Which should you go to: Disneyland Hong Kong or Ocean Park?

When it comes to choosing between two of Hong Kong's iconic theme parks, Ocean Park and Disneyland Hong Kong, visitors find themselves faced with a delightful dilemma. Both parks offer unique attractions, thrilling rides, and magical experiences, making the decision a tough one. If you are trying to decide which theme park to go to to maximise your holiday fun, let's the pros and cons for both to help you make a decision.

Better rides: Ocean Park

Well, one of the main draw factors of visiting a theme park is the adrenaline-pumping rides.

Both Ocean Park and Disneyland have plenty of rides. But, if you are looking for the one that has more exciting and thrilling rides, we would say go for Ocean Park.

Of the two, Ocean Park has more roller coasters - and their roller coasters are definitely scarier. After all, Disneyland is more known to be family friendly and magical, rather than thrilling and exciting.

The most thrilling rides in Disneyland are probably the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars and Hyperspace Mountain — both of which are exciting, but we wouldn't exactly consider them scary.

Over at Ocean Park, the most iconic ride would probably be the Hair Raiser. Hair Raiser is a ride with twisty tracks by the edge of a cliff. You'll be looping and plunging right above the South China Sea!

Ocean Park also has a wet park, Water World, next to it. Water World has a number of indoor and outdoor wet rides suitable for all ages. If you are visiting in summer, a visit to Water World is a good respite from the heat. Separate admission tickets are required for Water World.

More immersive experience: Disneyland

Disneyland delivers as the most magical place on Earth. Stepping into Disneyland transports you into a space that feels very different from being in the city center of Hong Kong.

Your Disney experience starts early, from the point where you are boarding the MTR Disneyland Resort line from Sunny Bay Station to the Hong Kong Disneyland resort. Get on board the Mickey-themed trains as you make your way to the resort.

Disneyland has the advantage of having iconic characters that we are all so familiar with. As you navigate through the park, you will see shows and greetings of characters that you know and like, enhancing the overall experience.

On the other hand, Ocean Park doesn't exactly have a very distinct theme, and your entire visit is likely to be much less immersive. The overall atmosphere and experience is probably not too dissimilar to a visit to any other theme park.

Shows and other attractions: It depends

Aside from rides, perhaps another consideration that you might have would be the other activities you can do there.

Ocean Park features a diverse range of animal attractions. From dolphins to giant pandas and arctic foxes, animal lovers can spend a good amount of time visiting these animal exhibits. There are also animal shows and experiences that you could look forward to at Ocean Park.

Over at Disneyland, you will have the opportunity for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities with your favourite Disney characters, as well as parades and shows that are typical of a Disneyland experience. And of course, not to be missed is the captivating fireworks show that takes place when night falls.

Disneyland generally has a wider range of shows and attractions to keep you entertained for the entire day, but ultimately, which is better depends what you are more interested in!

More accessible: It depends

While accessibility primarily depends on where you will be staying, Ocean Park is generally considered to be more accessible from the city center.

To get to Ocean Park, you can take the South Island Line to the Ocean Park MTR station. There are also a number of buses from major districts in Hong Kong that can take you to Ocean Park.

To get to Disneyland, you will have to take the MTR to Sunny Bay and make a transfer to the Disneyland Resort line.

Both Ocean Park and Disneyland also have resort hotels near the theme parks, which could be a good idea if you are planning to visit the park on multiple days, or if you simply want to enjoy the full experience.

Since Disneyland is near to the Hong Kong International Airport, many would choose to spend the first night (or two) at Disneyland resort, before moving to a hotel that is nearer to the city center.

Cost: Ocean Park

When it comes to cost, Ocean Park is definitely the cheaper option.

Tickets to entrance park comes at just 498 HKD, with fast track passes available from 320 HKD. Water World tickets are available from 218 HKD in Spring, and prices are up to 280 HKD in pre-Summer (until 30 June 2024).

Disneyland's tickets are available from 639 HKD for a 1-day ticket, and 1,068 HKD for a 2-day ticket. Priority passes are available from 229 HKD.

How much time to spend at each theme park?

You will probably not need more than one day at Disneyland Hong Kong or Ocean Park.

In fact, if you are visiting Ocean Park only (and not Water World), it is also possible that you finish the key attractions in slightly more than half a day.

Buying tickets: Where to get the best deals?

You can buy tickets for Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park from their official ticketing sites:

• Disneyland Hong Kong
• Ocean Park

Ocean Park has an ongoing promotion on their official site from now until 31 May 2024, where tickets are available from 388 HKD (for admission till 30 June 2024).

Alternatively, for a better deal, you can also purchase the tickets from these OTAs, some of which providing a better deal than the official site:

Klook

• Disneyland Hong Kong: 1-day ticket available from 590 HKD, 2-day ticket available from 958 HKD.
• Ocean Park: Ticket prices are similar to what is available on the official ties, at 388 HKD for admission from now till 30 June 2024. Also available on Klook is the option for Ocean Park + Water World, at 388 HKD for entrance in March 2024.

Kkday

• Disneyland Hong Kong: 1-day ticket available from 590 HKD, 2-day ticket available from 953 HKD.
• Ocean Park: Ticket prices are similar to what is available on the official ties, at 388 HKD for admission from now till 30 June 2024.