Those who frequent the Disneyland Resort will know that summers are usually the time for Pixar movies to shine, but this year Hong Kong Disneyland has upgraded their offerings enough that we were willing to brave the heat for all the fun. If you’re not much for the Disney princesses and have always preferred the Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Up, Wall-E movies and more, then read on for everything you need to know about Disney this summer.
Pixar-themed experiences are unfolding all across the resort, starting with a massive display at the head of Main Street USA: the famous Pixar lamp and the Luxo Ball. We half expected the lamp to hop and move as it does in movies, but it turns out it’s the ball that’s a screen that turns into various moving Pixar characters like Buzz Lightyear, Russell from Up, and Eve from Wall-E.
The joyful energy is most encapsulated in the two daytime parades. The Pixar Water Play Street Party is a wet-and-wild celebration featuring characters like Mr and Mrs Incredible, most of the Toy Story gang, and float mechanisms that will splash and soak bystanders (watch out for the cheeky toy soldiers). After you’ve successfully cooled down, there’s also the Friendtastic parade with the park’s signature Pixar floats – our favourite is Carl, Russell, and Dug on their airship.
When night falls, the highlight is undoubtedly the Pixar Pals Spectacular, a new show featuring shimmering fountains, lights, projections across the Castle of Magical Dreams and the Main Street USA, as well as giant character inflatables. Look out for your favourite characters from Monsters, Inc., Inside Out, Cars, Finding Nemo, and more.
Character encounters around the park have also been given a refresh, with the introduction of Mei from Turning Red. Miguel from Coco will also provide a new musical encounter, while Merida from Brave will be doing archery in Adventureland. Of course, there will also be character photo ops – apart from appearances in Tomorrowland and Adventureland, there will also be a congregation of Pixar characters in Toy Story Land, especially Woody, Buzz, and Jessie showing up with new Toy Story 5 accessories.
Poke around the shops for a brand-new range of Pixar merchandise, from Toy Story apparel to plushies, stationery, and accessories from a range of the other movies. The popcorn-themed range of blind box plushies really caught our fancy, as did the line of clicky keyboard fidget toys.
The Pixar Summer Fest runs from June 12 to August 31. There’s even an exclusive offer for Hong Kong residents until September 20, where those visiting Hong Kong Disneyland with two or more guests together can enjoy one-day general admission tickets at the child price, along with shopping and dining discount vouchers.
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