A World of Disney - 2019-2020 Pre Trip Reports! - Basic NYE plans

[Scoobie]

I think I saw that you had to be dressed nicely for this. Which will probably take this out of the running for us. We will see when they release more info.

I want to try the Space restaurant!

All the signature restaurants have a dress "policy", but few enforce it. Especially the ones in park, they understand most people aren't going to parks dressed for dinner. As long as you look decent, ie no torn clothing or old, stretched out tshirts (or revealing little tank tops?) you'll probably be fine. We have a trip for Dec., and since this opens (hopefully!) this summer, I am going to make a res. immediately then keep an eye out for people who have gone to get a better idea of things.

 

[Princess Ploppy]

Following with interest as we will be there the same time as you! We are there for Christmas too though so arrive on December 20th! Staying at Boardwalk for Christmas and then switching over to Bay Lake on the 30th for our last 4 nights so we have a theme park view room and can watch the NYE fireworks from our balcony (we have 3 children aged 5 and under so being in the parks that late isn’t an option!)

We also have a couple of the same ADRs - we are eating at Topolino Terrace on the 28th (5:15pm) and at Cali Grill on the 30th (5:15pm). We were hoping to do Topolino Terrace on the 31st to see the 6:30pm fireworks at Epcot but they haven’t released times so I suspect they are doing a ticketed event like Cali grill do on NYE. I then tried Toledo instead on 31st but same issue which is pretty annoying to be honest! Would be nice if they could do an early sitting for people with young kinds to see the 6:30pm fireworks and then switch up to the big adult NYE party at 7:30pm or something then everyone is included!

So at the moment we are booked into Rose & Crown on NYE for dinner for the early fireworks, figured we could somehow enter and exit via international gateway and then only deal with the crazy crowds for a very short distance!! I’m not sold on this idea at all as was really hoping to avoid the parks, especially Epcot, on NYE afternoon/evening but it seems like our only option at the moment. Will wait and see what they announce for Topolino and Toledo in a week or so

 

[Lesley Wake]

I need to start writing up my plans for my Asia trip as its about 3.5 months away! I'll give an update on NYE later (but basically got everything we wanted; I just don't know what I want yet for the January dates).

I decided rather than post about all the hotels, then all the plans, I would break up each part of my trip!

Part 1: Shanghai

Hotel: I knew I wanted to stay on-site, which led to 2 options: The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel. Toy Story is the value option, so about ½ the cost of the SDLH, but it just didn’t impress me from photos and people’s reviews. So I’m going with the SDLH; I went ahead and got the cheapest room rather than splurging for a view - just didn't seem worth it to me!



Tickets: I plan to get a 2-day ticket, but I won’t buy it until I arrive in Shanghai. As part of the hotel booking, you get an extra fastpass per day (you schedule it with the concierge). But I’ve heard of many issues when people buy the tickets in advance, so to avoid any of that hassle I will just buy from the concierge directly. Tickets are relatively inexpensive there, and I’m doing the parks on weekdays, so it will be only $107 for the tickets.

Previously they offered a 6-month pass, which came with some discounts (hotel, dining, merchandise), and I considered getting it, but after doing the math, it barely came out ahead and would cause even more hassle. Now they have the annual pass which was more expensive and definitely wouldn’t come out ahead anyways. I think if you are considering a longer trip, it could be a consideration though because it is nowhere near the cost of the WDW/Disneyland APs.

Dining: This isn’t as complicated as WDW, as there are only a few restaurants which had advance reservations and most of those are in Disneytown, which don’t interest me as much. The only one I plan to visit is Lumiere’s Kitchen at the SDLH. It’s a buffet, but has the cutest desserts! I am thinking my arrival day dinner will be the best idea. And I’ve heard you can either walk-up or schedule a reservation with the concierge when you arrive.



The only in-park sit-down restaurant is Royal Banquet Hall, which I believe is in the castle. Though the menu didn’t interest me, and with only 2 days in the park, I don’t want to take that much time out of my day for a sit-down meal. Also, I’ve heard Westerners can get really fawned over by the wait service – normally that would be fine with me, but when I’m a solo diner, I don’t really like the extra attention!

So, mostly quick service for me. I haven’t figured out exactly which places and when, but I think these are my biggest ones:

• Wandering Moon Restaurant – Chinese food
• Pinocchio Village Kitchen – Asian foods plus pizza – the Peking duck pizza is especially intriguing to me as I liked that option when it used to be offered at California Pizza Kitchen.
• Barbossa’s Bounty – Grill and BBQ by Pirates of the Caribbean
• Tangled Tree Tavern – Rapunzel themed, with roast chicken, etc.
• Breadtalk (Disney Springs, so most likely my arrival day) – Pastries and sandwiches

And of course snacks (so maybe I’ll end up cutting a QS for more snacks). I don’t know if they will have special Halloween food items, as they are still getting their Halloween offerings more established, but that could be cool to try! Also, I will have a list, but I know sometimes places are closed without much notice (I have experience with that from Disneyland Paris), so won’t get too obsessed with one particular location. Otherwise:

• Snackin kraken – Pork Floss Bun
• Spiral Snacks – Potato gems with meat floss?!?
• Il Paperino – Donald waffles!
• Remy’s Patisserie – pastries
• Toy Box Café – Bubble waffles, also fun drinks in Toy Story cups!

So much food – only so much time!

Park Plans:

First crowds – I am cautiously hoping for them to not be too bad. If anything, Monday could be worse. But China has its Golden Week 3 weeks earlier (first week of October), so that is when they tend to take vacation. I hope that means they will all skip the rest of October!

Fastpasses – They use a variant of the MaxPass system there, and I’m well acquainted with it from Disneyland. They also have paid variants, either with a package of rides or per ride. Some rides don’t even offer regular FPs except for the paid version. I won’t be opposed to getting some of these if crowds are too bad, but I think I won’t need to!

Rides – I am a bit worried about ride breakdowns, so I have a priority list that I will try first. These include:

• Tron – Super excited for this one! I don’t know if I’ll fit on the bike seats but they have regular coaster seats in the back car if I can’t.
• Pirates of the Caribbean – Another must-do for me!
• Camp Discovery Trails – basically an obstacle course. I’m not 100% certain I’ll be able to do this – I don’t know if they have size restrictions, but I have my fingers crossed.
• Peter Pan’s Flight – I’ve heard it’s updated with moving animatronics.

I haven’t done a general touring plan yet, but I will prioritize these and then work everything around them.



Shows – I’m pretty excited about some of the shows. Tarzan, Pirates stunt show, parade, Tai Chi with Character. I will need to fit these in. And anything outdoor I will try to plan to do early in case of weather issues. Some of these are in Mandarin, so I will just figure it out as I go!



Characters – I’m not an insane character person, but there are some fun ones at Shanghai I wouldn’t mind meeting. First – anyone in Halloween special outfits. I won’t know about that though for a bit. I’d like to meet Mickey as he’s in a special outfit. And I think Gelatoni meets, which would be nice!



Halloween – Based on last year it looks like they have a night parade/character cavalcade. Not on the scale of “Boo to you” but still something, so that will be cool. They also have ghost pirates invading Treasure Cove and a “trail of treats” scavenger hunt!



Other stuff

Chloe mentioned about a Visa, so I thought I’d let people know my plans for that in case you didn’t read those comments (I think I got this info from a previous TR or from Disney Tourist Blog… can’t quite remember!). China is one of the countries that requires a visa in advance to enter – airlines won’t even let you fly if you don’t have a visa, since you won’t be allowed into the country. You would normally apply in advance at a Chinese Embassy near you and it costs money, but can last for 10 years (or the length of time for your passport). That is certainly helpful if you are going to travel to China multiple times or travel more within China.

An exception is the 72-hour Transit Visa. This applies to certain areas in China, particularly large cities and is a way China is trying to encourage tourism (a bunch of these places have extended it to 144 hours, which is basically 6 days). Rather than apply in advance, you apply once you arrive and you don’t have to pay a fee. Some caveats: you are limited only to that particular area of China. You can’t use this to arrive in Shanghai, then travel to Beijing within the 6-days. You also have to be transiting through the city. So you have to go Country A – Chinese City – Country B. And they look at the actual flights themselves, not the end destination (so you need to verify you aren’t accidentally connecting in the same city – I had looked at flights that went LAX – Taipei -Shanghai, but that would cause a conflict since I go Shanghai – Taipei – Hong Kong). I will have all my documentation with me – hotel reservation, flight reservations for arrival and departing flight, etc.

I have only heard of 2 types of instances when this causes an issue. First, is departing the US – if you leave from a non-major airport the airport staff may not be familiar with the transit visa option; when you check-in they will ask to see a visa and may stop you from boarding the flight, which can be a big pain in the neck. I think I’ve been hearing less and less of this situation as more people get familiar with the transit visa. For me, I will be flying from LAX and don’t anticipate this issue. Second instance is arriving in Shanghai – some people have arrived for an 18-hour layover and have been denied entry, so they are stuck in the Shanghai airport for that time. Best remedy for that is to a) layover over 24-hours, and b) have a hotel booked. If you have both of those, then you are good to go!

Transportation: This issue is something I’m still trying to figure out. I will only be going Airport – Disneyland and back; I’m not going into the city. I have heard horror stories about fake cab drivers and getting lost and everything, so I already know to go direct to an official taxi stand and not to accept rides from people in the airport. But, I still am a bit wary. I am considering getting a private car service to pick me up directly. I still haven’t decided and any experience or advice people have would be appreciated!


So, here's my remaining To-Do list for the Shanghai Portion:

1. Park Touring Plans
2. Figure out Transportation
3. Mobile Wifi Unit - So helpful in France!
4. VPN - To try and avoid the Great Chinese Firewall.
5. Get some money (my mom uses the bank and as long as you order ahead of time you can get cash - I will most likely use my credit card, but I want to make sure I have stuff for Taxi/small purchases, etc).

Coming up - Hong Kong Plans!

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Your Shanghai plans look great! I would have picked the Disneyland Hotel too!

I'll be interested to hear about your ride experiences. I have read that Shanghai has some amazing versions of the attractions.

 

[Cloe Colton]

I can't believe how cheap the park tickets are in Shanghai! Definitely seems like the cost of the Asian parks is really just getting there. The resort you chose looks beautiful! I think you'll be happier splurging than at the other hotel!

The transit visa definitely seems like the way to go!! Very interesting about the flights and watching the layovers, definitely a good tip! I'm sure that could trip a lot of people up if they are thinking where they started their journey from not where they technically last were (that would definitely get me! lol)

So I haven't been to China but my cousin actually lives there (he teaches in a school as a history teacher to help them learn english, very cool! He also was apart of building some of their first hockey teams in China with the olympics coming there...but that's beside the point!) His sister, my other cousin, went to visit him a couple of years ago. I know she said she was aware of watching out for sketchy taxi drivers going into it and when she got there, between feeling super unfamiliar in the country she somehow ended up getting into a taxi in a very weird part of the airport. She is obviously fine and nothing happened but she said it was really stressful so maybe hiring a car would help with that? That way you'd know exactly who to look out for and only get in their car? Idk, seems like it might be a good option!

 

[NJlauren]

Looks amazing!

I really hope to get to all the parks some day, and hope you do a TR cause this looks so amazing!

That visa seems so complicated! So nice able to figure that out. I have heard of it but have never really looked into it!

I would book a private car, when there are stories like this it just isn't worth it to me, better to spend a bit more to be 100% sure i am getting a good option.

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

I can't believe that trip is coming up so fast! I feel like you were just saying to me that you were thinking of going! As I know noting about where you are going, all of your plans sound great!

 

[lvcourtneyy]

We’re doing our starting research for Asia in 2021 so it’s great to read about your plans.

I’ve read a little about the 72 hour visa for China and it sounds perfect as long as you know the ins and outs of it.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

The only in-park sit-down restaurant is Royal Banquet Hall, which I believe is in the castle

Oh interesting! I wonder if that's a cultural thing? Just not as many sit down places?

Snackin kraken

I cannot even begin to express how much I love this name.

Potato gems with meat floss?!?

What even....is this magical substance?

Donald waffles!

What?!?!

Some rides don’t even offer regular FPs except for the paid version.

Huh so like you can pay for a FP for an individual ride?

Tron – Super excited for this one! I don’t know if I’ll fit on the bike seats but they have regular coaster seats in the back car if I can’t.

OH I didn't realize that they had some coaster seats. That's a good move.

Pirates of the Caribbean – Another must-do for me!

I've heard it's amazing!!

And I think Gelatoni meets, which would be nice!

AHHHH Gelatoni!!

Mobile Wifi Unit - So helpful in France!

Which one did you use in France? We have a TEP Wireless that we love.

VPN - To try and avoid the Great Chinese Firewall.

As always, I am learning so much from you so thank you for sharing hahaha. Your plans look awesome! Can't wait to see your photos of Shanghai!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Your Shanghai plans look great! I would have picked the Disneyland Hotel too!

I'll be interested to hear about your ride experiences. I have read that Shanghai has some amazing versions of the attractions.

Yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to trying out those variations!

I can't believe how cheap the park tickets are in Shanghai! Definitely seems like the cost of the Asian parks is really just getting there. The resort you chose looks beautiful! I think you'll be happier splurging than at the other hotel!

The transit visa definitely seems like the way to go!! Very interesting about the flights and watching the layovers, definitely a good tip! I'm sure that could trip a lot of people up if they are thinking where they started their journey from not where they technically last were (that would definitely get me! lol)

So I haven't been to China but my cousin actually lives there (he teaches in a school as a history teacher to help them learn english, very cool! He also was apart of building some of their first hockey teams in China with the olympics coming there...but that's beside the point!) His sister, my other cousin, went to visit him a couple of years ago. I know she said she was aware of watching out for sketchy taxi drivers going into it and when she got there, between feeling super unfamiliar in the country she somehow ended up getting into a taxi in a very weird part of the airport. She is obviously fine and nothing happened but she said it was really stressful so maybe hiring a car would help with that? That way you'd know exactly who to look out for and only get in their car? Idk, seems like it might be a good option!

It seems park tickets for all the international parks are much cheaper than the US versions! So, lets say, tomorrow, a 1-day ticket:
Disneyland - $150-$200 (depending on park hopper or not)
Disneyworld - $133-$215
Disneyland Paris - $80-$110
Tokyo - $70
Hong Kong - $82
Shanghai - $84

I will definitely need to look more at the private car - I think it would just give me more state of mind especially after hearing stories like that! At least going from Disney - airport isn't as much an issue because the hotel will call you a taxi and give them the location and price.

Looks amazing!

I really hope to get to all the parks some day, and hope you do a TR cause this looks so amazing!

That visa seems so complicated! So nice able to figure that out. I have heard of it but have never really looked into it!

I would book a private car, when there are stories like this it just isn't worth it to me, better to spend a bit more to be 100% sure i am getting a good option.

I definitely hope to do a trip report!

I can't believe that trip is coming up so fast! I feel like you were just saying to me that you were thinking of going! As I know noting about where you are going, all of your plans sound great!

I can't wait to go!

We’re doing our starting research for Asia in 2021 so it’s great to read about your plans.

I’ve read a little about the 72 hour visa for China and it sounds perfect as long as you know the ins and outs of it.

Are you guys planning on all parks or just a couple?

Oh interesting! I wonder if that's a cultural thing? Just not as many sit down places?


I cannot even begin to express how much I love this name.


What even....is this magical substance?


What?!?!


Huh so like you can pay for a FP for an individual ride?


OH I didn't realize that they had some coaster seats. That's a good move.


I've heard it's amazing!!


AHHHH Gelatoni!!


Which one did you use in France? We have a TEP Wireless that we love.




As always, I am learning so much from you so thank you for sharing hahaha. Your plans look awesome! Can't wait to see your photos of Shanghai!

(I forgot to multi quote, so I'll go through each of your things!)

I don't know if cultural or just because it is so new? Hong Kong is the same with no in-park table service dining. But from what I've heard, the quick service food is pretty good and well themed, so I'm excited to try it!

All the names were so cute!


I honestly am so confused with the "meat floss"! Apparently they even have a corn-dog variant coated in it!

It's a whole Donald sweet place!


For the Fastpasses, you can pay for a set ($80-$100 for 6-8 pre-selected rides) or you can pay $20 per ride for the biggest ones (Buzz, Challenge Trails, Winnie the Pooh, Peter pan, Pirates, Rex's Racer, Roaring Rapids, 7DMT, Soaring, Tron, Crystal Grotto, Woody's Roundup).

In France I ended up using the company - Travel Wifi and it worked just fine. I have glanced at purchasing a unit and then getting Sim Cards, but I think it's more hassle than its worth!

 

[Scoobie]

Some of the things you have mentioned had me looking them up! All the details you've talked about so far are helping me plan our trip, really looking forward to everything you post! Thank you for being so detailed.

 

[Dentam]

I thought the Toy Story Hotel at SDL was really cute, but the DL Hotel blew me away so I think you made a great choice! Breakfast at Lumiere's was the highlight for me and was practically empty when we went. This was only a few weeks after opening I think, and they definitely didn't give us fast passes with our room - that would have been nice!

Our conference hosts were kind enough to drive us there, but the hotel called us a cab to get us to the airport after our stay since SDL was the last couple of days of a two week trip. I wouldn't recommend a cab - he got us there, but didn't speak any English and his car was kind of a mess. Ha!

On using your cc, just be aware that you may be charged an international transaction fee for every single transaction. That added quite a bit to my trip expenses.

I hope you get to ride Pirates!! It was down the day we were in the park and I almost cried!!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Some of the things you have mentioned had me looking them up! All the details you've talked about so far are helping me plan our trip, really looking forward to everything you post! Thank you for being so detailed.

I'm glad to help! My family keeps telling I should try to be a Disney travel agent, but I don't have the time/energy to do any sort of marketing for it, plus I have my full-time job!

I thought the Toy Story Hotel at SDL was really cute, but the DL Hotel blew me away so I think you made a great choice! Breakfast at Lumiere's was the highlight for me and was practically empty when we went. This was only a few weeks after opening I think, and they definitely didn't give us fast passes with our room - that would have been nice!

Our conference hosts were kind enough to drive us there, but the hotel called us a cab to get us to the airport after our stay since SDL was the last couple of days of a two week trip. I wouldn't recommend a cab - he got us there, but didn't speak any English and his car was kind of a mess. Ha!

On using your cc, just be aware that you may be charged an international transaction fee for every single transaction. That added quite a bit to my trip expenses.

I hope you get to ride Pirates!! It was down the day we were in the park and I almost cried!!

So, note to self - schedule a car both directions! I think I've been able to find some on Klook for $50ish. While it's more costly, I think it will be worth the piece of mind!

I was planning just dinner at Lumiere's but I may have time on my final morning for breakfast! I'll make it a game-time decision!

I would be so heartbroken to miss Pirates! And I'm really hoping everything goes according to plan! Maybe if I have the energy and time I can buy a ticket on the day I arrive as long as everything is up and running! Plus get that walking up main street feeling, since the hotel entrance is off to the side now!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Misc. trip updates:

New Years Eve Trip:

Of course, the big news is that Rise of the Resistance will be opening at DHS FIRST, on December 5th. I will try to refrain from ranting too much, but needless to say I was pissed! Like really upset! I know - some people will say we got the land first, but I've just felt for years Disneyland has really gotten the shaft in favor of WDW. This was the thing we got first! These were the first "new" rides since Carsland opened up in 2012. Everything else has just been re-skinning of existing rides. In that time, WDW got New Fantasyland, Pandora, Toy Story Land, etc. Plus it's getting Tron coaster, Guardians coaster, Ratatouille, Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railroad... It's also just annoying because I know one of the major reasons why it was so delayed at Disneyland was due to corporate not being willing to pay a bit more money, which has led to significant delays and cost overages. Ok, anyways, I could keep going, but I'll stop now.

So, for me, this means I definitely need to figure out how to fit RotR into my trip more. I'm expecting there will be some Rope Drop mornings, mid-day naps, then late evenings. I have some connections too, which I may be able to use, but I don't want to abuse that privilege. But yeah, I already knew I was going to have to deal with high holiday crowds. Now this... ugh!

For the actual trip, some basic plans:

Saturday, Dec 28 - Topolino Terrace, timed to be able to see fireworks shows at both DHS and Epcot. Dina and I arrive around 3-4ish, dinner is at 8. I don't know if we'll schedule any FPs for the time in between arrival and dinner, or if we'll just get settled. Depending on hours at DHS, we may attempt to go over there and ride RotR at the end of the night.

Sunday, Dec 29 - Hopefully Epcot snacking/Festival of the Holidays in the morning. If we don't ride RotR the previous evening, we probably will end up rope-dropping it today, then going to Epcot. Early afternoon will be Animal Kingdom (where we will have FPs). Dinner at Toledo Tapas around sunset. Then over to Magic Kingdom, where Dina, Willis and I have the after-fireworks dessert party booked. The new Christmas fireworks will be going off this evening, so we wanted to see them with a good view and not needing to rush there after dinner.

Monday, Dec 30 - Another morning where we could end up Rope Dropping RotR. Then over to Magic Kingdom, where we have "brunch" at Crystal Palace. Basically we have a late breakfast slot, so we will get to have breakfast and lunch foods. I know we will want to see the Christmas parade, shows, etc. Dinner at California Grill at 5pm. And 6:30 fireworks from the patio/restaurant. Afterwards, head back to Magic Kingdom and sample atmosphere. Before ANOTHER fireworks dessert party for the midnight fireworks!

(And yes - I don't know how I'm going to actually eat all this food...)

Tuesday, Dec 31 - I wouldn't be surprised if we do another RotR rope drop... Lunch will be in Epcot. We are hoping the Space Restaurant will be open by then, but no updates on it yet. I have Via Napoli and booked in case, don't know if we will keep that though even if they don't open the Space restaurant in time. We are also going to do Takumi-Tei for dinner (just booked that reservation this morning after getting frustrated with Disney IT). I expect we will still be eating during the first fireworks show, which is fine. In an ideal world, we will track down some sort of reserved viewing for the midnight fireworks (whether private group's dessert party or something), but otherwise, we may just have to see it the normal way!

Wednesday, Jan 1 - Brunch at Topolino Terrace. But not too early! Dina is leaving that afternoon. I don't know yet what we will do during the day (maybe DHS?). I'm leaning towards doing the Jingle Bell Jingle Bam dessert party. Still haven't made up my mind.

Thursday, Jan 2 / Friday, Jan 3 - One of these days will be Universal Studios. The other will involve Ohana dinner w/Su-Lynn, Steve, and Zach. I don't know yet which is which (we have Ohana reservations both days until we decide). No idea yet what I will do pre-Ohana.

Saturday, Jan 4 / Sunday, Jan 5 - One day will involve Trail's End Brunch w/the chunkies. No idea which yet! I will probably do Citricos that evening for dinner, as I want to experience it before it could get changed around (per the WDW News reports). I also want to go to Skipper Canteen as long as they have the "not so secret" menu, since I love Brazilian Cheese bread!
The other day will probably involve Animal Kingdom and Tiffins. Again, no idea what yet.

Monday, Jan 6 - I have the morning/early afternoon. Still don't know yet what I'm going to do...

So, yeah, a lot of I don't know yet!



Star Wars Day at Sea Cruise

Most significant update is that I fixed my airfare. You probably don't remember, but I made a stupid mistake and accidentally booked round trip from Orlando instead of LA. In order to change it, there would have been a $200 fee. So I waited. And thankfully there was a flight time change, so I was able to cancel without penalty. I also was also able to use miles to book the actual flight, so that was a big plus!



Alaska Cruise

We went ahead and booked a hotel for the night before the cruise. It looks very nice and is only a couple blocks from port, so that will be convenient (even if my Uncle is still living in BC, it's about 1 hr out of Vancouver and we leave on a Monday, so we don't have to worry about traffic). Also, it means I should be able to pop out and see the Wonder arrive in port and maybe even say hi to @chunkymonkey as she will disembarking the ship that day!

My brother is still uncertain if he will come or not. He asked if he had his own room and mom and I looked at him and almost laughed - um, that would cost another $6k, so no.


Besides that, no other news. I still am working on the Asia trip planning and working hard at my actual job! But I'll post Hong Kong plans soon!

 

[StarWarsMomofGirls!]

All of the Star Wars roll out has seemed odd. I don't know... Why wouldn't they try and get them open at the same time?

Your December plans sounds good. I like having some days flexible.

 

[Cloe Colton]

I am pretty bummed about Disneylands delay in ROTR. I totally thought DH and I would catch it in November and now we'll be in the thick of it JUST opening in WDW when we go in December. Praying for an after hours party or something by that point!

Your NYE plans sound great!

I think I missed the Alaska cruise announcement! That sounds awesome! Which cruise line are you going with?

 

[Lesley Wake]

I am pretty bummed about Disneylands delay in ROTR. I totally thought DH and I would catch it in November and now we'll be in the thick of it JUST opening in WDW when we go in December. Praying for an after hours party or something by that point!

Your NYE plans sound great!

I think I missed the Alaska cruise announcement! That sounds awesome! Which cruise line are you going with?

Yeah, I would be worried if I had booked a trip in early December and got stuck in that! If they have after hours events in January, I will probably end up signing up!

For Alaska, Disney cruise line - what else! We actually looked at all the various options and DCL just fit best. The timing of the cruise (right between my sister ending finals and before her summer job/classes would start), that it goes in/out of Vancouver (my Uncle leaves nearby), and just the service and familiarity of it.

 

[Lesley Wake]

All of the Star Wars roll out has seemed odd. I don't know... Why wouldn't they try and get them open at the same time?

Your December plans sounds good. I like having some days flexible.

For SW, I assume they are just going to put all their resources into WDW. Like, say they need a certain part. To get 2 of those parts (one for each coast), it would take 3 weeks. Or you could get 1 in 2 weeks and the 2nd in 4 weeks. They are going to do the extended option because it helps WDW. Argh!

 

[Lesley Wake]

Asia Part 2: Hong Kong Disney
(obviously - none of these photos are mine)

This is the one I’m least worried about planning and surprisingly, very excited about. HK seems like a pretty chill park – low crowds, fun rides, but not a huge amount of advance planning required. Unfortunately, the castle is still under construction while it switches from a copy of Disneyland’s to one that is larger. I just hope they put up a good scrim before I arrive, but I’ll deal with what I get!

Current view:

Future:

Hotel: I again wanted to stay on-site and there are 3 hotel options: Hollywood Hotel, Explorer’s Lodge, and HK Disneyland Hotel. I ended up deciding to go with the Explorer’s Lodge. It is the newest and has the best reviews. Plus the theme looks great! Disneyland Hotel is more expensive and more upscale, so I will check it out (the rooms do have toiletries that are themed to the 7 dwarves which almost swayed me). Hollywood Hotel is slightly cheaper and is Art Deco themed, but I’d prefer Explorer’s! I was able to book this already, getting the cheaper rooms (but booking in advance means I get 1 level of upgrade, so at least I won’t be on Level 1).

Tickets: Another 2-day ticket here, which I bought when I reserved the hotel. I looked at the cost and benefits of getting their AP too, but again, it didn’t come out ahead.

Dining:
One thing I absolutely HAVE TO DO: Crystal Lotus Disney Dimsum! I mean, how cute! I will probably do this on departure day. I can get an 11am reservation and I don’t need to leave for the airport until at least 1pm. I do tend to eat fast, so don’t think it will be a huge issue timewise!

Also, Dragon Wind Restaurant for breakfast. It’s a buffet and highly recommended by TDR Explorer. I looked at photos and youtube reviews and it looked pretty awesome. Plus its right in my hotel! The parks don’t tend to open until 10am, so I will have time for breakfast before heading to the park one morning. (I tried to make a reservation for this in advance, but was told they don’t do breakfast reservations, so it’s just walk-up.)

I will probably end up at the hotel QS for a meal or two (breakfast, arrival dinner), but it also looks good.

In-park I think I will rely on Quick-Service. I haven’t decided if I’ll pre-purchase Klook vouchers, which can sometimes save you money on meals. Place’s I’ve thought about are:
Explorer’s Club – Asian foods, but different places like Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia. The theming here looks top notch!
Royal Banquet Hall – Seems like a variety of foods, including a grill, sushi, dim sum, and western.
Clopin’s Festival of Foods – Regional noodles, bbq, wok

Also, probably snacking. Based on past years, they should have Halloween treats too.

Park Plans: I definitely won’t have a strict touring plan for this one. Most of what I’ve heard is that it’s so uncrowded, you don’t need one.

Fastpasses: They are actually starting to phase these out. Only 2 rides have them now – Hyperspace Mountain and Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. So I guess I can pull them if I need to, but I don’t expect I will. They are instead transitioning to a paid version, “priority special” attraction admission pass. It costs about $18 - $27 (USD) for a certain number of attractions and you can go on them once each. The hotel room also comes with one for 1 attraction (I think it’s just one per stay, but sometimes guests get one per day (it’s just a paper slip)). I honestly don’t think these will be necessary at all, so don’t expect to purchase anything. But I will probably use the complimentary one.

Rides: This is where I’m super excited! I know they have some of the best ones in all the Disney parks!

• Mystic Manor – Oh boy, I can’t wait for this one!
• Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars – I’ve heard it’s a combo of Big Thunder Mountain and Expedition Everest. Sign me up!
• Jungle Cruise – I know it’s silly, but I’m curious to see this one. I know they have 3 lines for different languages, which I think is a smart idea. And it’s interesting how their Adventureland is set up, with Tarzan’s Treehouse on the island in the center, and the Jungle Cruise Boats travelling around that island.
• Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle – I know it’s just a re-skinned version of Buzz Lightyear, but I really like Ant-Man. It’s also cool how they have coordinated between Ant-Man and the Iron Man ride for the same basic story.
• Iron Man Experience – Again, a reskinned version of Star Tours, but I think it will be cool to see.

Shows

• Festival of the Lion King – I think it’s mostly the same as WDW’s version, but I’m curious to see it
• Moana: A homecoming celebration – I adore Moana so can’t wait to see this.
• Mickey and the Wondrous Book – Another one I’ve heard good things about
• Paint the Night Parade – I’m very unsure if this actually will be happening while I’m there due to the Halloween stuff. I’d like to see it, but if I can’t, at least I’ve experienced the Disneyland version plenty of times.
• We Love Mickey Projection Show – They do this on Main Street currently instead of fireworks. Again though, I don’t know if it will be going on during my trip.
• Various Street entertainment – jugglers, welcome wagon show, just general atmosphere!

Character Meets - I've heard that even though the ride lines are very short, character meets can get very long waits. Guests are supposed to get let onto Main Street early, so you can knock out 1-2 meets before the park opens.

• Duffy and Friends – I really really want to meet Cookie! She’s an adorable dog who bakes, how can I NOT love her!
• Iron Man – it’s the only place he meets in the world (so far)
• R2-D2 – That could be cool!
• Halloween characters – I’ve heard all the characters have their outfits and meet during the day. AND – Oogie Boogie meets! That is high high priority for me!

Halloween: THIS! This is the reason for adding on Hong Kong and subsequently Shanghai. Hong Kong does Halloween so cool!

• Decorations galore – Main Street and even Toy Story Land is decorated like Sid’s backyard!

• “Haunted House” – It’s a walk-through experience and sounds like it is genuinely scary. Every year is a different theme. So I think 2017 was a mad scientist took over Disney stories and they don’t hold back. Full on fake blood and decapitation! Last year was Nightmare Before Christmas themed (for the anniversary). I wonder what this year will be!

• Halloween Time Street Party – I will watch a bit, but it sounds like more for kids.

• Villain’s Stage Show (I think this is happening again this year).

• Festival Gardens – trick or treat and character meets, with Winnie the Pooh and friends during the day and Villains at night.
• In the past they’ve done Pirates of the Caribbean Ghost Trail in Adventureland. Jack Sparrow occasionally makes an appearance. And I guess the pirates really do get in your face and scare you!

Other stuff
No Visa needed for Hong Kong, so that’s good. And transport should be pretty easy since the airport is on the same island as Disneyland, so it’s quick and simple to get a cab (apparently they are even color coded and will have Disneyland written on them).

To Do, Hong Kong
-Touring Plans
-Reserve Dining
-Mobile Wifi
-Cash

 

[sahu]

It will be so cool to go to Hong Kong during Halloween time! I'm so jealous and I love those outfits that Pooh and friends are wearing. Hope the lines aren't too long so you can meet lots of characters!