Steve takes you to Hong Kong Disneyland - Part 3

[Tannerman]

[Miss earlier parts? Here's Part 1 and Part 2]

One element that helps define a Disney theme park is the presence of a monorail. Disneyland debuted the first daily operating monorail in the western hemisphere back in 1959. Today, monorail systems are in place at 3 out of 5 Disney resorts around the world. California, Florida, and now Tokyo have them, while Paris and Hong Kong do not. Paris has a commuter train that stops near the theme parks. However, Hong Kong Disneyland can boast of something no other Disney resort has... its own dedicated train line to the resort.

MTR Map showing Disneyland Resort Line

Part of the deal between The Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong government included consideration for transportation, especially given the island nature of Hong Kong. The urban rail system, called the MTR (for Mass Transit Railway), is a light rail system similar to our subways. And yes, there is a station right at the front doors to Hong Kong Disneyland!

Welcome to Sunny Bay Station!

A new railway was put in place to connect the Disney project to an existing MTR line (Tung Chung Line). Thus, two train stations had to be built on both ends of the line: Sunny Bay Station and Disneyland Resort Station. The stations and the trains themselves were designed jointly by the MTR Corporation and Disney's Imagineers. The result is a fun 3.5 minute train ride to the park!

Modern facility serving modern trains


Very cool roof structure

The transfer point for the Disneyland Resort Line is located at Sunny Bay Station, where folks leave the Tung Chung Line to head to Hong Kong Disneyland. This station is very modernist in design, proclaiming all that is high tech and futuristic in Hong Kong. The roof is made of fabric in places and will be lighted in different colors on occasion.

Transfer to Disney-themed trains!


Keep yourself from falling by grabbing Mickey

Unlike the rest of the MTR system, the trains on the Disneyland Resort Line are Disney-themed as well. The Mickey-head windows and handholds are heavily inspired by the Tokyo Disney Resort's monorail trains, which were introduced in 2001. On the cars themselves are Disney displays with artwork, sculpture, and other elements that highlight Walt Disney's love of trains. In effect, your Disneyland experience starts with the train ride! Unlike our crappy trains here in the United States, the systems on the MTR Disneyland Resort Line are fully automated and have no need for an engineer.

Victorian-styled Disneyland Resort Station


Yeah, it's a sign


I love the metalwork on this structure


A train arrives from Sunny Bay

Once you arrive at Disneyland Resort Station, however, the experience is much different. On this side of the line, the station has a strong Victorian feel in the architecture. A large sloping ceiling protects passengers from the elements, while still allowing an open-air feeling.

Happy cast members


Banners hanging on poles in the Park Promenade


Classically-designed lampposts

The highly-themed nature of Disneyland Resort Station sets the tone for much of the styling found in the Park Promenade section of the resort. This is the common area that connects the theme park, shopping, and hotel areas. No admission is needed to experience this area packed with unique structures and landscaping. In fact, before the park has even opened, people are riding the trains just to catch a glimpse of this area.

The main fountain featuring Mickey and friends


Other artistic fountains dot the Promenade

Notable on the Park Promenade is the large collection of entertaining fountains, including one large centralized display featuring various Disney characters in bronze. Apparently, music and lights are combined with these fountains for a fun, relaxing atmosphere. Hong Kong Disneyland as a whole is going to be well-known for its landscaping, where this aspect has been emphasized to tie into local customs. It's also something that could be easily "plussed" when the plans for the park were found to be underwhelming to most folks.

Park next to the hills!


Always important

Hong Kong Disneyland is surrounded by mountains, being located on the edge of an island. Therefore, it's probably the first Disney theme park to have parking lots with large hills overlooking them.

Tickets booths aren't open yet... be patient!

Initial reaction from the public regarding the railway and the public Park Promenade area have been very positive. And I will admit, I've been pretty impressed with how they look from the photos I've seen as well. Advanced ticket sales have been great and there is worry about overcrowding. Or course, the same was said for Disney's California Adventure, and that's been a flop.

Welcome to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

What really remains to be seen is whether the substance of the resort, the theme park itself, can really deliver the goods. On our next stop, we'll take a look inside the Magic Kingdom, starting with Main Street U.S.A.