CELEBRATING TRAVEL AT HONG KONG DISNEYLAND’S MYSTIC POINT

As of last weekend, Hong Kong Disneyland officially opened the anticipated land named Mystic Point, the third and final installment of their 3-part expansion project.

Together with Toy Story Land (opened 2011) and Grizzly Gulch (opened 2012), Hong Kong Disneyland has increased their park size by almost 25% in just these past 3 years!

The themes of worldly traveling and mystery are embraced throughout Mystic Point.  Through employing a mix of traditional Disney storytelling and state-of-the-art effects, it is a one-of-a-kind experience that will remain exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mystic Point was designed to fit with the local culture of Hong Kong. There was a version of The Haunted Mansion at every Disney Park worldwide, other than at Hong Kong Disneyland. But rather than just importing that ride to Hong Kong, imagineers realized that ghosts and hauntings might not be culturally relevant to the most guests at HKDL.

Mystic Manor does still have some similarities to spooky classic theme park experiences, such as The Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror, and homage to these classics can be found throughout the ride. So it’s no coincidence that Lord Henry Mystic, owner of Mystic Manor, is a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, similar to Harrison Hightower of Tokyo DisneySea’s Tower of Terror.

WHAT TO DO?

From well-planned merchandise to themed dinning experiences to specific photo locations, Mystic Point offers quite the variety for its guests. But of course, at the heart of it all is the peculiar Mystic Manor, the main attraction in Mystic Point.

#1) RIDE MYSTIC MANOR

The story follows Lord Henry Mystic and his monkey, Albert– two completely new characters designed for Mystic Point. As a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, it’s to be assumed that Lord Henry has quite the collection of artifacts from his travels. Guests are invited to board his Mystic Magneto-Electric Carriage for a tour of his private museum located within his manor.

Even before the real journey begins, the artifacts and photographs from his expeditions will keep guests busy as they wait.

Before stepping onto the ride, guests are ushered into a private room where they’ll have their first meeting with Lord Henry, and of course, his mischievous monkey, Albert.

Now I don’t want to post anymore because I don’t want to spoil the ride and experience– but do go see what adventure awaits you at Mystic Manor.

#2) EXPLORE THE GARDEN OF WONDERS

A garden of more than just sculptures, the Garden of Wonders is a fun and interactive experience. The sculptures are, of course, nice to look at on their own, but the real magic (or should I say illusion) happens when you look at them through the setup viewing stations. It was pretty fun to play around with different perspectives and watch as people and sculptures morphed into new forms.

#3) ENJOY PERFORMANCES AT THE MYSTIC POINT FREIGHT DEPOT

The Freight Depot is home to Lord Henry Mystic’s nephew, who presents various travelers, representing cultures from around the world, in his small show. Here you can meet and interact with these cultural ambassadors, similar to at Epcot in Walt Disney World.

#4) BROWSE THE ARCHIVE SHOP

The Archive Shop has all you could want and more featuring the characters and themes of Mystic Point. Plushies? Shirts? They have it all and more. I thought this gift shop was well thought out.

Keeping with the theme of travel, due to Lord Henry’s Society of Explorers and Adventurers membership, there are a variety of travel accessories available to purchase including leather passport covers, luggage tags, postcards and more. You’ll also find products from other Disney theme parks and items from places around the world– things that Lord Henry had in his own collection.

Very creative if you ask me!

WHAT TO EAT?

Apart from a few popsicle stands, The Explorer’s Club Restaurant is the only place to eat in Mystic Point. But don’t let that discourage you. It offers an experience right in line with Mystic Manor.

As you’d probably expect, the cuisine choices are pretty diverse, featuring cuisine from all over the world– Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, even Halal items. But what makes it special is that The Explorers Club is also separated into rooms inspired by countries around the world, similar to the manor.

The one downside to The Explorer’s Club is that it is still counter service. I think it could’ve been a much better experience to actually have a proper sit-down restaurant. Counter service just doesn’t seem fitting for the elite Explorer’s Club now does it?

MY RECOMMENDATION

The Mystic Magneto-Electric Carriage is a trackless ride system that guides you freely through the Mystic Manor ride. Sometimes you are gathered together with other carriages, and sometimes you’re on your own getting a closer look at the artifacts coming to life. No carriage has the exact same journey.

This means you’ll need to ride it at least a second time, if not a third or fourth. Trying every different carriage is the only way to experience everything the ride has to offer. And you should!

FINAL THOUGHTS

The special effects are stunning and the ride is gorgeous. I’ll admit that I was mesmerized by the ride’s soundtrack (composed by one of my Disney favorites– Danny Elfman) and the LED light show that was going on in front of me.

I do think it’s one of my favorite attractions at Hong Kong Disneyland, along with last year’s thriller Grizzly Gulch, but I’m not sure it quite measures up to the epicness that was Toy Story Mania (opened 2012), which we recently experienced at Tokyo DisneySea.

But all in all, I think the imagineers did an excellent job on this new addition to Hong Kong Disneyland, and I can’t wait to go back and experience it again.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Where: Hong Kong Disneyland, Lantau Island
Website can be found here
Easiest Transportation: MTR Disneyland Resort Line