Where to Stay

For Disneyland park, there are plenty of options, especially off property. In fact, the city of Anaheim seems uniquely set up to support the park. Just outside the gates, you’ll find a plethora of hotels and dining options, with many offering special rates and discounts for families going to Disney. Also, be sure to check for hotels that offer free nights for extended stays as this is a common practice. Check all the travel sites and compare prices, then call the hotels directly and see if they can offer anything better.

For Disneyworld, off-site options include hotels and also Airbnb stays. Because of the high volume of travelers to Florida and the 2nd homes down there, you can find many rentals that are relatively close to the theme park.

Keep in mind that you can also stay on property, although during peak season rooms fill up fast and are generally more expensive than staying elsewhere. You have to balance the convenience of being on the property and the perks that Disney gives their hotel guests versus the lower-cost options outside the park.

Finding Affordable Flights

Obviously avoiding peak season travel is the best way to score cheaper flights to the Disney Destination. So think about travel during January, February, and September. The more expensive flights are going to be during the summer season and peak season where the Disney parks have events. You can search for flights on any of the travel sites or apps to see when the best prices are. Another trick is to pair your travel dates up with the calendars on the Disney sites and see what events are happening. Avoiding big park festivals will reduce your travel costs unless of course, you want to attend one of the park’s offerings.

Park Ticket Options

Ticket prices are set by Disney, but that doesn’t mean you can find some affordable options. If you choose 2-day tickets, cost-savings are built-in as are adding extra days to whatever ticket type you choose. Buying a 1-day ticket probably doesn’t make much sense unless you live in the area. The Park Hopper ticket offers the most value, but not necessarily the most savings. But these tickets are immensely popular as they offer the ability to go from one park to the other anytime you choose. But the one park per day tickets offer a much more affordable option, so if you don’t want the flexibility of the Park Hopper tickets, these tickets offer the greatest savings.

Vacation Packages

If planning a Disney vacation seems daunting you can always go with a vacation package. You can find them on many of the larger travel sites where they combine flights, tickets, rental cars, etc. Or you might choose to work with an independent travel agent (Disney has agents too). They can often research and uncover great deals for travel almost any time of the year, and a travel agent with Disney experience can be beneficial to getting the most out of your Disney trip.

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Rides

There are so many amazing rides to experience at Disney! From The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train to Space Mountain, the park has so much to offer and so many fun rides to climb aboard. One of the best roller coasters is right in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest. It’s a magical trip through a Tibetan village that allows you to board a train that takes you to the top of beautiful mountain peaks, then you race through twists and turns until you are plummeted into the darkness of a cavern with a monstrous secret. Kids will want to experience Frozen Ever After. This magical ride let’s your kids see all their favorite friends from Frozen on a song filled adventure through ice and snow. They even get to see their favorite frozen queen, Elsa! The park also offers Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and a ride where they can soar with their favorite flying elephant, Dumbo! Whether you are there for the roller coasters or the fun adventure rides, make sure you pick up a Fastpass so you can skip the pesky lines and move straight to the fun!

Food

As amazing as Disney is, it’s no wonder that the food there is completely up to their magical standards! For the best character meal you will certainly want to sit down at Cinderella’s Royal Table for the best treatment and most delicious dishes that Disney has to offer. If you are hurrying through the park and just want to grab a quick sweet treat, then the Dole Whip is the way to go. This pineapple soft serve swirled with pineapple juice is refreshing on a hot summer day and there are even places where you can add a shot of alcohol to give it an adult flavored kick. If you need to grab something good you can eat in line while you are waiting on some of the Star Wars attractions, then the Ronto Wrap should certainly be on your list. The grilled sausage wrapped in a warm tortilla even comes in a breakfast version for early goers that adds eggs to the mix.

Stage Shows

With all the rides and food to discover, you still need to make time for some of the best shows that Disney has. The Frozen sing along celebration is by far one of the most fun and memorable for children. They get to see all their favorite characters, sing their favorite songs, and laugh with the wonderful cast as hilarious things ensue during this amazing stage show. The Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom is by far the one you don’t want to miss. The amazing acrobatics and the beautiful singing will leave your whole family in complete awe of the talent on this stage. In fact, the Animal Kingdom is the “reigning king” of the stage shows in Disney. Not only is there the Festival of the Lion King, but you can also enjoy shows like Finding Nemo, The Musical. Before heading out, check the times for the stage shows and plan your rides and food between those trips that way you are able to experience as much as possible while you are there.

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Shanghai, Tokyo, and Hong Kong Disneyland, which is best? It would help if you weighed the advantages and disadvantages Of each to determine where you are going to head. These countries are distinct, and each has different costs. Besides, you may not have enough time to visit each country. So we figured we’d help you along and give you some answers to your questions.

What about Tokyo Disney Resort?

Tokyo Disney may be the reason you’re going to Asia in the first place. This Disney park is certainly worth the visit. Still, it might make sense to do a stopover at the Shanghai Disneyland or the Hong Kong Disneyland, but again that depends on your time and budget.

Okay, so assuming you’re not going to Asia just to see Disney, you still want to factor in other non-Disney attractions and points of interest. In this case, Japan is a gorgeous country, and there’s also a lot to do and see in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

With respect to the Tokyo Disney Resort, it is modern, innovative, and quite interesting for its similarities to Anaheim and its originality in Asian Culture. It is a well-designed park that stands out among all other Asian Disney parks. So, it’s way ahead of Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea are out of this world gorgeous and look like a park straight out of Science Fiction.

That’s not to say that Hong Kong and Shanghai don’t have beautiful Disney parks. Both options are spectacular. But Tokyo far outweighs them, especially if you’re into science fiction and Star Wars. Even so, Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneylands are also worth seeing.

Shanghai Has Originality

The Shanghai Disneyland is very original and has a unique take on the original castle park. Almost everything in the Shanghai park is unique and distinct from the features and attractions of other Disney parks. Is it worth flying halfway across the globe? Yes. This is a park you will want to see at least once in your life.

In contrast, Hong Kong Disneyland is more traditional and built when Disney did not want to try anything really new. As a result, much of the style is that of Anaheim California, which is not that original but does give you a sort of deja vu feeling. Even though the additions made in the first ten years of operation are original, but not as unique as Shanghai.

Has that helped you decide?!

If you are visiting Asia and want to go to one of the Disney parks, you just can’t miss Tokyo Disney, but if you love Disney and want to see other options, cultures and features then Shanghai and Hong Kong are certainly parks you can’t miss either. As with everything Disney, each park has its distinct theme and look. If possible, we recommend visiting Tokyo and Shanghai and then Hong Kong

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