ABD China changes?

[OKW Lover]

Wondering if the current unrest in Hong Kong has affected any of the ABD China trips. Anybody been recently?

 

[DollyM]

Wondering if the current unrest in Hong Kong has affected any of the ABD China trips. Anybody been recently?

My sister @Poohlie is on the ABD that started yesterday. They did a pre-night at the Peninsula on Saturday (after days at HKDL hotel) which is when there were demonstrations in that area. They were confined to the hotel that evening. On Sunday they found out that Monday was going to be a full day at HKDL because of the citywide strikes. Sunday itself seemed OK because they were able to do the Big Buddha, the Peak, and the mid-levels escalators on their own.

 

[abdgeek]

I was on the June 30 China ABD and the protest on July 1 didn’t really impact us. We were at Victoria Peak/Stanley Market that day. The only change that was made was that we didn’t take the ferry back because of how crowded it would be. Contrary to the news coverage we see in the US, the protesters are told where and when they can protest. The protest on July 1 was on the HK Island side near the police station and government building. When I did the food tour on June 29 with Hello Hong Kong, the guide told us about the protest taking place on Handover Day and reminded us to be out of the area by 2 pm to avoid the protests. ABD should know in advance of when and where protests will take place and can make alternate arrangements if necessary.

 

[DollyM]

I was on the June 30 China ABD and the protest on July 1 didn’t really impact us. We were at Victoria Peak/Stanley Market that day. The only change that was made was that we didn’t take the ferry back because of how crowded it would be. Contrary to the news coverage we see in the US, the protesters are told where and when they can protest. The protest on July 1 was on the HK Island side near the police station and government building. When I did the food tour on June 29 with Hello Hong Kong, the guide told us about the protest taking place on Handover Day and reminded us to be out of the area by 2 pm to avoid the protests. ABD should know in advance of when and where protests will take place and can make alternate arrangements if necessary.

After @Poohlie sent me a picture of protesters that appeared to be taken from an outdoor roof deck at the Peninsula, I looked for news about it and sent her this from the Washington Post:

Saturday’s march — the ninth weekend of sustained protests — deviated from a route authorized by police and went into the tourist-heavy shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, which looks onto Victoria Harbor.

 

[abdgeek]

After @Poohlie sent me a picture of protesters that appeared to be taken from an outdoor roof deck at the Peninsula, I looked for news about it and sent her this from the Washington Post:

Looks like we were looking at similar news releases. The CNN article talked about the fact that the most recent one spanned seven districts in HK and included airport personnel and others as part of the strike which would make it much more disruptive to daily operations than previous protests. I can imagine how unsettling it would be to look outside The Peninsula HK and see all that.

 

[Poohlie]

Just landed in Beijing and want to say that Korey and Jenny are doing an amazing job given the circumstances.
They along with Disney & ABD management have taken a number of steps to ensure that we are safe, comfortable and happy.

 

[kaseyC]

On our July 7th China ABD the protests took place on the streets outside of the Peninsula HK on the day our Adventure began. My daughter and I were having Afternoon Tea in the lobby when they began to assemble. By the time we were finished the street in front and on the side of the Peninsula was packed with protestors. I have a few pictures I took from the front of the building and our room. One family that was out on their own that day missed the first part of our Welcome dinner because they were delayed by the crowds.


Darn, I don't know why those are sideways.

 

[sayhello]

On our July 7th China ABD the protests took place on the streets outside of the Peninsula HK on the day our Adventure began. My daughter and I were having Afternoon Tea in the lobby when they began to assemble. By the time we were finished the street in front and on the side of the Peninsula was packed with protestors. I have a few pictures I took from the front of the building and our room. One family that was out on their own that day missed the first part of our Welcome dinner because they were delayed by the crowds.
View attachment 423397View attachment 423398View attachment 423399

Darn, I don't know why those are sideways.

At least they look peaceful!

The pictures are sideways because the new DISBoards software no longer compensates for the orientation of your photos.

If you're posting from a PC, here's a link to how you can fix that:

https://www.ivertech.com/Articles/Image-Rotation-Issue-With-Windows-10.aspx

Sayhello

 

[AquaDame]

At least they look peaceful!

The pictures are sideways because the new DISBoards software no longer compensates for the orientation of your photos.

If you're posting from a PC, here's a link to how you can fix that:

https://www.ivertech.com/Articles/Image-Rotation-Issue-With-Windows-10.aspx

Sayhello

So far it has mostly been. One of my coworkers visited a relative and participated while they were there - they said they never felt unsafe.

 

[tinks_mom]

We were there the week before @Poohlie and were largely unaffected. One family that had arrived 2 days early were met by peaceful protesters in the airport who were simply explaining the nature of their protest and asked the family to 'stay safe'.

We had a wonderful time, with amazing guides Fred and Suzanne, and I would be happy to try to answer any questions about the adventure!

One note about luggage (since that seems to be a frequent concern). You really only need to worry about the size/weight constraints for the checked bag. Our carry-on bags were never weighed or measured throughout the trip; as long as you have something of reasonable carry-on size you should be perfectly fine. Our group had a multitude of variations for the carry-on and the personal bags, with no issues whatsoever. Do be prepared to pull various items out of the bags for inspection at the whim of the security agents (batteries, chargers, umbrellas, sometimes other random things). I don't believe anyone in our group had anything confiscated, simply examined.

 

[kaseyC]

Did you all see that Hong Kong grounded all flights as a result of the protests.

 

[sayhello]

Did you all see that Hong Kong grounded all flights as a result of the protests.

Yes! The protests got violent. No in or out at this point.

Fortunately, I don't *think* there are any ABDs in Hong Kong at this time. I think it was last weekend and next weekend. I feel bad for anyone trying to get in or out of there...

Sayhello

 

[kaseyC]

Yes! The protests got violent. No in or out at this point.

Fortunately, I don't *think* there are any ABDs in Hong Kong at this time. I think it was last weekend and next weekend. I feel bad for anyone trying to get in or out of there...

Sayhello

That's what I was wondering if any were there at this time. I know they stagger them at times.

I feel extremely lucky that the protests were still peaceful while we were there.

 

[sayhello]

That's what I was wondering if any were there at this time. I know they stagger them at times.

I feel extremely lucky that the protests were still peaceful while we were there.

It will be interesting to see if they make any changes for the August 18th departure...

Sayhello

 

[kaseyC]

Any word on how the Hong Kong protests are affecting the fall China trips? I know a departure was scheduled for Sept. 1. It's crazy to think we were there less than 2 months ago.

 

[Skylarr29]

I’m also curious. Wondering at what point Disney will make changes. We travel next year but in between flights, final payment, and visas, we’re definitely questioning what to do. I don’t see this getting better before then.

 

[sayhello]

Any word on how the Hong Kong protests are affecting the fall China trips? I know a departure was scheduled for Sept. 1. It's crazy to think we were there less than 2 months ago.

Dusty (one of the Adventure Guides) just posted that they're in the airport, heading from Hong Kong to Beijing. He didn't mention anything about having any issues in Hong Kong. I'm sure ABD is monitoring the situation, and will change up the itinerary if necessary.

I know this must be hard for anyone planning a trip to China right about now. I have a friend who switched her China trip for next year to another ABD. Everybody has to decide what their own tolerance for uncertainty is.

Sayhello

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Any updates on this situation from an ABD perspective since the violence at the protests has escalated in the last several weeks?

 

[sayhello]

Any updates on this situation from an ABD perspective since the violence at the protests has escalated in the last several weeks?

There are no China trips scheduled at this time. The next one scheduled is for April, which is 5 months from now. I can't imagine ABD making any decisions at this point, as so much can change in 5 months. It's not like they're going to cancel the whole trip if things are still bad in Hong Kong. They might just need to route folks' flights to Beijing instead of Hong Kong to start or something like that. I imagine that would be cheaper than cancelling trips at this point.

Sayhello

 

[dolewhipdreams]

There are no China trips scheduled at this time. The next one scheduled is for April, which is 5 months from now. I can't imagine ABD making any decisions at this point, as so much can change in 5 months. It's not like they're going to cancel the whole trip if things are still bad in Hong Kong. They might just need to route folks' flights to Beijing instead of Hong Kong to start or something like that. I imagine that would be cheaper than cancelling trips at this point.

Sayhello

Oh okay I didn’t realize there weren’t any trips recently. I guess we’ll wait and see how things unfold. The most important thing is that people in Hong Kong can stay safe!