Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland March 17 – Day 7 Complete in Hong Kong Proper; 12/04

[PrincessInOz]

Oh no! I am far from a consulate. I just overnighted my application to a processing center today with delivery tomorrow. I notice I have pearl studs in. Thanks for the heads up, I emailed the processing agency to see if they think any issues and i could overnight a new photo. I am spending a lot on the processing center to walk my application over to the consulate, so I don't want to pay their fee twice if denied.

Maybe you'll also have someone that will let it through! My mother also had stud earrings on. Hope it works out. I'm sure they will call you if there is an issue.

In Australia. I only paid the fee when I collected the passport. So, if they don't give you a visa, there is no payment.

Hope you'll come back and update us on how it went!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Ooh you've started our PTR - how exciting!

Just to add my version of a couple of things in case it helps someone else...

Visa
I applied for my visa via post. The process was pretty much the same, but instead of going to visit the application centre (which I didn't have time for), I just posted all my documents. It was a little more expensive to do it this way (even aside from the postage costs), but it saved me a lot of time which was much more valuable to me! I did fill in the wrong credit card payment form from the website, but I received a call early on in the process informing me. They were even able to send me the correct form via email, which I just filled in and sent back. My passport (complete with visa) was waiting for me in my mailbox about 10 days later.

VPN
I went to the Grand Opening of Shanghai Disneyland last year (and still haven't finished that TR - naughty, naughty!), and used a VPN to get around the firewall for that trip. I used Express VPN, which was very easy to download, install and use. You can also install it across several devices (so your phone and computer for example) for the one cost. You do need to download it before you go as obviously once in China access to VPN websites could be sketchy. It's a good idea to try it out too. I tried to use it to access video files from the US which I can't usually view through my Australian network. It worked perfectly, and I highly recommend it.

YAY! You made it here. Can't wait for this trip! Not long now.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wow!! This is vital information that I DID NOT know about. I was just assuming that I would be able to access the hotel wifi and Facebook from there! A little too western of me??

Now I am concerned about keeping touch with family back home. Any more info would be appreciated.

Zanzibar provided you with the name of the VPN she used last time.

Here's some background reading. There are 3 different VPN providers listed, including the one Zanzibar recommended.

http://www.macworld.com/article/205...rough-the-great-firewall-of-china-on-ios.html


If you decide to go with the mobility network option.


There is this SIM Card available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/China-Hong-K...9e-20&linkId=36d1b7eeb3c437765b725d0613a7a527



Might also be worth taking a look at China Unicom.

http://www.3gsolutions.com.cn/page/simcard

If you go with the above option, they cover China only; and their cards don't cover Hong Kong. What is surprising is that my HK friend is getting me SIM cards from China Unicom that work in Hong Kong and China. I don't know why that card isn't more widely available for travellers.

 

[darrenf67]

Zanzibar provided you with the name of the VPN she used last time.

Here's some background reading. There are 3 different VPN providers listed, including the one Zanzibar recommended.

http://www.macworld.com/article/205...rough-the-great-firewall-of-china-on-ios.html


If you decide to go with the mobility network option.


There is this SIM Card available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/China-Hong-Kong-7-Day-Data/dp/B00YILRXKM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1467244552&sr=1-3&keywords=hong kong sim card&linkCode=ll1&tag=td049e-20&linkId=36d1b7eeb3c437765b725d0613a7a527



Might also be worth taking a look at China Unicom.

http://www.3gsolutions.com.cn/page/simcard

If you go with the above option, they cover China only; and their cards don't cover Hong Kong. What is surprising is that my HK friend is getting me SIM cards from China Unicom that work in Hong Kong and China. I don't know why that card isn't more widely available for travellers.

Thanks so much - much appreciated.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks so much - much appreciated.

And I think I posted the wrong link about the various VPNs. Try this one as well.

http://www.saporedicina.com/english/vpn-how-to-access-facebook-in-china/

 

[PrincessInOz]

Planning for Shanghai Disneyland


To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Shanghai Disneyland is your land. Here you leave today and discover imaginative worlds of fantasy, romance and adventure that ignite the magical dreams within us all. Shanghai Disneyland is authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese. It was created for everyone, bringing to life timeless characters and stories in a magical place that will be a source of joy, inspiration, and memories for generations to come.

— Robert A. Iger, June 16, 2016




We are blessed by having Zanzibar in the group of Aussie Dis-sers hitting Shanghai Disneyland. She was awesome enough to get to SDL for opening day on June 16. She gave us the low-down when she got back….and we grilled her again when we all booked for this trip.



Where to stay?

Toy Story Resort and Shanghai Disneyland Resort.
A moderate and a deluxe!
Oh My!



With two resorts to choose from and 4 nights of accommodation to cater for, I spent my time running the numbers aka Disney Fuzzy Maths. Did it make sense to split-stay or did I prefer to stay in one resort? If I decided to split stay, what class of room did I want to go for? Afterall, there was the choice of standard, garden or a room with a water view…..plus the option of getting a park view at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort. And what would Club Lounge add to the mix?

Zanzibar did a split stay for the opening and based on her intel, there were pro’s and con’s to both hotels. She also did experience the CL at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort and again, there were pro's and con's.


In the end, I had to consider my mother and whether she would want to pack and move resorts mid-stay. I decided that it would be better for us to stay in the one resort for the entire duration.

So, I’ve gone with a Room with a (Park) View at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort for the four nights. I believe the others have all gone with the split stay option and some of them have even added CL to their experience.


A note about booking accommodation at SDL. When you make your booking, Disney will charge in full for the reservation. So that means that all our hotel (and park tickets) have been paid. The best 3 words – Paid in Full!


Postscript. After I booked, I circled back with my mother. Turns out that she wouldn’t have minded a split stay afterall! D’oh!



What to See and Do?

Planning for this trip does not come close to the military precision required when planning a WDW vacation. Afterall, the park schedule and opening hours gets released 2 weeks in advance. How does Disney seriously think we can plan with that amount of short notice???? And there are no FP+ or magic bands to worry about.
Oh. The. Irony!

We’ll just have to resort to the very old-fashioned fast pass runner concept!


As this is something that I can’t influence or change, I figure there’s no point sweating the “small world” stuff. I’ll just go with the flow.
I’m pleased to say that we are finally within our 2-week window and the park looks like it will be opened from 9 am to 8 pm for the 3 full days we are there.

As for the rides….well….let’s just say that everything at SDL is a must do. With 3 full days, I fully expect to achieve this goal.


I have, however, downloaded the Shanghai Disneyland Resort app from my smart phone store. I’ve even checked it a few times today and am happy to report that the longest wait time I’ve seen for SDL today has been 35 minutes. And that’s for Winnie the Pooh and Soarin’. There are a whole bunch of rides sitting around the 5 – 10 minute wait time, and a few sitting around the 20 minute wait time. If this continues for the next couple of weeks, there will be some very happy Aussies coming home!



So, let’s go through some of the stuff that I can do something about.


Where to eat?


For this one, I’ve relied on Zanzibar and checking out various blogs. So far, my list comes down to:

• Il Paparino for Donald Waffles
• Merlin’s Magic Recipe for Minnie/Mickey buns
• Tangled Tree Tavern
• Wandering Moon Teahouse
• Barbarossa Bounty
• Remy’s Patiesserie
• Bacchus Lounge
• Royal Banquet Hall (booking recommended)
• Lumiere’s Kitchen (booking recommended)

I haven’t taken a detailed look at what is available in Disneytown beyond looking at breakfast options. The breakfast options there include:

• Toast Box (open from 8 am)
• Bread Talk (open from 8 am)
• Starbucks (open from 7 am)

I know I can get breakfast at the hotel but I think the above 3 options might end up being cheaper than the hotel. Besides, it doesn't hurt to try other options, right?



I guess we’ll find out how many of the above I managed to tick off when we get back.



How to Book?

In today’s helter-skelter fast paced world, there are so many options to keep connected and to get connected. The online 2-D in a box world is such that everything is available at your fingertips and anything is possible if you have a means of payment.

With all those e-options, I chose to pick up the phone and call Shanghai Disneyland for all my transactions. All in all, I think I made 4 calls in total to Shanghai.

The first call for the accommodation and ticket booking. Successfully completed. I received email confirmation almost immediately for my room and ticket reservation.

The second call was to make a reservation for Lumiere’s Kitchen and Royal Banquet Hall for our party of 8. Booking for both these table service restaurants was highly recommended so we figured we might as well lock them in. I would say that I was partially successful for this second call. I got a confirmation by SMS and by follow up e-mail of my reservation number for Lumiere’s Kitchen but didn’t receive anything for RBH.

The third call was the follow-up to check up on RBH. Again, that’s a partial successful transaction. I did find out that the system has recorded my booking for RBH and the CM provided me with the confirmation number over the phone. He also advised that he had set the system to provide me with a follow up email and SMS with the number. Sadly, I have yet to receive anything from SDL for RBH. In any event, I do have the number written down….somewhere.

I had to make a 4th call through to Shanghai Disneyland. The email confirmation for my room was addressed to me, and with only my first name. I called them to resend the confirmation to include my full name and my mother’s name as I figured I would need this for our China Visa application. This call was also successfully completed. I received the updated email confirmation almost immediately for my room and ticket reservation. The CM was exceedingly obliging once I told her it was for Visa application purposes.

All 4 times (and selecting the English option), I got through to a Cast Member that spoke reasonable English. Only one of the CM had slight issues understanding me.


The Shanghai Disneyland website does allow you to complete on-line booking for accommodation and tickets….somewhat. As I understand it, you can download a form, fill in the details and FAX it back to them!!

Yeah. Connectivity only goes so far where China is concerned.


I would highly recommend that you call.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I haven’t forgotten Hong Kong Disneyland


Believe it or not, I've taken an even more low-key approach to planning for Hong Kong Disneyland!


The last time I visited Hong Kong was in 2012. During that visit, I firmly formed the opinion that you should want to visit Hong Kong; and Disneyland would just be the icing on the cake. For me, as a location itself, HKDL was a lovely park but there were not enough attractions there for it to warrant a trip by itself. If you feel the need to read that TR, the link is in my siggie below. It will include a lot more detail about all the planning side of Hong Kong than this PTR does.


Don’t get me wrong, I love HKDL. It’s just that if you are planning to go visit this park, you need to include seeing Hong Kong as well in order to justify the expense. It is a much smaller park than the US counterparts.

But that was in 2012. Since then, HKDL has opened Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, the Iron Man experience and included a night time parade, Paint the Night, that was so successful that they replicated the parade at Disneyland Anaheim. I suspect that I’m going to have to revise my opinion after this trip as these additions make HKDL a much more exciting Disney destination.

I also still have very strong memories of the park and hotel area. I figured that a low-key approach will probably suffice but I did give some thought to the planning basics.

Here's where I've gotten to.


Where to Stay?


There was a special deal going for the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Hotels, and at time of writing, this deal is still valid, offering a 35% discount off the room rate. We jumped on this deal.

I think most of us are staying at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel for 3 nights. Again, I debated about adding CL to our package. In the end, we went with the standard room package.

Your other option is the Hollywood Hotel. Really...my mother just wanted to head back to the Disney Hotel. She likes it there as well.

There will be a 3rd hotel opening up - Disney's Explorer's Lodge. When they broke ground, it was anticipated that this hotel would open up in early 2017. Seems like Disney has met the challenge this time round. This hotel is due to open April 30, which is too late for this trip.
If you go to the website, you'll see it listed in the drop down but there is no page behind it .... yet.



Hong Kong Disneyland will take 1 night's accommodation as payment for the booking. The balance of the amount will be charged when you check-in.



What to See and Do?

We have 2 full days for the park. I have the new attractions on my hit list; but in effect with the 2 full days, I fully expect to cover everything, and expect to be able to go on the favourites a few times.

As with Shanghai, there is an app for Hong Kong Disneyland. I haven’t gotten round to downloading this on my smart phone yet.

We are expecting a low number of visitors in the park when we are there. We will hit it mid-week and during a period where there are no public holidays and the kids are back in school.

I guess we will have time to do a bit of shopping here.




Where to eat?


For Hong Kong Disneyland, we are just going to go with the flow and see how we feel. There are less dining options in park and at the resorts compared to the other Disney locations.

We haven’t worked out if we want to do any character meals at HK. There are a few of us that have been to HKDL before and we’re happy to just get there and see how we feel. We've also booked in to two character meals at Shanghai and I don't think I'll bother for HK.




How to Book?

I made a call to book my Hong Kong Disneyland accommodation and ticket. Again, you could have booked online but I actually like the Hong Kong CM. I’ve always found them to be extremely helpful and eager to work out the best deal for you. YMMV.




That's about the extent of my planning for this park. I really like being at Hong Kong Disneyland. Of the 3 parks that I've visited to date, this location is one where I can just wing things. It's really quite liberating and relaxing to not have to plan things out to the nth degree.

I guess it remains to be seen if I come back still holding this view and if my memories of this park worked out true!

 

[darrenf67]

I actually feel that with very little planning to do I am not doing enough. I too have booked the Royal Banquet Hall and did not receive the email they said would come. I do have the confirmation number which my second call said would be enough. I must book for Lumiere's now you mention it. The rest of the meals will be whatever comes along haha

Those wait times sound good though!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I actually feel that with very little planning to do I am not doing enough. I too have booked the Royal Banquet Hall and did not receive the email they said would come. I do have the confirmation number which my second call said would be enough. I must book for Lumiere's now you mention it. The rest of the meals will be whatever comes along haha

Those wait times sound good though!

Darren - If you haven't been to HKDL before, the Enchanted Garden character and buffet breakfast at the DL Hotel is worth a go. It's an East/West breakfast that I thought was pretty decent in 2012.

I think there is also a character breakfast at the Hollywood Hotel so you might want to check it out as well.



Yes - the laid back planning for Shanghai and Hong Kong, although very pleasant, is a little hard to come to terms with for uber-WDW planners.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Those wait times sound good though!

I got round to downloading the HKDL app. The wait times there are even better!!!!

 

[darrenf67]

Having a look online at Lumiere's - it reads as only a weekend thing?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Having a look online at Lumiere's - it reads as only a weekend thing?

Hmmm. I just double-checked. I think that's for the Brunch show.

We booked for breakfast during the week. You'll find out when we get back if we had characters or not....and you can probably get a booking.

 

[Flossbolna]

Oh, I am really looking forward to reading your report! We will be in Shanghai this summer (yes, I know it is going to be horrible weather wise) and I always find your trip reports very informative!

This might be a recent change, but we were able to book our hotel at Shanghai Disneyland fully online. No need to fax anything or so. We booked about 10 days ago or so. It was a bit strange with the payment site and how you had to submit your credit card date, but it all worked out perfectly and we got a nice email confirmation. Need to go and check that we are both named on the email now because we will need that for our 144-hours-visa-free entry! Thanks for reminding me of that!

 

[dolphingirl47]

We are blessed by having Zanzibar in the group of Aussie Dis-sers hitting Shanghai Disneyland.

Oh, having somebody who has first-hand experience sounds useful.

With two resorts to choose from and 4 nights of accommodation to cater for, I spent my time running the numbers aka Disney Fuzzy Maths. Did it make sense to split-stay or did I prefer to stay in one resort? If I decided to split stay, what class of room did I want to go for? Afterall, there was the choice of standard, garden or a room with a water view…..plus the option of getting a park view at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort. And what would Club Lounge add to the mix?

That makes my head spin. I am glad that you got it all sorted out.

So, I’ve gone with a Room with a (Park) View at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort for the four nights.

That sounds nice.

Afterall, the park schedule and opening hours gets released 2 weeks in advance. How does Disney seriously think we can plan with that amount of short notice????

I can only dream of that with my "local" park. They release the schedule on Saturdays for that week at Disneyland Paris.

As for the rides….well….let’s just say that everything at SDL is a must do. With 3 full days, I fully expect to achieve this goal.

I think that sounds doable.

I have, however, downloaded the Shanghai Disneyland Resort app from my smart phone store. I’ve even checked it a few times today and am happy to report that the longest wait time I’ve seen for SDL today has been 35 minutes. And that’s for Winnie the Pooh and Soarin’. There are a whole bunch of rides sitting around the 5 – 10 minute wait time, and a few sitting around the 20 minute wait time.

That sounds very promising.

For me, as a location itself, HKDL was a lovely park but there were not enough attractions there for it to warrant a trip by itself.

I had heard this about Hong Kong Disneyland.

Since then, HKDL has opened Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, the Iron Man experience and included a night time parade, Paint the Night, that was so successful that they replicated the parade at Disneyland Anaheim. I suspect that I’m going to have to revise my opinion after this trip as these additions make HKDL a much more exciting Disney destination.

It will be interesting to find out what you will make of the changes.

I think most of us are staying at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel for 3 nights.

I Googled this and it very much reminds me of the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris.

There will be a 3rd hotel opening up - Disney's Explorer's Lodge.

That sounds interesting.

I really like being at Hong Kong Disneyland. Of the 3 parks that I've visited to date, this location is one where I can just wing things. It's really quite liberating and relaxing to not have to plan things out to the nth degree.

That is precisely how I feel about Disneyland Paris.

I got round to downloading the HKDL app. The wait times there are even better!!!!

Even better.

Corinna

 

[franandaj]

Awww. Snap! I only made the second page!

We literally just pulled into port, I turned on my phone for the first time in a week, decided to see what was up on the DIS and I find PIO has a new TR ad I only made page two!

I can't wait to hear all about it. Loved your HK report. I can't imagine going to China any time soon. Especially being an American, but that's a whole 'nother thing!

Sounds like a lot of prep just to get there! You're even closer now as the TR was started a week ago when we sailed! You'll be beginning your journey just as I arrive home.


Have a great trip!

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Need to go and check that we are both named on the email now because we will need that for our 144-hours-visa-free entry! Thanks for reminding me of that!

The email confirmation I received didn't even list names, just 2 adults. I emailed them (didn't want to deal with calling) and asked for update to include names. They emailed me back the next day and it listed both our full names.

Don't worry about summer, sure it might be less then ideal temps, but it's still better then not visiting.

 

[mvf-m11c]

Following along on your trip report and getting excited for you and your family. Hope you have a great time and look forward to your pics.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Oh, I am really looking forward to reading your report! We will be in Shanghai this summer (yes, I know it is going to be horrible weather wise) and I always find your trip reports very informative!

This might be a recent change, but we were able to book our hotel at Shanghai Disneyland fully online. No need to fax anything or so. We booked about 10 days ago or so. It was a bit strange with the payment site and how you had to submit your credit card date, but it all worked out perfectly and we got a nice email confirmation. Need to go and check that we are both named on the email now because we will need that for our 144-hours-visa-free entry! Thanks for reminding me of that!

Glad you're here, Magdalena. Are you and M heading to Shanghai in the summer? How awesome. Which destination are you hubbing in/out of to make the 144-hour visa work?

We're expecting rain for our days in SDL!

I can only dream of that with my "local" park. They release the schedule on Saturdays for that week at Disneyland Paris.

That would be an absolute PITA.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Awww. Snap! I only made the second page!

We literally just pulled into port, I turned on my phone for the first time in a week, decided to see what was up on the DIS and I find PIO has a new TR ad I only made page two!

I can't wait to hear all about it. Loved your HK report. I can't imagine going to China any time soon. Especially being an American, but that's a whole 'nother thing!

Sounds like a lot of prep just to get there! You're even closer now as the TR was started a week ago when we sailed! You'll be beginning your journey just as I arrive home.


Have a great trip!

Hey! Hope things are going well with you. Have a great time in WDW and there will probably be plenty to catch up on when I get back.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Following along on your trip report and getting excited for you and your family. Hope you have a great time and look forward to your pics.

Hi Bret. Long time no chat on the Dis. Hope everything is going as well as possible with you and the family.