ABD China 2017

[Karen Stevan]

Was Shanghai Disney the best thing ever? That part looks fantastic.

I am still thrilled I was lucky enough to visit both Disney parks in China. It would be a dream-come-true to travel around the globe through every Disney park - I still haven't been to Tokyo (bucket list for sure).

We spent an extra day at HKDL, which made it very relaxing. Plus we magically had no crowds and spaciousness, giving us a chance to appreciate the little Disney touches in each themed area. Going twice gave us the freedom to experience the attractions the first day and to enjoy the shows and entertainment the second day.

It was exciting to stay at Explorer's Lodge and to be among the first guests there. It also gave us a nice bridge between home and China, by being in a place where the locals vacation. Familiar Disney touches everywhere, but with a foreign twist, was the perfect beginning to our epic adventure. The lobby has a steamer-trunks display for each feature Disney character, putting you in the mood for travel. Deep plush carpets, quirky gardens with fountains, views of South China sea, shallow tropical pool, luggage stickers, scavenger hunt...excellent transition for those of us sensitive to such things.

Had breakfast at the World of Color cafe, which had a great buffet, attentive service and specimen bottles as decor. I thought we could walk to the park, but they told us it would take 30(?) minutes and the heat was sweltering. We took the bus, which was very efficient, but had us arriving after rope drop (a little disappointing as this is one of my favourite moments).

We started at Hyperspace Mountain, which was the same Star Wars ride as at Disneyland. (I miss the classic version of this attraction, especially the music.) There were no line-ups anywhere and the park was very easy to navigate. The castle is teensy-tiny..we actually gasped when we saw what appeared to be a miniature-golf course centrepiece. Snow White Grotto is the same, but we didn't hear the lovely song floating up (I think others may have). "it's a small world" opened a bit later than other attractions, so we detoured to Winnie-the-Pooh (same as in DL), and PhilharMagic (same as in WDW)(both consistently delightful, especially if you have no wait).

Small World was a bit strange. There were open spaces where you expected dolls would go, but the shelves were just empty, suggesting a half-completed arrangement. Some of the groupings seemed forced and misnamed and the ending was brief. I heard this was a replica of DL, but I was keenly aware that something special/magical was lacking. In fact, this was my pervasive feeling exploring this park. The essential elements are present, but there doesn't seem to be the same clutter of detail, the heaps of little components you stumble upon, eliciting spontaneous gasps of wonderment, inviting you to explore and be curious. I felt the HKDL experience was fun and familiar, but a little restrained and contrived, too. Some of that had to do with the perspective...you can see surrounding terrain, hillsides...it takes you visually out of the park by drawing your eyes upward and away from the enchantment.

From Fantasyland, we zipped through Toy Story Land with barely a nod to its existence, because I get sick on carnival rides and was already a little fragile after Hyperspace Mountain and bouncy Pooh. There was a preposterous western show in going on in Grizzly Gulch in front of a covered wagon, presenting a hillbilly-ish accompaniment to an actress duo - one blonde American and the other Asian - alternately telling some ditty in English/Cantonese(?). It was disorienting.

The little show distracted us from appreciating that the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars travel backwards at high speed after reaching the crescent, and instead entered the line-up thinking it was a replica of the friendly coaster at DL. To the horror of our recovering stomachs, we endured a backward plunge, but revived ourselves dashing through the Geyser water-park area across the way.

We ate lunch at the Explorer's Club, which has themed rooms and really delicious food. I had the baked salmon bento box. Living in the self-proclaimed "Salmon Capital of the World", I judge the salmon at HKDL as "outstanding".

The Garden of Wonders just outside is a joke and appears to be a half-conceived attraction that should really be a line-up for Mystic Manor. Absolutely fabulous ride, worth doing twice because there's so much to see and so many cool effects. Elements of Haunted Mansion appear in the layout, but the experience is completely unique and has all the requisite Disney magic. The climax could have relied less on projection, in my opinion, but that is a (sigh) sign of the times.

Unfortunately, that was all we had time for the first day because we had to take the bus back to Explorer's Lodge to meet our car to the Peninsula to start our ABD. My only regret was not squeezing in the Disneyland Railroad, which, to me, is the quintessential, grassroots Disney experience and one that always reminds me of the essence of Disney, the foundation, the core. I didn't want to keep our driver waiting and wasn't sure how long it might take on the bus, but we ended up with about half an hour to spare and just lounged in the lobby with our luggage instead of circumnavigating the park by choo-choo.

We arrived at about 4:00 PM at the Peninsula, and so missed the welcome table set up by the guides in the lobby earlier that day. We met everyone at dinner, but then dashed off to see the Symphony of Lights.

Day 2 at HKDL, we arrived just in time for the Flights of Fantasy parade, refreshed by the Hong Kong iced milk tea at Market House Bakery, which was unique and delightful. (It is VERY humid!) Right away, noticed the Lion King show was starting. We have seen this before on the cruise ship and in WDW, but this version is in the round and has stunning puppetry, floats and theatricals....plus it was a nice, cool place to sit. After this, we went on Jungle Cruise, which you shouldn't miss, despite the fact that we had no Fast Passes (needed on this one but nothing else). The line-up was hot and horrendous and divided up according to language. The lines seemed to move the same, so I don't think it makes a difference which you choose and our boat operator didn't speak much English anyway. He was so cute, calling out "what's that?" as his only catch-phrase about once a minute. The pyrotechnics were astonishing, and the ride had the best parts of the other Jungle Cruises. Great fun, with an update.

Following Jungle Cruise, we headed to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear, which is about the same as in DL, although I felt I was connecting with the targets a little easier, which made me believe this ride had superior hard-wiring. Even the shooting-challenged can earn a decent score!

We all had tickets for Mickey and the Wondrous Book, which was absolutely fantastic. The performers were phenomenal. I can't believe how talented some people are...especially the jazz number with Tiana (of course you don't even know the star's real name, she's the princess Tiana!). Great show not to be missed, and another opportunity to relax and cool off. Fun to re-connect with the group also, because you're just starting to identify with everyone and feeling like part of the adventure together.

Beyond the show, there's just time to grab some food. There weren't a lot of options open. We found Starlight Diner had decent choices and you can catch most of the Paint the Night electrical parade going by from tables outside.

I recall a bit of a blur trying to navigate the post-parade crowds and find the entrance to our meeting spot in the central plaza. It was a total crush and travel routes blocked off, so we just barreled through and burst into a nice, open space just for us and other special vacationers, to see the usual heartfelt, wanna cry I'm so happy, Disney fireworks good night spectacular!

It was fun walking down Main Street afterward as it's very similar to DL. Even the little bench on the porch and the shops pretty much arranged the same down both sides. The tiny lights outlining all the quaint buildings...only no streetcar rails on the street.

I hope the park isn't busy for other folks visiting. We didn't use any of our Fast Passes, and the only line we waited for was Jungle Cruise (which was worth it to me). It was wonderful feeling I could stroll around and get a sense of the different themed areas without feeling oppressed and distracted by throngs of visitors. My best moments in the parks have been when I have felt almost alone, capturing that instant of intimate magic and fantasy...HKDL gave me that opportunity, although the environment felt a tad sparse and a little sterile.

I will follow-up with my thoughts about Shanghai. Hope this was helpful. HKDL was very happy memories, which I hope you have, too!!

 

[sayhello]

I am still thrilled I was lucky enough to visit both Disney parks in China. It would be a dream-come-true to travel around the globe through every Disney park - I still haven't been to Tokyo (bucket list for sure).

We spent an extra day at HKDL, which made it very relaxing. Plus we magically had no crowds and spaciousness, giving us a chance to appreciate the little Disney touches in each themed area. Going twice gave us the freedom to experience the attractions the first day and to enjoy the shows and entertainment the second day.

It was exciting to stay at Explorer's Lodge and to be among the first guests there. It also gave us a nice bridge between home and China, by being in a place where the locals vacation. Familiar Disney touches everywhere, but with a foreign twist, was the perfect beginning to our epic adventure. The lobby has a steamer-trunks display for each feature Disney character, putting you in the mood for travel. Deep plush carpets, quirky gardens with fountains, views of South China sea, shallow tropical pool, luggage stickers, scavenger hunt...excellent transition for those of us sensitive to such things.

Had breakfast at the World of Color cafe, which had a great buffet, attentive service and specimen bottles as decor. I thought we could walk to the park, but they told us it would take 30(?) minutes and the heat was sweltering. We took the bus, which was very efficient, but had us arriving after rope drop (a little disappointing as this is one of my favourite moments).

We started at Hyperspace Mountain, which was the same Star Wars ride as at Disneyland. (I miss the classic version of this attraction, especially the music.) There were no line-ups anywhere and the park was very easy to navigate. The castle is teensy-tiny..we actually gasped when we saw what appeared to be a miniature-golf course centrepiece. Snow White Grotto is the same, but we didn't hear the lovely song floating up (I think others may have). "it's a small world" opened a bit later than other attractions, so we detoured to Winnie-the-Pooh (same as in DL), and PhilharMagic (same as in WDW)(both consistently delightful, especially if you have no wait).

Small World was a bit strange. There were open spaces where you expected dolls would go, but the shelves were just empty, suggesting a half-completed arrangement. Some of the groupings seemed forced and misnamed and the ending was brief. I heard this was a replica of DL, but I was keenly aware that something special/magical was lacking. In fact, this was my pervasive feeling exploring this park. The essential elements are present, but there doesn't seem to be the same clutter of detail, the heaps of little components you stumble upon, eliciting spontaneous gasps of wonderment, inviting you to explore and be curious. I felt the HKDL experience was fun and familiar, but a little restrained and contrived, too. Some of that had to do with the perspective...you can see surrounding terrain, hillsides...it takes you visually out of the park by drawing your eyes upward and away from the enchantment.

From Fantasyland, we zipped through Toy Story Land with barely a nod to its existence, because I get sick on carnival rides and was already a little fragile after Hyperspace Mountain and bouncy Pooh. There was a preposterous western show in going on in Grizzly Gulch in front of a covered wagon, presenting a hillbilly-ish accompaniment to an actress duo - one blonde American and the other Asian - alternately telling some ditty in English/Cantonese(?). It was disorienting.

The little show distracted us from appreciating that the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars travel backwards at high speed after reaching the crescent, and instead entered the line-up thinking it was a replica of the friendly coaster at DL. To the horror of our recovering stomachs, we endured a backward plunge, but revived ourselves dashing through the Geyser water-park area across the way.

We ate lunch at the Explorer's Club, which has themed rooms and really delicious food. I had the baked salmon bento box. Living in the self-proclaimed "Salmon Capital of the World", I judge the salmon at HKDL as "outstanding".

The Garden of Wonders just outside is a joke and appears to be a half-conceived attraction that should really be a line-up for Mystic Manor. Absolutely fabulous ride, worth doing twice because there's so much to see and so many cool effects. Elements of Haunted Mansion appear in the layout, but the experience is completely unique and has all the requisite Disney magic. The climax could have relied less on projection, in my opinion, but that is a (sigh) sign of the times.

Unfortunately, that was all we had time for the first day because we had to take the bus back to Explorer's Lodge to meet our car to the Peninsula to start our ABD. My only regret was not squeezing in the Disneyland Railroad, which, to me, is the quintessential, grassroots Disney experience and one that always reminds me of the essence of Disney, the foundation, the core. I didn't want to keep our driver waiting and wasn't sure how long it might take on the bus, but we ended up with about half an hour to spare and just lounged in the lobby with our luggage instead of circumnavigating the park by choo-choo.

We arrived at about 4:00 PM at the Peninsula, and so missed the welcome table set up by the guides in the lobby earlier that day. We met everyone at dinner, but then dashed off to see the Symphony of Lights.

Day 2 at HKDL, we arrived just in time for the Flights of Fantasy parade, refreshed by the Hong Kong iced milk tea at Market House Bakery, which was unique and delightful. (It is VERY humid!) Right away, noticed the Lion King show was starting. We have seen this before on the cruise ship and in WDW, but this version is in the round and has stunning puppetry, floats and theatricals....plus it was a nice, cool place to sit. After this, we went on Jungle Cruise, which you shouldn't miss, despite the fact that we had no Fast Passes (needed on this one but nothing else). The line-up was hot and horrendous and divided up according to language. The lines seemed to move the same, so I don't think it makes a difference which you choose and our boat operator didn't speak much English anyway. He was so cute, calling out "what's that?" as his only catch-phrase about once a minute. The pyrotechnics were astonishing, and the ride had the best parts of the other Jungle Cruises. Great fun, with an update.

Following Jungle Cruise, we headed to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear, which is about the same as in DL, although I felt I was connecting with the targets a little easier, which made me believe this ride had superior hard-wiring. Even the shooting-challenged can earn a decent score!

We all had tickets for Mickey and the Wondrous Book, which was absolutely fantastic. The performers were phenomenal. I can't believe how talented some people are...especially the jazz number with Tiana (of course you don't even know the star's real name, she's the princess Tiana!). Great show not to be missed, and another opportunity to relax and cool off. Fun to re-connect with the group also, because you're just starting to identify with everyone and feeling like part of the adventure together.

Beyond the show, there's just time to grab some food. There weren't a lot of options open. We found Starlight Diner had decent choices and you can catch most of the Paint the Night electrical parade going by from tables outside.

I recall a bit of a blur trying to navigate the post-parade crowds and find the entrance to our meeting spot in the central plaza. It was a total crush and travel routes blocked off, so we just barreled through and burst into a nice, open space just for us and other special vacationers, to see the usual heartfelt, wanna cry I'm so happy, Disney fireworks good night spectacular!

It was fun walking down Main Street afterward as it's very similar to DL. Even the little bench on the porch and the shops pretty much arranged the same down both sides. The tiny lights outlining all the quaint buildings...only no streetcar rails on the street.

I hope the park isn't busy for other folks visiting. We didn't use any of our Fast Passes, and the only line we waited for was Jungle Cruise (which was worth it to me). It was wonderful feeling I could stroll around and get a sense of the different themed areas without feeling oppressed and distracted by throngs of visitors. My best moments in the parks have been when I have felt almost alone, capturing that instant of intimate magic and fantasy...HKDL gave me that opportunity, although the environment felt a tad sparse and a little sterile.

I will follow-up with my thoughts about Shanghai. Hope this was helpful. HKDL was very happy memories, which I hope you have, too!!

Your experience of HKDL sounds so much better than mine! I'm realizing just how much I missed because I was miserable in the heat & humidity. Ah, well. Glad you guys had such wonderful time!

Sayhello

 

[Karen Stevan]

Well, Shanghai Disneyland was a completely different story. It haunts me so much I feel compelled to go back some day and experience the park properly. I am kicking myself for not building in an extra day but, as you pointed out, Tobi, it was the first anniversary of the park and the crowds were deafening, so that might not have helped!!

I was, of course, champing at the bit to get going and was frustrated having to trudge through the very beautiful, tranquil and exquisitely-appointed Yu Gardens, and couldn't stand the tourist-packed shopping portion of the morning. I wish we could have split up the group and organized those who wished to have an early-morning park arrival, as that is the only way a person is going to get a sense of anything at SHDL. By the time we arrived and endured a very-nice-to-have-now-but-increasing-my-impatience-at-the-time group shot in the Central Plaza, most of the group went over to Club 33 to drop off their change of clothes for the night. As the Club 33 dinner was a surprise, I didn't plan an elaborate change to evening-ware, but had planned to save a few minutes by not bothering with costume changes, so immediately ran off to get a head start on the few hours given us to explore a massive area. In hindsight, giving due deference to Club 33, I would have dressed a tad better.

I had hoped that, even in late afternoon, there would be a few Premier Access Passes left. There certainly weren't any Fast Passes! We headed to Avenue M on the left side of Main Street heading into the park, and followed an elaborate series of directions to end up in some back area queue waiting for tickets. There was one Peter Pan left, two Poohs, and a bunch of Buzz tickets, which was super disappointing. Thinking mistakenly that Pooh was different and upgraded, I bought the two Pooh passes, which involved a stupidly high cost ($45?), signing documents and then getting our photos taken with two cast members of us holding these documents. A very secure process to make sure no one is getting onto Pooh under their watch without the right identification! But this was all time consuming and unnecessary.

FINALLY getting into the park and with every minute ticking, we took a moment to appreciate the Gardens of the Imagination, especially the Garden of the Twelve Friends, where we could get a picture in front of our zodiac character. Also the Enchanted Storybook Castle is amazing...grand, fantastic, impressively decorated with staircases, turrets, towers, balustrades, buttresses...WOW! And then WOW all the people....people people people so many so compressed together....large open walkways absolutely crammed from side to side with hoards of people. We shouldered our way through the castle into Fantasyland where, to our dismay, every corner and crevice was crammed with park guests. The castle walkthrough wait "Once Upon a Time Adventure" had a 50-minute wait. Peter Pan's Flight 75 minutes. Voyage to the Crystal Grotto 60 minutes. Impossible when you've only got a limited time and are holding three Fast Passes for other things.

We decided to use our Premier Access Pass for Pooh, which was so frustrating because, after going through the entanglement process of establishing that, yes, this is our photo and these are the documents and this is us in the photo holding the documents, and waiting in Fast Pass line for a little too long, the ride was EXACTLY the same as HKDL and DL and WDW and every other Pooh I've been on, except Christopher Robin and all the gang spoke Mandarin. Cute, but a totally stupid use of valuable time.

Next, we put our Roarin' Rapids FastPass to good use and entered a line-up where we were warned many times we were going to get very wet. The lockers had been impossible to figure out (my Canadian Visa credit card wasn't working in China anyway) so we were quite anxious about our equipment and purchased the plastic ponchos being hocked in line. Stupid waste of not much money because no one on our raft (or any other raft as far as I could see) suffered a drop of water. The ride itself was Grizzly River Run minus any thematic elements. Just a run-of-the-mill water-raft ride with an emphasis on spinning and not much drop or splash, despite hearing it was the most whatever.

I had wanted to try one of the ropes courses at Camp Discovery and they did look quite fun and challenging with lots of moving components. Sadly, the line-ups would have kept us about an hour, so we took the Vista path around the area and saw some of the lovely features accessible to the guests traversing above us, waterfalls, caves, etc. We were hungry by now and should have tolerated a further delay by experiencing Barbossa's Bounty, but I overlooked that this counter-service restaurant was Blue Bayou in disguise and that we could have had a meal to twinkling fireflies in the swamps of New Orleans out back. Instead, we located a lonely popcorn vender, the only cart I saw all day without a massive line-up in front.

After this, we determined to try Pirates, and were dismayed that the line-up was 105 minutes. Because this was the ride we were told was the best Pirates of all and had won theme-park awards, we decided to give it a go. I asked a cast member about the advertised 90-minute singles line and was told first that it was about the same as the other line and we wouldn't get to sit together and then that this option was closed. So we baked in the sweltering line for this attraction for close to 1 1/2 hours, going from one cattle pen to another, our misery briefly alleviated by the odd pirate display like a skeleton in a cage or a bridge to cross. We did see some people zipping by but assumed they were celebrity guests, only later learning from members in our group that, if you speak Mandarin, a singles line magically opens for you and you will be whisked to the front in about fifteen minutes. When we finally got onto our boat, I counted five empty seats that could have been occupied by singles, so we definitely would have been able to sit together - I recommend you persist in entering the singles line as this time suck really took away our ability to enjoy other things.

It was impossible to fit in the Storybook Parade.

I wanted to go through the Alice and Wonderland Maze, but it was a steady stream of people and the paths looked quite narrow. We could see most of the maze from a bridge to the castle, and I am a fan of the original Disney version so didn't care if I got close to the Tim-Burton queen of hearts or not.

We had a Fast Pass for Seven Dwarves, which was nice, but not as long or elaborate as WDW.

No time for Explorer Canoes and the line-ups at Voyage and Peter Pan wouldn't go down so we were pretty close by now to making our way to Club 33. I ran over to TRON with my last Fast Pass, spent way too much time trying to figure out the mandatory lockers, enjoyed a very interesting line that immersed me into a futuristic storyline, and then endured a Screamin' California without the loop motorcycle launch that was over in about three shrieks of terror.

I really, really wish I would have had time to experience the enhancements to Peter Pan, the castle walkthrough, Voyage to the Crystal Garden most of all!!!!, another Pirates (the woman in our row had her phone out the entire time shining the light in my face - otherwise the VERY BEST DISNEY RIDE EVER!!), the canoes and the ropes course, and even maybe Soarin'. Another day would have been perfect (even with the crowds, I think), especially going first thing in the morning and knocking off a few of the attractions before the crowds descend.

Maybe this will help other guests be better organized. I did my research, studied the app and thought I could blast through the important elements, but the crowds were extraordinary, the park huge and congested, line-ups ridiculous (reminded me of WDW Christmas Day), and the time way too limited. Things I thought would take twenty minutes took over an hour to manage. Even getting popcorn took half an hour to find a vendor without a massive line-up, communicate effectively (not as easy as it sounds) and then get jostled about trying to find a place to stand and eat....in blasting heat.

Dinner was lovely (may I suggest the fish instead of beef?) and standing on the balcony at Club 33 watching the fireworks was a dream come true and one of the most unforgettable nights of my life. I truly hope that your experience and adventure is as wonderful as mine! Someday I may be lucky enough to go back

 

[sayhello]

Well, Shanghai Disneyland was a completely different story. It haunts me so much I feel compelled to go back some day and experience the park properly. I am kicking myself for not building in an extra day but, as you pointed out, Tobi, it was the first anniversary of the park and the crowds were deafening, so that might not have helped!!

I was, of course, champing at the bit to get going and was frustrated having to trudge through the very beautiful, tranquil and exquisitely-appointed Yu Gardens, and couldn't stand the tourist-packed shopping portion of the morning. I wish we could have split up the group and organized those who wished to have an early-morning park arrival, as that is the only way a person is going to get a sense of anything at SHDL. By the time we arrived and endured a very-nice-to-have-now-but-increasing-my-impatience-at-the-time group shot in the Central Plaza, most of the group went over to Club 33 to drop off their change of clothes for the night. As the Club 33 dinner was a surprise, I didn't plan an elaborate change to evening-ware, but had planned to save a few minutes by not bothering with costume changes, so immediately ran off to get a head start on the few hours given us to explore a massive area. In hindsight, giving due deference to Club 33, I would have dressed a tad better.

I had hoped that, even in late afternoon, there would be a few Premier Access Passes left. There certainly weren't any Fast Passes! We headed to Avenue M on the left side of Main Street heading into the park, and followed an elaborate series of directions to end up in some back area queue waiting for tickets. There was one Peter Pan left, two Poohs, and a bunch of Buzz tickets, which was super disappointing. Thinking mistakenly that Pooh was different and upgraded, I bought the two Pooh passes, which involved a stupidly high cost ($45?), signing documents and then getting our photos taken with two cast members of us holding these documents. A very secure process to make sure no one is getting onto Pooh under their watch without the right identification! But this was all time consuming and unnecessary.

FINALLY getting into the park and with every minute ticking, we took a moment to appreciate the Gardens of the Imagination, especially the Garden of the Twelve Friends, where we could get a picture in front of our zodiac character. Also the Enchanted Storybook Castle is amazing...grand, fantastic, impressively decorated with staircases, turrets, towers, balustrades, buttresses...WOW! And then WOW all the people....people people people so many so compressed together....large open walkways absolutely crammed from side to side with hoards of people. We shouldered our way through the castle into Fantasyland where, to our dismay, every corner and crevice was crammed with park guests. The castle walkthrough wait "Once Upon a Time Adventure" had a 50-minute wait. Peter Pan's Flight 75 minutes. Voyage to the Crystal Grotto 60 minutes. Impossible when you've only got a limited time and are holding three Fast Passes for other things.

We decided to use our Premier Access Pass for Pooh, which was so frustrating because, after going through the entanglement process of establishing that, yes, this is our photo and these are the documents and this is us in the photo holding the documents, and waiting in Fast Pass line for a little too long, the ride was EXACTLY the same as HKDL and DL and WDW and every other Pooh I've been on, except Christopher Robin and all the gang spoke Mandarin. Cute, but a totally stupid use of valuable time.

Next, we put our Roarin' Rapids FastPass to good use and entered a line-up where we were warned many times we were going to get very wet. The lockers had been impossible to figure out (my Canadian Visa credit card wasn't working in China anyway) so we were quite anxious about our equipment and purchased the plastic ponchos being hocked in line. Stupid waste of not much money because no one on our raft (or any other raft as far as I could see) suffered a drop of water. The ride itself was Grizzly River Run minus any thematic elements. Just a run-of-the-mill water-raft ride with an emphasis on spinning and not much drop or splash, despite hearing it was the most whatever.

I had wanted to try one of the ropes courses at Camp Discovery and they did look quite fun and challenging with lots of moving components. Sadly, the line-ups would have kept us about an hour, so we took the Vista path around the area and saw some of the lovely features accessible to the guests traversing above us, waterfalls, caves, etc. We were hungry by now and should have tolerated a further delay by experiencing Barbossa's Bounty, but I overlooked that this counter-service restaurant was Blue Bayou in disguise and that we could have had a meal to twinkling fireflies in the swamps of New Orleans out back. Instead, we located a lonely popcorn vender, the only cart I saw all day without a massive line-up in front.

After this, we determined to try Pirates, and were dismayed that the line-up was 105 minutes. Because this was the ride we were told was the best Pirates of all and had won theme-park awards, we decided to give it a go. I asked a cast member about the advertised 90-minute singles line and was told first that it was about the same as the other line and we wouldn't get to sit together and then that this option was closed. So we baked in the sweltering line for this attraction for close to 1 1/2 hours, going from one cattle pen to another, our misery briefly alleviated by the odd pirate display like a skeleton in a cage or a bridge to cross. We did see some people zipping by but assumed they were celebrity guests, only later learning from members in our group that, if you speak Mandarin, a singles line magically opens for you and you will be whisked to the front in about fifteen minutes. When we finally got onto our boat, I counted five empty seats that could have been occupied by singles, so we definitely would have been able to sit together - I recommend you persist in entering the singles line as this time suck really took away our ability to enjoy other things.

It was impossible to fit in the Storybook Parade.

I wanted to go through the Alice and Wonderland Maze, but it was a steady stream of people and the paths looked quite narrow. We could see most of the maze from a bridge to the castle, and I am a fan of the original Disney version so didn't care if I got close to the Tim-Burton queen of hearts or not.

We had a Fast Pass for Seven Dwarves, which was nice, but not as long or elaborate as WDW.

No time for Explorer Canoes and the line-ups at Voyage and Peter Pan wouldn't go down so we were pretty close by now to making our way to Club 33. I ran over to TRON with my last Fast Pass, spent way too much time trying to figure out the mandatory lockers, enjoyed a very interesting line that immersed me into a futuristic storyline, and then endured a Screamin' California without the loop motorcycle launch that was over in about three shrieks of terror.

I really, really wish I would have had time to experience the enhancements to Peter Pan, the castle walkthrough, Voyage to the Crystal Garden most of all!!!!, another Pirates (the woman in our row had her phone out the entire time shining the light in my face - otherwise the VERY BEST DISNEY RIDE EVER!!), the canoes and the ropes course, and even maybe Soarin'. Another day would have been perfect (even with the crowds, I think), especially going first thing in the morning and knocking off a few of the attractions before the crowds descend.

Maybe this will help other guests be better organized. I did my research, studied the app and thought I could blast through the important elements, but the crowds were extraordinary, the park huge and congested, line-ups ridiculous (reminded me of WDW Christmas Day), and the time way too limited. Things I thought would take twenty minutes took over an hour to manage. Even getting popcorn took half an hour to find a vendor without a massive line-up, communicate effectively (not as easy as it sounds) and then get jostled about trying to find a place to stand and eat....in blasting heat.

Dinner was lovely (may I suggest the fish instead of beef?) and standing on the balcony at Club 33 watching the fireworks was a dream come true and one of the most unforgettable nights of my life. I truly hope that your experience and adventure is as wonderful as mine! Someday I may be lucky enough to go back

Just wanted to let you know something. The Single Rider line at Pirates is not the miracle you think it is. They let you walk past a huge chunk of the lines, alright, but then you STAND THERE. For 20 minutes or more at a time, until they randomly decide to let the 2 dozen or so people standing there go on to the next STANDING point. If allowed to go straight through, I'd've been on the ride in 10 minutes tops (probably less). As it was, I was in line close to an hour (when the regular line was 90 minutes). So I saved a *little* bit of time, but I am helpless to understand WHY in heaven's name they run the single line this way. I can only surmise the reason is to keep people from using the single rider line instead of the regular line up, but again, I have to ask WHY????? There is more than enough room on each boat for multiple people to fit as a single rider. It really, REALLY makes no sense, and was, honestly, infuriating!

Sayhello

 

[Karen Stevan]

Especially as our boat sailed away with the five spots empty...three spots in three rows, two spots in our row. I was aghast, considering how long we'd sweated in line. I could only think they'd exhausted the singles queue; the cast members sorting us were plentiful and attentive enough. Very annoying to see "singles" skip past us laughing, unless you're one of them, which I wish I'd been! Persistence would help, as riding single is obviously an option.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Just wanted to let you know something. The Single Rider line at Pirates is not the miracle you think it is. They let you walk past a huge chunk of the lines, alright, but then you STAND THERE. For 20 minutes or more at a time, until they randomly decide to let the 2 dozen or so people standing there go on to the next STANDING point. If allowed to go straight through, I'd've been on the ride in 10 minutes tops (probably less). As it was, I was in line close to an hour (when the regular line was 90 minutes). So I saved a *little* bit of time, but I am helpless to understand WHY in heaven's name they run the single line this way. I can only surmise the reason is to keep people from using the single rider line instead of the regular line up, but again, I have to ask WHY????? There is more than enough room on each boat for multiple people to fit as a single rider. It really, REALLY makes no sense, and was, honestly, infuriating!

Sayhello

Loved reading all your impressions, Karen! Be glad you didn't go the second day. The crowds were about triple. It was a total bust. We did one and half rides and went back to the hotel. I can attest to the frustrating experience SayHello had on the pirates ride. It made no sense at all--they were holding singles for no reason with tons of spaces on boats. Similarly, SayHello was sitting with my son while--they didn't want to do Seven Dwarves--and the three of us stood in what was supposed to be a 45 minutes singles ride and didn't move. I got out after 30 minutes and my husband and daughter after 45. That was when we left. From my understanding the fast passes sell out really early. Absolutely LOVED Pirates. It was my favorite Disney ride for about four weeks, LOL. I just tried the new Avatar and loved it, too. It's kind of a marriage between Tron, Pirates, and Soaring. Loved Mystic Manor, too.

 

[OhanaCuz]

That pirates ride sounds amazing. I just have to wait a few years and I can experience Tron in the states.

 

[sayhello]

That pirates ride sounds amazing. I just have to wait a few years and I can experience Tron in the states.

Pirates was absolutely amazing!! One of the best rides I've been on. It was a fabulous melding of different mediums.

Sayhello

 

[AlixaLock]

Especially as our boat sailed away with the five spots empty...three spots in three rows, two spots in our row. I was aghast, considering how long we'd sweated in line. I could only think they'd exhausted the singles queue; the cast members sorting us were plentiful and attentive enough. Very annoying to see "singles" skip past us laughing, unless you're one of them, which I wish I'd been! Persistence would help, as riding single is obviously an option.

Loved reading all your impressions, Karen! Be glad you didn't go the second day. The crowds were about triple. It was a total bust. We did one and half rides and went back to the hotel. I can attest to the frustrating experience SayHello had on the pirates ride. It made no sense at all--they were holding singles for no reason with tons of spaces on boats. Similarly, SayHello was sitting with my son while--they didn't want to do Seven Dwarves--and the three of us stood in what was supposed to be a 45 minutes singles ride and didn't move. I got out after 30 minutes and my husband and daughter after 45. That was when we left. From my understanding the fast passes sell out really early. Absolutely LOVED Pirates. It was my favorite Disney ride for about four weeks, LOL. I just tried the new Avatar and loved it, too. It's kind of a marriage between Tron, Pirates, and Soaring. Loved Mystic Manor, too.

I have to share your frustration at the epic line inefficiencies at Pirates (at SHDL overall, really.) We were incredibly lucky to jump into the line after it had been closed for a short time and found a wait time of around 45 minutes, when for most of the day the line had been in excess of 100 minutes or more. But beyond that, there was rampant line jumping, cast members doing strange things by opening sections of the line that allowed people to bypass others in line ahead of them etc ...

During our trip, we planned a second day in Disney at the end of the tour and it was completely worth it. I personally loved Yu Gardens and would not want to miss that portion of the tour, so I was very glad that we had a second day to look forward to. On our adventure, for example, we were trapped in a quick service restaurant for almost 2 hours dues to an epic summer storm, so the cushion of the extra day was a huge morale boost when that happened. I went back and forth about whether I wished we had done the same for HKDL and, ultimately, I'm glad we didn't. The park was not crowded at all really, and I enjoyed our day on Lantau Island, riding the cable car and seeing the "Big Buddah." Tough decisions to make on a tour like this where there are so many options and it is virtually impossible to see everything in one shot!

 

[CrazyZeus1]

Just had to chime in... we just got our Chinese visas back from the company we used... CVSC... and they were EXCELLENT!!

 

[CrazyZeus1]

I am really enjoying reading the 2017 trip reports and everyone's posts. We are going to the Oct 22 trip. Anyone else on that trip? We are arriving a day early and planning to take the Star Ferry to HKDL. Has anyone done that? Also planing a follow-up day in SHDL and then the weekend at TKDLR. Looking forward to connecting with fellow travelers.

We are on that itenerary!! It's me, Hubby Jeff, and 14yo Reese! We're also meeting up with some great friends that we've done 5 ABDs with so far... Adult mom/daughter duo from Miami named Liz and Mariana! Looking forward to our fun trip!!

 

[Trina Enmon]

We are on that itenerary!! It's me, Hubby Jeff, and 14yo Reese! We're also meeting up with some great friends that we've done 5 ABDs with so far... Adult mom/daughter duo from Miami named Liz and Mariana! Looking forward to our fun trip!!

We are on that itenerary!! It's me, Hubby Jeff, and 14yo Reese! We're also meeting up with some great friends that we've done 5 ABDs with so far... Adult mom/daughter duo from Miami named Liz and Mariana! Looking forward to our fun trip!!

I am on the October 22 ABD China. I'm doing 5 Disney Parks in 30 days. October 16-17-18 in WDW. I arrive HKDL for 2 nights on October 20 then start ABD on October 22. Then stay 2 night at SHDL for 2 nights November 2-4. Then November 4-6 I am at TDL. Then November 14-18 I'm at Disneyland California. I am so excited I applied for China Visa yesterday. I will pick it up on Monday. I want to keep my packing really light. October will be cooler and I hope not real cold. This is my 6th ABD all have been amazing.
Looking forward to meeting everyone

 

[GerriS]

Great to meet everyone. My husband, Mike, and I will be on this trip. I will be applying for my Visas this week. I have a goal of visiting all the Disney Parks in one year. Started with Paris in April, Anaheim will be in Sept, China in Oct, Japan in Nov, finishing with Orlando next spring. Really Looking forward to this trip and having a great time reading everyone's trip reports. This is our second ABD. We did the backstage magic in 2012. I hear Oct is the best time to go.

 

[Cousin Orville]

I enjoyed our day on Lantau Island, riding the cable car and seeing the "Big Buddah."

Did you do this on your own? If so, how much time did you spend there? I've seen it recommended to purchase tickets on the crystal gondolas online as a way to minimize the lines. What was your experience with the cable car lines?

Also, did you reserve Mr & Mrs Bund on line or just call them? I put in an online request but haven't heard back. What were your thoughts on the restaurant?

 

[AlixaLock]

Did you do this on your own? If so, how much time did you spend there? I've seen it recommended to purchase tickets on the crystal gondolas online as a way to minimize the lines. What was your experience with the cable car lines?

Also, did you reserve Mr & Mrs Bund on line or just call them? I put in an online request but haven't heard back. What were your thoughts on the restaurant?

Hey there! Yes, we did Lantau Island on our own and it was very easy. We had a fabulous time and recommend it, despite the heat, it was great to be outside and a little bit away from the city (although, not really, lol!)

We took a cab from the hotel and the valet let the driver know where we were going. In Lantau, there were dozens of cabs at the bottom of the entrance to the cable cars and we easily got one back. We made sure to have our "take me to the Peninsula" card, but for the particular driver, we didn't really need it. We spent the afternoon there. I would estimate we left the hotel around 11:30 and we're back by 4 as we happen to have our welcome dinner that night. We probably could have explored a little more, but I think this was more then enough time to get a good look around, take pictures and do some shopping. They had some cute shops (we loved the "waving" cat store.) I'm sure the stores were charging tourists prices, but they were reasonable for us and, in retrospect, I'm glad we did buy there because there isn't a huge amount of shopping time on the trip as a whole.

100% for sure book online and bring the printed ticket with you (I don't think they can scan smart phones.) The purchase line was huge and I was glad to bypass it. The Crystal Car does allow you to bypass some of the line, I would say we spent about 30-50% less time in line then those waiting for the regular car, it was not a walk on. I do highly recommend it, though, because it's just cool. The views from the cable car are really interesting and you cross over several different landscapes. And then there is this picture, which my daughter loves! LOL . We took the regular car back and there were no issues with lines on that end. I personally wouldn't bother with the Crystal Car back... Like most things, the ride back seems so much quicker and it didn't seem needed or worth it, but of course your mileage may vary on that...



For Mr.and Mrs. Bund, we actually let the concierge at the Peninsula Shanghai book for us. We sent them (the concierge) an email and they handled it for us and sent us a confirmation. We did this with all the restaurants we reserved in Shanghai and Hong Kong and I'm glad we did. We had really nice tables and good service at all the restaurants they booked for us.

BTW, are you still thinking of Booking Mikki and her Watertown tour for your Shanghai time?

 

[Karen Stevan]

If I haven't gushed enough about Miki, please indulge my enthusiasm for her Water Town and Courtyard Life Experience, which was a highlight of my China adventure as a whole.
SPOILER ALERT: Surprises abound and we went into the tour blind, not knowing what to expect, which made it extra magical.
Miki is the very sweetest person. There were only four people on our tour and she gave us a very informative and delightful narrative during our drive to the first water (more touristy) town, helping the time fly by. The rest rooms that broke up the drive were five-star, the whole experience was very comfortable and classy, despite the rural destination.
One of the biggest bonuses was being somewhere that wasn't swamped by tourists or part of a tourist network of things to see and do. I felt throughout that I was Miki's friend and guest in China and she was showing me the best of her way of life as an experienced guide to the area.
We started off the tour on foot, which was enchanting, and then boarded a small, beautiful canal boat, manned by an elderly woman (gondalier) who sang to us beautifully and showed us herons who caught fish for their owners. It felt like being in Venice; I compared the vibe to being in Europe in 70s/80s, the canals strewn with lanterns, lush foliage, bridges the oarswoman had to crouch under, people washing clothes, riding bikes, performing opera, playing games, such a sense of contentment and natural unfolding of order in life on the river.
From there, Miki took us to her own town, a smaller, more peaceful version of what we'd just seen, where she owns a teahouse, which is a charming home with courtyard and upper deck on the canal. The setting is priceless, and the absolutely stunning eight-course lunch with unlimited beverages....alcohol (we drank beer and champagne throughout) and a variety of teas, was the best of the best! Halfway through the epic lunch, we took a break and aproned up for the dumpling lesson! It was really fun, making the dough, filling, and hoping to finish up with an intricate little dumpling shape, which is harder to do than it appears, really, like all the crafts we encountered, including calligraphy, which Miki also invited us to practice, while digesting the first half of our repast.
After completing the marathon lunch, and we left so much food uneaten - the two other guests were very large men, who ate and drank with gusto without getting to the bottom of the feast Miki (and her sister, the chef behind the tasting), prepared for us!, a local guide arrived who took us on a walking tour of the town market and street scene. He was energetic and humorous, and provided a welcome jolt after us having just gorged ourselves!
When we returned to the teahouse, Miki was dressed in the most fabulous tea-ceremony costume, with her hair beautifully arrayed, looking very elegant; she took us upstairs to the tea room, where we experienced a very authentic, traditional and leisurely tea ceremony.
It was literally one of the best days of my life - everything for us was perfect and I don't know if it was just the universe aligning, but I hope other travellers can appreciate Miki's gracious art at being a hostess and ambassador for her traditional and humble lifestyle, which allowed Michael and I to immerse ourselves in the countryside and an environment we would only have been able to fully access with her invitation and expert guidance. Miki is the real deal!!
Five stars and highly recommended!!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Hey there! Yes, we did Lantau Island on our own and it was very easy. We had a fabulous time and recommend it, despite the heat, it was great to be outside and a little bit away from the city (although, not really, lol!)

We took a cab from the hotel and the valet let the driver know where we were going. In Lantau, there were dozens of cabs at the bottom of the entrance to the cable cars and we easily got one back. We made sure to have our "take me to the Peninsula" card, but for the particular driver, we didn't really need it. We spent the afternoon there. I would estimate we left the hotel around 11:30 and we're back by 4 as we happen to have our welcome dinner that night. We probably could have explored a little more, but I think this was more then enough time to get a good look around, take pictures and do some shopping. They had some cute shops (we loved the "waving" cat store.) I'm sure the stores were charging tourists prices, but they were reasonable for us and, in retrospect, I'm glad we did buy there because there isn't a huge amount of shopping time on the trip as a whole.

100% for sure book online and bring the printed ticket with you (I don't think they can scan smart phones.) The purchase line was huge and I was glad to bypass it. The Crystal Car does allow you to bypass some of the line, I would say we spent about 30-50% less time in line then those waiting for the regular car, it was not a walk on. I do highly recommend it, though, because it's just cool. The views from the cable car are really interesting and you cross over several different landscapes. And then there is this picture, which my daughter loves! LOL . We took the regular car back and there were no issues with lines on that end. I personally wouldn't bother with the Crystal Car back... Like most things, the ride back seems so much quicker and it didn't seem needed or worth it, but of course your mileage may vary on that...

View attachment 261969

For Mr.and Mrs. Bund, we actually let the concierge at the Peninsula Shanghai book for us. We sent them (the concierge) an email and they handled it for us and sent us a confirmation. We did this with all the restaurants we reserved in Shanghai and Hong Kong and I'm glad we did. We had really nice tables and good service at all the restaurants they booked for us.

BTW, are you still thinking of Booking Mikki and her Watertown tour for your Shanghai time?

Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll keep trying with Mr & Mrs Bund. We're staying at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel as a part this DISBoards ABD. Frustratingly Disney does not have an email listed for their concierge. I may see if the Peninsula HK can help.

I did book the Watertown tour with Mikki. Looking forward to it. I also have a food tour in HK booked for the morning the ABD starts. I'm also thinking of booking an evening tour of HK the night before. 2 months to go...

 

[CaliKris]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll keep trying with Mr & Mrs Bund. We're staying at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel as a part this DISBoards ABD. Frustratingly Disney does not have an email listed for their concierge. I may see if the Peninsula HK can help.

I did book the Watertown tour with Mikki. Looking forward to it. I also have a food tour in HK booked for the morning the ABD starts. I'm also thinking of booking an evening tour of HK the night before. 2 months to go...

We took the MTR (train) from the Peninsula HK to the Big Buddha which was very easy. It would also be even easier from the HKDL hotel (I think that is where the DIS trip is staying) as they are both on Lantau Island. One stop to Sunny Bay, change trains, and one stop to Tung Chung.

Miki was fabulous as @Karen Stevan posted a great review above. We were the only ones on her tour and it was one of the highlights of our China trip! The lunch and tea ceremony were in a home she has purchased in a very small, un-touristy town. We walked around the town a bit and were the only Westerners for miles around. This made for some very fun interactions with the locals who were surprised to see us.

 

[sayhello]

If I haven't gushed enough about Miki, please indulge my enthusiasm for her Water Town and Courtyard Life Experience, which was a highlight of my China adventure as a whole.
SPOILER ALERT: Surprises abound and we went into the tour blind, not knowing what to expect, which made it extra magical.
Miki is the very sweetest person. There were only four people on our tour and she gave us a very informative and delightful narrative during our drive to the first water (more touristy) town, helping the time fly by. The rest rooms that broke up the drive were five-star, the whole experience was very comfortable and classy, despite the rural destination.
One of the biggest bonuses was being somewhere that wasn't swamped by tourists or part of a tourist network of things to see and do. I felt throughout that I was Miki's friend and guest in China and she was showing me the best of her way of life as an experienced guide to the area.
We started off the tour on foot, which was enchanting, and then boarded a small, beautiful canal boat, manned by an elderly woman (gondalier) who sang to us beautifully and showed us herons who caught fish for their owners. It felt like being in Venice; I compared the vibe to being in Europe in 70s/80s, the canals strewn with lanterns, lush foliage, bridges the oarswoman had to crouch under, people washing clothes, riding bikes, performing opera, playing games, such a sense of contentment and natural unfolding of order in life on the river.
From there, Miki took us to her own town, a smaller, more peaceful version of what we'd just seen, where she owns a teahouse, which is a charming home with courtyard and upper deck on the canal. The setting is priceless, and the absolutely stunning eight-course lunch with unlimited beverages....alcohol (we drank beer and champagne throughout) and a variety of teas, was the best of the best! Halfway through the epic lunch, we took a break and aproned up for the dumpling lesson! It was really fun, making the dough, filling, and hoping to finish up with an intricate little dumpling shape, which is harder to do than it appears, really, like all the crafts we encountered, including calligraphy, which Miki also invited us to practice, while digesting the first half of our repast.
After completing the marathon lunch, and we left so much food uneaten - the two other guests were very large men, who ate and drank with gusto without getting to the bottom of the feast Miki (and her sister, the chef behind the tasting), prepared for us!, a local guide arrived who took us on a walking tour of the town market and street scene. He was energetic and humorous, and provided a welcome jolt after us having just gorged ourselves!
When we returned to the teahouse, Miki was dressed in the most fabulous tea-ceremony costume, with her hair beautifully arrayed, looking very elegant; she took us upstairs to the tea room, where we experienced a very authentic, traditional and leisurely tea ceremony.
It was literally one of the best days of my life - everything for us was perfect and I don't know if it was just the universe aligning, but I hope other travellers can appreciate Miki's gracious art at being a hostess and ambassador for her traditional and humble lifestyle, which allowed Michael and I to immerse ourselves in the countryside and an environment we would only have been able to fully access with her invitation and expert guidance. Miki is the real deal!!
Five stars and highly recommended!!

WOW! This sounds amazing! Now I'm jealous. Sounds way better than our second day at SHDL (although that's actually not that hard to do). But really, wish I'd known!

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

WOW! This sounds amazing! Now I'm jealous. Sounds way better than our second day at SHDL (although that's actually not that hard to do). But really, wish I'd known!

Sayhello

Lmao! So true.