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

[PrincessInOz]

I think this is the first picture I have seen of that castle where it does not look like a monstrosity. So far, I am not a fan of that castle. But I will reserve judgement until I see it in person.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the castle after your trip. I was a little sceptical from the concept art and few photos I'd seen prior to opening day, but in person I thought it was just beautiful, especially all lit up at night. Having said that though, there'd be lots of photos of it around now, so you've probably got a better idea about what it really looks like than I did going in.

Me too!

It'll be interesting to see if that castle does end up "growing on you" too.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I have been having an internal debate all day about whether I post this or not and in the end, I decided that I really wanted to.

It is just so interesting all these components of the city. The povety not having insude toilets. I wonder if the have public baths like we did in England years ago. My Mum's house did not have a bathroom. It had an outside toilet full of spiders! They had to go to the public baths to wash.

The noodles at the hotel must have been skillfull glad you got yoir refund!

How interesting a mosque.

Yeah going to Disney!

I woke up this morning to read that Polly passed away last night. She had been battling health issues for as long as I've known her on the Dis. Her partner posted on FB and @franandaj posted an update on Paula's last TR on the DIS, on request from the partner.

I will miss her cheerful comments on my TRs. I will miss reading about her exploits and adventures on her TRs. I will miss my online friend.

RIP and Godspeed, Paula Sedley-Burke. You touched so many of us on the Dis and you will be missed.

 

[zanzibar138]

So sorry to hear that PIO

 

[Aussie Wendy]

I've never seen any of those types of maps for any Disney resort. Have you seen them before?

The map that PIO took a photo of is located between the DisneyTown bus station and Starbucks. It's on the left as you are heading towards the park. I don't think I saw any others now that I think of it.

I am pretty sure Tokyo Disneyland I was able to find maps, maybe before we left but I think from the hotel as well that showed the entire area including the location of hotels, Ikspiari etc in relation to the parks and ditto Disneyland Paris. Also WDW you can get overview maps of the entire area as well as the park maps.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

So very sorry to hear that PIO. I always enjoyed reading her TR where I lurked from time to time and her comments on others TR. My sympathy to all her family and friends. Lets hope there is some great big Disney park awaiting all of us aficionado's in Neverland.

 

[shushh]

The scammers made me really quite annoyed. It just ruined the whole Disney happy/wholesome feeling and made it feel cheap somehow. The park selling fastpasses is even more distressing! Like most, we've appreciated the fact that mostly you don't have to spend more in Disney to get a good experience if you take the time to research and use the system, unlike in Universal...DH is most upset!

7 + 1 = 8 is Enough at Mickey Avenue (Zanzibar138)

Eight is definitely enough!




The full complement of Aussie Dis-sers for this Shanghai trip!

That is an awesome photo! What a special way to experience a Disney park!

That Disney Feeling


The first time I went to a park outside of America was in 2012. After years of visiting Disneyland and WDW, I finally ventured out to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Then. I wondered if a non-US park would engender the same feeling of being at Disney. That feeling that hits you in the heart and at the back of the throat as you choke to hold back the tears.

In Hong Kong, it took me half a day to experience that feeling.

In Shanghai…..it was immediately down Mickey Avenue.

That's me! Although I suspect that I am a lot softer than you. I get the feeling usually almost immediately after entering the gates or seeing the floral Mickey at the front!

I have been having an internal debate all day about whether I post this or not and in the end, I decided that I really wanted to.





I woke up this morning to read that Polly passed away last night. She had been battling health issues for as long as I've known her on the Dis. Her partner posted on FB and @franandaj posted an update on Paula's last TR on the DIS, on request from the partner.

I will miss her cheerful comments on my TRs. I will miss reading about her exploits and adventures on her TRs. I will miss my online friend.

RIP and Godspeed, Paula Sedley-Burke. You touched so many of us on the Dis and you will be missed.

I am sorry to hear this PIO. I do often remember her comments on various TRs. Hugs and prayers to her family and friends.

 

[Fairy Floss]

I know that castle has it's detractors and critics. A lot of it has to do with the vast empty space of the Gardens on Imagination in front of the castle. You'd expect the standard hub but it's not quite like that at Shanghai. The result of all that empty space is that the hub and castle area just doesn't 'flow'.

I got lost in the loop behind the castle - thought I was in front of it .... had to get a C.M. Help me to 'escape' the park

I have been having an internal debate all day about whether I post this or not and in the end, I decided that I really wanted to.

So sad to hear this - I also read her posts while 'lurking '
My love to all who knew her

 

[HalloweenNut]

Great trip report so far! Thanks for all the detailed info. We're taking a family 2 week vacation to China and have a spare day in Shanghai. I did a search of things to do and found out there was a brand new Disneyland! I didn't even know. Can't wait to go but am panicking over the apparent lack of information. Our last trip to WDW I took the better part of a year to plan now I have just over a week while travelling - we leave for Beijing tomorrow! Yikes!

 

[franandaj]

ISO 100 on the fireworks shots? No wonder I've been doing it all wrong! I've been doing high ISOs! Now I need to go out to DL and try again with a tripod and the new settings. Are you using an ND filter too? I bought one and it doesn't fit my camera lens.

The view from your room is really nice, and this update made me glad that I waited until I was actually on a computer to look at your pictures. The lobby and grounds are very beautiful. Do they include liquor in the concierge lounge? Perhaps it might be a good thing for me!

OK, off to read the next installment before Fran wakes up!

 

[zanzibar138]

I got lost in the loop behind the castle - thought I was in front of it .... had to get a C.M. Help me to 'escape' the park

When was this?

Great trip report so far! Thanks for all the detailed info. We're taking a family 2 week vacation to China and have a spare day in Shanghai. I did a search of things to do and found out there was a brand new Disneyland! I didn't even know. Can't wait to go but am panicking over the apparent lack of information. Our last trip to WDW I took the better part of a year to plan now I have just over a week while travelling - we leave for Beijing tomorrow! Yikes!

No need to panic. None of the other parks require anywhere near the amount of planning that WDW does. There are only a couple of character meals that you might want to book in advance (Lumiere's and Royal Banquet Hall). FPs are all the old paper variety that you just pick up when you get there. All you really need to do is familiarise yourself a little with the online map and pick out any must-dos, and figure out the rest when you get there

Do they include liquor in the concierge lounge? Perhaps it might be a good thing for me!

Yes they do It was a pretty well stocked bar.

 

[franandaj]

no idea if Michael made it here already or not

I don't know if Michael is lurking....

Well he did make his way over here, because he called me out on calling him out! He also mentioned that it was an interesting read thus far.

At 5.30 am in the morning, it was not.

Ugh, only 5 1/2 hours of sleep.

There was plenty of signage at the transport hub….but it’s all Chinese to me and I didn’t have a clue where we were or if I had to get off or not!

This is what worries me! Did you notice if the busses could accommodate scooters?

I only figured it out after we walked past a block of restrooms at the transport hub. But then again….I’ve always been better at looking at pictures than reading!

Me too. The map is very helpful.

Once I had figured where exactly everything was, getting around was a snap. The first time is always the hardest.

And now that I see how far it is from the hotel to the park, I guess I'll carry my passport.

We had a lovely time catching up on their news and the travel day they had yesterday.

How nice to run into them over coffee.

Aside from the customary bag check, the security gate came complete with walk-through scanners.

They have those in CA now too.

As we got our tickets at the resort, we didn’t need to acquaint ourselves with the ticket booths just past security.

At least you could skip that one.

But there were also a few people walking up and down the queues without merchandise. They weren’t exactly yelling but they did tout their ‘wares’ and my Mandarin speaking mother filled me in on the details. My mother told me that these people were selling fast passes. 100 Yuan would get you 2 fast passes to choose from the rides that are linked to the FP system. That’s $20 in my money.

My mother also told me that you would need to give them your phone number and they would text you in about an hour to collect the fast passes.

Ugh, that would never happen on a full Disney property.

….when I got photobombed!!

It’s been an Aussie Dis-sers trip, 6 months in planning. So….here we all are

Nice.

The facade down Mickey Avenue was just different. I gather that the stores and facades here represent different eras of Disney history.

Now I wish I could remember what I read about Mickey Avenue when I looked at the display at D23 two years ago.

 

[Fairy Floss]

When was this?

Monday when I wanted to get back for wine o clock .... felt I was in some parallel universe .... kept going past the mine train and enchanted crystal and couldn't find an escape ....

 

[PrincessInOz]

So sorry to hear that PIO

So very sorry to hear that PIO. I always enjoyed reading her TR where I lurked from time to time and her comments on others TR. My sympathy to all her family and friends. Lets hope there is some great big Disney park awaiting all of us aficionado's in Neverland.

I am sorry to hear this PIO. I do often remember her comments on various TRs. Hugs and prayers to her family and friends.

So sad to hear this - I also read her posts while 'lurking '
My love to all who knew her

Thank you for remembering her. She would have liked that.

 

[PrincessInOz]

The scammers made me really quite annoyed. It just ruined the whole Disney happy/wholesome feeling and made it feel cheap somehow. The park selling fastpasses is even more distressing! Like most, we've appreciated the fact that mostly you don't have to spend more in Disney to get a good experience if you take the time to research and use the system, unlike in Universal...DH is most upset!

Yeah. I wonder how long it will be before the rest of Disney starts charging for a Premium Access FP.

That is an awesome photo! What a special way to experience a Disney park!

It was missing you. We did look at your April timeline to head there.....but by the time we checked the flights, there were none available on the special deal.

That's me! Although I suspect that I am a lot softer than you. I get the feeling usually almost immediately after entering the gates or seeing the floral Mickey at the front!

I think Hong Kong was the only park so far where it took me the 1/2 day to get that feeling....the first time round I visited.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I got lost in the loop behind the castle - thought I was in front of it .... had to get a C.M. Help me to 'escape' the park

Monday when I wanted to get back for wine o clock .... felt I was in some parallel universe .... kept going past the mine train and enchanted crystal and couldn't find an escape ....

Oh no! Glad you found a friendly CM to help you out.


Now.....




:




So.....going round in circles at a Disneyland. Is this a nightmare or a dream????

 

[PrincessInOz]

Great trip report so far! Thanks for all the detailed info. We're taking a family 2 week vacation to China and have a spare day in Shanghai. I did a search of things to do and found out there was a brand new Disneyland! I didn't even know. Can't wait to go but am panicking over the apparent lack of information. Our last trip to WDW I took the better part of a year to plan now I have just over a week while travelling - we leave for Beijing tomorrow! Yikes!

Thank you.

Sounds like you've got a wonderful time planned in China. And a visit to Shanghai Disneyland.

Zanzibar has already provided a response but I completely agree with her. Planning a trip to WDW is an exercise in military precision. It is much more relaxed at most other Disney locations. I pretty much rocked up to Shanghai Disneyland without too much research. But then....I knew we would have Zanzibar with us to help us get our bearings on the first day.

About the only thing we did was book in the character meals because we were looking for tables of 6 or 8. I suspect we may well have been able to rock up on the day or book when we arrived and still been okay.

Have fun with your trip!

 

[PrincessInOz]

ISO 100 on the fireworks shots? No wonder I've been doing it all wrong! I've been doing high ISOs! Now I need to go out to DL and try again with a tripod and the new settings. Are you using an ND filter too? I bought one and it doesn't fit my camera lens.

I will look forward to seeing your firework pictures at ISO 100.

I didn't use an ND filter at the hotel room. The lens I used has a different diammeter to my standard lens and as I have a screw-on ND filter, it wouldn't have fitted. I think you know what I mean if you have one that doesn't fit either!

The view from your room is really nice, and this update made me glad that I waited until I was actually on a computer to look at your pictures. The lobby and grounds are very beautiful.

Do they include liquor in the concierge lounge? Perhaps it might be a good thing for me!

Yes they do It was a pretty well stocked bar.

Thanks for answering @zanzibar138.

Well he did make his way over here, because he called me out on calling him out! He also mentioned that it was an interesting read thus far.

Hi Michael! Hope you are enjoying the read.

Ugh, only 5 1/2 hours of sleep.

I think I was definitely running on adrenalin on that first day.

This is what worries me! Did you notice if the busses could accommodate scooters?

There was space in the bus. I guess they would fit scooters. But I don't remember seeing if they had loaders on them. They probably do.

And now that I see how far it is from the hotel to the park, I guess I'll carry my passport.

How nice to run into them over coffee.

It was a very pleasant surprise to see them there as well.

They have those in CA now too.

I guess that means they are there at WDW as well. *sigh*

Ugh, that would never happen on a full Disney property.

It doesn't happen at Hong Kong nor at Tokyo. Only in China!

Now I wish I could remember what I read about Mickey Avenue when I looked at the display at D23 two years ago.

Hmmm. If we could remember which TR you posted that in, we could go back and see what you wrote about it. I definitely remember pictures!

 

[PrincessInOz]

It’s Adventure Time



Adventure Time





C'mon grab your friends





We're going to very distant lands





With Jake the Dog





and Finn the Human





The fun will never end






It's Adventure Time!







Oh wait! Wrong Animation Studio!




But the theme song soooo fits!!!







Where were we again? Oh that’s right….we were heading for a ride in Adventure Isle.


We did sneak in a few pictures along the way.






The Fastpass system here is the Mark 1 paper copy version. Disney decided to install central fastpass distribution booths in each land. You head to the central point and select from the list of attractions in that land and you get a FP printed out. In Adventure Isle, there are only 2 options….Soarin’ over the World and Rapid River. Well….for us, there was only one option. Rapid River was down for scheduled maintenance. If you know how the original paper FP worked and the rules for when you can get another FP, you'll be fine here. It works the same.





Even though it was a Sunday, we were obviously hitting the park on a non-busy’ish day. There were still Fastpasses available for Soarin’ and there was barely any queue so we all got one.



We kept walking. Adventure Isle morphed into Treasure Cove.






As one of the two headline attractions of Shanghai Disneyland, we were naturally heading for the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure ride. But when we got there, the ride was down.







AARGH!!! It sure was a long way to walk for a ride that was down.








(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

The Beauty and the Grey


Our plan had been to ride the PotC but circumstances….and our lack of checking the Shanghai Disneyland app…..resulted in us having a nice walk around Treasure Cove lake. After this experience, we all learnt our lesson and that app became our next best friend for the rest of the day. It really was worth checking out what was opened and what the expected wait times were before we headed on over.


We completed the circuit round and found ourselves staring at the Enchanted Storybook Castle.





At 196 feet, it is the tallest Disney castle to be built and it does have it’s critics about the size (overpowering) and shape (too boxy); and that it’s too disconnected from the rest of the surroundings.

Me? I actually think it’s prettier in real life and it definitely grows on you.





At this stage, the WDW castle is still my favourite; but I have yet to see the castle at Paris or Tokyo.



There is a castle walkthrough. This is unfinished business for me. My DM and I had every intention of doing the walkthrough….we just never made it.






I know that Aussie Wendy did manage to go through; so I’m sure we’ll see her pictures on her TR at some stage.




Anyone getting the feeling that the day was a little grey? That’s not just smog…..it was grey clouds. The weather forecast in the lead up to our trip was predicting rain for this week. Our crystal ball was telling us that the forecast were right! It had been spitting on us for some time now.





Zanzibar138 suggested that we get on an attraction before the rain got too much heavier and we were walking towards it when we came across a little sheltered area.



And look who was under there!





We all got our Meet and Greet in! Afterall, it gave us a chance of getting out of the grey sky and spitting rain, which was ominously getting heavier by the moment.





And yes, we got another group shot in. Our first princess at Shanghai Disneyland was to be the Beauty that the theatres would be filled with. Belle!






(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

This is NOT a Roller Coaster – Our Surprise First Ride: Voyage to the Crystal Grotto



Directly across from the Meet and Greet was our first Ride.





If anyone would have asked me what my first ride would be at Shanghai Disneyland, I doubt this one would have made my top 10! But with Pirates down; and us being right there and a 5 minute wait, we walked right on in.





It was practically walk-on and we found ourselves sitting down in the boat before we even had time to say cheese!





We cruised on past a range of standard Disney classics.





The dancing water fountains are a nice touch.





The BatB theming was true to form.





Next up is Aladdin.





More dancing water fountains.






We floated past some permanent topiaries.





They made for a bright and colourful shot but I still can’t work out where the dancing water fountains were!



Next up….Fantasia. I’ve always been a sucker for Sorceror Mickey so I loved this display.





You guessed it…..more water fountains.







We turned another corner and came across the Tangled scene.





I didn’t capture it but the dancing water fountains were jets of water pushing up the lanterns. Very pretty and creatively done!


For me, the piece-de-resistance of this attraction was the Mulan display. LOVE!





In a water fountain themed ride, you’d expect Ariel to show up.






The true lure for this attraction is that the ride does go through a chamber at the base of the Castle.





The walls of the Grotto are lit up with Disney characters. Sadly, I wasn’t in the right position to capture them.





It’s only a short stint under the castle before you head back out to the open again.





There is a familiar Tangled feel to this.





And then it’s back to the unloading area.





Fairy Floss brought the crystal ball so that we could play. Crystal ball shots are rather popular with some of my 3D tog friends in Melbourne right now.





Since our return home and me looking at the pictures, I wish that the weather had been kinder so that we could have played more. It would have been lovely to get some night shots through the crystal ball!






The Voyage of the Crystal Grotto is probably the big brother equivalent of the Storybook Land Canal Boat ride at Disneyland. It’s a nice ride; but a little underwhelming for anyone who is seeking a thrill ride. It definitely isn’t a roller coaster ride.

Having said that….I’ve just seen Zanzibar’s pictures of it at night from her Opening Day TR and I think that I will definitely do this at night if/when I’m at SDL again.





(Continued in the Next Post)