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

[PrincessInOz]

Wow your photos from this morning do look dark and ominous, especially compared to the ones I've just put up on my Opening Day TR lol!

We forget.....it was a grey morning!

I made the mistake of doing this attraction on our wettest morning. While everything was a walk on, there was a half hour wait for this. I wouldn't recommend waiting that long for it!

I think we were rather lucky with wait times whilst we were there.

Nice pics from this ride.

Thanks!

Sadly there are no dancing water fountains with these topiaries. I have to say, I can't quite figure out what the point of them is. Perhaps it is some sort of nod to Alice in Wonderland?

I know. It was the only display that didn't have dancing water fountains! LOL

Oooh I love this shot!

Yeah. Wish we'd played more with the crystal ball.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I just have to put my one comment in... hahaha. I only got around to read the first little bit before I fell behind. And now I've come to take a peak at your contents and OMG how am I ever going to catch up!!! Bad Jessica... I have lots of reading to dooooo

Glad you made it over to the dark side!!

Take your time.....this TR isn't going anywhere. Besides....I'm sure you'll catch up quick.

I am really nearsighted. -11 on both eyes. How am I even going to find my ride vehicle???? I guess I better invest in a safety strap like you did!! I am starting to realise that I am way behind on my SDL research!!! Thank you so much for this trip report, I can catch up at least a little bit!

It actually was a very relaxed time at SDL. I didn't do very much research and because there were low crowds, we just got on the rides we wanted to do. The App helped heaps as well.

Digging this TR. Shots are amazing. I don't mind dreary/rainy days in the parks. Keeps people away!

Thanks, Paul. Hope the rest of the shots also get the same sort of reaction from you!

I don't mind a bit of rain but we ended up with 2 full days of rain and it really did mean that I didn't get as many shots from around the park as I would have liked. Oh well....thankfully Shanghai is a lot closer and cheaper to get to for me than going to Anaheim or Orlando!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Coming soon to a Disney park near me. They already have the scanning kiosks in place at all the rides that take FP. It's going to be an additional $10 to schedule it on your smart phone.

I thought I saw some posts on the DLR section but I didn't check in on the content.

*sigh*

That didn't take long at all, did it?

That sounds like a good solution.

It is but it isn't. I gather that there are loooong queues for the FP machines on a busy day. Think how long the queues were for RSR and multiply it by at least 3. I think I saw reports of people waiting an hour for a FP.

That sounded so cool based on what I saw at D23.

You'll have to wait and see.

Interesting, so it's a mix of The Jungle Cruise ride vehicles and Storybook land.

Yes. On a hot day, this would be a perfect attraction mid-afternoon if the wait time wasn't more than 10 minutes.
But there aren't any corny JC jokes!

It's really cool, and interesting how they use color since the weather is so dreary.

I thought the colour palatte at SDL was stronger than the US parks.

Those shots are great! Really creative!

Thanks!

Do you think it's bigger than AK?

Hmmm. Hard to say as I haven't seen the size of the new AK with Pandora. But it would be as large as AK. And SDL is expanding as well. They are already adding Toy Story land to it.

I never saw it back then. I guess that's more education I'm going to need before heading to Shanghai.

No need to see Tron. In today's world, it will seem VERY dated.

So, how are you fastened into the ride? I can't imagine there isn't some kind of contraption holding you in your "seat".

There is a brace kind of thing that locks down when you lean forward. It holds your legs and body in position, which is really all that's required. FWIW there is also an accessible vehicle in rotation that has regular sitting down style seats. I never actually saw it, but I believe FireFlyFi rode from there. She might pop in at some time and share her experience.

I might have a picture to post on another day. But you have to assume the same position that a motorcycle rider does and that brace holds your body in position.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I don't think I even remember seeing Disney characters on the walls in the grotto?? just the crystal but maybe I did and forgot already...

So now I realise I am not just posting Beijing but a full TR - lol! yes we got some walk through the castle pics. I will aim to post different angles or shots to you when I get to SDL - long way to go yet in the TR for me - lol!

Yep, there were Disney characters!

Mushu...


Agrabah...

Awesome pics, Zanzibar. Thanks for sharing!

I think I was shooting Mushu but wasn't quick enough or in the right position for Agrabah!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Well they are so damn subtle no wonder with my failing eyesight (don't get old!! ) I completely missed them - lol!!

I need to go back and do that ride again. I kept missing those projections.

My lunch hour is nearly over and almost time to go back to work - sigh!!

You had time for lunch??? Lucky you!!!

I am hoping that I'll have time next week. Work is starting to settle down for me.

 

[Fairy Floss]

Coming soon to a Disney park near me. They already have the scanning kiosks in place at all the rides that take FP. It's going to be an additional $10 to schedule it on your smart phone.

How soon?
I'll be in Anaheim at the end of May ...

I might have a picture to post on another day. But you have to assume the same position that a motorcycle rider does and that brace holds your body in position.

Here's some pics of the ride ... including the "car" at the back

 

[franandaj]

How soon?
I'll be in Anaheim at the end of May ...

Probably not that soon. I noticed the scanners at the end of March. They are placed right at the points where the FP queue merges with the regular queue, but they are under canvas covers. Most of my friends didn't even notice them. The news story I heard simply said, "coming later this year". I'm gonna guess summer.

 

[darrenf67]

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)

This looked pretty cool - it was closed when we were there - walls up and everything

 

[darrenf67]

I loved Tron - very cool set up and went a lot faster than I was expecting!

 

[zanzibar138]

Awesome pics, Zanzibar. Thanks for sharing!

I think I was shooting Mushu but wasn't quick enough or in the right position for Agrabah!

Thanks! Usually I don't even try for dark ride pics because I'm so terrible at them, but must have gotten lucky with these ones!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Here's some pics of the ride ... including the "car" at the back

Thanks for posting!

This looked pretty cool - it was closed when we were there - walls up and everything

That's a shame. It must have been down for a scheduled maintenance or something.

I loved Tron - very cool set up and went a lot faster than I was expecting!

Yes, it was a very cool ride. I loved it too.

Thanks! Usually I don't even try for dark ride pics because I'm so terrible at them, but must have gotten lucky with these ones!

Let's just say....you're getting better.

 

[PrincessInOz]

A Quintessential Disney Ride – Peter Pan’s Flight



Originally released on 5th February 1953, Peter Pan is probably one of Disney’s most classic and beloved films for historic reasons. It is the final Disney animated feature released through RKO Radio Pictures before Walt Disney's founding of his own distribution company, Buena Vista Distribution. BVD was founded in 1953, but after Peter Pan was released. Peter Pan is also the final Disney film in which all nine members of Disney's Nine Old Men worked together as directing animators. With that kind of provenance, it is no wonder that most people – me included – consider Peter Pan as something quintessentially Disney.


The attraction Peter Pan’s Flight was operating when Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. Aside from Hong Kong, there is a Peter Pan’s Flight at all the other Disneylands around the world. Over the years, it has remained a very popular ride in every location. It’s one of those rides that when I’m at Disneyland, I will think of Walt as I run my hands over those wooden barriers and gates.


We were heading back towards Treasure Cove after our returning from the I/O Portal when we realised that there was a 10-minute stand-by wait for Peter Pan. Besides, the queue area was mostly under cover.





I guess it’s universal. No matter which Disneyland you’re in, there is always a wait for this attraction. Not that I’m complaining. This wait wasn't that bad. 10 minutes is practically unheard off at WDW or Anaheim unless you sprint to the attraction at rope drop. And we all know sprinting is not allowed in a Disney park, right?


In any event, the 10 minutes just gave me time to check out the details.





I liked the faux-marble statues of the Peter Pan characters.





As always, Disney’s attention to the details are one of the things that keep me coming back.





The fretwork medallions here were quintessentially Disney.





It might be new but Disney decided to hold true with the tight spaces for the loading area for this ride. It might not have the wooden barriers of Disneyland but the narrower space made this area seem strangely familiar.





It also meant that queue cutting was hard to achieve in here. But it still did happen. All we did was just spread out a bit more to make sure that there was no free space between the 6 of us for any queue cutter to make their way past us.





At least they included a separate Fast Pass queue for this ride in Shanghai! So, if you’re there during the busy period, the FP option might be worth considering. Alternatively, if the new Premium Access option is available and the Disney Fuzzy Maths work for you, this might be something to think about.



The boarding area.





Yes, it is a 2 x 2 configuration for the galleon vehicle. My mother and I shared the front seat and there was space to spare.





Time to suspend reality.





From Shanghai to the roof tops of London. It’s been a while since I’ve flown over London. Whilst it looks the same, I did wonder if I had imagined a certain shadow to the scene. Still there was a definitely ‘freshness’ to it all for me.





Then we went into the Darling nursery. Hmmm. The flight in was a lot smoother than I remember. I was expecting a certain bump in the landing that didn’t happen and missed the lights!






It’s the original Soarin’ attraction! Such a thrill to glide over Big Ben. And yes, I don’t think I was imagining things. This flight plan is definitely very smooth. There are stops and go’s to it but it is much less jerky.





You can fly! You can fly! You can fly!





:


I don’t remember the projected animations. Is this a new addition since 2014? Either that or I’ve been strangely unobservant or I’m really slipping down that Old Fogie road.




Past the second star to the right and straight on til morning. We headed past Skull Island.





Neverland! It’s all new and shiny.





This is one attraction where you can just sit back and take it easy.





There’s nothing scary or wild about this ride.





Aside from the smoother flight plan, the animatronics of this ride are probably the best of all the Peter Pan rides I’ve been on. But then it is a 2016 vintage.





This ride is almost a replica of the other Peter Pan rides. I know it’s not a roller coaster but it really is pure classic Disney. For my inner child, it’s a ride that I am happy to go on again and again and again. There is just something compelling about it.




(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

A Bounty-Full Lunch



It was most definitely raining by the time we came out of Peter Pan Flight.





Get used to the wet for a bit. We were to have this rain for the rest of the day and tomorrow as well. Sadly, the rain means that I have a lack of general park pictures in my photo set for this vacay.





We were all hungry after leaving Tron and Zanzibar had suggested that we go eat at Barbarossa’s Bounty.





So we headed indoors and checked out the menu.







It’s a Quick Service establishment and she said the food was rather decent here.





For those coming to Shanghai, you will notice that there are a lot of QS places to eat and not a lot of Table Service establishments in the park.





That is definitely one of the differences that you will notice in Shanghai. It’s one of those distinctively Shanghai Disney (and Hong Kong Disney) things.





However, don’t be fooled into thinking that the food will not be up to scratch. Take a look at what was on offer here.





Yes! It is Quick Service and the food is not made to order.





Most of us chose either the BBQ Chicken with vegetables option. It looked rather appetising that day.





The alternative was the BBQ ribs with rice.




My mother and I shared our mains as we ordered both options between us. The Chicken was delicious and tender. The ribs were wonderfully done and equally as tender. In fact, for QS food, this exceeds any of the QS options in Epcot and would rival some of the low/mid end table service options in the American Disney locations.

The only complaint I had was the corn on the cob. It tasted plastic and I would skip biting into it, if you order this option.




(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

Inside Barbarossa’s Bounty



Aside from the food, the reason Zanzibar picked Barbarossa’s was for the ambience.

There is a seating area in here that overlooks the Pirates of the Caribbean ride much like Blue Bayou does in Disneyland.
This area is very popular with the diners. Sadly, we didn’t get a table by the water.





There was a nice touch in the name on the archway as homage to the movie.


If I were in the US, I wouldn’t have even attempted this! If we were in the US, I may have walked to the waterfront to take a look but only if I weren't going to disturb anyone or encroach on personal space. But as we were in China, not only did I walk up to take a look, I also squeezed in between the tables to grab shots! Neither party at the two tables I squeezed past even gave me a second look or said anything. When in China, right?

This is a panoramic view of that ride.




After we finished eating, we explored some of the other dining rooms.




There sure were a lot of them….and each one tastely decorated in that “waterfront pub” style.




There were even a few little nooks where you might have felt that this was a table service restaurant!





I was totally amazed by each room.





They might not have had waterfront views but they were just as equally engaging. And the details were eye-wateringly diverse.





Absolute eye candy to be had everywhere on the walls!





And it wasn’t just the walls.










The lighting was equally as illuminating at how much attention to detail Disney paid to this establishment.





I could have spent all afternoon in here but time was marching on and we needed to keep going.


(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

The One about Restrooms.



Alright. For those of you who are a bit uncomfortable about talking about bodily functions and unmentionables, keep going to the next post. Do not collect $200, and there is no need to step into the toilet.


You may want to shut your eyes or put something in the way.





But we really need to move all blockers out of the way and look at something squarely in the face because everyone is generally interested to find out about it.





I’m not exactly airing any dirty laundry….






….but we probably need to talk about Restrooms in China. And I have pictures!
Afterall, when you have to go, you have to go.

It makes sense to me for this episode to go here in the TR simply because the last of the restroom pictures were taken whilst I was in Barbarossa's.





Squat toilets are quite common in China. I took this picture where I was in Suzhou. It was probably the ONLY time I actually had to use a squat toilet and that was because there was no choice.





As a child growing up in Asia, I did use squat toilets on the odd occasion…and in fact, my childhood home did have a squat toilet in the ‘servant’s quarters’. Believe it or not, going into a squat was surprisingly like “second” nature to me. I was totally amazed at how my body did manage to squat and get up.


Moving right along.


Disney facilities do include squat toilets as well as western style ones. In any ladies restrooms, you’ll find the squat ones at the front and there is usually a queue for them. The western style ones are usually at the back.

I wish I’d taken a picture where you can see the floor area.




The squat ones will have a step up which you can clearly see under the door, if you’re looking for it.


This is one of the western toilets in a restroom near Starbucks, that I took in the morning.





These are taken inside the Disabled Accessible restrooms at Barbarossa’s Bounty. All of the ladies’ facilities that I went to had a DA restroom.





I cannot, of course, make any comments about the male facilities and if a similar setup exists.



(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

100% Disney, Uniquely Chinese – Challenge Trails



What is it about Disney that makes us keep going back time and time again?

Aside from their legendary customer service, I would hazard a guess that it is because Disney is a place that looks amazing – show ready – all the time. Rain, hail, snow or shine.





It is also a place where adults can have just as much fun as kids.





I think these two things aptly capture what I found so endearing about the Challenge Trail. Located in Adventure Isle, the Challenge Trails are a set of ropes courses set against the backdrop of Roaring Rapid Mountain. It’s Disney alright…..but so uniquely Chinese as this attraction is not found in other Disney park.





The Challenge Trails is another one of those attractions where you’re not allowed to bring anything with you on the rope course. There are lockers for you to leave all bags behind.


For this one, my DM and Fairy Floss decided to sit it out. They found somewhere under a large umbrella somewhere to keep dry and we left all our possessions with them.


There are 3 different options at each section of the trail that you can choose from. In this particular case, the steps are the simplest option, the middle cargo nets would be the moderately difficult option and the plank and cargo option on the right would be the most challenging option.





Every section/climb would provide a set of 3 obstacles. The obstacle sets included bridges, any and every form of suspended planks, barrels, balance beams and even a narrow path where you would practically hug the wall facing that waterfall. You name it, we probably came across it during our challenge.


Thanks to Fairy Floss for these pictures of us navigating our way around the trail.


We were fitted into harnesses – S,M, L – complete with karabiners and lanyard. All you have to do is clip the top of the lanyard into the pulley system for the trail and off you go!






Hang on to the lanyard as you work your way across the course. It’s one of the ways you can use to keep your balance on the course.





Wendy’s DD and Zanzibar started to take the most difficult option at most of the obstacle sets. But it was a wet day and the obstacles were slippery. We did look at the moderately difficult option but towards the end, it was all so slippery that we all opted for the easiest and safest option.






Yes, I know. The safety harness meant that we were never in any real danger. But I didn’t relish the thought of slipping and embarrassing myself in front of my Dis friends.





In case you’re thinking that this might not be for you. I understand that there is a DA path that you can take through this part of the park. I never got round to it but looking at Zanzibar’s pictures her her Opening Day TR, it looks well worth the walk round.






There might be some of you that might consider this to be the grown-up version of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail at DCA. Believe me....the thrill and challenge factor of this course is no where near that at all. Not even close! This is pure adrenalin fun!


(Continued in Next Post)

 

[PrincessInOz]

You DO Know this is a Roller Coaster? – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train



Until Shanghai, I have not had the pleasure of riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It opened in Magic Kingdom in May 2014, after my last visit. So, it was always going to be on my must-do list for Shanghai.





We got in line for the ride. The rain was keeping people away and it took us hardly any time to enter the cavern.





I was really eager to get on this ride so I rushed on ahead.





I was definitely sleeping on the job because I didn’t notice what was going on behind me….





There was a cast member that had stopped my mother and was trying to tell her something.

“You DO know this is a roller coaster, don’t you?”





Say what????


My mother was so shocked that she was more than a little gobsmacked! She’s been to WDW and Disneyland and HKDL, ridden on most coasters at those 3 parks without anyone stopping her. She looks amazing for her age and constantly gets away with people thinking she’s at least 15 – 20 years younger than she is. I can only hope that I’ve hit the genetic lottery and inherited her youthful gene!

I also think she was shocked because it’s the first time that someone has accurately put her in her age bracket. But then again….we are in an Asian country where that youthful gene seems to be dominant and the people here are much more adept at gauging your age.


Thank goodness for Dis friends.





The others had to tell the CM that my mother had been on TRON that day.






I caught up with the goings on to hear them loudly telling the CM: “She’s been on TRON today. TRON! TRON!”





I guess that did the trick! The CM might or might not have understood English, but the mention of the granddaddy of roller coaster rides was enough. My DM was allowed to head through.






I think that "You DO Know this is a Roller Coaster?" is going to be the running joke from this point forward. It certainly was for the rest of this trip!



We sat in the front.





And got on the ride!





Yes. We DO know this is a roller coaster ride! The rush you get is the whole point of the ride!





Even if that rush feeling is gotten in the wet and cold!





The ride is themed to the first ever Walt Disney animated film and the theme probably as quintessentially Disney as Peter Pan. As much as I love the Mark 1 version of the Snow White attraction at Disneyland, I have to say that I love this version better. As a roller coaster ride, it’s perfectly aimed at the Disney kids level but it’s not a headline grabbing sort of coaster like TRON, right?

But having not ridden the Orlando attraction, I have nothing to compare apples to apples. I gather that there might be a scene or two missing from the ride itself. Guess I’m just going to have to get to Orlando and find out what the differences are!

 

[Fairy Floss]

I've ridden both and feel that this ride is identical to the Orlando version but the cottage at the end in Shanghai is pathetic in comparison to the Orlando cottage
I loved Snow White and the Dwarves dancing in Orlando and the witch looking in through the window
It was funny hearing the song sung in Chinese
On another occasion I rode and was sitting next to a Chinese lady whose husband and son were in front
She was petrified...
I held her hand and sang along (me in English)....
we got to "hi ho..." and I said "now they go home ... quick!"
She screamed and I laughed .... at the end we decided it was "like husband driving "

 

[darrenf67]

I loved the "freshness" the rides had at Shanghai - Peter Pan had a few wow moments for me with the digital projections, but Pirates took Disney Park rides to a whole new level. WOW - amazing.

 

[Flossbolna]

Great update, I especially liked the bathroom details! Southern France has those, too, especially in public bathrooms. Maybe they are disappearing now. My mother always made the point when I was complaining as a kid when we were on vacation there that they are cleaner than the ones where you sit down as you don't need to touch anything with your naked behind. So, I got used to them. But I still would prefer the Western version in DL...

The ribs at Barbossa's look very good. And the restaurant is very pretty. Reminds me of the counter service restaurants at DLP. They are also very themed, lots of small rooms and nooks. Luckily the food seems to be better in Shanghai though. I hope it stays that way and is not just an opening year thing before quality slips.

As far as I know the mine train is quite identical to WDW. Originally both versions were supposed to be quite more elaborate, have a third lift hill and far more show scenes. Then the budget was cut several times.

Peter Pan looks a Little like Paris, too. At least there they have the same seating configuration with two rows. It is even three and three there.