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    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

    At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

    Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

    4. Better connections

    Novotel Sharm El Sheikh
    Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

    One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

    Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

    A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

    5. Location is everything

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    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

    All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

    Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

    Family fun at Hong Kong Disneyland - International Traveller