Flat Stanley's adventure to China has begun

[kennythepirate]

Day One - 7000 miles to Beijing!
My Dd12 Jordyn won a trip for four anywhere ABD travels including airfare. She chose to travel with Flat Stanley to China. In order to get through security and not have to purchase a ticket, Stanley shrunk himself down and hid himself in our luggage.

We awakened at 2:30 am to deapart for the airport. Our flight left at 6:35 sharp for San Francisco. I told Stanley before we left that I have never seen San Francisco. He said it is an exciting city with a great Chinese influence. After about a 4 hour layover we departed on a 12 hour flight to Beijing that also included a 13 hour time difference from our home time. Stanley had told me to reset my watch immediately and it would help me adjust to the new time faster. It must be great to be Stanley and be able to tag along on so many great adventures! Stanley told me that he is going to try to travel with other adventure guides after this one is over and attempt to see all the Adventures by Disney. I am impressed by his enthusiasm for travel.

"Fred" our local expert in Beijing picked us up and the airport. He is soooo much fun to be around and has a real mastery of not only the English language, but idioms as well. He laughted and joked with us and really hit it off with Nathan.
We arrived at the Peninsula Hotel and it is amazing! Such a beautiful hotel right in the heart of bustling Beijing.

We went to our room to retrieve Stanley, so he could join us for the Tea Ceremony and dinner. Stanley was excited to see a real Lambourghini and Bentley for the the first time!

We enjoyed the story of a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony and enjoyed a huge feast. It was great to finally meet some of our new friends including Qismyprincess from here on disboards.

After dinner we took turns dressing in traditional Chinese Empirical costuming. It sure was great to have Stanley there to assist with taking photos.

Dusty and Fred were a lot of fun with the kids at dinner tonight. Stanley's Next Great Adventure will be one of a lifetime for us all!

www.twitter.com/kennypirate

 

[Bobo912]

My Dd12 Jordyn won a trip for four anywhere ABD travels including airfare. She chose China. We have begun our journey and are on layover in San Francisco for a couple of hours.
We'll be tweeting our progress with Stanley throughout our journey

www.twitter.com/kennypirate

Have a safe trip! I'm looking forward to reading about all the fun you're having!

 

[Friendofpluto]

Have fun. I will be be following you elsewhere too.

 

[tchrrx]

How on earth did you win something as awesome as that????

Have a great trip!

 

[2GirlsMama]

Have a great trip!

 

[kennythepirate]

How on earth did you win something as awesome as that????

Have a great trip!

my dd12 won this adventure in a contest sponsored by harper collins and abd

www.flatstanleybooks.com/adventuresbydisney

Day TWO - Forbidden City
The time had come for Jordyn and Stanley to see the site that she had chosen to embellish the artwork for. After passing through Tianamen Square and taking some photos, we continued on to the ancient Forbidden City. Flat Stanley would get to pose in front of the area he had been in the line drawing provided by Harper Collins Books and Adventures by Disney.

As we journeyed through the city we kept hearing Dusty's voice resonate, "Zoba Adventures...let's go!" and "Stay to the right." We would receive a complete right handed tour of the city We made our way into the 9 Dragons wall and the Junior Adventuerers would locate the one pice that stood out from the rest as it was made of wood instead of tile. Stanley asked if I could take a photo of him posing with Jordyn here.
Stanley and Jordyn are becoming fast friends just as she is with the other female Junior Adventurers.

After touring the wall and having a wonderful lakeside lunch, we went of on our own adventure of the Summer Palace. We chose to take a boat across the peaceful lake that looked like a Dragon.

Stanley couldn't believe all the stairs that we would need to climb. When we reached the top, we would find the most amazing view of Beijing and there was a unique Buddha statue with many arms and heads. Stanley said it reminded him of his English teacher who could always see everyone at the same time.

Before leaving Nathan and Jordyn chose to have their names drawn by a local artist in true Chinese Character fashion. Each one was quite beautiful.

We had quite the adventure trying to get a taxi back to the hotel. They provided some cards to assist the driver, but no drivers wanted to run the meter. They wanted to charge double the going rate. We found this person that we thought was a taxi driver, only to learn that he wanted to drive us in his personal car. Stanley reminded us that we had been advised by Fred not to travel in that way. After quite a bit of walking around, we would locate a cab driver and get back to the hotel. It felt a lot like that show "Amazing Race."

Upon returning to the hotel we found local experts waiting to demonstrate kite making, mask creation and caligraphy. Stanley loved these activities and jumped right into the fun. Don't you think he did a terrific job?

After a terrific Chinese dinner, we were given a brief demonstration by some of the Monkey King actors from the Beijing Opera. Stanley laughed and was amazed by their demonstration of skill and comedic ability.

 

[kennythepirate]

Day 3 Great Wall Glory

coming soon...sorry for the delay

 

[Moon Child]

That is awseome! Have a great trip!
My DS9 did Flat Stanley this year in school and we had a ball
We took him to the Statue Of Liberty, then a friend took himn to England and my boss took him to Spain
Now I can't wait for my youngest to have a Stanley!

 

[smep013]

Subscribing, as I'm on the July 3 China trip! Have fun!

 

[kennythepirate]

Day 4 Pedicabin' in the Hutong and on to Chengdu

coming soon...sorry for the delay

 

[DVCGirl49]

Great update! Sounds like everyone is having a wonderful time!

 

[figmentfan2009]

That has to be, still, my dd's favorite day.

Who are your guides?

Summer Palace way early in the morning is FANTASTIC

Oh... I SO envy you guys...

 

[2GirlsMama]

Our youngest daughter absolutely loves her Chinese yo-yo. She will really love this part of the trip. I am most excited for the pandas, then the Shanghai Expo.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience. It is getting me even more excited to travel!

 

[figmentfan2009]

if you can, the experience of holding a panda (kind of like holding something as heavy as wet cement...) is incredible. They will take your picture with your camera (they will take at least a dozen pictures and if you have someone in your group that is like me... you can take 2 cameras or have them take pictures with their camera and give them to you).
It was pricey but it was probably the best money we spent. DD will never forget it and it is something that so few actually get to do... the hospital gowns they have you wear are kind of dorky but hey...
It was even fantastic in the cold rain that was most of that day for us...

 

[kennythepirate]

That has to be, still, my dd's favorite day.

Who are your guides?

Summer Palace way early in the morning is FANTASTIC

Oh... I SO envy you guys...

Officially our guides are Dusty (US) and "Fred" (China) They are stinking awesome! They seem to have some sort of tap to a supernatural energy source. Kind of like energizer bunnies. Dusty is right there with all the details and plans and really awesome with us adults. Fred is spending a lot of time with my kids. He is Nathan's Asian hero and we want to adopt him to bring him back with us as our new son. The other day I left my favorite D23 Mickey hat at a restaurant and a few hours later Dusty showed up with it! Gotta love the Disney Magic.

Unofficially, we have 3 additional awesome guides who are "shadow guides." I guess they couldn't play the part of Peter Pan, huh? Jason and James are US and in training to present this tour the next few times and Leo is Chinese and is doing the same. Jason, James and Fred just spent an extra 30-45 minutes after the stick fighting demo playing and running with our kids. These guys are amazing. From our brief experience, it doesn't look like anyone will have a "bad guide" with AbD.


We visited the Summer Palace on the same day as the Forbidden City. It was a wonderful afternoon. A LOT of climbing of stairs.

Our youngest daughter absolutely loves her Chinese yo-yo. She will really love this part of the trip. I am most excited for the pandas, then the Shanghai Expo.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience. It is getting me even more excited to travel!

We are also excited to see the Expo in a few days. Dusty is looking to see if we can qualify for group discounts and trying to find out about express priveledges for the China pavillion which is said to have a many hour wait.

if you can, the experience of holding a panda (kind of like holding something as heavy as wet cement...) is incredible. They will take your picture with your camera (they will take at least a dozen pictures and if you have someone in your group that is like me... you can take 2 cameras or have them take pictures with their camera and give them to you).
It was pricey but it was probably the best money we spent. DD will never forget it and it is something that so few actually get to do... the hospital gowns they have you wear are kind of dorky but hey...
It was even fantastic in the cold rain that was most of that day for us...

Got to hold the Pandas! Read about it in next post.

 

[kennythepirate]

Day 5 Pandas - so cute you could bite their little heads off!

Today Stanley awoke and went down for the breakfast buffet. It seemed like the food went on for at least a city block! There are foods from sushi to scrambled eggs. They offer watermelon juice. He stuffed himself before heading out to the Panda Research Center.
Chengdu seems like it is in transition compared to Beijing. Many of the buildings appear to have been built in the 1950's, but Stanley saw a vibrant downtown area with new hotels, restaurants and clubs. At night, he thinks it looks like a mini Vegas.
We arrived at the Panda Center and crossed the always dangerous street. When I first saw a panda, I realized that I had never seen one with my own eyes. Most of us think we have from all the photos and videos, but they are only found in 4 places in the US: Atlanta, San Diego, Memphis and Washington zoos. Stanley was excited to meet a panda for the first time.
The first panda we saw was about 7 years old. He was lying on his back chewing the outer crust off the bamboo shoot, then eating the center. He had a pile of crust all over his chest. My daugther said it looks like me when I'm watching Alabama Football. Kicked back in chair with chip crumbs on my shirt. Only difference is that I have a television. The panda only has the sky. Stanely was excited to learn that pandas aren't really bears, they are their own unique animal. He asked if we could stop for a photo. He was so excited, he could hardly contain himself!

We later arrived at a type of Panda kindergarten area and saw a sign that for a donation to the research center one can actually hold a panda! Who knew??? It is quite pricey at 1000 Yuan or about $150 per person US, but so worth it. You only get a minute or so each with the baby panda. You put on hospital gowns and gloves and booties and wait your turn. The panda fur doesn't feel soft like the little stuffed ones that are for sale everywhere nearby. It feels a bit rough. The little panda was super cute and it was actually quite moving holding the young one. He is a bit heavier for a one year old than one would expect. Each of us took a turn holding and petting him with our photo take by a person from the center. Then they took a photo of us all together. What a terrific, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Stanley tried to sneak in to see the baby panda, but their was no good place to hide this time. The gowns were just in the way too much. At least he got to see them outside!
As we made our way toward the exit, we found these cute little RED pandas. I didn't even know that red pandas existed. They look like a panda/racoon/fox/cat. They move around a great deal more than the white ones. They seemed very inquisitive.
Stanley moved in for a closer view.

As we were about to exit 2 little Chinese boys in TIGGER T-shirts wanted a photo with all our kids. It was a cute moment to get in photos and on video.
We decided to do some haggle shopping near the bus, so we ventured ahead of the group. My kids were spending their own hard-earned money on souvenirs and gifts, so we knew we'd save purchasing there. My daughter got a huge stuffed panda with Chengdu on it for 50 Yuan, we got a medium sized panda for DD6 back home for 35 Yuan and my son got a pair of large Panda hands for 50 Yuan. It takes about 7 Yuan to make a dollar. It was my kid's first experience haggling. They may have gotten it a little cheaper with more experience, but felt they had received a fair deal vs US prices. Stanley enjoyed the experience shopping, but chose not to buy anything. They didn't offer too much that would fit in his little pockets.
We came back to ShangriLa Hotel, have to love that name, for another huge buffet lunch and had some great food. Stanley and I tried the Taro Ice Cream. It was pretty good.
They followed up lunch with Kung Fu and stick fighting demonstration. Stanley watched as my son had sooooo much fun trying the poses and whacking the stick. He actually broke one by mistake. Don't worry, it was on the floor, not another kid. Stanley's hands were full with his fan and chopsticks, so he chose not to participate this time. Stanley really enjoyed my kid's poses with the Kung Fu Masters.
After the demonstration the guides spent time playing with the kids that remained. What fun that was to watch them all. These guys definitely know the Disney difference!
Tonight we get to experience the Face Changing Opera. Sounds like it will be a blast!
Well, it's time to pack. We have an early flight tomorrow to see the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi'an then catch another flight to Guillin in the same day.

I think I have found another Disney addiction...Adventures by Disney!

 

[kennythepirate]

I just made a photobucket with Flat Stanley uploads!

http://s992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/kennythepirate/Flat Stanley China/

 

[kennythepirate]

So we went to the Face Changing Opera and couldn't find Stanley anywhere! We were rather alarmed and thought he went out to enjoy the night life on his own. China is a pretty safe place, so we figured he wanted to see life through the local's eyes.

Well, we arrived back at the hotel and what do we find?
Stanley is asleep in our bed! I guess he knew that we would be out until 10 pm tonight and wake up tomorrow at 5 am, so he was catching some shut eye.

The Face Changing Opera was a really neat experience. I most enjoyed the guy who made hand puppet shadows, the puppet on a stick guy and the face changers at the end. There were some times my family was in real amazement with those. Sylvia, our local expert, asked everyone how the face changing and clothes changing were done, no one really guessed. I knew the answer, but didn't want to spoil the magic. A couple minutes later she revealed to everyone how it is done. And this is it...
Ha! You thought an honorary cast member would spoil the magic? You'll need to book the trip to learn it for yourself
Well, time for a nap and see ya real soon!
KTP

 

[kennythepirate]

Day 6 - Warriros and Gumdrops

Ni hao from Xi'an and Guilin

Today Stanley woke us up at 4:30 AM to prepare for our early flight to Xi'an. He was rather aflutter as we prepared to depart for our flight to see the ancient Terra Cotta Warriors. We learned that we would be the first Adventures by Disney travel group to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors this year. Stanley became even more enthused. We left our bags outside and Stanley hopped into my backpack to head off to breakfast. After breakfast we met up with the other adventurers and boarded our shuttle bus to take us to the airport.
Stanley was concerned as we discovered that one of our adventurers had taken ill and been escorted by Dusty and Leo to the local hospital. We were later informed that the adventurer would be fine and meet us later in the day. We reached the airport only one hour before boarding and Fred had already secured our boarding passes and taken care of our luggage. It's a good thing Stanley can shrink himself down for travel or he would need a boarding pass too!
It was exhilarating for Stanley to board here in Chengdu, as he hasn't boarded a plane from the tarmac before. He could see the entire plane from the ground as we climbed the staircase to enter the plane. We took our seats and prepared to depart. The flight was delayed but that didn't seem to bother Stanley. He was still rather excited after seeing the majestic pandas yesterday and cannot await our new adventure today.
After landing in Xi'an we took a one and a half hour bus ride to the area where the Terra Cotta Warriors were located. Stanley was delirious to hear that they believe there are more than 8000 warriors buried under the ground in tribute to the Emperor. But he became sad when he found out that someone long ago had entered the area, broken the warriors and set fire to their tomb area. He perked up again soon after when he learned that archaeologists are working diligently to put the warriors back together again piece by piece. Stanley enjoys building puzzles and volunteered to help with the excavation, but no one was digging in the pits today. Stanley posed for a few photos with some warriors,

a really large warrior tribute

and had some pictures taken with a dragon.

Stanley wasn't frightened because the adventure guide taught him that dragons are considered good in Chinese culture and the dragon didn't hurt him a bit. He also got to view an ancient bronze chariot and horses and learned that the Chinese invented Chrome plating more than 2000 years ago!
After a thrilling time with the warriors, the group departed for the airport to catch our second flight of the day. This time the flight would be to Guilin. Stanley really wants to see the picturesque “Gumdrop Mountains.” We arrived at the Hotel of Modern Art which Stanley thought was amazing. He said that some people believe that he is art as well and have helped make clothing for him from all types of materials. He is really enjoying the quirky appeal of this quiet little Relais Chateaux. It is so peaceful here at night. After a nice stroll around the ornate grounds, Stanley headed for the room to get a restful night's sleep. There is a big day coming tomorrow when all the Adventurers head to the riverboat cruise and Stanley doesn't want to miss that!

 

[disneyphx]

just wanted to say I am loving your posts and photos - can't wait to leave on our China adventure!