The next castle stop on our Ultimate Disney Road Trip brought us to Hong Kong to visit the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Traveling to 3 new countries in less than 3 weeks had already ignited ourย sense of exploration, so it was only fitting that we stayed at the Explorers Lodge.
The Explorers Lodge is the newest member of the Hong Kong Disneyland on-site properties, which opened in April of 2017. It boasts a breathtaking waterfront location, complete with interactive gardens surrounding the property following the exploration theme of 4 different tropical climates: Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America. Within the actual hotel, Explorers Lodge boasts a whopping 750 exploration-themed rooms, complete with 3 on-site restaurant options, and an outdoor swimming pool.
Table of Contents
Getting There
Once you exit the terminal you will need to head to the official taxi stand to head to Lantau Island where the Hong Kong Disneyland is located. You have the option to use the blue, green or red colored taxis to reach the resort, and we ended up taking a red taxi. If you have more than 1 suitcase donโt be alarmed if your luggage does not fit perfectly in the trunk of the car, our taxi driver used bungee cords to secure our two suitcases in the partially opened trunk. Our taxi fare was approximately HK$110 (approx. $14USD) and we were charged a small luggage surcharge.
*Note: It is vital to have the address of the hotel written in Cantonese to provide to the taxi stand and your driver. I have found the best way to get an accurate address written in the local language is to go to the hotelโs trip advisor page and then look for the โaddress in local languageโ option. I then screenshot it because technology is wonky and there are few things worse than being in a place where you donโt speak the language and canโt communicate where you need to go. We learned this lesson in Shanghai, this isnโt Orlando or Anaheim, and the Mouse is not the end all be all, so taxi drivers may have never even been to the resort.
Where to Stayย
Hong Kong Disneylandโs resort is located on Lantau island which means staying off property includes the hassle of either driving or catching a taxi and will tack on an anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour to your morning. Why not skip all of that and instead start your day fully immersed in Disney magic? Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers 3 different on-site properties for each taste and style. We chose the Explorers Lodge because of its explorer theme, grand lobby, and dining options.
Our Sea View Room at Disney Explorers Lodgeย
We stayed in a Sea View Room in the Africa wing of the lodge. Our room was very spacious with 2 Queen sized beds and a crib for Lightning Bug with space to spare. After being in Japan for the past few weeks it was a welcome difference in terms of room size and being able to spread out as a family of 4.
One of our favorite bonuses from staying at Explorers Lodge was all of the souvenirs they provide! Our room keys were Mickey & Minnie side by side cards that looked like a postcard, they also provided slippers in different sizes from kids size to adults, a sturdy toiletry tin, souvenir collector pins from the grand opening, tons of stickers, and other items for Roo to feel special!
The room had a great view of the sea as well as the Rafiki garden. My only complaint about our view was the land next to the Explorers Lodge looks as though it is being primed for future expansion (or maybe even another hotel in the future), and is a bit of an eyesore.
We typically donโt even turn on the television at our hotel, but when staying at a Disney property we love that there is typically some form of Disney programming included. We started the morning watching a Doc Mcstuffins movie, which I think brings back a bit of home for Roo. We chose to stay for two nights because you can see quite a bit of Hong Kong Disneyland in one day, but we wanted a chance to experience what the Explorers Lodge had to offer.
Amenities for kids
One of the great benefits of staying at the Disney Explorers Lodge with kids are the activities that take place at the hotel. Unfortunately at the time of our stay, the pool was closed due to maintenance, however, we had the option to visit the Hollywood Hotelโs indoor swimming pool, we decided not to because it seemed like a bit too much effort. When you check in, you are provided with a list of activities at the resorts which include awesome activities like Tai Chi with Master Goofy, movie time, arts & crafts, and arcade games. Having activities available in the evening is a great way to keep kids fully immersed in the magic!
Getting to the Park
The Hong Kong Disneyland Resorts are all less than 2 miles from the park entrance. You can opt to walk to the park, but it is about a 20-minute walk (most likely without children in tow), so we opted to take the provided shuttle. One of the added benefits of staying at a Hong Disneyland Resort was the special entrance to the park. There are clear signs pointing you to a special queue, simply flash your room key, and you are able to get to the magic much faster. Granted, the day we visited the park wasnโt at full capacity, but I can see the added benefit of this perk on crowded days. Disney fans who are used to Magic Morning perks to gain early entrance to the park will be disappointed to know that this isnโt offered for the Hong Kong Disneyland park. We hardly ever make use of this benefit when staying at the parks in the states, so the added perks of priority admission to certain attractions are actually a more useful perk for us.
Dining Options
Disney Explorers Lodge offers 3 different restaurants, with character breakfast at Dragon Wind. We ordered room service the first night and were incredibly underwhelmed by the selections and high cost. We tried the Chart Room Cafรฉ for dinner the following evening and were equally unimpressed with the taste to cost ratio, so we opted to not invest any additional time trying the other dining options. One of my favorite Disney bloggers, the TDR Explorer took the time to provide a very detailed review of all Disney Explorers Lodge dining option, so head over there and check it out for a more in-depth review.
So was it worth it?
In short, ABSOLUTELY! Explorerโs Lodge offered a unique exploration theme with the luxury parents are looking for on vacation while still keeping kids (and the kids at heart) fully immersed in the Disney magic. Be sure to check out the official Hong Kong Disneyland Resort website for great deals for your Hong Kong Disneyland vacation!
Have you stayed at the new Disney Explorers Lodge? What were your thoughts? If you have any questions about our Hong Kong Disneyland trip or any tips to share with fellow tribe members, please post them in the comments below!
Disclosure: We were provided with a media rate for our stay at Disney Explorers Lodge, in exchange for an honest review of our familyโs experience. All opinions are my own.
