How Hong Kong Disneyland enchants guests with unique storytelling and immersive experiences
Operations team reveals some of innovative ideas and product strategies in use to help resort mark its 20th anniversary celebrations
If you have plans to visit Main Street, USA at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in the coming weeks, you may be in for a surprise. There is a party which you can attend – but not everyone will be invited … and that is not going down well with a group of particularly feisty Disney personalities.
The resort’s seasonal “Disney Halloween Time” returns with the new “Uninvited! A Villains Takeover Party”, “Let’s Get Wicked” – The Musical Spectacle, “Jack Skellington’s The Nightmare Before Dinner” and other offerings to celebrate this year’s Halloween until November 2.
During the “Uninvited!” party, Maleficent leads a wicked alliance of 11 notorious Disney Villains and their henchmen – including Queen of Hearts, Lady Tremaine and her daughters, and Gaston – while storming Main Street, U.S.A. in an evil block party.
“Maleficent … she’s not happy,” Tim Sypko, the resort’s senior vice-president of operations, says. “When you come during our Halloween celebration, keep an eye on Main Street because when she shows up, she’s furious that she wasn’t invited ... and she’s going to bring some villains along to say, ‘No, we’re coming. We’re crashing your party.’ And that’s going to be super fun.”
Guests will inevitably be drawn into the “chaos”, so you can expect to encounter iconic hero-and-villain pairings, such as Aurora and Maleficent, Alice – from Alice in Wonderland fame – and the Queen of Hearts, as well as Peter Pan’s Wendy and Captain Hook.
“Conquering the hearts of our guests is a priority,” Sypko says. “We’ve seen a shift in consumers’ behaviour and preferences. Guests are seeking more immersive, engaging and meaningful experiences.”
Laetitia Lee, a producer of entertainment at the resort, says: “Our creative process entails dreaming big and pushing boundaries, constantly looking for new ways that we can enchant our guests and tell our Disney stories in an exciting new way. We’re always looking through the eyes of our guests and finding the best way to deliver that classic Disney magic.”
She says this year’s Halloween programme at Hong Kong Disneyland is unique as it forms part of the resort’s year-long 20th anniversary celebration, which also features the largest parade in Hong Kong Disneyland’s history named “Friendtastic!”, with 11 floats and more than 30 Disney characters, and the electrifying concert-like show, “Disney Friends Live: Party at the Castle!”.
To mark the resort’s landmark year, it is also hosting what it calls “the grandest” ever “Momentous – Party in the Night Sky”, which features eight multimedia elements, including majestic 3D projections, synchronised drone choreography, illuminated water projections, choreographed water fountains, flames, lasers, theatrical lighting and pyrotechnic effects.
Lee says a sense of place has been thoughtfully embedded into the 20th anniversary celebration, including Minnie’s headpiece with an inclusion of the Bauhinia flower. “For the Zootopia parade float, there’s a skyline at the top of the tower – it’s actually referencing the Hong Kong skyline – and some of the signage on the float, that are local elements we have taken and played around with.”
Other Disney characters will also be taking turns to throw their own parties throughout the year-long festivities. Virginia Sung, the resort’s entertainment operations director, says: “It includes a Disney Christmas celebration hosted by Anna, Elsa and Kristoff at World of Frozen – the world’s first and largest themed land devoted to the animated Frozen franchise – which will feature a shimmering ice sculpture of Sven the reindeer.
“Hong Kong Disneyland creates immersive experiences through innovative technology, allowing guests to dive into our stories and make them their own.
“Through our use of state-of-the-art technology, we are able to enhance the engaging quality of our entertainment, and we do this seamlessly so that guests don’t take notice and are fully absorbed in the storytelling.”
Sung says she is most proud of this year’s return of “A Holiday Wish-Come-True” tree lighting ceremony, which features “a heartwarming Frozen surprise beneath whimsical snowfall and drones, creating a wonderful winter moment”.
For three consecutive weekends from November 22, the Hong Kong Children’s Choir will perform alongside different Cantopop singers, with Jay Fung, YT Chau and Alfred Hui taking it in turns to join them on stage during the “Disney Christmas Live in Concert!”.
Ahead of the new year, Mickey and Friends will ring in 2026 with the “New Year’s Eve Countdown Party”, which will include the spectacular anniversary-only “Momentous: Party in the Sky”.
Sypko says the event will allow guests to witness the evolution of Hong Kong Disneyland. “When you watch the show at night, there are scenes where the original castle is highlighted and the new one comes up behind it,” he says.
The resort completed the transformation of the Sleeping Beauty Castle into the Castle of Magical Dreams in November 2020 to make it the residence of a diverse range of Disney heroines. Local motifs such as the bohemian flower have also been incorporated into the design.
“Our castle is now unique to Hong Kong Disneyland and perfectly embodies the spirit of Hong Kong, showcasing the diversity of many different stories from all around the world,” Sypko says.
“Over the past two decades, we’ve served over 100 million guests and rolled out thousands of memorable entertainment offerings, park and hotel experiences, merchandise, as well as food and beverages.
“We have not only captivated our guests through distinctive experiences but also connected generations through our innovative products.
“Hong Kong Disneyland is proud to be a trendsetter in the market, consistently rolling out fresh and exciting products. Every guest nowadays is spotted in some form of ‘Disney bounding’, whether that’s through using headbands, shoulder plushes or keychains,” he says.
Since the resort’s opening in 2005, more than 6 million Disney headbands and pom poms and 26 million keychains have been sold at Hong Kong Disneyland.
“EATertainment” experience is also special to Hong Kong Disneyland,” Sypko says. “Our commitment to creating magical experiences has only grown stronger. For example, we are not just offering guests meals, but unforgettable dining experiences such as the Momentous Nighttime Spectacular dining package, Arendelle Royal Breakfast Buffet, and the Nightmare Before Dinner during Halloween, which are well received by guests.”
He says the guest experience is also crucial. “We’ve worked hard to make the park experience as seamless as possible for our guests, like using technology or a mobile app to help power our operations, improving accessibility of services and facilities that welcome people from around the world – like arranging viewing areas for wheelchair users, and providing a diverse range of F&B.”
The resort’s newly opened Moana-themed restaurant, Wayfinders’ Table, for example, features a Halal-certified menu of food and drinks created by a team of professional chefs, including roasted chicken leg, prawn curry, and malai kofta and lentil masala – all served with Gramma’s signature rice – seafood laksa soup noodles, banana coconut fritters and pineapple and coconut flavoured slush.
“But at the end of the day, the real magic is enabled by our world-class cast members, who bring the whole experience to life and create memories that will last a lifetime,” Sypko says.
Sung’s role involves taking care of the anniversary celebration’s 1,200-strong cast and ensuring the show goes seamlessly, regardless of the weather and other external factors.
“Creating the perfect show at Hong Kong Disneyland involves a strong collaboration between the entertainment and other related teams,” she says.
“We have diverse talent from different cultural backgrounds and professions, from 46 countries and regions, who contribute to the success of each show. Each cast member plays a crucial role.”
In addition to the resort marking its 20th anniversary this year, its transformation is continuing with additional Marvel-themed experiences and a new Pixar entertainment offering now in the works, which will feature characters from the Monsters Inc. film franchise.
Sypko says the new Pixar attraction will be an immersive theatrical adventure. “Using cutting-edge theatrical technology that blends real and digital environments, this entertaining live experience celebrates the joy of friendship and the power of play.”
The Marvel-themed experience will involve an expansion to the Stark Expo, which features a new attraction, as well as entertainment and shopping offerings.
Inspired by Iron Man/Tony Stark’s vision for a better future, the area brings together the brilliant minds of the Avengers and their friends as they work together in Hong Kong to showcase their cutting-edge inventions and technologies. This promises a greater variety of adventures involving a wide array of Avengers.
“We really encourage creativity and innovation in our teams,” Sypko says. “No idea is ever complete. A guest who came here in 2005 might now be coming back and bringing their kids.
“There’s this moment of, ‘I want to bring back the feelings I had when I came to Disneyland with my kids or my grandkids’. But there’s also … ‘I want to see what else is happening and what’s new, because Walt Disney once said ‘Disneyland will never be completed’. We always look for ways to enhance the guest experience.”