Situated on the outskirts of town, the Disney Explorers Lodge is a great option to stay at if you’re going to Disneyland. There is a convenient Disneyland Resort line from the MTR (Mass Transit Railway), which takes you straight to the park! In addition, there is a free shuttle that takes you from Disneyland to the resorts.
The Disney Explorers Lodge is the newest resort at Disneyland Hong Kong. It is located minutes from the Disneyland Park and perfect for families. There is two other resorts on site, the Disney Hollywood Hotel and the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Entering the lodge, we were greeted with an exceptional staff, who kept our bags in a secure location while we rushed off to Disneyland to enjoy ourselves. We returned later in the day to check in when our room was ready, and get a look at the hotel before the sun went down.
The title of the hotel is reflected in its theme of exploration. The lobby is full of nice little quirks that remind you of this, like an enormous map of the world behind the check in desks, cute traveling trunks that are supposed to belong to Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald, wings of the hotel named after the continents of the world, and the wall’s light fixtures are made out of old binoculars. Throughout the hotel you can find cute little gadgets and gizmos that help keep the explorers theme alive!
There’s even a television and booth in the lobby corner playing old Disney cartoons, if you need to occupy your kids or even dabble in the nostalgia yourself! Because it was the holiday season when we went, the center of the lobby was dominated by a gigantic Christmas tree that looked magnificent.
This excellence carries over to the outside as well. There’s a large pool to swim in for starters, but they also include several lush gardens based on Disney characters. The Rafiki garden (Lion King) is more African in nature, Hathi Jr garden is Indian (Jungle Book), and Kevin Garden reflects South American wildlife (Up). A walk through these and along the waterfront is a perfect activity for you and your significant other at any time of day or night.
We had a gorgeous view of the ocean and surrounding green mountains, and the outside looked as spacious as the inside of our room. Sea View Rooms include two Queen beds, and although we didn’t need the extra bed, it’s a welcome addition if you bring your family. Plenty of space and a great view come together for a very comfortable place to rest.
Inside the room is a private bathroom with lots of counter space! Since it was the Christmas season we were treated to a lovely Christmas-themed amenity kit which was filled with all things anyone could need from toothbrushes, toothpaste, razor and q-tips and more! It was a really nice touch and a great keepsake.
Even if you’re not at Disneyland for long, it’s still a good place to stay since there are a multitude of parks, beaches, and neat places to see on Lantau Island. Like the Tai O fishing village, the rock carving at Shek Pik, or Ngong Ping Village, which includes the giant Tian Tan Buddha statue.