A (2019) HalloXmas trip to Asia - Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo! - COMPLETED 5/1!!!

[Lesley Wake]

Part 8-Golden Fairytale Fanfare

After the parade, I went to watch the Golden Fairytale Fanfare on the castle stage.

I thought this could be well done, but was expecting something more in line with the Magic Kingdom or Disneyland Paris castle stage productions. Well, Shanghai gave me another WOW moment! This show had outstanding production value! Just so many dancers and costumes and props.

Not my video again but I recommend checking out the whole show!

The opening number, of course Chinese colors of red and gold!

Snow White and the Dwarves. Lovely sparkle!

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[Lesley Wake]

Frozen. Love how Anna and Else rose out of the ground and then they combined together. They also had some fountains going on.

Aladdin

The Little Mermaid

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[Lesley Wake]

Brave – I think my favorite part. Love Merida riding around the stage!

Grand Finale with everyone!

I really wish I had time to see it another time! And I know Hong Kong is planning a big castle show, which I would love to see (once their castle is finished construction)!

Coming up - One last evening in Shanghai! ​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Ooo, it was a really pretty show. I'm guessing it's better in person because I wasn't really feeling it. Stage shows can be hit or miss for me. I love the costume design, especially the big gowns the dancers wore and Merida riding around on-stage, but I feel certain sections went on for too long. Also, Aladdin is not Aladdin, that is a white prince if I ever saw one. But I'll reserve my opinion for when I see it in person, it's pretty cool and yeah got a little teary-eyed with Mickey and Minnie at the end. King and queen.

 

[KEK1]

Fun! How were the crowds in general ? You went after Golden Week in Oct, yes? Do you think you needed the premier pass? TIA

 

[missjackiemcg]

WOW, that show looked simply incredible. Blows the shows I've seen at WDW way out of the water. And I seriously can't get enough of that beautiful castle!

 

[cindianne320]

Loved the different aspects of the show- with that castle as the back drop!

 

[vamassey1]

Impressive stage show! So much bigger than anything I've seen in the Magic Kingdom.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Ooo, it was a really pretty show. I'm guessing it's better in person because I wasn't really feeling it. Stage shows can be hit or miss for me. I love the costume design, especially the big gowns the dancers wore and Merida riding around on-stage, but I feel certain sections went on for too long. Also, Aladdin is not Aladdin, that is a white prince if I ever saw one. But I'll reserve my opinion for when I see it in person, it's pretty cool and yeah got a little teary-eyed with Mickey and Minnie at the end. King and queen.

Yup, definitely not culturally appropriate Aladdin!

Fun! How were the crowds in general ? You went after Golden Week in Oct, yes? Do you think you needed the premier pass? TIA

So, crowds caused some longer lines but the pathways at least weren't crazy crowded! I went about 2 weeks after Golden Week, but it also happened to be the new Japanese Emperor Enthronement, so apparently there were a significant number of Japanese tourists.

If I really needed to save the money, I probably didn't absolutely need the premier pass. But it really made my day much more free, without having to plan it around fastpasses or remember to grab new ones. And some rides don't have fps at all, just standby or premier pass. (And apparently they've quietly done away with free fastpasses post-lockdown.) I just know I would probably do it again when I return!

WOW, that show looked simply incredible. Blows the shows I've seen at WDW way out of the water. And I seriously can't get enough of that beautiful castle!

Yeah, I just loved how different it was!

Loved the different aspects of the show- with that castle as the back drop!

Most definitely!

Impressive stage show! So much bigger than anything I've seen in the Magic Kingdom.

Yup - very impressive! And I had no idea what to expect!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Part 9-One last evening in Shanghai!

The sun was starting to get lower, and I wanted to see how Fantasyland was at night, so I headed up towards the castle again.

I stopped at Crystal Treasures, which was their crystal store. I really wish I had gotten one of these necklaces, which were only about $50, but had cool designs.

Don’t think I could have afforded this beauty though

Another purchase I wish I had made

For dinner, I headed to Pinocchio Village Kitchen, which has pizza, rice bowls, and noodles. I got the Peking Duck Pizza. It was pretty good. Not earth-shattering amazing, but certainly filled me up and I’d still recommend giving that place a try.

Lots of rooms and each was themed to a different area of Pinocchio

The Pleasure Island room

I think this was the Monstro the Whale room

Gepetto’s workshop

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[Lesley Wake]

I headed thru fantasyland, admiring some of the lighting.

And over to Treasure Cove, where I thought I’d go on Pirates again (when I was eating dinner it had a 10 minute wait). Unfortunately, I was greeted by CMs directing people away, as it had gone down ☹

Headed back across the Gardens.

And over to Tomorrowland. I did single rider on Tron once, super fun (a bit of a delay though)

And then I considered heading out (I was exhausted), but decided, this is my last night in Shanghai, I should ride again! Thankfully Single Rider was nearly a walk-on!

And then I was ready to leave… except… I checked the app and saw Pirates was back up. Do I walk all the way across the park (my feet felt like they were falling off)? Well…

Of course I do!

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[Lesley Wake]

I think I did some more shopping – “my first Gelatoni” or “my first Duffy” – so cute! I saw recently they added Cookie in here cutie PJs! (I didn’t actually get these guys though)

I noticed this as I was leaving

Yes, I will see you again! I don’t know how soon, but I will definitely be coming back!

On my way out I did make a short pit stop at the Lego Store to see their sculptures. Very cool!

And I saw this outside Starbucks, which was a cute light decorations (I had hoped they had a “you are here” mug, but no luck

Back to the hotel, where I finished packing up, as it was off on Part 2 of my adventure the next morning!

Step Count for the day: 24,917! And 8 floors of climbing (which didn’t even include the Challenge Trails as I didn’t have my phone with me then)! So total walking for 2 days at the parks: 51,625!​

 

[Lesley Wake]

So, since this is basically the end of my Shanghai Disney adventures, I thought I’d give a wrap-up and my overall opinion. I mentioned it was the last park I decided to add onto the trip and wasn’t one I was particularly excited about going to visit. I was worried about all the bad/mediocre reviews. But it really exceeded my expectations in every way! It had some absolutely awesome rides and lands. And most everyone I met, whether CM or guest, was very friendly. It was also the cleanest Disney park I had been to (yes, even exceeding Tokyo)! I honestly can’t wait to go back! So it’s one I absolutely recommend for people to visit! It is different than any other park, in the best possible way!

Some tips:

-Stay on-site. Disneyland Hotel was a bit pricier, but the Toy Story Hotel is more economical. They are worth it for the convenience, as well as the perks.

-If you are staying on-site, wait to buy your tickets until you get there so you get the extra fastpass.

-Take advantage of the EMH. It is the most valuable of any park, as you can basically walk onto most rides!

-Consider buying the Fastpasses, it really made my trip more enjoyable. You can either buy individual FPs, a package, or even go for the Concierge FP set (which includes some of the shows). I looked at the various rides ahead of time and decided which ones I wanted the FP for, calculated it would be actually cheaper to buy the sets rather than the individual rides, so it’s something to do a bit more research into.

-As in every park, crowds can be aggravating during parades and shows. Make sure you grab your spot in advance, preferably with something solid (a wall, railing, etc) to help you not need to guard on one side!

-Merchandise is awesome, so be prepared!

-Character meets are crazy, as with other parks. So, get there early for the ones you really care about. But there are plenty of spots next to the characters to try and get a photo without the character meet itself.

-Most important: GIVE IT A CHANCE! Who knows, it could surprise you! It did for me!

Coming up - Onto my next location!​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

What a great way to end your time at Shanghai! I totally would've bought up all the Gelatoni, Cookie and Duffy merch. I just know I'm gonna go broke for months once I do my own Asia parks tour. My poor wallet lol

I'm glad to hear it really did go far beyond your expectations and was something really special. Every person I've ever heard who complains about this park anyways is just nit-picky and have mostly been victims of certain circumstances that probably would've required more research so I think you definitely set yourself up for success. I'm totally screenshotting your advice as we speak as result lol

I'm so excited to hear about your next park visits!!

 

[GDubDIS]

Shanghai Disney does look awesome. It's funny that you mentioned the surrounding areas not looking as visually appealing as the other parks. I actually noticed that in one of your pictures, where it was just empty land and some industrial-ness in the background when you were higher up on a ride. Makes sense considering how crazy fast development has been in China, but definitely interesting!

I'm so excited to follow along with you to Hong Kong and Tokyo! I'm actually reading through your Paris report too, and really enjoyed the parts about Normandy/Loire Valley/Paris so would love to hear about any time you spent touring Tokyo/Hong Kong/Shanghai outside of the parks as well!

And re: your Paris report - just was reading the section about the immigration exhibit at DLP and got equally emotional! Not to get into it too much on here, but it just makes me so sad that we've forgotten the whole reason the USA exists

Anyway, can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!

 

[KEK1]

Great write-up of SHDL. I think most people I have heard from have loved it. Definitely want to go.
The SH Crystal castle looks even more amazing than Cinderellas' ..!

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

Shangahi Disney looks amazing!!! My youngest is reading your TR with me and now he wants to visit all the Disney parks...

51,625 steps in two days??? Yikes!!! I hope your feet get a rest before the next park...

Love the Mickey Lego sculpture!!! I need one of them!!!

 

[vamassey1]

I got the Peking Duck Pizza. It was pretty good. Not earth-shattering amazing, but certainly filled me up and I’d still recommend giving that place a try.

This does sound good. I like duck but have never had it on a pizza.

Beautiful shot!

And over to Treasure Cove, where I thought I’d go on Pirates again (when I was eating dinner it had a 10 minute wait). Unfortunately, I was greeted by CMs directing people away, as it had gone down ☹

Oh noooooo!

I did single rider on Tron once, super fun (a bit of a delay though)

Good use of your time.

And then I considered heading out (I was exhausted), but decided, this is my last night in Shanghai, I should ride again! Thankfully Single Rider was nearly a walk-on!

Even better use of you time.

Do I walk all the way across the park (my feet felt like they were falling off)? Well…

Of course you do, you're in Disney.

Of course I do!

I'm glad we agree.

On my way out I did make a short pit stop at the Lego Store to see their sculptures. Very cool!

These sculptures are amazing.

Some tips:

Great tips.

Coming up - Onto my next location!

Can't wait!

 

[Lotjestar]

I am really enjoying your TR. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Take care!

 

[Lesley Wake]

What a great way to end your time at Shanghai! I totally would've bought up all the Gelatoni, Cookie and Duffy merch. I just know I'm gonna go broke for months once I do my own Asia parks tour. My poor wallet lol

I'm glad to hear it really did go far beyond your expectations and was something really special. Every person I've ever heard who complains about this park anyways is just nit-picky and have mostly been victims of certain circumstances that probably would've required more research so I think you definitely set yourself up for success. I'm totally screenshotting your advice as we speak as result lol

I'm so excited to hear about your next park visits!!

I was really worried going into it, but really loved it! I think that SHDL has also greatly improved the guest experience, especially with the hotel entrance and EMH, so a lot of people who went in the first year or two haven't been able to take advantage of those improvements!

Shanghai Disney does look awesome. It's funny that you mentioned the surrounding areas not looking as visually appealing as the other parks. I actually noticed that in one of your pictures, where it was just empty land and some industrial-ness in the background when you were higher up on a ride. Makes sense considering how crazy fast development has been in China, but definitely interesting!

I'm so excited to follow along with you to Hong Kong and Tokyo! I'm actually reading through your Paris report too, and really enjoyed the parts about Normandy/Loire Valley/Paris so would love to hear about any time you spent touring Tokyo/Hong Kong/Shanghai outside of the parks as well!

And re: your Paris report - just was reading the section about the immigration exhibit at DLP and got equally emotional! Not to get into it too much on here, but it just makes me so sad that we've forgotten the whole reason the USA exists

Anyway, can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!

Yeah, it was surrounded by a very industrial area. But I think a lot of "modern" Chinese cities are like that!

I did get to go down to Kyoto for a couple days and Tokyo itself for a couple days, so I will include those!

Great write-up of SHDL. I think most people I have heard from have loved it. Definitely want to go.
The SH Crystal castle looks even more amazing than Cinderellas' ..!

I definitely recommend planning a visit there...once everything settles down that is!

Shangahi Disney looks amazing!!! My youngest is reading your TR with me and now he wants to visit all the Disney parks...

51,625 steps in two days??? Yikes!!! I hope your feet get a rest before the next park...

Love the Mickey Lego sculpture!!! I need one of them!!!

Haha, gotta train your kids well!

And yes, it was a lot of walking! I wish I had added more rest days!

This does sound good. I like duck but have never had it on a pizza.

Beautiful shot!

Oh noooooo!



Good use of your time.



Even better use of you time.



Of course you do, you're in Disney.



I'm glad we agree.



These sculptures are amazing.



Great tips.



Can't wait!

I at least have tried Peking Duck Pizza before (California pizza kitchen had a version years ago, but it didn't look quite like this one).

And yes, I figured I would be wasting my time in this gorgeous park if I didn't go on a couple more rides!

I am really enjoying your TR. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Take care!

Thanks! I hope to post more often!