We were invited by Disney to experience everything they had prepared for Hong Kong Disneyland’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, and we attended last week. Spoiler: I had a blast!
Decorations
I’d like to start by discussing the decorations, as they play a crucial role in setting the atmosphere and theme of a party.
The first thing you’ll see as you enter the park is the classic floral Mickey in front of the train station, surrounded by colorful birthday balloons and decorative top hats.
The Town Square presents a very elegant display in the shape of Mickey’s head, featuring Donald, Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy as beautiful glass sculptures, sitting on either side of it.
Main Street, U.S.A. is adorned with banners featuring Mickey and Friends and Duffy and Friends all wearing their new 20th Anniversary outfits.
In front of the Castle of Magical Dreams, there’s a stylized golden display with balloons and the number 20, a perfect backdrop for a photo.
Many of the park’s themed lands also present displays with glass sculptures of different characters. In Fantasyland, you’ll see Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. In Adventureland, there’s one with Pua and Hei Hei from Moana. In Tomorrowland, you’ll see Baby Groot, and in Mystic Point, there’s one of Albert, the monkey from Mystic Manor.
I really liked the decorations. They feel festive, but at the same time, they look very elegant, almost like giant pieces of jewelry.
Entertainment
Now let’s talk about my favorite part of the celebration: the entertainment. There are a lot of great character meet and greets and atmosphere entertainment, but I want to focus on the main shows.
The first one I got to see was “Disney Friends Live: Party at the Castle”, a new stage show that features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy along with Duffy and Friends. Princess Aurora, Belle, and Tiana also join the party wearing new updated outfits.
The show features three original songs: “The Most Magical Party of All,” “The Beauty of Friendship,” and “You Belong.” I can’t stop listening to them on Spotify since I got back from my trip, the music is SO GOOD and catchy.
I’ve lost count of how many times I saw this show; it’s so vibrant and energetic, it feels like a short concert.
I’m a huge parade fan, and I always love seeing the amazing floats and taking pictures of the characters. So when Disney announced that Hong Kong Disneyland was going to debut its largest-ever in-scale parade, I got really excited.
Featuring 11 floats themed to Mickey and Friends, Zootopia, Big Hero 6, Encanto, Toy Story, Monsters, Inc, Turning Red, Inside Out, Up, Duffy and Friends, and Disney Princesses, this parade is a feast for the eyes. After seeing that “Casita” float, I’m even more excited for the full-scale version they’re building for the Tropical Americas-themed land at Animal Kingdom.
Even though I really enjoyed this new parade, I have to say it feels a bit too short.
For the big finale, Hong Kong Disneyland revamped its amazing nighttime spectacular “Momentous”, which is now called “Momentous: Party in the Sky”, adding a 10-minute drone pre-show and projection mapping on Main Street. And wow! This is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive nighttime shows I have ever seen. It’s not just fireworks; it’s an immersive experience that combines water screens, fountains, flames, and lasers with some of Disney’s best songs.
And here’s a tip: watch it from Main Street. If you get too close, the drones will get partially blocked by the castle and you’ll also miss seeing the new projections.
Food
To be honest, I didn’t try much of the celebration’s specialty food offerings, but there’s a pretty large selection of 20th anniversary-themed items.
I had the Beef Rendang with Coconut Rice Combo at River View Cafe, which was good, but the real winner was the dessert: The delicious Duffy Chocolate Cupcake at Royal Banquet Hall.
Final Thoughts
The slogan for this anniversary is “The Most Magical Party of All,” and I think Disney did an amazing job making it feel like that – a very big birthday party. It’s great to see new entertainment created exclusively for the celebration instead of recycling or bringing back previous shows.
I fell in love with Hong Kong Disneyland and I hope I get the chance to visit this beautiful resort again in the future.
