Hong Kong & Shanghai Solo Trip Planning

[clappyclaps]

Hi everyone! I'm in the process of planning my next solo trip and after enjoying my time in LA, I'm considering braving a trip to Hong Kong and Shanghai, the main purpose of course being Disney.

I've been doing a lot of research online and reading through posts on here, but i just wanted to run my plans and some questions I have past all of you knowledgeable folks on here for any help and feedback. I'm a little nervous about doing this trip on my own mostly due to the language barrier, but i really want to go outside of my comfort zone - hence the research and questions!

My plan is to fly from the UK to Shanghai, spend 3 nights there in the Toy Story Hotel and do 2 park days. Fly from Shanghai to Hong Kong and do the same again - 3 nights in whichever is the cheapest Disney hotel, 2 park days and then fly home. Utilising the visa free transit for Shanghai and I'm thinking Disney hotels for their walking distance to the parks and staying there would make me feel a little more comfortable/reassured. I'm looking at mid-end November this year, with my park days all being on a weekday.

Does the above sound reasonable for a Disney focused trip? Is there anything I might need to consider or be aware of? Any feedback welcome!

My other questions are around the more practical aspects of the trip:

Payment - some cash appears to be necessary for taxis, kiosks etc but I'm a little confused about the card payment aspects and the likes of Octopus and Alipay. Is it possible to pay simply with your credit card directly or mobile contactless payment (i.e Samsung wallet) instead of using Alipay or Octopus?

Language - from what I've read, learning some basic phrases and trying English first (in Hong Kong's case), along with pantomime and patience should be sufficient to get by along with a translation app if necessary. For someone who is very self sufficient and whose only interaction with cast members tends to be for ordering food, buying things & stating a party of 1, do you think I'm likely to experience many issues with the language barrier?

Internet - I've read an eSim with VPN should be enough to get me access to what I need. Does anyone have any experience with these or recommendations?

I'm not looking at booking the trip for another month or so, but I want to do my research first to make sure I understand everything before I do! So any advice etc would be gratefully received

 

[gelatoni fan]

In Shanghai, there are some shopping malls and restaurants which only accept Alipay or Wechat Pay (other payment methods like cash and credit card NOT accepted). If you're just going directly to the parks and directly back to the airport, then having cash and a credit card is fine.

In Hong Kong, there's no need to get an Octopus card if you're not taking a lot of public transit. I think all MTR stations now have at least some blue gates that accept credit cards and you can also buy tickets with cash. Pretty much everywhere in the park accepts credit card but cash is still useful if you think you'll take taxis.

Cast members in Shanghai may not speak English so having a translation app already downloaded may help (test it when arriving because google services may get blocked). In Hong Kong, you're unlikely to have issues using English and there's actually now a portion of cast members from the Philippines and Malaysia who don't even speak Cantonese or Mandarin at all.

For eSIM, I've been using Gigsky while people I know who use Airalo seem to have worse connection. People I know on T-mobile roaming and Holafly have also had issues getting through the firewall. Nomad seems to be an eSIM that people seem to like for China but I don't personally know anyone who has used it yet. For VPN, I used to use Surfshark but these days people I know seem to report more consistency getting through the firewall with NordVPN.

 

[clappyclaps]

In Shanghai, there are some shopping malls and restaurants which only accept Alipay or Wechat Pay (other payment methods like cash and credit card NOT accepted). If you're just going directly to the parks and directly back to the airport, then having cash and a credit card is fine.

In Hong Kong, there's no need to get an Octopus card if you're not taking a lot of public transit. I think all MTR stations now have at least some blue gates that accept credit cards and you can also buy tickets with cash. Pretty much everywhere in the park accepts credit card but cash is still useful if you think you'll take taxis.

Cast members in Shanghai may not speak English so having a translation app already downloaded may help (test it when arriving because google services may get blocked). In Hong Kong, you're unlikely to have issues using English and there's actually now a portion of cast members from the Philippines and Malaysia who don't even speak Cantonese or Mandarin at all.

For eSIM, I've been using Gigsky while people I know who use Airalo seem to have worse connection. People I know on T-mobile roaming and Holafly have also had issues getting through the firewall. Nomad seems to be an eSIM that people seem to like for China but I don't personally know anyone who has used it yet. For VPN, I used to use Surfshark but these days people I know seem to report more consistency getting through the firewall with NordVPN.

Super this answers all of my questions, thank you so much! Really appreciate it

 

[mathgeek]

I recently did a stay at Toy Story Hotel at SHDL and Explorers Lodge at HKDL. Although both might be within walking distance, we utilized the bus transportation from both hotels, which is much more efficient than at WDW since there are fewer hotels to service with that type of transport.

Staying at Toy Story we did get early entry in SHDL, which was great b/c we were able to get back to Zootopia land and get on that ride before it got too crowded.

We purchased early entry on one day at HKDL to make sure to get into the Frozen area before the crowds hit. That was helpful, but we didn't purchase any other priority passes in either location. There is separate entry line for hotel guests at HKDL which isn't as long as the regular turnstiles, but you have to search for it and listen for the cast members directing people to it.

I got by without cash and only credit card at both locations, but we had prearranged transportation to/from the airport and had prepaid for the hotel rooms. All of the shops and counter service locations I purchased from accepted credit cards.

We also purchased the breakfast meal plan at Toy Story, which was a great help b/c they didn't really have a shop/counter service location in the hotel where you could get breakfast food to bring back to the room.

I used the free Wi-Fi at HKDL (parks and hotel) and really didn't use internet at SHDL. But other people I was with had an eSIM that they used in the parks for the park apps.

I will not likely go back to SHDL, but I am planning another trip to TDR and HKDL. One of the things I am doing for that is getting a Wise debit card to use with foreign currency. It seemed like the Wise card worked better in the park apps for mobile order and priority passes than my credit card did.

I hope this helps. LMK if you have any questions.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I recently (Sept 2024) did both of those parks by myself as a solo American traveler who knows maybe 100-200 words in Mandarin (in case it matters to you, I am a Caucasian woman and only know a handful of phrases I’ve picked up while my kids were learning it)— it was easy and I highly recommend it, especially if you can have a flexible attitude and sense of humor about the occasional lost in translation moment. Happy to answer specific follow-ups… the poster above covered it pretty well. For Shanghai, I would recommend making the effort to link a credit card up to Alipay because there are a few places (all vending kiosks) around SDL where they only take alipay— outside of their Pirates ride they have collectible gold coins that could only be purchased with Alipay app. Similarly, there were captcha (?) machines inside the Toy Story hotel lobby that also required Alipay. I think I used it once or twice at concession carts, but generally was able to use a credit card.

Downloading a mandarin-English and Cantonese-English dictionary and loading both languages onto your phone is incredibly helpful. Many of them can actually allow a native speaker to record them message and then spit out English text, or you can type in English text and it will play out the mandarin/cantonese dialogue. Practice using it in both directions and you will feel much more confident before your trip.

 

[zanzibar138]

I travelled solo to SDL's opening day! If your trip is Disney focused, I definitely recommend heading straight to the park and staying onsite. There is still a bit of a language barrier, especially with the more operations focused CMs (like bus drivers etc), but you will have more luck finding someone who can speak English. I highly recommend printing out the name and address of your hotel in Chinese for your taxi driver. I was surprised that no one even knew what I meant when I said 'Disney' - they say it completely differently over there.

HK will be a lot easier. Most CMs speak good English and understand it well, so communication shouldn't be too much of a problem. Most signage will also be in English. I recommend the Explorer's Lodge at HKDL, but all of their hotels are great! The HKDL Hotel lobby is a lovely place to just chill out with a drink in the afternoon/early evening if you've got some time.

I didn't use a phone over there, but I downloaded a VPN for my laptop and was able to access everything I needed including facebook - I imagine it would work the same on a phone. I never had any trouble using my credit card (can't remember whether it was visa or mastercard), but there were some carts at Disney that didn't accept card. Always handy to have a bit of cash. As a blonde female Aussie, I never felt unsafe in either location, either onsite or offsite. Although there were some cultural differences (particularly in Shanghai, where personal space is not a thing!), people were generally friendly and helpful.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I travelled solo to SDL's opening day! If your trip is Disney focused, I definitely recommend heading straight to the park and staying onsite. There is still a bit of a language barrier, especially with the more operations focused CMs (like bus drivers etc), but you will have more luck finding someone who can speak English. I highly recommend printing out the name and address of your hotel in Chinese for your taxi driver. I was surprised that no one even knew what I meant when I said 'Disney' - they say it completely differently over there.

HK will be a lot easier. Most CMs speak good English and understand it well, so communication shouldn't be too much of a problem. Most signage will also be in English. I recommend the Explorer's Lodge at HKDL, but all of their hotels are great! The HKDL Hotel lobby is a lovely place to just chill out with a drink in the afternoon/early evening if you've got some time.

I didn't use a phone over there, but I downloaded a VPN for my laptop and was able to access everything I needed including facebook - I imagine it would work the same on a phone. I never had any trouble using my credit card (can't remember whether it was visa or mastercard), but there were some carts at Disney that didn't accept card. Always handy to have a bit of cash. As a blonde female Aussie, I never felt unsafe in either location, either onsite or offsite. Although there were some cultural differences (particularly in Shanghai, where personal space is not a thing!), people were generally friendly and helpful.

Also blonde female (American) and especially in SDL, one of only a handful of Caucasians in the park — but I never felt uncomfortable. I once noticed a family that was clearly discussing me while waiting in line for Pirates and a moment later the child came over and asked to practice her English with me.

It’s now coming back to me that the biggest language barrier I had in the parks was actually a Disney cultural barrier. I wanted to buy these adorable princess pins and didn’t realize the mystery boxes could only be sold two per person... the cast member was trying to explain to me that I could buy as many as I wanted, but I had to only buy two per transaction, but it wasn’t clicking for me because I didn’t realize they would just let me buy as many as I wanted as long as they were different card transactions, even though there was a limit, because they are very strict about it in the US parks.

 

[clappyclaps]

Thank you all so much for your advice and your reassuring responses. Another blonde Caucasian female here so all of this is very good to know!

I got by without cash and only credit card at both locations, but we had prearranged transportation to/from the airport and had prepaid for the hotel rooms. All of the shops and counter service locations I purchased from accepted credit cards.

We also purchased the breakfast meal plan at Toy Story, which was a great help b/c they didn't really have a shop/counter service location in the hotel where you could get breakfast

How and what sort of prearranged transportation did you use? I was just thinking of jumping in a taxi. Thanks for the breakfast info too, I'll look at that. I'm not a big breakfast person and tend to snack/eat from mid-morning throughout the day, so had been debating whether to bring some breakfast bars with me from home (if i can!)

I recently (Sept 2024) did both of those parks by myself as a solo American traveler who knows maybe 100-200 words in Mandarin (in case it matters to you, I am a Caucasian woman and only know a handful of phrases I’ve picked up while my kids were learning it)— it was easy and I highly recommend it, especially if you can have a flexible attitude and sense of humor about the occasional lost in translation moment. Happy to answer specific follow-ups… the poster above covered it pretty well. For Shanghai, I would recommend making the effort to link a credit card up to Alipay because there are a few places (all vending kiosks) around SDL where they only take alipay— outside of their Pirates ride they have collectible gold coins that could only be purchased with Alipay app. Similarly, there were captcha (?) machines inside the Toy Story hotel lobby that also required Alipay. I think I used it once or twice at concession carts, but generally was able to use a credit card.

Downloading a mandarin-English and Cantonese-English dictionary and loading both languages onto your phone is incredibly helpful. Many of them can actually allow a native speaker to record them message and then spit out English text, or you can type in English text and it will play out the mandarin/cantonese dialogue. Practice using it in both directions and you will feel much more confident before your trip.

Really appreciate the advice in Alipay, definitely sounds like there's no harm in having it downloaded and ready to use when paying by normal card isn't available.

And will definitely download those dictionaries. Did you use a specific translation app for them or just whatever was available on your phone i.e. Google translate, Samsung interpreter? I'll certainly have a practice too before i go! My issue with foreign languages is i tend to struggle to understand them when they're spoken especially if quickly - so i can throw out a few phrases but understanding the replies is the difficulty!

I travelled solo to SDL's opening day! If your trip is Disney focused, I definitely recommend heading straight to the park and staying onsite. There is still a bit of a language barrier, especially with the more operations focused CMs (like bus drivers etc), but you will have more luck finding someone who can speak English. I highly recommend printing out the name and address of your hotel in Chinese for your taxi driver. I was surprised that no one even knew what I meant when I said 'Disney' - they say it completely differently over there.

I didn't use a phone over there, but I downloaded a VPN for my laptop and was able to access everything I needed including facebook - I imagine it would work the same on a phone. I never had any trouble using my credit card (can't remember whether it was visa or mastercard), but there were some carts at Disney that didn't accept card. Always handy to have a bit of cash. As a blonde female Aussie, I never felt unsafe in either location, either onsite or offsite. Although there were some cultural differences (particularly in Shanghai, where personal space is not a thing!), people were generally friendly and helpful.

Thank you, certainly a surprise that the word 'Disney' isn't recognised but I'll make sure to print everything off. And glad to hear that you never felt unsafe!


I've done a bit of a review of my trip plan and I'm thinking of going to Hong Kong first (to ease myself into the culture and language barrier) and then go to Shanghai afterwards. Going for a week will unfortunately mean that I can't avoid going to one of the Disney parks at a weekend. I've heard Shanghai can be a nightmare and super busy at weekends, so am I better trying to ensure I do Shanghai on weekdays and do a weekend at HK?

 

[mathgeek]

How and what sort of prearranged transportation did you use? I was just thinking of jumping in a taxi. Thanks for the breakfast info too, I'll look at that. I'm not a big breakfast person and tend to snack/eat from mid-morning throughout the day, so had been debating whether to bring some breakfast bars with me from home (if i can!)

I've done a bit of a review of my trip plan and I'm thinking of going to Hong Kong first (to ease myself into the culture and language barrier) and then go to Shanghai afterwards. Going for a week will unfortunately mean that I can't avoid going to one of the Disney parks at a weekend. I've heard Shanghai can be a nightmare and super busy at weekends, so am I better trying to ensure I do Shanghai on weekdays and do a weekend at HK?

Someone else was actually in charge of booking our transport b/c I was with a larger group of people traveling together, so I'd have to ask about that. But I know in HK that it looked pretty easy to get a taxi at the airport.

I'm not a big breakfast person either (I usually bring stuff with me as well), but the buffet at Toy Story had a lot of great options, and it also then made it easier later in the day to not worry as much about getting a full meal. I will say that SHDL was the worst of the 3 Asia parks in terms of finding a seat at CS locations for dinner b/c so many people were just sitting, not eating, playing on their phones, and not giving up their tables.

I was at SHDL for New Years Eve, and it was not that bad in terms of crowds (granted it's not their new year, but they were celebrating and handed out clappers to everyone coming into the park). But HKDL is probably better to do on a weekend.

 

[clappyclaps]

Someone else was actually in charge of booking our transport b/c I was with a larger group of people traveling together, so I'd have to ask about that. But I know in HK that it looked pretty easy to get a taxi at the airport.

I'm not a big breakfast person either (I usually bring stuff with me as well), but the buffet at Toy Story had a lot of great options, and it also then made it easier later in the day to not worry as much about getting a full meal. I will say that SHDL was the worst of the 3 Asia parks in terms of finding a seat at CS locations for dinner b/c so many people were just sitting, not eating, playing on their phones, and not giving up their tables.

I was at SHDL for New Years Eve, and it was not that bad in terms of crowds (granted it's not their new year, but they were celebrating and handed out clappers to everyone coming into the park). But HKDL is probably better to do on a weekend.

Thank you so much, I'll bear that in mind re the food and breakfast. I have to admit finding a table as a solo traveller is the thing I hated the most at DLR/DCA - having to get your food and then find a table rather than getting someone you're travelling with to save one! And appreciate the info re the weekend.

On another note, this isn't specifically related to the booking of my trip but does anyone have any food/snack recommendations for either park? I can't go away without having a list of foods or drinks to try while I'm there and its never too early to get these in.

 

[mathgeek]

Thank you so much, I'll bear that in mind re the food and breakfast. I have to admit finding a table as a solo traveller is the thing I hated the most at DLR/DCA - having to get your food and then find a table rather than getting someone you're travelling with to save one! And appreciate the info re the weekend.

On another note, this isn't specifically related to the booking of my trip but does anyone have any food/snack recommendations for either park? I can't go away without having a list of foods or drinks to try while I'm there and its never too early to get these in.

I had a long list of snacks I wanted to try at TDR, but I didn't really have a list for SHDL and HKDL, and the one restaurant I wanted to eat at was closed at SHDL. I did have a Pooh shaped ham and pineapple pizza at the Pinocchio counter service in SHDL. And I think both parks had some cute ice cream bars shaped like different characters other than just Mickey.

I did end up ordering more kid's meals by the time we got to HKDL (which was most like the US parks in that regard), which was nice b/c it included a drink like they do in the US. At Explorers Lodge, they didn't provide us with bottled water in the room, so I would get a bottle of water with my kids meal. There was a filtered water dispenser available in the room though, and they had hot water available at the counter service restaurants for free. We also tried to use mobile order when it was available b/c the counter service lines could get very long.

I totally get the trying to find a table thing as a solo traveler. Since I typically stay at Grand Cali when I go to DL, I often order food at Craftsman Grill and take it back to my room and just do snacking in the parks. And at WDW I try to eat at odd times if I eat in the parks, but I tend to eat more at the resorts. But I've done those parks a lot and have my favorites that I tend to do when I do back. It's a bit more challenging in the Asian parks if you're there for a limited time or the first time.

 

[clappyclaps]

I had a long list of snacks I wanted to try at TDR, but I didn't really have a list for SHDL and HKDL, and the one restaurant I wanted to eat at was closed at SHDL. I did have a Pooh shaped ham and pineapple pizza at the Pinocchio counter service in SHDL. And I think both parks had some cute ice cream bars shaped like different characters other than just Mickey.

I did end up ordering more kid's meals by the time we got to HKDL (which was most like the US parks in that regard), which was nice b/c it included a drink like they do in the US. At Explorers Lodge, they didn't provide us with bottled water in the room, so I would get a bottle of water with my kids meal. There was a filtered water dispenser available in the room though, and they had hot water available at the counter service restaurants for free. We also tried to use mobile order when it was available b/c the counter service lines could get very long.

I totally get the trying to find a table thing as a solo traveler. Since I typically stay at Grand Cali when I go to DL, I often order food at Craftsman Grill and take it back to my room and just do snacking in the parks. And at WDW I try to eat at odd times if I eat in the parks, but I tend to eat more at the resorts. But I've done those parks a lot and have my favorites that I tend to do when I do back. It's a bit more challenging in the Asian parks if you're there for a limited time or the first time.

That's super useful thank you. I've never tried tbe kids meals in the US but I'll keep an eye out for these when I go to HKDL.

That's a good idea doing mostly snacking. Tbh thats what I did for the most part of my solo trip to DLR so seems like a good strategy to stick to!

I'll have to do some research and find some snacks to put on my list - i feel like its not a holiday if I dont have at least some foodie things to try

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Thank you all so much for your advice and your reassuring responses. Another blonde Caucasian female here so all of this is very good to know!


How and what sort of prearranged transportation did you use? I was just thinking of jumping in a taxi. Thanks for the breakfast info too, I'll look at that. I'm not a big breakfast person and tend to snack/eat from mid-morning throughout the day, so had been debating whether to bring some breakfast bars with me from home (if i can!)


Really appreciate the advice in Alipay, definitely sounds like there's no harm in having it downloaded and ready to use when paying by normal card isn't available.

And will definitely download those dictionaries. Did you use a specific translation app for them or just whatever was available on your phone i.e. Google translate, Samsung interpreter?

I used Google translate (one of my friends was on the camera team that built it) for the most part-- it's very easy to use but I can be blocked by the internet censors if you try to use it while connected to wifi. In general I found that nothing was blocked when I was on my cellphone with American SIM card (even though I was on local networks) but if I connected to Wifi it would be blocked.

I also have pleco dictionary, which is a more sophisticated/precise Chinese-English dictionary, but I haven't used it a lot in many years-- it's possible it has better technology now but I would definitely consider asking the question on a China travel forum if you plan to venture beyond SDL (honestly, I would recommend at least seeing Shanghai for a day or evening along the Bund, it's extremely safe-- I bet you could find a tour that leaves from your hotel).

I'll certainly have a practice too before i go! My issue with foreign languages is i tend to struggle to understand them when they're spoken especially if quickly - so i can throw out a few phrases but understanding the replies is the difficulty!

I don't recommend trying to do much speaking (as opposed to having recorded phrases played from a translation app) beyond the basic courtesies -- hello, thank you, and maybe the number one (literally pronounced like the letter E), but holding up 1 figure will be as effective in most cases. Chinese is really complicated because even if you can master the sounds, each sound has 5 tones (four tones and a neutral tone) and if you get the tones wrong they mean totally different things. My children were raised with Mandarin-speaking au pairs for the first several years of their lives and a shocking amount of my total Mandarin-vocabulary is proper names of Disney characters... even still, I was doing what I thought was a perfect delivery of Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland, less than 200m from the ride but the attraction worker had no idea what I wanted directions to until I started making shooting gestures with finger guns.

Thank you, certainly a surprise that the word 'Disney' isn't recognised but I'll make sure to print everything off. And glad to hear that you never felt unsafe!

Having a written card with your hotel name and address (and your airport and airline for the way back) in both English and Chinese is very helpful.

I've done a bit of a review of my trip plan and I'm thinking of going to Hong Kong first (to ease myself into the culture and language barrier) and then go to Shanghai afterwards. Going for a week will unfortunately mean that I can't avoid going to one of the Disney parks at a weekend. I've heard Shanghai can be a nightmare and super busy at weekends, so am I better trying to ensure I do Shanghai on weekdays and do a weekend at HK?

HKDL has been less crowded historically, but you may want to consider buying the fast pass packs for the days you are at parks on the weekends? I would actually consider planning around making sure you are able to see the shows/parades you want (especially if you are at the beginning/end of a season)-- the nighttime spectacular in Shanghai is unique and impressive, the parades are very different from what we have here in the US, though maybe not quite on par with TDR.

Thank you so much, I'll bear that in mind re the food and breakfast. I have to admit finding a table as a solo traveller is the thing I hated the most at DLR/DCA - having to get your food and then find a table rather than getting someone you're travelling with to save one! And appreciate the info re the weekend.

Eating/snacking at off hours can help, you can also take food to go and then find a spot to sit and wait for a show/parade.

On another note, this isn't specifically related to the booking of my trip but does anyone have any food/snack recommendations for either park? I can't go away without having a list of foods or drinks to try while I'm there and its never too early to get these in.

If you like sweets and/or Duffy, I highly recommend making one or more stops at the CookieAnn Bakery shop at the end of Shanghai's Main Street (which is called something else entirely). When my children were younger, we always made a point of dining inside the giant castle (similar to the set-up at WDW, except you were greeted by the Fab 4 instead of princesses). On my most recent trip, I ate at the Rapunzel themed restaurant which I remember being good but not something I'd go out of my way for unless there was specific merch I was trying to acquire.
The main standout I remember from HKDL is the Arendelle bakery/ice cream parlor which had adorable Frozen themed treats (don't recall there being much real food, but there was a Frozen restaurant next doorish)-- I had an Olaf Ice Cream cone which was good but it was warm enough that it melted before I could finish it.
If you are not an adventurous eater, I think it is actually easier to find western food in Shanghai DL than it was in HKDL-- you can find it in both places if you're determined, but I felt that HKDL has far more adventurous options.

 

[clappyclaps]

I used Google translate (one of my friends was on the camera team that built it) for the most part-- it's very easy to use but I can be blocked by the internet censors if you try to use it while connected to wifi. In general I found that nothing was blocked when I was on my cellphone with American SIM card (even though I was on local networks) but if I connected to Wifi it would be blocked.

I also have pleco dictionary, which is a more sophisticated/precise Chinese-English dictionary, but I haven't used it a lot in many years-- it's possible it has better technology now but I would definitely consider asking the question on a China travel forum if you plan to venture beyond SDL (honestly, I would recommend at least seeing Shanghai for a day or evening along the Bund, it's extremely safe-- I bet you could find a tour that leaves from your hotel).

I don't recommend trying to do much speaking (as opposed to having recorded phrases played from a translation app) beyond the basic courtesies -- hello, thank you, and maybe the number one (literally pronounced like the letter E), but holding up 1 figure will be as effective in most cases. Chinese is really complicated because even if you can master the sounds, each sound has 5 tones (four tones and a neutral tone) and if you get the tones wrong they mean totally different things. My children were raised with Mandarin-speaking au pairs for the first several years of their lives and a shocking amount of my total Mandarin-vocabulary is proper names of Disney characters... even still, I was doing what I thought was a perfect delivery of Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland, less than 200m from the ride but the attraction worker had no idea what I wanted directions to until I started making shooting gestures with finger guns.

Having a written card with your hotel name and address (and your airport and airline for the way back) in both English and Chinese is very helpful.

HKDL has been less crowded historically, but you may want to consider buying the fast pass packs for the days you are at parks on the weekends? I would actually consider planning around making sure you are able to see the shows/parades you want (especially if you are at the beginning/end of a season)-- the nighttime spectacular in Shanghai is unique and impressive, the parades are very different from what we have here in the US, though maybe not quite on par with TDR.

Eating/snacking at off hours can help, you can also take food to go and then find a spot to sit and wait for a show/parade.


If you like sweets and/or Duffy, I highly recommend making one or more stops at the CookieAnn Bakery shop at the end of Shanghai's Main Street (which is called something else entirely). When my children were younger, we always made a point of dining inside the giant castle (similar to the set-up at WDW, except you were greeted by the Fab 4 instead of princesses). On my most recent trip, I ate at the Rapunzel themed restaurant which I remember being good but not something I'd go out of my way for unless there was specific merch I was trying to acquire.
The main standout I remember from HKDL is the Arendelle bakery/ice cream parlor which had adorable Frozen themed treats (don't recall there being much real food, but there was a Frozen restaurant next doorish)-- I had an Olaf Ice Cream cone which was good but it was warm enough that it melted before I could finish it.
If you are not an adventurous eater, I think it is actually easier to find western food in Shanghai DL than it was in HKDL-- you can find it in both places if you're determined, but I felt that HKDL has far more adventurous options.

Thank you so much, this is really so helpful. I hadn't even thought about looking into tours in Shanghai etc but I'll definitely look into it, I would like to see some of the city if I can even if only briefly! And I'll look into the fast passes for HK at the weekend, that's a great idea.

Thanks for the food recommendations too. I'm a bit of a foodie, will try most things so happy to go with western or Asian if it looks/sounds tasty!

 

[mikevw]

For Hong Kong, if you are going the second half of November you will probably be there during the Christmas event (last year it started on 15th November). Usually there's a Christmas stage show in front of the castle a few times a day, a tree lighting ceremony on Main Street in the evening, and the last few years there was a "Disney Christmas in Concert" live concert for 3 weekends.

When the park isn't that busy they don't open all the restaurants - typically it will be Comet Cafe and Clopin's Festival of Foods that are closed. Tahitian Terrace is currently being refurbished into potentially a Moana themed restaurant and has moved in to the River View Cafe location for now.

You probably won't need to buy any premiere access passes in November, even on a weekend, usually the longest queues are about 30 minutes. You can always buy them in the app on the day so it can pay to wait until the day to see if you really need them. For last year, the first Saturday of the Christmas event was a very busy day, and the following Saturday was as well, as it was the first Disney Christmas in Concert day. Sundays tend to be quiter than Saturdays.

Hong Kong only has one attraction with a single rider line, Toy Story Parachute Drop, but that queue is usually very short. Sometimes you can jump part of the queue on RC Racer as well if you're already near the front and the cast members are trying to find a single rider to fill all the seats.

If you plan to take a taxi to Disney from the airport be sure to bring cash as most taxis don't take any other payment method. I think it's about HK$100-150 for the trip.

For Shanghai, be prepared to walk a lot! The park is huge. I recently went and did 36000 steps one day (I like to bounce around and get on as many attractions as I can). For internet in China, if whatever SIM card you use is in roaming mode in China (i.e. the SIM is not from a China located mobile company/carrier), then you shouldn't have any problems with accessing anything even without a VPN. If you connect to the park WiFi though you'll need a VPN to access google, youtube etc.

Shanghai has single rider on Zootopia and Seven Dwarves Mine Train, but I only rode Zootopia. Lots of people use the single rider line so it can still take a long time. On a Saturday around noon, I joined the single rider queue when the regular queue time was 80 minutes, and it took 60 minutes for me to ride, so it can save time but not always a lot. The park was very busy on Saturday so I would recommend going on a weekday for Shanghai.

 

[clappyclaps]

For Hong Kong, if you are going the second half of November you will probably be there during the Christmas event (last year it started on 15th November). Usually there's a Christmas stage show in front of the castle a few times a day, a tree lighting ceremony on Main Street in the evening, and the last few years there was a "Disney Christmas in Concert" live concert for 3 weekends.

When the park isn't that busy they don't open all the restaurants - typically it will be Comet Cafe and Clopin's Festival of Foods that are closed. Tahitian Terrace is currently being refurbished into potentially a Moana themed restaurant and has moved in to the River View Cafe location for now.

You probably won't need to buy any premiere access passes in November, even on a weekend, usually the longest queues are about 30 minutes. You can always buy them in the app on the day so it can pay to wait until the day to see if you really need them. For last year, the first Saturday of the Christmas event was a very busy day, and the following Saturday was as well, as it was the first Disney Christmas in Concert day. Sundays tend to be quiter than Saturdays.

Hong Kong only has one attraction with a single rider line, Toy Story Parachute Drop, but that queue is usually very short. Sometimes you can jump part of the queue on RC Racer as well if you're already near the front and the cast members are trying to find a single rider to fill all the seats.

If you plan to take a taxi to Disney from the airport be sure to bring cash as most taxis don't take any other payment method. I think it's about HK$100-150 for the trip.

For Shanghai, be prepared to walk a lot! The park is huge. I recently went and did 36000 steps one day (I like to bounce around and get on as many attractions as I can). For internet in China, if whatever SIM card you use is in roaming mode in China (i.e. the SIM is not from a China located mobile company/carrier), then you shouldn't have any problems with accessing anything even without a VPN. If you connect to the park WiFi though you'll need a VPN to access google, youtube etc.

Shanghai has single rider on Zootopia and Seven Dwarves Mine Train, but I only rode Zootopia. Lots of people use the single rider line so it can still take a long time. On a Saturday around noon, I joined the single rider queue when the regular queue time was 80 minutes, and it took 60 minutes for me to ride, so it can save time but not always a lot. The park was very busy on Saturday so I would recommend going on a weekday for Shanghai.

Thank you so much this is really helpful. Looking at my current plan, if I go ahead with it I'm likely going to be in HK on either the last or second to last Friday and Saturday of November, and then Shanghai on the following Monday and Tuesday. I'll be sure to keep an eye on how it goes at HK and whether it's worth buying the premier passes.

And I love to walk, so Shanghai sounds like a dream!

 

[zanzibar138]

On another note, this isn't specifically related to the booking of my trip but does anyone have any food/snack recommendations for either park? I can't go away without having a list of foods or drinks to try while I'm there and its never too early to get these in.

There used to be a Minnie ice-cream bar at HKDL - strawberry and mango flavoured. It was always my fave! It just has chocolate on the back.

 

[clappyclaps]

There used to be a Minnie ice-cream bar at HKDL - strawberry and mango flavoured. It was always my fave! It just has chocolate on the back.

View attachment 966445

Looks tasty thank you! I'll add it to my list

 

[clappyclaps]

Last night I booked my trip because of how far away it is, I've decided to do 4 nights in each place to at least give me some extra time to do some sightseeing and touristy stuff.

I'm flying out to Hong Kong on 11th November (arrive 12th), staying in Hollywood Hotel for 4 nights. Fly to Shanghai on 16th, staying in Toy Story Hotel for 4 nights then flying home on 20th. This gives me at least 2 full days at each park, plus an extra 1.5-2 days to do other things. Even better I've managed to get a direct flight from the UK to Hong Kong, which cuts down on some of the travel time - sadly couldn't do the same on the way home!

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Last night I booked my trip because of how far away it is, I've decided to do 4 nights in each place to at least give me some extra time to do some sightseeing and touristy stuff.

I'm flying out to Hong Kong on 11th November (arrive 12th), staying in Hollywood Hotel for 4 nights. Fly to Shanghai on 16th, staying in Toy Story Hotel for 4 nights then flying home on 20th. This gives me at least 2 full days at each park, plus an extra 1.5-2 days to do other things. Even better I've managed to get a direct flight from the UK to Hong Kong, which cuts down on some of the travel time - sadly couldn't do the same on the way home!

If you have time and budget, afternoon tea at the Peninsula in HK is lovely (or at least it was 10 years ago), but there are better views from other hotels where they serve it high up in a skyscraper with jaw dropping views. I also recommend trying to get a nice dinner in the city at a traditional Chinese restaurant (Cantonese would be the local specialty but they also have good restaurants of other regional types if you don’t care for Cantonese food).

In Shanghai, it might be slightly more challenging to navigate on your own, but if you are up for the challenge, I usually stay at the St. Regis in the city and they have an exquisite selection of Chinese teas in their lounge served in unique and beautiful teapots and cups, it’s an easy walk to a sculpture garden outside their science museum. You could also try to get a taxi to a luxury western chain hotel along the Bund and walk along the river to admire the skyline, if you dine at one of those hotels (we had fantastic meals at the Ritz Pudong), their concierge can assist you with a taxi back to your hotel at SDL.