It’s that time of year when prestigious publications and esteemed travel tastemakers from all over the world carefully curate lists of the best destinations and hidden gems to recommend to their readers. And then there’s us. This blog is going to do the same thing, weighing whether you should visit Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or expand your horizons as we crown a #1 Disney theme park to visit in 2025.
The cases for and against Walt Disney World are fairly simple. Pent-up demand has exhausted itself, resulting in lower attendance and crowds, plus more discounts on resort rooms as Walt Disney World attempts to entice guests. The Florida parks have also wrapped up their last big development cycle with the completion of the EPCOT overhaul and opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, so you can experience everything new if it’s been a few or more years since you last visited.
As for what’s new in 2025 at Walt Disney World, not a whole lot. Disney Starlight Night Parade is the biggest thing, and that’ll debut over the summer. There are also smaller stage shows and entertainment expected, but nothing major–making the lack of new attractions the biggest reason to take a year (or 3) off from Walt Disney World.
Honestly, the most compelling reason to visit Walt Disney World in 2025 is as an add-on to Universal’s Epic Universe. Or to say goodbye to DINOSAUR, Rivers of America/Tom Sawyer Island, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, MuppetVision, and other attractions and areas going extinct. None of this is enough to earn Walt Disney World the #1 Disney destination in 2025.
Then there’s Disneyland, which celebrates its 70th Anniversary in 2025. It’s a pretty similar story for the California parks as it is the Florida ones. Pent-up demand ending, meaning better discounts and lower crowds (albeit not even close to the same extent as Walt Disney World). Ditto the last development cycle ending with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening.
Disneyland Resort is also getting a night parade with the return of Paint the Night. Wondrous Journeys and Better Together will also make comebacks. World of Color Happiness debuts, as well as the upcoming Walt Disney Audio Animatronics stage show. Seasonal events and a more robust entertainment slate will also be highlights.
It sounds like 2025 will be a solid year for Disneyland, at least once May rolls around. But not enough to earn Disneyland the top spot. If anything, it’s still beaten by Walt Disney World thanks to the latter’s lower crowds and proximity to Epic Universe.
All of the other candidates require an international flight, and the most obvious of those is Tokyo Disney Resort. In fact, the Japan parks should be considered the frontrunners due to the opening of Fantasy Springs halfway through this year. That $2.3 billion expansion featuring Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan was the only major addition that “Disney” opened anywhere this year. It features multiple blockbuster boat rides, two of which are among the best Disney attractions in the world.
On top of that, the yen is incredibly weak right now–making Tokyo Disney Resort more affordable than ever. (See Is It Cheaper to Visit Tokyo Disney Resort Than Walt Disney World? Spoiler: the answer is yes!) Additionally, the parks in Japan are finally almost back to normal, making it a good time to visit for the full experience.
If you sensed a “but” coming, you’re correct. As much as we highly recommend and love Tokyo Disney Resort–and we really love it–recent experiences give us pause and slight reluctance to recommend it to a first-timer in 2025. You might still be better off waiting another year. But that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms, and one we’ll break down in an upcoming post.
With the runners up out of the way, it’s time to crown our #1 Disney Parks & Resorts Destination for 2025. For this list, we’re looking specifically at the pros & cons of visiting in 2025–what’s new & next, the value proposition of visiting now vs. waiting, as well as fan feedback and reader complaints about what they are and are not looking for from Disney vacations…
Our #1 Disney Park for 2025: Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland is the little park that could. It’s Disney’s least-visited castle park in the world, with attendance at about one-third the numbers of Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, or Tokyo Disneyland. It has lower attendance than every single Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort park, and ranked ahead of only Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris last year–not really a fair comparison since that was a veritable construction zone (and is absolutely atrocious).
We’ve frequently described Hong Kong Disneyland as charming or like Disneyland in California from a bygone era. That has been praise, but in a bit of a backhanded way. For years, Hong Kong Disneyland was a bit of a paradox: home to a couple of the best attractions in the world, but otherwise having a weak ride roster by castle park standards. It was a park we cherished, but never ranked in the top half of our List of the Best & Worst Disney Theme Parks in the World.
Our most recent visit changes that. Hong Kong Disneyland is no longer the Casey Junior of Disney theme parks. It’s not the scrappy little park that “thinks it can.” It’s the park that can–and does. Here’s a rundown of some of the reasons why…
Low Crowds, Laid Back
This visit to Hong Kong Disneyland came during a partial global tour that included stops at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disney Resort all in a two-week span. The contrast between Hong Kong Disneyland and everywhere else on that list was sharp. Especially Tokyo Disney Resort.
Whereas all the rest had some degree of holiday crowds, Hong Kong Disneyland was blissfully uncrowded. There was one weekend day that was moderate, but weekdays were an absolute delight–as has always been our experience at Hong Kong Disneyland. (Just don’t visit on Saturdays or any Chinese holidays.)
There’s a reason our strategy posts for Hong Kong Disneyland are threadbare: it’s not necessary. Show up at park opening, prioritize in a manner that’s semi-logical, and you should be good to go. On a normal day at HKDL, your longest wait for an attraction via the standby line can be 30 minutes with even a modicum of strategizing.
Like everywhere else, Hong Kong Disneyland offers a bevy of upcharges. Everything from a la carte line-skipping to paid early entry to a buffet offering reserved viewing for the nighttime spectacular (and more). All of this is unnecessary. Well, almost all of it. If you’re into meeting Duffy and friends, we’d recommend paying extra to skip LinaBell’s line. We made the mistake of doing standby, and even at rope drop, that was a bit excruciating.
Otherwise, we could’ve left our phones in the hotel room and done perfectly fine at Hong Kong Disneyland. We hear from so many readers who lament the loss of spontaneity, reliance of technology, and excess screen time at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, etc. If you want to step back in time–in the best way possible–Hong Kong Disneyland is your best (and really only) option!
World Class Attractions
Hong Kong Disneyland had languished for a few years following its huge expansion consisting of Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch, and Mystic Point. That expansion included Mystic Manor and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, which are two of the top 10 or 15 attractions in the world. We frequently told readers that that duo alone justified the flight to Hong Kong.
Very few of you listened, and probably for good reason. Our nonstop flight to Hong Kong was 16 hours, 5 minutes. That’s pretty long! And the flight time is probably the thing that’s going to keep HKDL as a non-starter for 95% of you. But it was really a no-go when it meant 8 hours for each of those amazing attractions.
In the last several years, Hong Kong Disneyland has (further) improved its ride roster to a fairly significant degree. The two new Marvel rides are a pleasant surprise, and we found the gameplay on Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle to be downright addictive (it’s better as a game than an attraction).
Toy Story Land doesn’t do as much for us, but we seem to be outliers in that regard. Other cloned attractions are also quite good, including “it’s a small world,” Hyperspace Mountain, and Jungle River Cruise. Then there are the two newest attractions in the park’s latest land…
World of Frozen
We had fairly high expectations for World of Frozen. It exceeded them. Part of this was probably thanks to doing Norway at EPCOT and Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea first. Based on those visits, we knew this land contained a clone of the Walt Disney World ride and not the mega E-Ticket or landscape in Japan.
Calling Frozen Ever After a clone of the EPCOT attraction doesn’t do it justice. That’s what it is, to be sure, but in reality, it uses that reimagined ride as the foundation, while giving it new bones and a facelift. Quite literally in the latter case–the Audio Animatronics are next generation instead of having projected faces.
While still falling (far) short of Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey in Tokyo, we found Frozen Ever After to be way better than expected. Everything about the attraction has been enhanced and it makes the complete attraction far better in the process.
Then there’s Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs, which is fine. It’s gorgeously-done with amazing rockwork that exceeds Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as well as a fun and well-designed queue. But the ride itself is too short and has a “that’s it?” quality to it.
Disney undoubtedly spent a lot of money Imagineering the design, so it’s unfortunate that the ride itself isn’t meatier. If this were Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: Frozen Edition, it would’ve been perfect. Instead, it’s even shorter and less substantive than that already short ride.
Where World of Frozen excels most is via literally everything else. The shops and storefronts are beautiful. The landscape is stunning. More than anything else, there’s a lived-in quality to World of Frozen that is palpable, and makes you instantly realize what’s missing from all of Disney’s other recently-opened lands. Speaking of which…
Great Entertainment
Hong Kong Disneyland is overflowing with live entertainment. There’s no better example of this than World of Frozen, which is home to several different acts, from bands to rock trolls. The most popular of these, unsurprisingly, is the free roaming characters.
Whenever Anna and Elsa appeared, the heaviest crowds we’ve ever encountered at HKDL suddenly materialized. I can understand why, as seeing these princesses wander around Arendelle–and Elsa conjure up snowfall–was magical. It was also really neat to see these characters in the attraction queue for Frozen Ever After.
Atmospheric entertainment abounds in the other lands, too. This was actually key to making them feel lived-in, especially as crowds were low. We spent so much time simply listening to live Dickensian Christmas carolers on Main Street or the Travelin’ Tunesmiths in Grizzly Gulch.
Hong Kong Disneyland is also great for character fans. We were able to meet a range of different random characters, as well as the Fab Five in unique costumes–both for Christmas and land-specific ones.
Speaking of Christmas, I’m reluctant to go into too much depth there as it’s unlikely you’re using this post to plan for a visit this year. Suffice to say, HKDL had the best Christmas tree lighting (complete with drones!) of any park, the best stage show, and more–all included with regular admission. This is typical of the seasonal entertainment, albeit with different lineups throughout the year.
Finally, each day ends with Momentous, which is the relatively new nighttime spectacular at Hong Kong Disneyland. This is in the Happily Ever After lineage, but with messaging more in line with Luminous at EPCOT. Quality and emotion-wise, I would put it in the same league as HEA and Wondrous Journeys at Disneyland. All three are different, but more or less equally excellent. Sarah ranks it as #1 of the trio. Either way, it’s one of the all-time best nighttime spectaculars at any Disney park.
Honorable Mention: Prices
Generally speaking, Hong Kong Disneyland is far less expensive than the domestic parks. (Excepting airfare, of course.)
This is particularly true for the biggest line-items of Disney travel budgets, admission and accommodations. We stayed in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel for the sake of reviewing the reimagining, but our favorite option–Explorers Lodge–was comparably (inexpensively) priced. Tickets were also cheap compared to the U.S. parks.
We nevertheless hesitate to include this because: 1) HKDL costs have crept up over the years, and; 2) the exchange rate is not favorable like Tokyo Disney Resort. The Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar, and prices at HKDL on merchandise and food have gone up–so it’s nothing like TDR in this regard. There was a lot we wanted (HKDL has stepped up its merchandise game in a big way), but we held back because we had limited luggage space for items from both HKDL and TDR–and items at the latter were much cheaper.
Even in light of all that effusive praise, it’s probably a very difficult sell to pitch Hong Kong Disneyland as a destination resort for the average American who needs to fly 16+ hours to get there. As much as we love the charming little park, even we would not do that. This is why it ranks #5 in our List of the Worldwide Disney Parks & Resort Complexes Rankings.
The reality is that you’re going to pair Hong Kong Disneyland with somewhere else in Asia. The city itself is fantastic and worthy of your time. The park is close to the airport, and a relatively short flight away from Shanghai Disneyland…or Singapore, if you’re thinking about setting sail on the Disney Adventure Cruise Ship.
Unsurprisingly, our preferred pairing is with Tokyo Disney Resort. Even with the issues we experienced at TDR during our recent trip, the reality remains that those are our two favorite theme parks on the planet. That remained the case this Christmas, and will undoubtedly be so again in 2025. Problems or not, Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are the parks we’d visit next year–and every year for the rest of our lives, hopefully. But we’re also not first-timers.
Regardless of who you are, there’s something to be said for the complementary nature of Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland. The two destinations are fairly sharp contrasts, but they go together well (like ice cream and bacon…or maple and bacon…or doughnuts and bacon. I love bacon!!!). They’re a good shot-chaser type of deal, very similar to how Walt Disney World pairs with Disney Cruise Line. Just as DCL can be a ‘decompresser’ after a whirlwind WDW trip, so too can Hong Kong Disneyland fill that roll after going hard at TDR.
Ultimately, our #1 Disney destination of 2025 is not really just Hong Kong Disneyland. As you’ve probably gathered, this was a sneaky way to recommend doing a multi-stop trip of the Disney Parks in Japan and Hong Kong. And in all likelihood, Tokyo Disney Resort and Japan as a whole will consume more of your time in such a scenario since that is the most logical way to allocate days, which would seemingly make those the #1 recommendation.
We didn’t make TDR our #1 recommendation with HKDL as an add-on for a couple of reasons, though. First, the practical side of it. Had we done that, most of you would’ve ignored the Hong Kong Disneyland recommendation and focused on Tokyo. Second, because HKDL really is our #1 destination, so of course we had to Trojan Horse it…but at least we used our powers of deceit for good!
Sure, Hong Kong Disneyland is not enough to alone justify that 16+ hour flight, but it is excellent. This charming little park punches above its weight and really deserves much more attention from Disney fans. (We didn’t even cover the trio of excellent hotels!) It’s impossible to articulate how special and enjoyable of a park it is. From the brick pavers on Main Street to that ridiculous (non-derogatory) new castle to the mountainous backdrop…Hong Kong Disneyland truly needs to be experienced to be understood and appreciated. If you have the opportunity to do so and can stomach that flight, take it in 2025!
For the rest of your planning needs, consult our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. It covers everything you need to know for a visit to HKDL, including reviews, strategy, packing, and more. If you’re visiting the city as well, please consult our Hong Kong City Guide on TravelCaffeine, our non-Disney planning site.
Your Thoughts
What would you name as the #1 Disney Parks & Resorts Destination of 2025? Would you place the Asia parks at the top for all of their additions, the domestic ones higher out of convenience, or Disneyland Paris near the top thanks to its reliably excellent entertainment programming? Do you agree or disagree with our pick of Hong Kong Disneyland as #1? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
