Hong Kong & Shanghai Solo Trip Planning

[gelatoni fan]

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).

I find afternoon tea at the Peninsula to be a tourist trap since it often has long lines, lots of noise in the lobby and inconsistent service. Their Cantonese restaurant is not bad though. The Ritz has the views if you get seated by the window but some items in the afternoon tea seat aren't particularly good so I prefer to do lunch or dinner in their lounge & bar.

Unfortunately, post-COVID, I've found pretty much all the commonly recommended afternoon tea places in Hong Kong to be disappointing but I haven't been to the Rosewood yet.

 

[clappyclaps]

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.

I find afternoon tea at the Peninsula to be a tourist trap since it often has long lines, lots of noise in the lobby and inconsistent service. Their Cantonese restaurant is not bad though. The Ritz has the views if you get seated by the window but some items in the afternoon tea seat aren't particularly good so I prefer to do lunch or dinner in their lounge & bar.

Unfortunately, post-COVID, I've found pretty much all the commonly recommended afternoon tea places in Hong Kong to be disappointing but I haven't been to the Rosewood yet.

Thank you both for the recommendations and feedback, I'm going to do some planning over the next few months and will have a look into some of these. Thanks

 

[clappyclaps]

Should probably also add, if anyone has any other non-Disney related recommendations, tourist things to see and do then these are always welcome

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I find afternoon tea at the Peninsula to be a tourist trap since it often has long lines, lots of noise in the lobby and inconsistent service. Their Cantonese restaurant is not bad though. The Ritz has the views if you get seated by the window but some items in the afternoon tea seat aren't particularly good so I prefer to do lunch or dinner in their lounge & bar.

Unfortunately, post-COVID, I've found pretty much all the commonly recommended afternoon tea places in Hong Kong to be disappointing but I haven't been to the Rosewood yet.

I haven’t been in years so defer to your assessment, it used to be possible to make reservations at the Peninsula, though maybe you had to be staying at the hotel.

As mentioned, I haven’t spent time in HK (aside from the airport and theme park on a layover) lately, but if you’ve never been, I would recommend one of the hop on hop off bus tours on the top deck, it will give an overview of the different neighborhoods and there’s an audio track that tells you about the history of the city.

 

[clappyclaps]

Hey everyone, really appreciate all of your help and advice so far. Now I'm back from my summer non-Disney holiday, I'm going to start leisurely planning what I'm doing on this trip and will likely throw out some random questions on this thread as they come to mind - being organised and planning in advance helps me not be quite so nervous

Today's random questions are:

• Has anyone been to The Archivist in the Hollywood Hotel? It looks fab and the drinks and food look good too, and ideally situated in my hotel so just wondered what it was like.
• From the advice everyone has provided so far, I should be able to get away with mostly using credit card or Alipay for the majority of purchases but with cash for taxis and for the odd kiosk - just checking I've read this right?
• Has anyone been to The Peak in HK? Either on the tram or in the tower - there's a Bubba Gump in the Tower and I have a soft spot for this restaurant...

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Taking a stab but hopefully someone even more familiar with HK will chime in:

Has anyone been to The Archivist in the Hollywood Hotel? It looks fab and the drinks and food look good too, and ideally situated in my hotel so just wondered what it was like.

• From the advice everyone has provided so far, I should be able to get away with mostly using credit card or Alipay for the majority of purchases but with cash for taxis and for the odd kiosk - just checking I've read this right? —

• I actually think it’s more likely that Alipay will work than cash at odd kiosks and taxis—but sometimes in taxis it’s easier to communicate by handing over cash than coordinating digital payments. Having both definitely has you covered.

• Has anyone been to The Peak in HK? Either on the tram or in the tower - there's a Bubba Gump in the Tower and I have a soft spot for this restaurant...

Haven’t been— as someone who tries to visit a McDonalds in every country, I don’t judge but strongly consider you to try a non-U.S. chain restaurant if you don’t have much time in HK, their dining scene is incredible and I’ve never had a bad meal there.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Taxis in HK actually still mostly go cash only so while some do accept Alipay, it's not common to pay for taxis in anything other than cash. Alipay is completely unnecessary for Hong Kong because pretty much every place that accepts Alipay will accept either credit card or cash. It's completely different from mainland China where quite a few places only accept Alipay.

Last time I went to the peak, the tram was still being renovated so I don't know what the new terminal is like. The peak itself is worth visiting at least once if you like scenic views and don't mind the over-commercialized feeling. Sometimes, it's super dead and feels eerily quiet for Hong Kong but it can get swamped with people when it's a holiday or something.

 

[clappyclaps]

That's great, thank you both. Just trying to figure out how much cash I need to take for both places

 

[zanzibar138]

I haven't been since 2019, but even back then, most places accepted my Australian credit card. The one notable exception was the food place at Grizzly Gulch, but that may have changed by now.

We also visited the Peak on that trip. We went up on the tram, with the idea to be there for sunset. We weren't banking on the massive queue far worse than anything we experienced at Disneyland! Be prepared. Still a fun experience once we finally got on board, and we enjoyed the views from the Peak. Didn't do anything else up there though, just hung out for a while and then took the tram back down again (for the record, there was basically no queue to get back down at that point).

 

[clappyclaps]

I haven't been since 2019, but even back then, most places accepted my Australian credit card. The one notable exception was the food place at Grizzly Gulch, but that may have changed by now.

We also visited the Peak on that trip. We went up on the tram, with the idea to be there for sunset. We weren't banking on the massive queue far worse than anything we experienced at Disneyland! Be prepared. Still a fun experience once we finally got on board, and we enjoyed the views from the Peak. Didn't do anything else up there though, just hung out for a while and then took the tram back down again (for the record, there was basically no queue to get back down at that point).

Thank you! I get to Hong Kong early in the morning (7am) my first day so was thinking of heading to the Peak that day and hopefully as its a weekday it won't be horrifically busy. Sunset sounds lovely although not sure I'll get chance for that! But thanks for the heads up, I'll bear that in mind.

 

[clappyclaps]

Hey everyone, I've been looking into the itinerary for my trip and I'm debating whether to change my mind about what I'm planning for Hong Kong.

My original plan was to visit Hong Kong itself, Victoria Peak and any other touristy bits on the first day as I arrive super early in the morning and wont be able to check in until later. I'd then have 2 full park days and then my final full day will be spent on Lantau island visiting the Tian Tian Buddha.

However I'm a bit worried about the first day as I will be shattered - arriving at 7am HK time is midnight in the UK, and by the time I can check into my hotel I'll have been awake for around 28 hours.

I'm wondering whether it might be wiser to have that first day as a park day? I'll be going to my hotel anyway to drop off my luggage and at least means I'll be closer to get back later. Knowing how long it takes on public transport into the city, does this sound like a wiser idea?

Also am I right in thinking there isn't much to do around the HK resort, outside of the parks/hotels? There's no downtown Disney type area or bars/shops/restaurants?

 

[zanzibar138]

I think that sounds like a sensible change to your itinerary. You can even go back to your room in the afternoon to nap for a couple of hours if you need it. And it'll break up your time nicely between Disney and non-Disney.

You are correct, there's really nothing else at the resort other than the one park and 3 hotels. The only other thing in the area is Inspiration Lake, which is just a park with a large lake. I think you can hire paddle boats and stuff, but there's not really anything Disney about it that I can tell. I keep meaning to go there out of curiousity, but have never been able to justify spending the time to actually do it.

The Tian Tan Buddha is great! If you get a chance, definitely check out the short hike through the jungle to the Wisdom Trail. Such a lovely (and easy) walk with stunning scenery and views.







And random cows

 

[clappyclaps]

I think that sounds like a sensible change to your itinerary. You can even go back to your room in the afternoon to nap for a couple of hours if you need it. And it'll break up your time nicely between Disney and non-Disney.

You are correct, there's really nothing else at the resort other than the one park and 3 hotels. The only other thing in the area is Inspiration Lake, which is just a park with a large lake. I think you can hire paddle boats and stuff, but there's not really anything Disney about it that I can tell. I keep meaning to go there out of curiousity, but have never been able to justify spending the time to actually do it.

The Tian Tan Buddha is great! If you get a chance, definitely check out the short hike through the jungle to the Wisdom Trail. Such a lovely (and easy) walk with stunning scenery and views.

Thank you, that was my thinking with a potential afternoon nap so good to know my idea isn't a bad one

Just looked Inspiration Lake up and it looks very scenic, might have to give it a go if I've got time. At least the hotels have restaurants/bars in them if I want to find somewhere to go indoors in the area I guess.

And thanks that looks beautiful, even the random cows I'll defo look at doing that as I'm planning on spending the entire day out there. When you say easy walk, what sort of footwear are we talking? I tend to only take super light, comfy trainers or potentially grippy waterproof walking trainers if its looking wet, would those be suitable?

 

[zanzibar138]

Thank you, that was my thinking with a potential afternoon nap so good to know my idea isn't a bad one

Just looked Inspiration Lake up and it looks very scenic, might have to give it a go if I've got time. At least the hotels have restaurants/bars in them if I want to find somewhere to go indoors in the area I guess.

And thanks that looks beautiful, even the random cows I'll defo look at doing that as I'm planning on spending the entire day out there. When you say easy walk, what sort of footwear are we talking? I tend to only take super light, comfy trainers or potentially grippy waterproof walking trainers if its looking wet, would those be suitable?

I've enjoyed just hanging out in the lobby at the HKDL Hotel. Walt's Cafe is great too, but I've only ever been there for an actual meal. Otherwise try Dreamer's Lookout at Explorer's Lodge.

It's a very easy walk - it was paved all the way and flat. Trainers will be fine absolutely fine It was raining when we were there and I was just wearing cheap casual sneakers, not even proper sports ones. Mum pretty much lives in hiking boots lol!

This photo was from the cable car by the way - they had a special deal to take the glass bottom car one way for only a few $$ more that we thought was worth it. We really enjoyed the regular cable car too though.



Here's some better shots of the trail showing the actual path.



The actual Wisdom Trail was narrow with some stairs, but still paved and very easy to manage.



Not sure if you can see the little lookout just beyond this gate. That was as far as we went. I'd love to go back and explore further!

 

[clappyclaps]

That's great thank you, looks incredible!

However this

This photo was from the cable car by the way - they had a special deal to take the glass bottom car one way for only a few $$ more that we thought was worth it. We really enjoyed the regular cable car too though.

View attachment 985431

I'm not the biggest fan of heights and especially cable cars, but I've resigned myself to braving this as I don't really have much choice, but it'll be a hard pass on the glass bottom

 

[clappyclaps]

Another couple of random questions for you all:

Ride photos - I can see these are free in HK but can't seem to find out about Shanghai? And how do they work, is it like DLR/DCA? Universal magic bands that work in every park would be so much easier...

Motion sickness - for any of the rides that are different to WDW or the other western parks (whether new versions or rides that aren't anywhere else), would you say there are any that may be particularly triggering for motion sickness?

For reference, triggering for me is bumpy/jerkiness (think Dinosaur, Indiana Jones, simulators like Smugglers Run) or spinning (Cosmic Rewind, Crush's Coaster). I have something to treat my motion sickness so I can go on rides without issue, but on particularly bad rides I need to double down on the dose before I ride. When I went on Dinosaur on my last WDW visit, I forgot to dose and that was me done for the day afterwards I watched ride videos for my visit earlier in the year to DLR but found these spoilt the ride somewhat as I'd already "seen" it so trying to avoid if I can for these.

Sorry for the rather random nature of my questions btw. They aren't urgent but I have a memory like a goldfish so just find it easier to ask when they pop into my head rather than forget later.​

 

[zanzibar138]

I'm not the biggest fan of heights and especially cable cars, but I've resigned myself to braving this as I don't really have much choice, but it'll be a hard pass on the glass bottom

Haha fair enough! FWIW, there is a bus that you can take from Tung Chung station if you prefer. Not as good for views of course, but it was a pleasant enough journey.

Motion sickness - for any of the rides that are different to WDW or the other western parks (whether new versions or rides that aren't anywhere else), would you say there are any that may be particularly triggering for motion sickness?

I suffer from motion sickness too, but perhaps not as badly as you. Big Grizzly Mountain is a very similar ride style to EE at AK. Mystic Manor is a very similar ride style to MMRR at DHS. Both are among my favourite rides at any Disney park. Even my mum, who we joke can get seasick in a bathtub, enjoyed Mystic Manor.

My motion sickness is more triggered by simulators and spiralling type motion, so I often avoid Star Tours (which is now Iron Man at HK) and Space Mountain, or take a couple of Kwells before I ride. Even as a non-Marvel fan, I did enjoy Iron Man, so it's worth doing if you can manage it. I have never been brave enough to try RC Racer. Everything else is pretty safe, but I will caveat that I haven't been since they built Frozen.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Haha fair enough! FWIW, there is a bus that you can take from Tung Chung station if you prefer. Not as good for views of course, but it was a pleasant enough journey.


I suffer from motion sickness too, but perhaps not as badly as you. Big Grizzly Mountain is a very similar ride style to EE at AK. Mystic Manor is a very similar ride style to MMRR at DHS. Both are among my favourite rides at any Disney park. Even my mum, who we joke can get seasick in a bathtub, enjoyed Mystic Manor.

I would have said Mystic Manor is more like Pooh’s Hunny Hunt than MMRR because IIRC there are no screens but there is a lot or random movement.

My motion sickness is more triggered by simulators and spiralling type motion, so I often avoid Star Tours (which is now Iron Man at HK) and Space Mountain, or take a couple of Kwells before I ride.

I am more likely to get car sick than I am on any rollercoaster, and I’ve done Star Tours more than 100x, so I was surprised when the Iron Man ride completely knocked me out for the count— I took an hour or two to recover felt a bit better, got on Space Mountain (an exact clone of the ride I do all the time at DLR, occasionally 2x in a row) and got very sick all over again. I was worried I was getting old and ruined for all coasters/rides, but I’ve since done Space Mountain and Star Tours fine back at DLR. I suspect my dramatic reaction was due to some combination of (1) jet lag (I landed from LAX and visited the park on a layover to Shanghai) and (2) trying to read an English translation all through the ride—but honestly, thinking about it long enough to type up this paragraph has made me a bit queasy.

As someone who has done Expedition Everest countless times, I found the backwards sequence on Grizzly Gulch to be a little bit more intense, but not much? I’d say roughly comparable?

I seriously doubt either Frozen ride will give you any trouble. The coaster is less intense than Thunder Mountain and the boat ride is roughly the same as the EPCOT version.

 

[zanzibar138]

I would have said Mystic Manor is more like Pooh’s Hunny Hunt than MMRR because IIRC there are no screens but there is a lot or random movement.

Maybe, I haven't made it to TDR yet so can't compare. It's that trackless style of ride anyway. Very smooth, but yes probably more movement than MMRR from what I remember.

 

[clappyclaps]

Haha fair enough! FWIW, there is a bus that you can take from Tung Chung station if you prefer. Not as good for views of course, but it was a pleasant enough journey.

Doesn't the bus take quite a long time compared to the cable car? I did look this up and vaguely recall it seemed to take ages. Fortunately my issue with heights & cable cars isn't a full on phobia, so I'm hoping to put my big girl pants on and just grin and bear it

My motion sickness is more triggered by simulators and spiralling type motion, so I often avoid Star Tours (which is now Iron Man at HK) and Space Mountain, or take a couple of Kwells before I ride. Even as a non-Marvel fan, I did enjoy Iron Man, so it's worth doing if you can manage it. I have never been brave enough to try RC Racer. Everything else is pretty safe, but I will caveat that I haven't been since they built Frozen

Kwells are my go to medication as well with some patches alongside, so hopefully means I should be okay. I'll definitely be trying all rides especially the ones that are different to other parks, even if i have to take a few breaks inbetween! And I loved RC Racer in Paris, I was really excited when I found out HK and Shanghai both had one.

I am more likely to get car sick than I am on any rollercoaster, and I’ve done Star Tours more than 100x, so I was surprised when the Iron Man ride completely knocked me out for the count— I took an hour or two to recover felt a bit better, got on Space Mountain (an exact clone of the ride I do all the time at DLR, occasionally 2x in a row) and got very sick all over again. I was worried I was getting old and ruined for all coasters/rides, but I’ve since done Space Mountain and Star Tours fine back at DLR. I suspect my dramatic reaction was due to some combination of (1) jet lag (I landed from LAX and visited the park on a layover to Shanghai) and (2) trying to read an English translation all through the ride—but honestly, thinking about it long enough to type up this paragraph has made me a bit queasy.

As someone who has done Expedition Everest countless times, I found the backwards sequence on Grizzly Gulch to be a little bit more intense, but not much? I’d say roughly comparable?

Thank you both for the heads up on Ironman though, I feel your pain with what happened to you on Ironman - sadly things like this used for be a regular occurrence for me!

I didn't realise Grizzly Gulch was more like Everest which again I'm glad to hear as I love Everest! The backwards bit never really bothered me on that, it was more any jerkiness afterwards.