Hong Kong Visit - Advice Needed

[OnMyWay]

I am making final details for our trip, departing next Monday.  Can anyone help me with understanding the MRT tickets?  I'm looking at the MRT web page and not easily finding how much it would cost from the airport to Disneyland, which includes the airport express to Tsing Yi.  We are 3 adults, 4 yo, 2 yo.

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/jp/index.php?sid=47&eid=55&attFrmCate=ImmigrationPorts&attFrm=47&attToCate=Sightseeing&attTo=78

I can have a Toyota Alphard take us for 399 hkd, about usd 50.  Plus tip, I guess.

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

not easily finding how much it would cost from the airport to Disneyland

I remember taking an S1(??) bus from the airport to Tung Chung ( 15 minutes and HK$4) and the MTR from Tung Chung to Disneyland (20 minutes and HK$16).

That was the approximate fare for one adult and I did it that way because the MTR from the Airport is more expensive (airport surcharge?) and did not stop at Disneyland so it would involve changing trains and backtracking so more expensive and longer than the bus/train route.  Your mileage will vary but that is a starting point for you.

[OnMyWay]

44 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I remember taking an S1(??) bus from the airport to Tung Chung ( 15 minutes and HK$4) and the MTR from Tung Chung to Disneyland (20 minutes and HK$16).

That was the approximate fare for one adult and I did it that way because the MTR from the Airport is more expensive (airport surcharge?) and did not stop at Disneyland so it would involve changing trains and backtracking so more expensive and longer than the bus/train route.  Your mileage will vary but that is a starting point for you.

Do you remember....

After you got on the MTR at Tung Chung, did you still have to transfer to Disney at Sunny Bay MTR station?  On the maps, it seems that the Disney train only goes to/from Sunny Bay.

[Dave Hounddriver]

9 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

did you still have to transfer to Disney at Sunny Bay MTR station?

As I remember it, yes.  If I recall correctly, and if things have not changed, it is a separate train solely for the use of Disneyland that does a 5 minute run back and forth between the resort and the main MTR line.  It is an easy transfer.

[OnMyWay]

Another question....

I thought someone had commented about getting cell phone service in Hong Kong, but I don't see it.  Maybe in another topic??

Any advice on getting cell service for 5 days?  Buy a SIM at the airport?  Any preferred carriers for a good deal including some data or unli data?

Thanks!

[earthdome]

15 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Another question....

I thought someone had commented about getting cell phone service in Hong Kong, but I don't see it.  Maybe in another topic??

Any advice on getting cell service for 5 days?  Buy a SIM at the airport?  Any preferred carriers for a good deal including some data or unli data?

Thanks!

When you get into the big arrival hall look for a 1010 store with yellow sign. You can buy a tourist SIMM for about $12 USD. I think it gives you 5GB of data. If you are going to spend time out in HK proper and will be spending money you may want to load up what they call an Octopus card, it is like a prepaid debit card. You can get them at the airport and load them from your own credit card I think. The Octopus card is much more widely accepted than credit/debit cards. You can get a refund for any cash you don't spend at the airport when you leave. FYI, I also ran into problems booking some things to do online ahead of time with my normal credit card (CapitalOne). Worked great for in person purchases but online purchases were denied. I had to use a different card or in some cases had to just go and buy the tickets with HKD.

One thing we enjoyed was doing the TramORamic tour. A special old style electric tram tour of downtown hong kong. The upper level is open. We did the tour that started at 5:40 in the evening so it was dark for most of the tour with all the buildings lit up. Recommend that time of day.

 

[earthdome]

We visited HK earlier this month. I had one interesting observation. HK downtown is a very vibrant alive city with interesting buildings all lit up at night. We were down at the harbor in the late afternoon and at 5:50pm I started hearing this singing in Chinese. Like 100's of people singing some patriotic song. I looked around and saw this large plain 30 story building where the sound was coming from. The building had a large red star at the top with a large cluster of Antenna's. The building really stuck out... like one of those questions you see "What doesn't belong here?".

[OnMyWay]

On 10/26/2018 at 1:49 PM, earthdome said:

FYI, I also ran into problems booking some things to do online ahead of time with my normal credit card (CapitalOne). Worked great for in person purchases but online purchases were denied.

I had a similar experience.  When trying to buy my Disneyland tickets online, at the Disney website, before we started the trip, my CapOne card was turned down by CapOne.  This is normal for an overseas online purchase.  I got the e-mail from them saying "OK" or "There is a problem" and gave it the OK.  They said go ahead and try it again, which I did.  It wouldn't work and there was no messages from CapOne.  Tried it again over the next few days.  Refused.  It would appear that the Disney website blacklisted my card.

So when I got to Disney Explorers Lodge, I told the customer service guy the story, and he told me that those online offers only work from a few countries, which I found hard to believe.  He gave me all the discounts I would have got online, and the purchase was fine one the CapOne card.  I used the card all over Disneyland without issue.

[OnMyWay]

On 10/26/2018 at 1:49 PM, earthdome said:

When you get into the big arrival hall look for a 1010 store with yellow sign. You can buy a tourist SIMM for about $12 USD. I think it gives you 5GB of data. If you are going to spend time out in HK proper and will be spending money you may want to load up what they call an Octopus card, it is like a prepaid debit card. You can get them at the airport and load them from your own credit card I think. The Octopus card is much more widely accepted than credit/debit cards. You can get a refund for any cash you don't spend at the airport when you leave. FYI, I also ran into problems booking some things to do online ahead of time with my normal credit card (CapitalOne). Worked great for in person purchases but online purchases were denied. I had to use a different card or in some cases had to just go and buy the tickets with HKD.

One thing we enjoyed was doing the TramORamic tour. A special old style electric tram tour of downtown hong kong. The upper level is open. We did the tour that started at 5:40 in the evening so it was dark for most of the tour with all the buildings lit up. Recommend that time of day.

 

We didn't go to the city this trip.  Next trip, we will devote most of the time to the city.

I still need to write up some things about the trip, but haven't had time yet.  It has been a long, long, week!

Edited November 5, 2018 by OnMyWay