A Tokyo Disney, HKDL & Shanghai DL PTR-UPDATED 11/23-JUST BACK!

[katt789]

If you are going to Kyoto and then going back to Tokyo, 7 day (about $260) pass may be worth it... Shinkansen ticket (Tokyo to Kyoto without stops) should be about 13000yen each way. I think you can select the activation date, so if you don't need it for the first few days, activate it for the later days. You should double-check it though, that was the info I got when I was checking.

Planning phase can get you stressed out, but hope you can stay excited! After all, you are going to Tokyo Disney!

We're traveling that way, but we're making so many stops along the way, and leaving from Kyoto to China!! Train transportation is something on my list of things to double check over the next few weesk! lol! I've reached that INSANE amount of excited now!! I've been watching a bunch of vlogs, and some of the special themed parades/shows from Tokyo that run seasonally that we won't get to see and I'm so pumped on it right now lol!!

We are getting a Suica card for our days in the city of Tokyo. The JR pass was so expensive compared to the Suica!

I think that's going to end up being what we have to do, the JR just seems so pricey and not totally worth it!!

 

[katt789]

October 18th

ALLLLL ABOARD!!!

We check out this morning and hop back onto a train to head over to Kyoto! It’s only a 2 hour train ride on the JR line, so it shouldn’t take too long, but I’m sure we’ll sleep in a bit, check out time is 10:00am so it might be a good idea to take advantage of that, and then hop on a train, especially since we can’t check in until 3:00pm.


We’re staying at an AirBnB for our Kyoto stay, it worked out to be cheaper, and it’s in a nice area, and a local area!


Kyoto Skyline by Stephen Leung, on Flickr


Our original plans had us doing a TON of things on the first day, but when we altered things and booked everything accommodation wise we added another day to Kyoto, so I’m guessing we’ll head on over to the Nanzen-ji temple!


Nanzen-ji by Eric Olsen, on Flickr


Nanzen-ji by PBY, on Flickr


It’s said to be one of the most rewarding temples in Kyoto, and has a lovely view out over the city. There’s also a lovely tea shop in there to enjoy a cup while you’re enjoying the view.


Sanmon view, Nanzen-ji by Laurie Brunner, on Flickr


I’m not 100% sure if we’ll make it out here since it does close at 5pm and we can’t check in until 3:00pm, but maybe we’ll be able to check in earlier, or perhaps leave our bags in luggage lockers at the train station, OR, completely bypass these plans and figure something else out….babah!


We’ll return early home and probably call it a night after dinner, we’ve got a lot crammed into Kyoto and will definitely need our rest!


October 19th[/u]

Good morning! Today is the first of many adventures that we’ll have in Kyoto, and we’re starting off with exploring the Arashiyama & Sagano areas! They are at the base of a mountain range, and considered to be the second most important area to sight-see! Tenryu-ji will be our first stop along the way!


Tenryu - ji Temple by waewduan C, on Flickr

Tenryu-ji by SBA73, on Flickr


A Buddist temple with some of the finest gardens, it’s said to best be visited early on in the day to avoid the larger crowds, hence the first thing we do. The other big site here is the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove which is something I’m SUPER excited about because it LOOKS SO AMAZING.


Lost in Bamboo Grove by Jacopo, on Flickr


Arashiyama Bamboo Grove by Gorka Zárate, on Flickr


It’s definitely going to be a spot for us to challenge ourselves with our photography as well, since even looking for these pics on flickr, so many of them are exactly the same, lol. Gotta stand out!! There’s also a monkey park in the same area as all of this that we have the chance to check out if we feel like we want to!


Arashiyama Monkey Park by Tim Easley, on Flickr


Arashiyama monkey park by Kirsty Komuso, on Flickr


Located not too far from all of our morning adventures is Okochi Sanso a celebrity estate, surrounded by gorgeous lavish gardens, and a gorgeous view of the city. There’s even tea & cake included in the admission at the tea house at the end of the trails!


Okochi Sanso, Kyoto by Adrian Wiggins, on Flickr


Okochi Sanso Villa Garden by Krzysztof Baranowski, on Flickr


We’ve called it there for the end of our adventures, all these sites are located kinda far off to the side of Kyoto and we obviously want time to explore everything! It’ll be more of a chill evening as we eat dinner either at home or near home and gear up for the next day!


October 20th

Kara & I start today off with another kind of shrine Fushimi Inari-Taisha according to the guidebook, its one of the most memorable and impressive sights in the city, it consists of 5 different shrines and a 4km pathway up a mountain! It’s a place that I’ve seen so many gorgeous photos of and cannot wait to see in person!!


Fushimi Inari Taisha by Damien Polegato, on Flickr


Fushimi Inari Taisha by Simon Long, on Flickr


Fushimi Inari-taisha by Rachel, on Flickr


Also another place where we can up our photography game! After we’re done there, we head over to a “don’t miss” Tofuku-ji


Tofuku-ji Gate by Nancy JonesFrancis, on Flickr

It’s easily linked with our previous stop via train, and a spectacular garden/temple. It looks GORGEOUS during autumn foliage, so I’m hoping that we’ll catch the very beginning of that, since it says it gets crazy crowded during the actual season, but it’s pretty, so I’d like to see it lol!


Tofuku-ji Temple by Junichi Kashima, on Flickr


We might have some time for a break before we hit up a couple of market/shopping streets tonight, it kinda all depends on how much time we take everywhere. Our first stop afterwards is the Nishiki Market


Nishiki Market - Kyoto by Tom Walter, on Flickr


Nishiki market by jacksog, on Flickr


It’s a food market back in the center of town, and full of all kinds of fun stuff to look at and potentially eat! We’ll probably grab some dinner from here before we hop on over to Ponto-cho which comes alive at night in a brilliant atmosphere, we’ll probably check this out quickly for that and then head home for the night?


Ponto-cho, Kyoto. by Stefano Ravalli, on Flickr



October 21st

Today is our last PLANNED (currently) day in Kyoto, in the booking stage, we added another day in to accommodate a couple more things, and have time if we missed anything we really wanted to see. We start off with an adventure off to a castle with beautiful architecture, and gorgeous grounds. [/b]Nijo-jo[/b].


Nijo-jo by G P, on Flickr


As you can assume, we’re headed here first because of the crowds that it attracts, so we hope to make it in and conquer it before they hit, when they start to roll in, we’ll move out to our next destination! [/b]Daitoku-ji[/b]


Daitoku-ji, Kyoto by Evan Stuart, on Flickr


(guys as I type this up and am looking at countless pictures on flickr, I swear, everything is starting to just look the same…) This is another Buddhist Temple, they say it’s a different world within Kyoto, and one of the most rewarding parts in the city, so maybe it’ll be a nice change, lol!!


As for taking things slow today, we don’t have much planned, I have written down Geisha dance? So who knows if that’ll happen, I know Kara really wants to do some geisha stuff, we’ll see what we end up working out, it looks beautiful. I also have sketched in Bar K6-> overlook river?


Kyoto: Bar K6 by kaydeesquared, on Flickr


The guidebook says it has great views of one of the “prettiest stretches of Kiyamachi-dori. Seems like a decent place to relax at the end of the night and take in the views! Chances are we’ll only grab a drink and then eat at home to save money, but we’ll see!


October 22

As I previously said, we don’t have anything specific planned for today, when we were booking hotels, Kara wanted to add another day in Kyoto & I figured that it was a good idea. There was SO much to do, and we’re going to be in town during a festival of some sorts, so that obviously makes crowds that much higher and things that much busier, so the extra day is probably needed!


I know Kara also REALLY wants to do the thing where you go somewhere and they do you all up like a geisha! It sounds super cool and the friends I’ve seen do it look beautiful, so I’m excited to see what this day holds.


As for Kyoto, this is officially our last day in the city, as we have 1 day trip the next day before we move on out to our final stop in Japan!!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Wow, as with the year in Orlando, once again you will be living out your dreams! Some people just wish they could go to these places, but you really make it happen. This will be quite an adventure.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Looks like a great trip and not too rushed which is a good idea. In my siggie is a TR of our experiences in Japan. I am so excited you are going to Kanazawa as few tourists go there though they say when the fast train is up and running that will change (is it yet?) The gardens were lovely and we just loved the non touristy "feel" of the city. The geisha area is pretty small and was a bit overrun with tour bus tourists when we were there but interesting small shops. We were inspired because of a book set there by an Australian author Kierin Meehan Hannah's Winter (lovely children's story but it might not be available in Canada). Do not miss Myoryu-ji (or Nija-dera) - the Ninja house. The tour is in Japanese with a short English translation book but it's the sort of place that language doesn't matter. We found opening times a bit different to those published so you may have to go back if its shut the first time you try. It was one of the highlights for us. The castle site next to the gardens is also worth a stroll through. The loop bus which is valid on the flat route buses as well is a convenient way to get about (you can buy a day pass). They do some great donuts in Kanazawa too - lots of different, unusual flavours though since then they are all the rage here in Aus too so not as unique now.

If you have a day free or if you haven't got it in your itinerary yet consider visiting Nara as well from Kyoto. Otherwise I can second pretty much most of what you have planned in Kyoto and Tokyo. You are allowing yourselves time to poke about and get off the beaten track as well which is good. Our most favourite temples in Kyoto were probably Ginkakuji (the silver pavilion), walking the Philosophers Path from here detouring to cute little Otoyo-Jinja (or rat shrine), Honen-in and round to Nanzenji. We loved little Kodaji Temple and outside Kyoto Fushimi-Inari is like it looks in pictures and is very special especially as once you get up the path some ways the crowds disappear.

Take comfortable walking shoes for all the walking you will be doing. So excited for you. Its going to be an amazing trip.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Forgot to say-when we were travelling, if you don’t hold a JR Rail Pass and intend travelling around the Kansai region consider getting a JR West Rail pass (Kansai Pass) for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. The 1 day pass is worth it even just for the express train from the airport to Kyoto but I think you are training in so might not be as good value for you. If it still exists that is. Our tip was 2012 so getting a bit old in the teeth given how fast things change. Looking at the Kanazawa castle pic you put up for example - looks substantially more been restored since we were there!

 

[missangelalexis]

Sounds like such great and exciting plans!

 

[katt789]

Wow, as with the year in Orlando, once again you will be living out your dreams! Some people just wish they could go to these places, but you really make it happen. This will be quite an adventure.

It certainly will be an adventure!! We're all excited!!

Looks like a great trip and not too rushed which is a good idea. In my siggie is a TR of our experiences in Japan. I am so excited you are going to Kanazawa as few tourists go there though they say when the fast train is up and running that will change (is it yet?) The gardens were lovely and we just loved the non touristy "feel" of the city. The geisha area is pretty small and was a bit overrun with tour bus tourists when we were there but interesting small shops. We were inspired because of a book set there by an Australian author Kierin Meehan Hannah's Winter (lovely children's story but it might not be available in Canada). Do not miss Myoryu-ji (or Nija-dera) - the Ninja house. The tour is in Japanese with a short English translation book but it's the sort of place that language doesn't matter. We found opening times a bit different to those published so you may have to go back if its shut the first time you try. It was one of the highlights for us. The castle site next to the gardens is also worth a stroll through. The loop bus which is valid on the flat route buses as well is a convenient way to get about (you can buy a day pass). They do some great donuts in Kanazawa too - lots of different, unusual flavours though since then they are all the rage here in Aus too so not as unique now.
If you have a day free or if you haven't got it in your itinerary yet consider visiting Nara as well from Kyoto. Otherwise I can second pretty much most of what you have planned in Kyoto and Tokyo. You are allowing yourselves time to poke about and get off the beaten track as well which is good. Our most favourite temples in Kyoto were probably Ginkakuji (the silver pavilion), walking the Philosophers Path from here detouring to cute little Otoyo-Jinja (or rat shrine), Honen-in and round to Nanzenji. We loved little Kodaji Temple and outside Kyoto Fushimi-Inari is like it looks in pictures and is very special especially as once you get up the path some ways the crowds disappear.
Take comfortable walking shoes for all the walking you will be doing. So excited for you. Its going to be an amazing trip.

I'm super excited for everything!! I've definitely read your tr!! I'm glad to see that you've been to Kanazawa!! We have Nara on the list!! I'm SO excted for it too!! Glad to know that we've got some good plans!! I wanted to cover everything, and obviously we wanted an authentic experience too! We definitely will have good shoes! I usually wear toms, even in the disney parks, but I'll have one pair of actual running shoes too, esp for the great wall!

Forgot to say-when we were travelling, if you don’t hold a JR Rail Pass and intend travelling around the Kansai region consider getting a JR West Rail pass (Kansai Pass) for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. The 1 day pass is worth it even just for the express train from the airport to Kyoto but I think you are training in so might not be as good value for you. If it still exists that is. Our tip was 2012 so getting a bit old in the teeth given how fast things change. Looking at the Kanazawa castle pic you put up for example - looks substantially more been restored since we were there!

I'll have to double check what the value will be for us!!

Sounds like such great and exciting plans!

It's gonna be so great!!

 

[katt789]

October 23/2016

Today we’re still staying in our accommodation at Kyoto but are venturing out of the city! A short 45 minute train ride is Nara it was actually the first appointed capital of Japan, and said to be one of the most rewarding destination!


nara by fezaizm, on Flickr


It’s a small and compact town so we should be able to cover the highlights on foot and within the day that we’ve given ourselves! Yoshiki-en is a stunner of a park that’s free, so we’ll most likely end up checking that out.


Exiting the Yoshiki-en Pond Garden, Nara by psilouroboros, on Flickr


Todai-ji Is a nearby Buddhist temple that holds the “great Buddha”, most of it is free as well, which makes it a major pull for us!


Todai-ji by MB DeGeorge, on Flickr


Todai-Ji by Guillaume Guiral, on Flickr


A smaller sub temple, just uphill from Todai-ji is Nigatsu-do It’s pathway leading up to it is lined with lanterns, and has a veranda with fabulous views!


Nigatsu-do by Chang Ju Wu, on Flickr


Nigatsu-do by Chang Ju Wu, on Flickr


And the big pull towards Nara is Nara Koen Park which is where all the pictures like this come from:


Nara Koen, Nara, Japan. by Kinki Cycle, on Flickr


Nara-Kôen by Bakka1985, on Flickr


These cuties roam freely everywhere and you can buy feed to feed them too! They’re super cute and I can’t wait! Though I can imagine there are some horror stories about feeding them too lol. I mean, they are wild animals….


Kasuga Taisha (another free item) is a Shinto Shrine that has pathways lined with lanterns and even more in the shrine itself. It obviously comes alive at night, but I’m not quite sure how late we’ll be staying.


Kasuga Taisha by Maeghan, on Flickr


Kasuga-Taisha by Chiara Salvadori, on Flickr


Basically today is all about exploring. We’ll see if we end up doing anything that we have to pay for, I’m sure Kara & I are more than okay with just doing the free things, especially since there’s so many to do in Nara. Nara is said to be packed full of food options, many right near the station, so I’m sure we’ll have some lunch (indoors…away from the deer at the least) while we’re there, and whenever we’re done with the exploring we’ll head back to Kyoto! I’m assuming we’ll stay til around dusk to try and get some different time of day photography done and try to avoid the rush hour on the trains when we return to Kyoto!


October 24/2016

Today we bid farewell to Kyoto and our (hopefully) lovely AirBnB! Lol Our day is filled with a train ride over to Hiroshima We originally planned to hop off the train in Himeiji to see their castle, but figured that since we have a MILLION castles n shrines, it wasn’t worth it to pay for, OR to stress over what to do with our luggage that day. Himeiji is apparently a popular spot to hop off the trains so depending on time of day there might not be any luggage lockers at the station. So, we opted to go straight to Hiroshima!


Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, 原爆ドーム、広島 by Aleksi Mattsson, on Flickr


We’re staying at Santiago Guesthouse Hiroshima in a 10 bed all female dorm. It cost around $150.00 USD for 3 nights, so pretty decent. Our plan is to just check in, maybe pick up a couple food items, and then tuck in for an easy night after a day of travel.


I’m not sure why, but I’m actually SUPER excited to explore Hiroshima, I honestly don’t know why, but I’m pumped for it, it looks so beautiful and there’s so much history there to learn about too.


October 25/2016

We’ve got a decent day today, pretty well packed with stuff, but not too crazy, and it’s all condensed in one area, so it’s easy to see, right?! Lol. We’ll eat at the hostel, and head to Hiroshima-jo first!


Hiroshima jo by Ian Edwards, on Flickr


Jo by Keith Mac Uidhir, on Flickr


There is a charge to go in, and they say the grounds and moat are the most impressive to see, so we’ll probably check things out on the outside before moving along to our next few stops.


All clustered together are:


The Atomic Bomb Dome it’s still there as a memorial to those who died in the bombing, since it somehow withstood the bomb.


A-bomb dome close, Hiroshima by Javhlan Byamba-Hughes, on Flickr


Peace Memorial Park which includes things like the Memorial Mound and Chidlren’s Peace Monument


Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan by Adrian Dutch, on Flickr


Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Cenotaph by Sara, on Flickr


hiroshima // children's peace monument 02 by Daniel Chang, on Flickr


National Peace Hall


The Hall of Remembrance by William Bullimore, on Flickr


An adjoining room has the names and photographs of the victims, and there are stories from survivors you can watch as well. Lonely Planet mentions it and the peace memorial museum as places that can be upsetting, but still a must see in the city.


Again, today will be an exploring of the area, since everything is so closely compacted together. And a day of paying respects in a sense. Again, Hiroshima has many places for cheap satisfying food, so we’ll grab some dinner before heading back to the hotel for the night.


October 26/2016

AHH! SUPER EXCITED ABOUT TODAY, SERIOUSLY. A short 10 minute ferry ride away from Hiroshima is Miyajima


MIYAJIMA by Shichifuku Jin, on Flickr


It’s a small Island and one of the country’s most visited destination. It’s also home to the REAL LIFE FLOATING TORI that we’ve become so accustomed to see with Spaceship Earth in the middle of it…well…NOT TODAY!!


We’ll arrive via ferry near the Tourist Information Center and take a stroll along the waterfront to get to the shrine and other such areas, bonus, the walk is only 10 minutes!


Itsukushima-jinga Shrine is the shrine to see the floating tori from, and is constructed like a pier because of the islands sacred status. “Commoners were not allowed to set foot upon the island and had to approach by boat through the tori in the bay” (from LP)


20140521-035-Itsukushima-jinga temple complex-2.jpg by Roger Wong, on Flickr


They also say that most of the day the tori is seen surrounded by mud and dirt, to get the actual floating effect one has to see it during high tide, but I’m sure we’ll spend a good chunk of the day here.


Floating Tori by Ştardust96, on Flickr


Floating Tori by daoartgod, on Flickr


I mean…just look at it! We’ll want day time, dusk, and sunset photos, bahaha!!


Momiji-dani-koen is a park along the river that “comes alive” in autumn, so maybe it will be late enough to see some of that this time!


Momiji Dani by Habuki, on Flickr


An option for us if we wish to explore a little more, and if it’s running, is the ropeway on Mt Misen After taking the ropeway up, there’s a 30 minute walk to the top and the observatory.


View from Mount Misen (弥山) by Kevin, on Flickr


Mt. Misen Ropeway II by Uwe Seiler, on Flickr


Miyajima has plenty of eating options along the main strip, including local oysters, eel and other delicacies! The guide books also say 1 block further inland from the main strip is much quieter and still has a few cafes and shops and such! The ferry times kinda determine how long Kara & I will stay, but I would LOVE to see a sunset with the floating tori, and the next day’s just a travel day, so we’ll see what ends up happening!!

 

[wanderlust7]

I love Miyajima! I'm not sure if the ferry schedule will work, but the torii is beautiful after dark too. It's lit up and the reflection shimmers in the water, one of my favorite memories of Japan.

 

[katt789]

I love Miyajima! I'm not sure if the ferry schedule will work, but the torii is beautiful after dark too. It's lit up and the reflection shimmers in the water, one of my favorite memories of Japan.

Yay!! It's one of the places that I'm most excited to see!!! Awe man, I hope it works...but I wouldn't be surprised if the ferry doesn't run after dark! Should've thought of that before!!! I hope we get to see it!

 

[katt789]

October 27th/2016

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! We are officially leaving Japan!! We have it planned now to fly out of Hiroshima and to Beijing, but depending on cost/efficiency we might fly out of somewhere that’s more of a major port? We’ll figure it out and price it out in the next little bit.


Since we’re checking out of Hiroshima, and then travelling internationally, and dealing with customs, a new country, visa’s and the like, we don’t have anything major planned for after arrival. It’s also the first day Abby will be joining us!! YAY! She’ll also be exhausted after flying from Canada, so if we did anything, it wouldn’t be much cause she’d probably miss out on it!


BEIJING

Beijing by Tony Shi, on Flickr


We’re staying at Leo Hostel it cost us just over $200 total for 4nights in a 3 bed private dorm, so bonus! No sharing rooms with strangers!! There’s a restaurant, a bar/lounge area, some free wifi, and it’s pretty centrally located to where most of our adventuring will be.


We had a potential stop over to see some towers this evening, but considering I just checked the google maps and it’s an hour away on public transport, I’m guessing we’ll take it easy and pick up some food and call it a night. Probably also catch up with Abby on how things have been going for both of us!


China is the part of this trip I’m excited for but also super nervous about, with no social media availability, I know we have to get a VPN and that’s just super confusing. I’m also considering NOT getting one since we’re only in the country for 11 days. The only thing would be things like google maps, as I’m sure we could all go without social media for 11 days lol. I’m also not sure how trustworthy the cities are lol, they seem great, but I know things like pickpocketing are a lot worse here, so we’ll be keeping a much closer eye on our belongings than in Japan.


October 28/2016

The three of us start earlier today, hopefully the jet leg isn’t too bad for Abby, we head a closer distance from our hostel and are going to Tiananmen Square


Tiananmen Square 1 by Adrian Osmond, on Flickr


It’s obviously one of the most symbolic things in Chinese History and I’m excited to see it. Right passed the square is the Workers Cultural Palace which Lonely Planet says is the city’s best kept secret, most people skip right by on their way to the Forbidden City, but it was the emperor’s “premier place of worship”. It seems to be a popular place for weddings too!


Workers Cultural Palace by Johan Olsson, on Flickr


Weddings @ Worker's Cultural Palace by Irina Callegher, on Flickr


The Forbidden City is obviously our prime stop for today, and there’s LOTS to see within the walls, and numerous halls within that have other special costs for special things. The Forbidden City is China’s best preserved and largest of it’s ancient buildings. It says to allow the better part of a day to explore inside, though I’m not going to go into much more detail on the inner going-ons right now lol.


The Forbidden City by Chee Seong, on Flickr


The Forbidden City, Beijing by Septimus Low, on Flickr


Through the back of the Forbidden City is an exit into Jingshan Park it’s up on a hill where the land was left after creating the moat for the city, and provides good views over the rooftops.


Jingshan park by Vince Miezejewski, on Flickr


I feel like I mainly included it in because it’s a way out of the walled city and gets us closest to Beihai Park which I honestly saw a picture of in the guide book and thought it was gorgeous! It’s close enough to where we’ll be that day so if we want to stroll along the lake to end off our afternoon, it could be a great place to do so!


Beihai Park by dominique boursier, on Flickr


Beihai Park by Oliver, on Flickr


The day is VERY full of adventure and exploring, and I’m sure we’ll all be rather tired by the end of the day, so some food and SLEEP will be the most important! Especially for poor jet legged Abby!


October 29/2016

Today we only have ONE thing on the menu, and it’s the Summer Palace It’s a bit further away from the city, and kinda isolated, and requires pretty much a full day to explore, so that’s our reasoning to making it a full day thing!


Summer Palace by Ian Fraser, on Flickr


There are a few different tiers of tickets we can choose from, and some different tours/audio tours that we could upgrade to if we wanted. The Summer Palace is considered a “mandatory” sight, and there’s tons to explore.


Beijing, China: Summer Palace by Robin Liao, on Flickr


Todd Hockley Beijing Summer Palace by vonSchnitzenberg, on Flickr


Depending on how long the Summer Palace takes us, and how we’re feeling, we might check out the Drum & Bell Towers they were originally on the list for our arrival day in Beijing, but today seems like a decent time to try and squeeze them in if we want to see them!


Bell Tower and Drum Tower, Xian by Azam Abedi, on Flickr


They’re also something much more beautiful to see at night, so this plan works out pretty well!


October 30/2016

Today is another day of EPIC PROPORTIONS!!! We’re exploring one of the wonders of the world, and we’re all SUPER excited for it! The Great Wall of China no need to explain what this attraction is, we’ve all heard about it’s majesty!


We’ve chosen a segment of the wall that’s been recently renovated, and sees a lot of tourists, even has a cable car, chair lift and A SLIDE TO GET BACK DOWN INSTEAD OF HIKING, LIKE HI, THAT’S AMAZING. I’m also reading that we’ll need to bring our own snacks, as food is around the entrance way but is pricey, so we’ll see about that too…


Great Wall at Mutianya by Roy Wong, on Flickr


Mutianya-Great-Wall-2 by Kyle Royston, on Flickr


beijing-great-wall-at-mutianya.jpg by nice_business_in_china, on Flickr


It’s gonna be one HECK of an amazing day, that’s for sure! There’s a bus that takes about 2.5 hours from Beijing to get there, and leaves at 7am daily, and returns around 4:00pm, so we’ve got a GOOD chunk of the day to explore and adventure and take ALL the photos!


The Great wall of China, Mutianya section- 3 by Jade Robinson, on Flickr


I’m REALLY hoping that it’s a clear and not too smoggy day, mainly because of the views/pictures, but like, I also hope that every day so that we can..you know…breathe…


The three of us will be able to squeeze it all in today, and then head back to Beijing on the bus at 4:00pm and probably call it an early night, we’re off to another city the next morning, and things are GETTING EVEN MORE EXCITING!!

 

[zanzibar138]

Yay! I finally feel like I can chime in with some useful information

First of all, so glad to see that you are really taking the time to explore these places fully rather than doing a one day 'highlights' tour where you get about 5 minutes at each place That is one of the reasons I decided not to explore more of China on my recent trip. I really felt like I didn't have enough time to do anything justice.

Please don't be scared about China. Yep, it's a different culture, but that's part of what makes it exciting. I know Shanghai is a lot more westernised and more open to westerners, but I felt perfectly safe getting around on my own, even at night. All the reports I've heard from Beijing say that it's perfectly safe for women to travel solo (I did a lot of research on various cities because I would have been on my own). While you should be mindful of pickpocketing, it's much more of an opportunistic thing and will mainly happen where there are large crowds and you wouldn't notice someone tampering with your bag. It's not like Europe where they'll set you up for it. I just held my handbag in front of me on the train where I could it and everything that happened to it, and never had any hint of trouble. You should take the same precautions that you normally would while travelling. Don't flash around expensive jewellery etc, and keep a close eye on your stuff.

I would recommend getting a VPN for your time in China. 11 days is a long time! (I was only there for 3 nights and I felt like I couldn't get by without one lol!). It's always nice to be able to connect with people back home on facebook, or to be able to use your gmail, access google maps like you said... I think even the DIS is blocked in China from what I've read! It's *so* easy to get a VPN. I've done a whole post on it in my TR (check the contents page for a quick link), but you basically just sign up and download the software, then just connect to Hong Kong whenever you use the internet. Express VPN got the best reviews, so I just went with that. It would probably be worth signing up before you get to China, as I wouldn't be surprised if VPN websites are also blocked

 

[helenk]

We explored that portion of the Great Wall in July. It is really nice and the views were amazing. My daughter hired a driver suggested by one of her friends. It only took an hour from her apartment in Beijing. We took the ski lift up and then after hiking along the wall took the slide down. Also I would not count on getting to the Drum and Bell Tower after visiting the Summer Palace. They are on opposite sides of the city and the Summer Palace area/ park is huge. There is alot to see alot of walking. We used the subway from my daughter's apartment it took a few transfers and about an hour of travel time. We used the subway alot in Beijing it's easy to use and inexpensive. We also did a self tour on Electric bikes through the Houtongs which was fun. I also second using a VPN while in China. My son and I used Betternet it was free and it was easy to download and use.

 

[zanzibar138]

I also second using a VPN while in China. My son and I used Betternet it was free and it was easy to download and use.

Good to know! I looked at using Betternet, but I couldn't find any reviews and wasn't willing to take the chance.

 

[katt789]

Yay! I finally feel like I can chime in with some useful information

First of all, so glad to see that you are really taking the time to explore these places fully rather than doing a one day 'highlights' tour where you get about 5 minutes at each place That is one of the reasons I decided not to explore more of China on my recent trip. I really felt like I didn't have enough time to do anything justice.

Please don't be scared about China. Yep, it's a different culture, but that's part of what makes it exciting. I know Shanghai is a lot more westernised and more open to westerners, but I felt perfectly safe getting around on my own, even at night. All the reports I've heard from Beijing say that it's perfectly safe for women to travel solo (I did a lot of research on various cities because I would have been on my own). While you should be mindful of pickpocketing, it's much more of an opportunistic thing and will mainly happen where there are large crowds and you wouldn't notice someone tampering with your bag. It's not like Europe where they'll set you up for it. I just held my handbag in front of me on the train where I could it and everything that happened to it, and never had any hint of trouble. You should take the same precautions that you normally would while travelling. Don't flash around expensive jewellery etc, and keep a close eye on your stuff.

I would recommend getting a VPN for your time in China. 11 days is a long time! (I was only there for 3 nights and I felt like I couldn't get by without one lol!). It's always nice to be able to connect with people back home on facebook, or to be able to use your gmail, access google maps like you said... I think even the DIS is blocked in China from what I've read! It's *so* easy to get a VPN. I've done a whole post on it in my TR (check the contents page for a quick link), but you basically just sign up and download the software, then just connect to Hong Kong whenever you use the internet. Express VPN got the best reviews, so I just went with that. It would probably be worth signing up before you get to China, as I wouldn't be surprised if VPN websites are also blocked

I am very happy that we've got a lot of time, there were some days that I thought seemed super rushed but when we went over everything when we booked hotels and took stuff out it's made me feel a lot better!! I'm only slightly worried about China, I think Abby is moreso, but it's almost more the crowd culture and how people will be super pushy and have no personal space, bahaha! I invested in a small but big enough for a DSLR crossbody bag specifically for China, so I'll be keeping a good eye on my bag! Haha, if it wasn't for google maps we'd just be saying screw it and not have social media for a few days, but I honestly think everyone back home will be wanting to see some pictures asap, esp of Shanghai, so we'll probably end up getting one!

We explored that portion of the Great Wall in July. It is really nice and the views were amazing. My daughter hired a driver suggested by one of her friends. It only took an hour from her apartment in Beijing. We took the ski lift up and then after hiking along the wall took the slide down. Also I would not count on getting to the Drum and Bell Tower after visiting the Summer Palace. They are on opposite sides of the city and the Summer Palace area/ park is huge. There is alot to see alot of walking. We used the subway from my daughter's apartment it took a few transfers and about an hour of travel time. We used the subway alot in Beijing it's easy to use and inexpensive. We also did a self tour on Electric bikes through the Houtongs which was fun. I also second using a VPN while in China. My son and I used Betternet it was free and it was easy to download and use.

Yay!! Glad to see we picked a good spot then! Esp since I kinda picked it on my own so if it was a bust I'd feel so bad! Lol. We're probably taking public transport out there, which does kinda worry me but hopefully we'll be up early enough to beat the crowds!? Who knows!? I'm super excited about the slide!! The only reason I sketched in the towers after the palace were because they're super close to our hostel! Otherwise we'll skip them, not super high priority!! Awesome, thank you!!

Good to know! I looked at using Betternet, but I couldn't find any reviews and wasn't willing to take the chance.

Yay!

 

[katt789]

October 31/2016

HAAAAPPPPPYYY HAAAALLLOOOWEEEENNNNNN


But seriously.


We love Halloween.


I’m still heartbroken I’m not going to WDW’s festivities this year….


But this Halloween is going to be EXTRA special because we are arriving in SHANGHAI hopefully the Metro won’t be too confusing for us, or we might bail and take a taxi, we’ll find out. Because we are headed somewhere VERY SPECIAL, NEW AND EXCITING

SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND!! Is our next stop on the trip! We really wanted to stay onsite here since it’s a bit cheaper than Tokyo hotels were, and to really be part of the magic, plus it’s all new! The Toy Story hotel seemed like a better choice budget wise, so it’ll be home for the next 4 nights!

I’m super excited for it! Our plans for today are to check in, and kinda relax and I have laundry penciled in, thrilling, I know. However we WILL have Wi-Fi at the hotel, and I know there’s laundry services here so maybe a nap will be in order!!


EEEEEERRRCCCCHHHH


This is one of those moments that I’ve gotten the plans typed up, and they changed! So, all 3 of us are tight on money right now, and it’s becoming more and more apparent just how much all of this trip is going to cost, AND how fast it’s coming up! Not that much time to save, plus paying rent and living in a super expensive city! SO, the other day, we went on an adventure onto AirBnB and Hostelworld and the like as I SEARCHED DESPERATELY for something cheaper and close to Shanghai Disneyland.


Here’s the problem with that… SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND DOESN’T REGISTER ON GOOGLE MAPS.


NEITHER DOES THE LINE 11 EXPANSION ON THE METRO.


DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND OUT WHERE PLACES ARE WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND THE EXPANDED METRO ON THE MAPS?!?!


None of the hotels that were that cheap were close enough anyway, so I began to dig through AirBnB, using the road name where the closest Metro station to SDL was. The struggle here is to ensure safety, they don’t show you the actual address/location of the bnb, they just have a circle radius of where it’s located. SO,we had to TRUST these people that their postings are correct, and the reviews all saying the same thing and the proximity to the parks is true!


Luckily, we’ve found a couple of choices that are a 5 minute walk to the metro, and only 2 stops away from the Disneyland station!


AND THEY EACH SAVE US AROUND $200 EACH!! Seriously. A major life saver considering the VISA TO GET INTO THE DARN COUNTRY IS NEARLY THAT MUCH!! #cries


….now back to the regular scheduled programming...



Afterwards though we WILL be heading over to the Wishing Star Park and Disneytown to get a bit of that Disney love and check out merchandise and probably grab some dinner if we don’t eat at the house.


Exit to Disneytown by Joel, on Flickr


World of Disney main entrance by Joel, on Flickr

Naturally, since we’re close enough by, we’ll want to check out the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel as well, at least to take some pictures, it LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL!!

There’s multiple food options at all locations we’ll be visiting tonight, so it’ll be a fun pick of what to eat!! I’m also wondering if there will be any kind of Halloween festivities, I’m not even sure if the holiday is celebrated in China…maybe we’ll be able to see some merch, but who knows?! But we can’t be out too late, we’ve got a VERY exciting day to get up to the next morning!


November 1/2016, November 2/2016, November 3/2016 **(grouping these together since we don’t really have concrete plans for which day will be which things yet…)

Welcome to a NEW month, and A NEW DISNEY PARK! A BRAND FREAKING NEW DISNEY PARK.


WHAT?!?!


WHAT?!?!


IS THIS REAL?!!?


I’ve become SUPER excited about it seeing all the pictures slowly emerge. It’s been tough with the social media being blocked there, I know there’s lots out there, but heck, even finding all the previous pictures was tough enough! Lol.


The other nice thing about Shanghai is that it doesn’t see to open super early, so we won’t have to be up at the CRACK of dawn, but we’ll still want to be getting there early!


Shanghai Disneyland 2016 by Toni Arias, on Flickr


One of our days will start off with us veering LEFT to Tomorrowland (yeah…everything’s backwards…I don’t wanna talk about it) and heading towards Tron first!


Tron Lightcycle Power Run sign at night by Joel, on Flickr


Since the park is so big, we’ll stick to one land at a time (we’ve heard this is the best system, feel free to pipe in with any advice!)

Our morning will look like this

-Tron standby

-Grab fp for later

-Buzz Lightyear

-Jet packs? (it looks like they’re basically dumbo with a different theme, maybe not..)

-Launch Bay stuff(?)


I do REALLY want to meet C3PO & R2 so that’s definitely on the list, and since we’re starting in Tomorrowland, it’ll make sense to do today!


Judging by the map there’s a little back pathway to Fantasyland, so we can check out that kinda stuff after, hopefully there aren’t any HUGE lines.I’ve heard that Mine Train is pretty much identical, and has longer waits, so I’m not heart set on riding it, but we’ll take some time to explore the area, explore the castle, maybe meet a princess or two, and check out the hub area!

Princess Belle by Nay, on Flickr


There’s definitely a few familiar faces and people we’re excited to see again when we get over to Shanghai! I also have NO idea where/when it is, but there’s some adorable little dance party/show with a bunch of characters that we MUST see.

And of course the castle show is a MUST do!


Golden Fairytale Fanfare by Nay, on Flickr


Golden Fairytale Fanfare by Nay, on Flickr


Golden Fairytale Fanfare by Nay, on Flickr


And the parade, despite it being kind of a cluster of whatever they felt like throwing together…seriously the weirdest combinations of characters, but I’ll take it!


Mickey's Storybook Express by Nay, on Flickr


Mickey's Storybook Express by Nay, on Flickr


It looks like the Frozen Sing a Long is hidden in Fantasyland, so it’ll probably be watched on our first Tomorrowland/Fantasyland day!


For our second day, I’ve been told to start on the RIGHT hand side of the park, over in Adventure Isle, and head straight to Soaring, as it packs the heaviest wait time otherwise.

And to spend some time in the surrounding Pirates Cove area, especially to finally see the new Pirates in person! We’ve all avoided watching any ride throughs to be sure we’re all surprised and know nothing lol!

Roarin Rapids will probably (?) be next on the list, and kinda just checking out the area, maybe we’ll find a pirate roaming around, who knows?

Obviously there’s SO MUCH TO DO, and I’m still kinda formulating a plan. Day 1 will be start in Tomorrowland and see how much we can accomplish. Day 2 we’ll start on the opposite end and do the same thing. Day 3 we’ll either start in the same spot as a previous day OR start in say, Fantasyland to kick things off. I’m thinking that 3 full days should be more than enough time to fit everything in at least once, and some things twice, and obviously we’ll end each night off with the fireworks!!

and take ALL OF THE PHOTOS.

It’s seriously going to be so incredible, to be in a Disney park the YEAR it opens, gonna be so great! I’m also super excited to see a bunch of the people that are working over there that I haven’t seen in AGES since they left seriously so long ago!!


I am a bit ….uneasy….I guess about the culture, but I mean, we’ve got a few days in the country before we’re in the parks, so I’m thinking we’ll be used to it by then, or should be. I also know that people have said it’s really not too bad in the parks, so we’re hoping for the best!!
[/COLOR]

 

[zanzibar138]

First of all, the metro is so ridiculously easy, I'm sure you won't have any problems at all! Seriously, you just go to the ticket machine, change it to English, and tap the station that you want to go to. You don't even have to know which station you're at - it figures that out automatically. So cheap too! If you feel like splurging, the Maglev is a great way to get to Longyang. Having said that, if you're pretty keen on getting to the Disneyland area as soon as possible, I'd go with a taxi. While the metro is easy, you'll still have to make your way nearly into the city then out again.

Sorry you won't get to stay at the Toy Story Hotel anymore, but it sounds like your alternative accommodation will be just fine. I totally understand your problem with google maps too. I struggled BIG TIME to find a hotel for my first night in Shanghai (which was before the hotels officially opened). One problem with staying offsite is that the train line actually shuts down fairly early over there. It's an even bigger problem if you're staying in the city and you need to change lines, because you need to make sure that you get to the transfer point in time to catch the last train on that line. However, being only a couple of stations away from Disneyland, you'll just be able to get the very last train leaving Disney station. Worst case, it would be a quick and cheap taxi ride.

I'm so very jealous that you get a full 3 days at Disneyland, plus the afternoon that you arrive to check out Disney Town. I just didn't get time to see Disney Town at all - I seriously just walked straight through it once on my entire trip lol! Would have loved to spend more time there, and I'll be interested to see what you think of it. You should totally check out the fireworks from the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. There would be a great view from the lobby or Bacchus Lounge, and there's even a fireworks viewing deck (but you may need a room key to get up there). I would totally grab a light dinner from Bacchus Lounge, snag a window side table, and watch the show over a couple of adult beverages

Totally spewing that I didn't get one of these pictures! Again, I kind of ran out of time to spend too much time in the hotels.

Yeah not sure about Halloween. I know they have Halloween celebrations at HKDL, but have no idea what they will be doing for the various holidays in Shanghai. I'll be interested to hear all about it!

Definitely do get to the gates early. I would recommend arriving at least an hour before opening. One of my days it took a full hour to get in, and I've heard lots of similar reports. You really want to be within that first group going in to get the jump on FP lines.

Your touring plan sounds remarkably similar to mine! Concentrating on a couple of lands close to each other worked really well for me, definitely easier than criss-crossing the park like I did on my last day. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland definitely are close by and easy to go between, so that will work well. Pooh's Hunnypot Spin seems to have reasonable wait times most of the day, but for Peter Pan and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, I had more luck after the fireworks when they were pretty much walk ons. Yep, SDMT is pretty popular and will have long wait times all day and night. You can be lucky with the SR line though. I've never heard of the character dance party, but they do have a cute little Tai Chi show featuring Chip N Dale and Donald in Gardens of Imagination. Unfortunately the castle show only opened the day after I left, so I can't give any advice on that one. The parade was disappointing, but you sound like you're prepared for that. Don't bother to invest too much time in staking out a spot for it.

I would tweak your second day plan a little. I would go and get a FP for Soaring first, then ride Roaring Rapids straight away. They are regularly the two longest waits in the park. Pirates is high capacity and the wait time tends to hover around 30 minutes for most of the day. Sounds like they're having some major technical problems with it at the moment, hopefully that will all be sorted out nice and quickly. You will be BLOWN AWAY if you haven't seen any ride throughs. It is so completely different, and just spectacular. I have yet to hear of anyone being disappointed with it. You mention maybe meeting a pirate while you're in the area? Jack Sparrow does meet and greets near Pirates. If you're into characters, also make sure you stop by Happy Circle for Lion King and Jungle Book characters with almost no wait every time! Also, if you can fit it into your budget, I recommend eating at Barbossa's. It's incredibly well themed, and the ribs were delish! You didn't mention seeing the shows here - I would recommend both, but especially Tarzan. The pirates stunt show was a little difficult to follow without knowing the language, and really only had a couple of interesting stunts. I would also recommend the Challenge Trails as something completely different to anything you'll experience in any other Disney park. It was a lot of fun, and that area was a great place to hang out even without doing the attraction. I would recommend doing it straight after Roaring Rapids while you're in the area.

I'd ticked most things off my list in the first 2 days, and spent the 3rd day just going where the wind took me. As I mentioned before, I did lots of criss-crossing the park, trying to find attractions with the shortest wait times, grabbing FPs for what I could, watching a couple more shows and doing some walkthroughs. I was disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see the fireworks again on my last night, because I had to leave just after sunset to get to the airport on time. I would recommend investigating alternative spots to watch the show, where you won't have to deal with pushing and shoving from other guests. I highly recommend the area near Dumbo, right on the rail overlooking the little pond. I'd also be tempted to watch from over the lagoon in Treasure Cove, although you wouldn't get the projections from there.

I found the crowds fairly easy to deal with. Things worked a little differently, and there are definitely different cultural norms, but it certainly didn't ruin my trip. It's quite easy to just let it go most of the time. If you can cope with the local culture in Beijing, Shanghai should be a breeze for you.

 

[katt789]

First of all, the metro is so ridiculously easy, I'm sure you won't have any problems at all! Seriously, you just go to the ticket machine, change it to English, and tap the station that you want to go to. You don't even have to know which station you're at - it figures that out automatically. So cheap too! If you feel like splurging, the Maglev is a great way to get to Longyang. Having said that, if you're pretty keen on getting to the Disneyland area as soon as possible, I'd go with a taxi. While the metro is easy, you'll still have to make your way nearly into the city then out again.

Cool! I'm not too worried about the metro, it seems easy enough to get around, and esp when we're in the disney area, it isn't far!! I'm thinking we're just gonna end up taxi-ing, esp with the three of us all being together!

Sorry you won't get to stay at the Toy Story Hotel anymore, but it sounds like your alternative accommodation will be just fine. I totally understand your problem with google maps too. I struggled BIG TIME to find a hotel for my first night in Shanghai (which was before the hotels officially opened). One problem with staying offsite is that the train line actually shuts down fairly early over there. It's an even bigger problem if you're staying in the city and you need to change lines, because you need to make sure that you get to the transfer point in time to catch the last train on that line. However, being only a couple of stations away from Disneyland, you'll just be able to get the very last train leaving Disney station. Worst case, it would be a quick and cheap taxi ride.
I am kinda bummed about it, but it's just WAY too pricey for the value you're getting, and for how cheap we really are going to need to be! ultimately i would've loved to do a split stay between the two but hey, whatever works at the time. Maybe we'll get back another day! Eeek! We'll be sure to check the last time the train leaves, hopefully it's not too early! And if it is, I'm sure we could just take a cheap cab! Sometimes photography is just more important, bahahah

I'm so very jealous that you get a full 3 days at Disneyland, plus the afternoon that you arrive to check out Disney Town. I just didn't get time to see Disney Town at all - I seriously just walked straight through it once on my entire trip lol! Would have loved to spend more time there, and I'll be interested to see what you think of it. You should totally check out the fireworks from the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. There would be a great view from the lobby or Bacchus Lounge, and there's even a fireworks viewing deck (but you may need a room key to get up there). I would totally grab a light dinner from Bacchus Lounge, snag a window side table, and watch the show over a couple of adult beverages
I think we'd even originally planned 4 full days in the parks and cut it down! Thought at first for the crowds we'd need 4, but figured there's only 1 park, so we may not need THAT much time! Great idea!! We'll definitely check that out, I'm sure the hotels will be more on our list of places to see/photograph than the DT area! Plus we usually like to enjoy a glass of wine and a cheeseplate at the Grand Floridian in wdw so it's about the same! Lol

Totally spewing that I didn't get one of these pictures! Again, I kind of ran out of time to spend too much time in the hotels.


Yeah not sure about Halloween. I know they have Halloween celebrations at HKDL, but have no idea what they will be doing for the various holidays in Shanghai. I'll be interested to hear all about it!
i'm getting super intrigued about it! Also super bummed we're not in HKDL for either celebrations! Christmas should start a week or 2 after we leave, but it does let us see PTN parade agian which is awesome, esp with it going seasonal at dlr now!

Definitely do get to the gates early. I would recommend arriving at least an hour before opening. One of my days it took a full hour to get in, and I've heard lots of similar reports. You really want to be within that first group going in to get the jump on FP lines.

geeeeeeze thats insane!! We definitely will be there as early as possible!!

Your touring plan sounds remarkably similar to mine! Concentrating on a couple of lands close to each other worked really well for me, definitely easier than criss-crossing the park like I did on my last day. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland definitely are close by and easy to go between, so that will work well. Pooh's Hunnypot Spin seems to have reasonable wait times most of the day, but for Peter Pan and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, I had more luck after the fireworks when they were pretty much walk ons. Yep, SDMT is pretty popular and will have long wait times all day and night. You can be lucky with the SR line though. I've never heard of the character dance party, but they do have a cute little Tai Chi show featuring Chip N Dale and Donald in Gardens of Imagination. Unfortunately the castle show only opened the day after I left, so I can't give any advice on that one. The parade was disappointing, but you sound like you're prepared for that. Don't bother to invest too much time in staking out a spot for it.
ahahahhaa i think that's cause I based my plans around what you did/suggested! It's been so strugglesome planning the actual PARK part of this trip I've been so lost, esp without maps printed out!! Good to know my ideas will work out!! There's some kind of little thing with Rapunzel & Flynn & like, Pinocchio, Pooh & Tigger and some random dancers dancing with the tangled village music! Also some little "storytime with belle" thing I've seen snippets of on facebook/insta! The tai chi thing looks super cute too!! Castle show i'm thinking we'll hit the first one, or treat it like dream along, but I'm guessing way less "instagram groupies" will be around bahahaha! I'm honestly not holding out much for the parade, so we'll see how that goes!!

I would tweak your second day plan a little. I would go and get a FP for Soaring first, then ride Roaring Rapids straight away. They are regularly the two longest waits in the park. Pirates is high capacity and the wait time tends to hover around 30 minutes for most of the day. Sounds like they're having some major technical problems with it at the moment, hopefully that will all be sorted out nice and quickly. You will be BLOWN AWAY if you haven't seen any ride throughs. It is so completely different, and just spectacular. I have yet to hear of anyone being disappointed with it. You mention maybe meeting a pirate while you're in the area? Jack Sparrow does meet and greets near Pirates. If you're into characters, also make sure you stop by Happy Circle for Lion King and Jungle Book characters with almost no wait every time! Also, if you can fit it into your budget, I recommend eating at Barbossa's. It's incredibly well themed, and the ribs were delish! You didn't mention seeing the shows here - I would recommend both, but especially Tarzan. The pirates stunt show was a little difficult to follow without knowing the language, and really only had a couple of interesting stunts. I would also recommend the Challenge Trails as something completely different to anything you'll experience in any other Disney park. It was a lot of fun, and that area was a great place to hang out even without doing the attraction. I would recommend doing it straight after Roaring Rapids while you're in the area.
Good to know! Thank you!! AH! Totally forgot about the shows!! I just had the interactive map from the SDL website up and was kinda pulling it around and clicking on some random stuff! We DEFINITELY will see Tarzan, it looks incredible, and i LOVE anything pirate related so I'm down for that lol!!

I'd ticked most things off my list in the first 2 days, and spent the 3rd day just going where the wind took me. As I mentioned before, I did lots of criss-crossing the park, trying to find attractions with the shortest wait times, grabbing FPs for what I could, watching a couple more shows and doing some walkthroughs. I was disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see the fireworks again on my last night, because I had to leave just after sunset to get to the airport on time. I would recommend investigating alternative spots to watch the show, where you won't have to deal with pushing and shoving from other guests. I highly recommend the area near Dumbo, right on the rail overlooking the little pond. I'd also be tempted to watch from over the lagoon in Treasure Cove, although you wouldn't get the projections from there.
I'm guessing that's what our plan will be too, do everything we can the first 2 days, then the one or two things we missed first thing, and then just kinda chill!! Good to know about the fireworks too!

I found the crowds fairly easy to deal with. Things worked a little differently, and there are definitely different cultural norms, but it certainly didn't ruin my trip. It's quite easy to just let it go most of the time. If you can cope with the local culture in Beijing, Shanghai should be a breeze for you.

 

[katt789]

November 4/2016

Today Kara, Abby & I will say farewell to our Disney experience in Shanghai, and check out of the Toy Story Hotel and move over to The Mingtown Etour International Youth Hostel we’re booked in a 6 bed female dorm and it’s costing us a total of $120 US for 3 nights!


Since I’m assuming we’ll be pretty wiped after all that Disney insanity, we only have one potential stop for exploring today. I originally had sketched in the French Concession, but upon google mapping things, there’s a few things to do right around the hostel, and the FC is about 45 mins in transit away, so I’m sure we’ll stick around the hotel.


the people's square by Rob-Shanghai, on Flickr


People’s Square is right around there so that will probably end up being our exploration to stretch our legs after moving.


November 5/2016

Kara, Abby & I will be up early today to head over to The Bund it’s a sweeping road along the river with great views, especially at night, and holds plenty of shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars and hotels. It’s a great people watching stroll to kick off the day with, a great place to potentially grab a coffee and wander through!


The Bund , Shanghai , China by Maher Najm, on Flickr


In the earlier hours of the morning it’s easy to see a lot of locals practicing Tai-Chi as well.


Morning on the Bund by Andrea Cavallini, on Flickr


We’ll continue along our adventure with the Yuyuan Gardens the guide book says it’s a DON’T MISS, and I’ve seen plenty of people visiting it via social media since they’ve moved to Shanghai! They’re considered one of Shanghai’s premier sights! There’s also a bazaar next to it, that may be fun to browse.


Yuyuan Garden by Barry O'Neil, on Flickr


i21 - Yùyúan Bazaar Gate by Mark Knoke, on Flickr


Lonely Planet has some awesome itineraries for certain amount of days in cities, so I kinda followed it for the days in Shanghai, and we are to metro over to Pudong next. Now, for anyone planning this, it may get confusing. I knew that Disney was to be located in “Pudong” and could find it on a map since it was a pretty popular area, little did I know, that Disney was ACTUALLY in a NEW Pudong area, which is actually pretty far south compared to this touristy area ….


Over in Pudong are a number of things to check out, it’s a lot of skyscrapers, and a lot of “views”, but also an very popular photographed and travelled area! The Shanghai Tower is China’s tallest building, and at the time of writing, is the 2nd tallest building in the world! The World Financial Center has 3 observation decks that we may choose to venture up to, although it comes more alive at night! There’s Jinmao Tower is said to be the most attractive of the towers, and has an 88th floor observation deck, and the best time to go is said to be around dusk, to get both daytime and evening views! The Pearl Tower is a pretty staple part of the skyline, and it’s mainly a place to see as the views are better elsewhere! Finally we come to the Riverside Promenade Which might be what we do first since most of the views seem to be better at night, and the riverside is the best stroll in Pudong, and there are some nice cafes we can stop in for lunch. The other big thing over in Pudong’s area, is the DISNEY STORE!



Shanghai Tower by ty law, on Flickr


Shanghai World Financial Tower by Marc Towersap, on Flickr


jinmoa tower from ground by haishang1972, on Flickr


Oriental Pearl Tower by kersy83, on Flickr


Pudong by Werner Schröttner, on Flickr


Shanghai Disney store by Daisy Liao, on Flickr


Depending on our how day goes, we may circle back to the hotel before we make the trip over to Pudong more in the early evening to make sure we’re looking a little bit classier, and have some drinks at Flair it’s on the 58th floor of the Ritz Carlton and has some amazing views in the evening.


Flair Rooftop Bar, 58th floor Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai by Grzegorz Rogala, on Flickr


Flair by Richard Chen, on Flickr


After that we’ll head back to the hotel, this is our main day in Shanghai, and we’ve basically seen all the big things in the city!


November 6/2016

Today is an early start for us since we’re taking a little day trip outside of Shanghai, and visiting Zhujiajao it’s an easy to reach and charming canal town. There’s Ming and Qing dynasty alleyways, bridges, and architecture. It’s another place I’ve seen quite a few people venture off to, and I’m excited about it. There’s also boat tours you can take to see all the sites from the river!


zhujiajao-boats by Raphael Olivier, on Flickr


Zhujiajao by uro8oros, on Flickr


IMG_7515 by Dzintars Berzinskis, on Flickr


Pickles, Zhujiajao, Shanghai by Robert RANKIN, on Flickr


And THAT’S A WRAP on China for us!! I seriously can’t believe it seems SUPER quick, especially to really only have 1 full day in Shanghai! I know when we were planning we all said there wasn’t too much aside from Disney we wanted to do in Shanghai, and we do have that first half day after checking out from Disney, but I’m guessing we’re gonna milk that checkout time as long as we can lol!


We’ll also have this evening pretty free, but may end up packing and relaxing at/around the hostel for the time. There’s quite a few food streets and market streets in the city that maybe we’ll check out on our way back from Zhujiajao before turning in!

 

[katt789]

Tokyo Disneyland Tips​

Okay, so these next little bits are going to kinda be a cluster of information, but just those little bits of tips/tricks/information that I’ve written down while researching, and are mainly categorized into different parks/cities/etc!


So, for Tokyo Disneyland Park we have the following:


-Mon to Thursday are the best days to go to avoid crowds, also pay attention to holidays, and specific times of year. Ie; in Sept/Oct there are specific dates guests may where full costumes into the parks, and while that’s awesome to see, it means it’s going to be a MESS of people even though that time fo year may not be the busiest!

-3 to 4 days to try to see it all


-Parades & shows are a big thing over there, you’ll want to get a spot around 1hr prior to parade time!

-One Man’s Dream II show-> SUPER popular.

-Japan runs on “lottery systems” for the shows, you can do standby for the first show, or try to win the lottery for a specific showtime during the day, you can only apply for the lottery once per day!

-Same goes for Once Upon a Time, their nighttime show. That lottery location is in Tomorrowland!



-Monster’s Inc Hide & Go Seek: rope drop it! (there’s a little side street on the right off world bazaar to cut over to Tomorrowland) Either ride it right away, or grab a fast pass then head over to Hunny Hunt!

-Do Splash Mountain after this!

-Space Mtn: use a fp, or ride it early in the morning

-Same for Haunted mansion

-Jungle Cruise is a completely different experience in the day vs nighttime!

-Star Tours, Snow White, Pinocchio are copies of wdw


-Buy tickets in ADVANCE to avoid more lines, or tix for the day being sold out. They can be bought at Disneystore, a ,Disney Tokyo Hotel, online, or a few other locations.


-Specific for our time of year:

-Haunted Mansion has a Nightmare before Xmas overlay, ride early on in the day, expect large lines!

-Daytime Halloween parade runs in TDL, expect bigger crowds, a cute, family friendly type thing

-Villains World running at TDS on the Mediterranean Harbor, GET SPOTS SUPER EARLY! This show opened last year, and is SUPER popular (and honestly looks AH FREAKING MAZING) and it’s said best to get spots 1.5 hours to TWO HOURS early!!

-There’s also villain “streetmospehere” roaming around during Halloween time, they don’t speak English but still are said to be super fun!

Tokyo DisneySea​

-Lottery system for shows again, Big Band Beat show is said to be a don’t miss

-Fantasmic: second show is less busy


-Rope drop straight to Journey of the Center of the Earth (sadly it’s closed while we’re there!)

-Then grab a fast pass for Tower of Terror

-Indiana next, has differences to Dlr’s ride.

-Toy Story Mania is just like the states parks, and GETS INSANELY BUSY, we’re probably going to skip it

-Turtle Talk is entirely in Japanese

-Raging Spirits: has a loop! Has mixed reviews, and is a super short ride with long waits. Some say the ride isn’t worth waiting for!

-20,000 leagues: wait until all the other FP are run out, or ride if after JCE & Indy

-Stormrider: a simulator ride, FP it in the afternoon when everything else is out already

-Venetian Gondolas: are the best shortly after sunset for views, lines are lowest in the mornings

-Sinbad: rarely has long waits, super cute ride, can ask for an English Map

-DisneySea Eclectic Railway: like the peoplemover!