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

I couldn't put my finger on what the lobby pictures reminded me of until you mentioned a cruise ship and then the connection clicked. It definitely resembled one!

I had no idea about the warm water and the need to boil it. Between that and no Coke products on property, I'm sure you had some adapting to do during your stay.

I'm sure having your first meal inside the hotel was really convenient. I can't imagine how tired/groggy you must have been after traveling and walking around DT. (I know you had the business seat on the plane, but I'm sure that could only do so much.)
 
Lovely update! The hotel looks beautiful. How hard was the bed?
Hmmm pirates or tron.. gonna guess tron.
Soaring .
The bed was comfy! There was only 1 real place with a super uncomfortable bed and that was Kyoto. Otherwise, I had good luck!

And good guesses - you'll have to see if you are right!

Great update!

The hotel is beautiful and what a neat room. Love the room decor.
Yeah, I did really like the decor - Disney but still elegant.
Your room looked really nice! Such cute plastic cups they provided you!

OoO those portraits in the lobby are so nice! They really should sell prints of them!

Glad you enjoyed your dinner. So many cute desserts! And I love the character costumes!
They really gave lots of good amenities for you to take home! They had room slippers with notes on them that you could take them home, so I grabbed a pair! And some bags with a painting of the DLH. I think the Toy Story Hotel had cute toiletry tins too.
Love Mickey in the pulldown bed, and the pixie dust 🧚‍♂️ Headboard!
I love all those little details too!
I couldn't put my finger on what the lobby pictures reminded me of until you mentioned a cruise ship and then the connection clicked. It definitely resembled one!

I had no idea about the warm water and the need to boil it. Between that and no Coke products on property, I'm sure you had some adapting to do during your stay.

I'm sure having your first meal inside the hotel was really convenient. I can't imagine how tired/groggy you must have been after traveling and walking around DT. (I know you had the business seat on the plane, but I'm sure that could only do so much.)
Yeah, it is totally cruise ship vibe!

I had to get used to some things! And even noticed Pepsi more prominently in some other places too - ick!

It was nice having a close meal - I try to do that at WDW when I arrive later in the evening too.
 
Monday, October 21 – A busy day at Shanghai Disney!

Part 1 – Making the most of EMH

A quick peak at the park along with relevant locations for this day! Shanghai Disney is the largest Disney castle park at 287 acres (only Animal Kingdom – 403 acres, and Epcot – 300 acres are bigger). It’s over 3x the size of Disneyland!

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I woke up fairly easily today! Because it was my first time in a new park, so I was excited! (Jetlag didn’t really hit me that badly because of the magic of Business class seats.)

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I’m not going to lie, I was excited but also worried about today. The previous day in DisneyTown was a bit overwhelming just due to the heat and large amounts of people. I had also heard such bad things about Shanghai Disney, with rude guests and CMs, broken rides, dirty conditions, and just general unpleasantness. But I still wanted to see for myself.

I got to the bus stop nice and early at 7am (while the park didn’t open until 9am, hotel guests had EMH for 1-hour beforehand; you can also pay for it if you aren’t staying on-site). And when I got to the bus stop I realized it didn’t start running until 7:30… oops! (I had also ready the tip that you don’t want to walk to the park in the morning because they re-route you to the main entrance, not the hotel guest entrance; I never attempted it, so I don’t know if that was still true.)

Well, since I couldn’t leave yet, might as well get some breakfast! I stopped in the Ballet Café and picked up a Minnie donut – so cute! (Oh and even though there was chocolate icing, it was a normal vanilla cake doughnut)

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Some other options: large Mickey/Minnie donuts, various Danishes (pineapple/coconut, mango/coconut, apricot), pork floss buns, muffins, macarons, Chip and Dale mousse cakes,various Halloween treats (which I had been able to try the night before), meat pies, croque monsieur, sausage rolls, etc. So, lots of options! I think they had hot prepared food too that you could order and they’d bring to the table.

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A cute Halloween option, but I don’t like coffee, so I skipped

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The café theming is based on Fantasia

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By the time I got back out to the bus stop about 10-15 people had gotten in line, but we all were able to catch the first bus. In the morning the buses also drop off right by the hotel entrance, instead of the normal bus drop-off, so it saves some walking distance!

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There is a line of CMs checking hotel keys (which have your dates printed on the back), and the people in front of me were fumbling around trying to find their key, but luckily I was able to walk around them and came to this crowded entrance…

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(heavy sarcasm there!) Definitely better than the main entrance.

At around 7:45 they opened the gates and I quickly made it into the park! (I definitely recommend getting on the first bus and then also speed walking to get to the entrance, so you don’t end up in line after the rest of the bus. On both mornings the bus from the Disneyland Hotel dropped off before the one from the Toy Story Hotel, so I don’t know if that is the norm, or just happened to work out well for me?)

My first view in the park…

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Most people turned right and headed right to Soaring. Meanwhile, I headed left and went to Tomorrowland. Definitely cool with the emptiness!

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I LOVED the background music here! It just fit so well!

 
I actually got a bit turned around and didn’t quite know how to get to the entrance. Tomorrowland is also 2 levels there, so I ended up going down to the bottom, when the entrance is actually on the top. Eventually I figured it out though!

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And got to my first ride of choice – Tron!

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Some queue photos

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(I also got lost in the queue, because the CMs hadn’t closed the barrier separating the standby from fastpass line, so I ended up accidentally walking back through the standby entrance – once I realized I was seeing daylight, I knew that couldn’t be right, so I backtracked. And I wasn’t the only one, there were a couple other girls who also got lost until we found a CM to help us!)

Pretty empty!

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I think my group had only a couple people on the coaster!

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(I was worried about fitting in the seats since they collapse down the back, but I never had any issues. It did get a bit tight on my calves, but I think they weren’t in the right spot)

I ended up buying photopass mainly so I could get this photo!

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It was soooo fun! OMG, so much fun! I just loved every moment of it! I can’t wait for it to come to Magic Kingdom!

(a ride POV video, not from me)

We got delayed while waiting to exit, so I got to take these reaction shots!

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Oh, and bags – they have lockers by the ride entrance, but those aren’t really needed. As you are going to get into your coaster spot, they have some carts where everyone puts their bags. Then that cart gets rolled over to the exit platform, so everyone can grab their bags when they are done. They actually have holes cut in the wall for those carts, so it’s easier for the CMs. It works pretty seamlessly!

I considered doing another round on Tron, but decided to try and do some more things during EMH.
 


Time for Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue, another walk-on

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Ride POV, again, not my video.


OMG – This version was AMAZING! You can actually see the laser pointer, so you know where you are aiming. And if you hit one target, sometimes that will activate other targets. Plus, rather than using different shapes to indicate different scores, they use different sizes – genius! It was so much fun and I actually did so well (I often barely get over 100k). Definitely the best version of Buzz!

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Time to head across the park, but I did take a couple quick shots of Tomorrowland…

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And…I almost tripped and landed face first, but luckily I caught myself. You can see the elevation change, which is totally not safe!

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I headed through the Gardens of Imagination and got my first view of the castle! I was not a big fan of this castle from various photos I’ve seen, as it looked like a gray box. But in person, it was so much better! A lot more pink hues and more definition and textures. I really started to like it at the end of my trip!

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The Gardens of Imagination (Shanghai’s version of a Hub, but it’s a whole land since it’s so huge) is really nice, with lots of quieter pathways.

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I headed into Adventure Isle…

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These symbols on the sign reminded me of Legends of the Hidden Temple!

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They had these rock animals throughout the land which was really nice and subtle

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And over to my next goal for EMH – Soaring over the Horizon. Yes, I did decline a Fastpass the day before, but I had heard the queue for this one is cool, so I decided to check it out before the daytime crowds got in. It was listed as a 30 minute wait, but really was more like 15 minutes.

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I really tried to take good photos in the main queue room, but it was hard due to low light conditions, But that room is pretty cool! I think there may have been a mobile game of some sort, because they showed different teams and scores, but I didn’t bother figuring it out.

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The preshow was pretty cute, with a lady shaman instead of Patrick. But, most importantly – the thumbs up was still there (some stills from the POV video below):

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Walking into the main room was neat because they had the galaxy motif on the screen.

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I was seated all the way in the bottom corner, which I didn’t mind since I’ve done it so many times before and the video is the same, except it ends in Shanghai (the city, not Disney). But it was a cool experience because so many of the other guests didn’t seem to know what to expect. So there were lots of gasps and laughter and just amazement. I always like watching other people experience something new, so that made the minimal wait worth while.

And, guess what – it was still EMH! Yeah, I had done Tron, Buzz, and Soaring in less than an hour (if you look at the park map, you’d see they are also on opposite sides of the park). Not bad!


Coming up - breakfast and character stalking!
 
It must be a crazy feeling to be somewhere that feels so familiar but is also so different.

I'm bookmarking your TR for when I'm ready to start planning. Thanks for including all the helpful tips.

Tron looks amazing!
 


It must be a crazy feeling to be somewhere that feels so familiar but is also so different.

I'm bookmarking your TR for when I'm ready to start planning. Thanks for including all the helpful tips.

Tron looks amazing!
Oh I know! I think at least Shanghai was layed out so different, it wasn't as jarring! Disneyland Paris definitely was different!

Tron is in the top of my favorite rides now! So many awesome experiences!
Wow, what a great morning !
Yeah, it really worked out so great! Honestly, this whole day worked out almost perfectly!
 
Your Tron picture is so cool, looks like you were having so much fun, that is awesome, so excited for it to be at Magic Kingdom!!!
 
Tron sounds amazing; I can't wait for it WDW's version to be completed.

I watched the Imagineering Story on Disney Plus, so I knew Shanghai's castle was big, but man...seeing it in your photos just demonstrates how enormous it really is.

I did not know their was a different version of Soarin' in Shanghai. Pretty interesting. And always fun when you get to be in a theater with first timers. Their reactions are priceless.
 
Because it was my first time in a new park, so I was excited!
Such a cute shirt!

So, lots of options!
Wow those look amazing! What were prices like? My phone screen isn't super clear when I try to zoom in to check.

(heavy sarcasm there!) Definitely better than the main entrance.
Wowza, I'll say

I definitely recommend getting on the first bus and then also speed walking to get to the entrance, so you don’t end up in line after the rest of the bus
Noted!

My first view in the park…
Funny how that tree is exactly in the way of the castle hahaha

Most people turned right and headed right to Soaring
It's good that such a crowd-sucker is a ride that we don't care about as much!

I think my group had only a couple people on the coaster!
Okay EMH sounds incredible here.

I ended up buying photopass mainly so I could get this photo!
Oh nice! How much was that?

so I got to take these reaction shots!
These are amazing. I was trying to figure out how you got someone to take the last photo...then I realized it was a mirror 😂

Oh, and bags – they have lockers by the ride entrance, but those aren’t really needed. As you are going to get into your coaster spot, they have some carts where everyone puts their bags. Then that cart gets rolled over to the exit platform, so everyone can grab their bags when they are done. They actually have holes cut in the wall for those carts, so it’s easier for the CMs. It works pretty seamlessly!
Are there any concerns about someone else taking your bag?

You can actually see the laser pointer, so you know where you are aiming
Hallelujah! It's a HalloXmas miracle!

You can see the elevation change, which is totally not safe!
Wow so glad you didn't get hurt! But I'm laughing because in my head I picture them during construction and they get to the point where they need to connect the pathways and they're just like...oh shoot...

The Gardens of Imagination (Shanghai’s version of a Hub, but it’s a whole land since it’s so huge) is really nice, with lots of quieter pathways.
Especially when it's so empty!

But that room is pretty cool!
Oh, super cool.

And, guess what – it was still EMH! Yeah, I had done Tron, Buzz, and Soaring in less than an hour (if you look at the park map, you’d see they are also on opposite sides of the park). Not bad!
EMH at Shanghai is no joke- that's amazing!
 
I haven't read a single word yet. But I am hear!!! December kicked my butt! But I am starting to at least attempt to start catching up!

Have a great trip to Florida! Can't wait to hear about that as well.
 
Marathon post! All caught up!!!!

A long trip (maybe too long for me), but one I was really looking forward to!
3 weeks is a long time. I remember we took 2 weeks for our honeymoon and I was ready to go home by the end of that!

What did I think of the Disney parks in Asia?
I am very curious about this! And your overall ranking of ALL of the parks.

Joey had suggested ramen or Chinese food, but my mom said, maybe Lesley would prefer American! So, some fried cheese, tri-tip sliders, and skillet chocolate chip cookie, yum!
Ha! She was probably right on that.

I didn’t like most of the prepared items (just my own picky tastes), so I stuck to the noodle bar (basically they had vats of fresh noodles, toppings, and broths, so you could make your own.
That noodle bar would be heaven for me.

When I looked at the flight map I also noticed something – we completely avoided flying over North Korea! I guess for safety reasons, since Asiana is a Korean airline, just was curious!
Interesting. Crazy how it is over there.

The airport mascots

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Because every airport needs a mascot. I spy Baby Shark as well. Which I am glad to see that they are torchured by that song as well.

I bought a 2-day ticket and selected Tron for my Day 1 Fastpass (with an evening return time), and 7DMT for my Day 2 Fastpass (I really couldn’t decide what ride and wish I had chosen Tron again or something else because I ended up not using this one). The concierge kept
I am suprised you didn't do tron for both but I get it as well.

Is that a giant Donald Duck?

This is the “Magic Bridge”; seems like a simple bridge, but there was actually some explanation that it’s structurally complicated, with a single-side suspension (only being supported from one side), one of the first ones in China. (Sorry-my undergrad was in Structural Engineering, so it was pretty interesting to me!)
I think that is super intresting as well.

Apparently it is!

It was also pretty warm and I was in a long sleeve shirt plus jeans. And tired from the plane, and just overwhelmed by being there and everything! I did end up getting an ice cream, which was pretty good. But I ended up basically skipping lunch.
I get that way sometimes as well.

It was interesting to see when something was being censored (specifically Hong Kong protests), as the announcer would start talking before suddenly the screen going black and no sound until the next news segment!
I find it so interesting that they don't even try to hid the fact that they are censoring things. It is just accepted that they don't know everything. Which is so weird.

Beautiful.

This one is my favorite.

Indian station, including some wacky pizzas (Thirteen spices prawn pizza anyone?)

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See, that sounds amazing to me! This whole buffet sounds so fun! Why can't they do this in Disney World?

So cute! I love them all.

I really got stuffed at this meal and couldn’t even try all the foods! I definitely recommend it, even though it is on the pricey side (though apparently hotel guests get 20% off – at least I did
It sounds amazing. I would totally do this if they had it here.

Lets play a guessing game (and if you know the answer from my Instagram stories, don’t cheat):

-What do you think is my first ride at the park?
-What ride do I go on just to see the queue?
Well, I knew the answer to the first one...

So cute!

Are those macroons on the bottom?

Most people turned right and headed right to Soaring. Meanwhile, I headed left and went to Tomorrowland. Definitely cool with the emptiness!

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I hope they fix our Tomorowland.

I ended up buying photopass mainly so I could get this photo!

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Perfect!

Oh, and bags – they have lockers by the ride entrance, but those aren’t really needed. As you are going to get into your coaster spot, they have some carts where everyone puts their bags. Then that cart gets rolled over to the exit platform, so everyone can grab their bags when they are done. They actually have holes cut in the wall for those carts, so it’s easier for the CMs. It works pretty seamlessly!
Sounds perfect. I hope they do the same here. Lockers are suck a pain.
 
Whelp, didn't see this til just now, but am all caught up. What a lot of material to start this TR out! I loved it all, but especially your dinner at Lumiere's. What a spread! You made it look like you were the only one in the whole place. I'm sure that wasn't the case, but it sure looked empty!
 
Hello! Long time lurker here but I had to tell you how happy I am to see a review of the Disneylands in the Asian countries! I have only ever been to HK Disneyland and we loved it. Very interested to go to the Shanghai Disneyland as my grandmother was from Shanghai and I am just watching the Imagineering episode on the Shanghai construction right now. I love your Minnie ears they are so elegant! Dinner at Lumiere’s looks wonderful! Do you mind my asking how much the dinner was? Is it pretty close to the WDW prices for character buffets? Thank you and looking forward to reading more of your review!
 
Your report is amazing so far. I hope you brought an extra suitcase for all that shopping! Were those Away suitcases I saw? The hotel and food look amazing. Looking forward to reading more!
 

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