Want to know what the best Disneyland in Asia is? In this guide we will give you a detailed overview of Tokyo Disney and Disneysea, Hong Kong Disney and Shanghai Disneyland to help you decide which is the best Asian Disneyland for you.
What are the Disneylands in Asia?
But before we can breakdown what is the best Disneyland in Asia we thought it would be worth giving you an overview of what and where each of the Asian Disneylands are:
Hong Kong Disneyland
What is the best Disneyland in Asia?
As the name suggest Hong Kong Disneyland is on reclaimed land on Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island and was the first Disneyland to open in China.
It is in fact the smallest of the Disney parks not only in Asia but the world amounting to only 68 acres of land.
Unlike other parks around the world, Hong Kong Disneyland only has one park, the traditional Magic Kingdom style park along with 3 themed hotels.
Shanghai Disneyland
What is the best Disneyland in Asia?
Shanghai Disneyland is the newest of every Disney park in the world having opened only in 2016.
It is also the largest of the Disney parks in Asia, and the second largest in the world covered 963 acres, with only Walt Disney World coming in ahead of it.
Again, Shanghai Disneyland is currently only made up of one park which is based on the original Disneyland Park in Anaheim and is very similar to Magic Kingdom. However there are some cultural differences reflected in the theming given the parks Chinese location such as a tweaking the themed areas.
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland was actually the first international park that Disney ever opened. When it opened in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland was comprised of just one park, the classic magic Kingdom style park.
What is the best Disneyland in Asia
However since its inception it has grown to open a second theme park Tokyo Disneysea in 2001, which is actually the larger of the two parks. This park is completely unique to Tokyo and no other Disney park around the world even resembles the Disneysea theme or rides.
What is the Best Disneyland in Asia?
Before we can tell you which is the best Disneyland in Asia, we thought it would be worth looking at your frequently asked questions about the parks and use them as ranking factors in deciding what is the best park. Therefore we will look at size, theming and originality, budget and more.
What is the biggest Disney in Asia?
Should I stay at a Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
Biggest doesn’t always mean the best however when you are looking at the Disneylands in Asia it is worth taking into account as there is quite a large size difference.
The largest Disneyland in Asia is Shanghai Disneyland by quite a considerably margin. In fact this is the second largest Disney in the world beating both the original park in California and Disneyland Paris.
However don’t let the size fool you, this park can feel the busiest out of them all. It should come as no surprise really, as China is the most populated country in the world, a Disney park in China was always bound to draw MEGA crowds!
The second largest Disney in Asia is Tokyo Disney which is split across the two parks, Disneyland and Disneysea.
And the smallest Disneyland in Asia, in fact the world, by a considerable way is Hong Kong Disneyland. This in my opinion is definitely a one and done park (meaning you only need to spend one day in Hong Kong Disneyland).
But size should not be the only ranking factor, crowds also play a big part in your park experience so what is the biggest Disneyland in Asia?
What is the busiest Disneyland in Asia?
According to Statista the busiest Disneyland in Asia is Shanghai! However I will caveat this by saying that the attendance statistics are definitely skewed due to the Covid19 pandemic which saw the Asian parks close, and the the Tokyo Disney to reopen last. As we get more up to date figures we will update this section.
But I can definitely say from personal experience that Hong Kong Disney definitely feels the quietest out of all the parks and always has less wait times than its other counterparts in Asia.
What is the cheapest Disneyland in Asia to visit?
Obviously when you are budgeting your trip to the Disneylands in Asia, the largest budget line is going to be flights whcih will be affected by your starting location.
However when looking at ticket prices themselves there is one clear winner in terms of the cheapest Disneyland to visit in Asia, and that is Tokyo!
Tokyo Disney is in fact the cheapest Disney to visit anywhere in the world. The ticket prices at Tokyo Disney tend to range from $40 to $70USD per day per person which is significantly cheaper than its US counterparts.
While Hong Kong Disney is actually the most expensive of the Asian theme parks to visit with tickets usually costing around 80-100USD per person per day to visit.
Shanghai tends to be the middle price point offer tickets for around 50-80USD per person per day.
For the most up to date ticket prices and ticket offers click here!
What Disneyland in Asia has the best theme?
Which is better Tokyo Disneyland vs DisneySea
Now all Disneylands across the world have a very similar theme and rides as they are all based off the original Anaheim park.
However Shangai Disneyland has perhaps had the most modifications in terms of themed lands. Here you can visit:
- Mickey Avenue,
- Gardens of Imagination,
- Fantasyland,
- Treasure Cove,
- Adventure Isle,
- Tomorrowland, and
- Toy Story Land.
Which is a relatively unique set up with some commonalities.
However there is one clear winner in terms of theme and originality and that is – Tokyo Disneysea.
This park isn’t a traditional Disneyland but a new park that is unique to Tokyo. This has a sea theme where all the lands are based on different coastal areas of the world and lands of Disney such as:
- Mediterranean Harbor,
- American Waterfront,
- Lost River Delta,
- Arabian Coast
- Port Discovery,
- Mermaid Lagoon, and
- Mysterious Island.
The rides and the lands are all unique so without doubt this has to take the title of best themed Disney park in Asia.
Best Disneylands in Asia Ranked
So based on those ranking factors what is the best Disneyland in Asia:
Third: Hong Kong Disneyland
For me it was a hotly contested competition, picking between the third and second spot but ultimately Hong Kong had to come in third.
This is not a bad park by any stretch, in fact we have loved our visits here. However due to the small size, lack of original rides and content Hong Kong had to come in last place.
Second: Shanghai Disneyland
Due to its overbearing nature and sheer volumes of people that you will experience at Shanghai Disney this park almost came in third in our list. However the originality of the lands and bigger size eventually led to Shanghai Disneyland taking silver medal postion!
Best Disneyland in Asia – Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea
Why Tokyo is the best Disneyland in Asia
If Tokyo only had the original Disneyland park, my order may have changed. However as Tokyo has Disneyland and Disneysea, this park had to be the clear winner.
Tokyo Disney is not only the cheapest park to visit in the world, I also think it has the best visitors. Not only that but Disneysea being a completely unique park with unique rides only it has mean that this park has to come on top! In fact, for me this park is miles ahead of all the other Disneylands in Asia.
Do you have a favorite Disneyland in Asia? We’d love to hear in the comments below!
FAQs about the Best Disneyland Park in Asia
Is Shanghai or Hong Kong Disneyland better?
Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney both have their own pros and cons. Hong Kong is smaller and less crowded but offers less diversity and volume of attractions.
Shanghai on the other, is much bigger but also a lot more crowded but comes with some unique theming touches to match Chinese cultural expectations. It is also usually the cheaper of the two parks.
For these reasons we think Shanghai just pips Hong Kong Disney to the post!
Is Tokyo Disneyland or Shanghai better?
For me, Tokyo Disneyland is hands down better than Shanhgai. Tokyo Disneyland although not as large in physical size, has two parks on offer, one being Disneysea which is a completely unique park to Tokyo.
For this reason we think Tokyo Disney is better than Shanghai by miles!
Which Disneyland is better Hong Kong or Japan?
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Hong Kong Disney is the smallest in the world and really does not hold a candle to the Japanese theme parks which are bigger, have more attractions and have a completely unique experience in Disneysea.
Japan Disney is hands down better than Hong Kong in our opinion.
Have a question about the Disneylands in Asia we haven’t answered? Then drop us a comment below and we will do our best to answer!