ABD China 2017

[Karen Stevan]

It looks like I'm changing to the June 4th trip so my son can join me. I hope to be on the first round of the new itinerary. I am VERY excited!!! Hello to anyone on the forum who will be on that tour with us!!

 

[sayhello]

It looks like I'm changing to the June 4th trip so my son can join me. I hope to be on the first round of the new itinerary. I am VERY excited!!! Hello to anyone on the forum who will be on that tour with us!!

You switched to the June 4th trip for 2017? I and @CaliforniaGirl09 are on that trip! Welcome! Is it just you and your son? How old is he?

Do you already have your Visa?

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

It looks like I'm changing to the June 4th trip so my son can join me. I hope to be on the first round of the new itinerary. I am VERY excited!!! Hello to anyone on the forum who will be on that tour with us!!

You switched to the June 4th trip for 2017? I and @CaliforniaGirl09 are on that trip! Welcome! Is it just you and your son? How old is he?

Do you already have your Visa?

Sayhello

Welcome! As Sayhello said, we are on the June 4th trip as well. I had the same thought as SayHello about the Visa issue!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I know for sure we got a FP for Space Mountain last year. Not a ride that I wanted to do -- but the teenagers in our group did it.

The lines for all the rides were very short when we were there so we didn't even need the FPs they gave us (we walked on Mystic Manor twice). Mind you it had been pouring rain all morning so that could have been a contributing factor to the complete lack of crowds. Literally none of the rides had lines -- all were walk on.

 

[CaliKris]

We have two post days in Shanghai after our ABD trip ends in July. We are planning an extra day at Shanghai Disneyland but are trying to come up with ideas for the other day. Anyone have any good ideas?

 

[sayhello]

Which FastPasses does Disney give us for HK Disneyland?

Here's the answer I got from my Vacationista when I asked about Fastpasses (she had to do some research, and sent me an email):

'Priority Admission Passes at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland - You will be provided the below priority admission passes in destination. Please note, You are unable to pre-reserve FASTPASS tickets at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland prior to visiting the parks.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, You will be provided three priority admission passes (You can choose 2 out of the 9 attractions and the third is for the newest attraction – Iron Man Experience). Please note, the current list of the 9 included attractions will be provided in destination by the Adventure Guides and are subject to change.

At Shanghai Disneyland, You will be provided three priority admission passes, which only includes three attractions (TRON Lightcycle Power Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Roaring Rapids). Please note, the attractions included on priority admission pass are subject to change and the current list will be provided in destination by the Adventure Guides.'

Sayhello

 

[Cousin Orville]

We have two post days in Shanghai after our ABD trip ends in July. We are planning an extra day at Shanghai Disneyland but are trying to come up with ideas for the other day. Anyone have any good ideas?

We're staying 2 extra nights in Shanghai. For one of the days we're taking a private tour out to the Shanghai water towns.

There are several options, but we booked a tour with Miki, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g308272-d2522351-Reviews-Miki_Tours-Shanghai.html

Seeing a water town was something I really wanted to do on my 2014 visit, but didn't have a change.

I would strongly recommend spending just a little bit of time at night and walk along the Bund promenade. That gives you the awesome view over the river to Pudong. Certainly that and Hong Kong are 2 of the most spectacular skylines to see at night anywhere. Shanghai was my favorite skyline. Absolutely spectacular.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Duplicate post

 

[CaliKris]

We're staying 2 extra nights in Shanghai. For one of the days we're taking a private tour out to the Shanghai water towns.

There are several options, but we booked a tour with Miki, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g308272-d2522351-Reviews-Miki_Tours-Shanghai.html

Seeing a water town was something I really wanted to do on my 2014 visit, but didn't have a change.

I would strongly recommend spending just a little bit of time at night and walk along the Bund promenade. That gives you the awesome view over the river to Pudong. Certainly that and Hong Kong are 2 of the most spectacular skylines to see at night anywhere. Shanghai was my favorite skyline. Absolutely spectacular.

Thanks for the recommendations @Cousin Orville!

We are staying at the Peninsula Shanghai for our post-nights to try to soak up more of the Bund. My husband was there in March and could not see the skyline due to fog and rain so we are hoping for some of those spectacular views!

We are considering the water towns as well. Can I ask which ones you are choosing to see? We have looked at Zhujiajiao and Suzhou. We want to be able to make it back in time for a nice dinner on the Bund.

 

[Cousin Orville]

Thanks for the recommendations @Cousin Orville!

We are staying at the Peninsula Shanghai for our post-nights to try to soak up more of the Bund. My husband was there in March and could not see the skyline due to fog and rain so we are hoping for some of those spectacular views!

We are considering the water towns as well. Can I ask which ones you are choosing to see? We have looked at Zhujiajiao and Suzhou. We want to be able to make it back in time for a nice dinner on the Bund.

We're going to Tongli and Jinze. The tour I chose has a culinary focus. The guide takes us to her tea house in Jinze where she shows us how she makes dumplings and then it's followed by an 8 course meal filled with dumplings etc. So, naturally the food sealed the deal for me. But I am very much looking forward to seeing the water towns.

 

[CaliKris]

We're going to Tongli and Jinze. The tour I chose has a culinary focus. The guide takes us to her tea house in Jinze where she shows us how she makes dumplings and then it's followed by an 8 course meal filled with dumplings etc. So, naturally the food sealed the deal for me. But I am very much looking forward to seeing the water towns.

After looking at Miki's website, we are sold. We are looking at the Tongli only tour. It looks so much less commercialized than Zhujiajiao and much more like old China. Your tour sounds fantastic. We are going to stay away from the food tour, since we want to save room for M on the Bund that evening. We will be there in early July, so I will let you know how our tour goes.

 

[Cousin Orville]

After looking at Miki's website, we are sold. We are looking at the Tongli only tour. It looks so much less commercialized than Zhujiajiao and much more like old China. Your tour sounds fantastic. We are going to stay away from the food tour, since we want to save room for M on the Bund that evening. We will be there in early July, so I will let you know how our tour goes.

That sounds great! Be sure to walk out on the balcony at M on the Bund at some point during or after dinner. Great view!

 

[RSM]

If you are looking for a fantastic place to eat in the Bund area, try Bund18. The restaurant is Hakkasan (on the fifth floor). The food is great. A modern take on classical Chinese/Cantonese dishes. A little pricy relative to other restaurants in the area, but worth every penny. Just ate there last night.

 

[Cousin Orville]

If you are looking for a fantastic place to eat in the Bund area, try Bund18. The restaurant is Hakkasan (on the fifth floor). The food is great. A modern take on classical Chinese/Cantonese dishes. A little pricy relative to other restaurants in the area, but worth every penny. Just ate there last night.

Oh, I bet that's a great recommendation. I've tried Hakkasan in San Franscico and Las Vegas. They're very good. Some are Michelin starred (London?), and have appeared on multiple best restaurant lists. For lack of a better way to describe the atmosphere, it's very modern like Morimoto's in Disney Springs, but the food is better (and Morimoto's is one of my favorites). For anyone in Houston, they just opened a sister restaurant next to the Galleria - Yauatcha.

 

[CaliKris]

My husband went to Bund18 in March. He said it was great! He described it as Asian fusion. It also has a view.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

In Shanghai there is a fantastic fabric market where you can go to have clothes made. My friend, who lived in Shanghai for several years (she now lives in Saigon), recommended it to us. I had 2 dresses, a jumpsuit and 2 blouses made; dd had 2 dresses and a jumpsuit made. You can take them pictures of the styles you want and they will make for you, or you can choose from what they have on display (we did the latter but next time I will take pictures). If possible go on a day you are with ABD as the garments take a day to make (they measure you so they are made to fit). They will deliver to the hotel, but I recommend going back and trying them on as one of the tailors (we used 2 different shops) made the items wrong and they had to be re-done.

Something else that I enjoyed in Shanghai was the "marriage market". This is a real thing and it is quite the sight to behold. Our guide read us the signs and explained how it worked. It was fascinating to see and walk through. It does work -- my friend had a business that met her husband (through her parents) at the marriage market!

 

[Karen Stevan]

Welcome! As Sayhello said, we are on the June 4th trip as well. I had the same thought as SayHello about the Visa issue!

Thank you for the welcome. In my eyes, you gals are legendary on the DIS boards so I am thrilled to meet you and have you in my group! Yes, I will be scrambling to get my Visas. I'm on northern Vancouver Island and Michael is in Orange. I have my vaccinations well under way (Twinrix and typhoid) but don't know if Michael will get those in time. I am VERY EXCITED

 

[sayhello]

Thank you for the welcome. In my eyes, you gals are legendary on the DIS boards so I am thrilled to meet you and have you in my group! Yes, I will be scrambling to get my Visas. I'm on northern Vancouver Island and Michael is in Orange. I have my vaccinations well under way (Twinrix and typhoid) but don't know if Michael will get those in time. I am VERY EXCITED

Aw, gee whiz! Thanks!

So you're Canadian. I have *NO* clue how that works then. Don't know how getting a Visa in Canada works vs. in the US. I hope it's not too much of a hassle!

Vaccinations? I didn't think there were any vaccinations for China. Either I am very mistaken or this is different for Canada, too. Guess I should go figure that out!

Looking forward to meeting you! Are you doing any pre- or post-days?

Sayhello

 

[Karen Stevan]

Yes, We're from Campbell River, B.C. Michael goes to Chapman University in Orange (finishing junior year).

I am going to get Michael an agent to help him with the Visa as a person living in the U.S. I believe I have fifteen business days to get mine here if I don't go into Vancouver.

My physician told me to get the Hep A and B shot, which is done now and again in one month to give me immunity during the trip. For lifetime immunity, there's a third booster in six months. I am encouraging Michael to go Monday to a travel vaccination clinic to get the Twinrix vaccine covering both of these, with his second shot on May 31st or June 1st.

My doctor also advised me to get the typhoid vaccine because we're going to some smaller places like Yangshao. That vaccination is a real pain and I don't know if Michael will bother with it. You have to keep it in the fridge and take it orally on an empty stomach (one hour no food before, two hours no food after) four times, every second day, over eight days. I have one more dose to go tomorrow. As long as you complete the cycle one week prior to departure, i.e., May 28th, you are immune.

I booked us into the new Explorer Lodge for June 3rd so we can tour the park a bit the next morning before meeting the group. At the end of the trip, we're staying at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel June 15th so we can have a full day in the park and go home the next day.

How about you?

 

[Cousin Orville]

I booked us into the new Explorer Lodge for June 3rd so we can tour the park a bit the next morning before meeting the group. At the end of the trip, we're staying at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel June 15th so we can have a full day in the park and go home the next day.

I'd love to hear what you think of the Explorer Lodge when you return. It looks really cool from the few pictures I've seen.