It is absolute ages until I have last updated this. Life has got a little crazy recently. That means that planning for this trip has gone a little bit on the back burner as well. However, this does not mean that no progress has been made. We have not looked any further at tours, but will do this in due course.
However, a lot of the other elements are pretty much sorted. I got all my designs for my magnets and shirts that somebody on here kindly made for me. I have now printed them and ordered more laminate pouches and magnetic tape. Once I get some spare time, I will laminate them and add magnets to the back. This will not take too long and I still have plenty of time. The embarkation sweatshirts and some sweatshirts for the various parks are done as is a jacket. The first take on this has worked out too thin, but this is perfect for the weather we are having at the moment and I am wearing this with pride. I am now waiting for the second attempt. I have also reached out to somebody who makes custom Mickey ears. I really want a special pair of ears for each park.
I have started the visa process for China. It is a little bit too early to schedule the visa appointment, but the application form was straightforward enough to fill out and the supporting documentation required is not too difficult either. Essentially they just need a photo, an itinerary and the various booking confirmations. The application form itself is not a lot more involved than the form to apply for an ESTA. I will schedule the visa appointment for the end of October.
I have my SIM cards sorted out. I wanted a data SIM that will get around the restrictions of the Great Firewall of China. I have found something suitable and this has now arrived. While I was researching this, I also came across a data SIM for Japan that was really good value so I ended up getting this as well so I don’t have to worry about Wi-Fi.
All of our flights are now booked. I will finally get to try out the Dreamliner as our flights from Beijing to Tokyo and Tokyo to Shanghai are operated on this aircraft. The long-haul flights will all be operated by an Airbus A380. It will be a little strange flying Emirates now that I no longer work for them. It turned out a blessing that I took my time booking the flights between China and Japan. Originally the flight back was supposed to involve a change in Osaka, This was always pretty tight and due to a schedule change, this would now even tighter. However, they have now started a non-stop flight from Tokyo Haneda to the smaller airport in Shanghai. This means we do not leave Tokyo until 10:00 rather than 7:20, which is much more to my liking, but only arrive about 45 minutes later than we would have done on the original flight.
I will post something about my plans for the parks soon, but before I sign off, there is another trip to report on. This year is the 25th anniversary of
Disneyland Paris. The festivities started in spring, but I have not been back to Disneyland Paris since January. That feels like a lifetime away. I managed to get two days off together in October and we are flying to Paris after work on the Tuesday and come back on Friday morning. Graham is working away from home again at the moment and he will fly from the airport closest to him and I fly from Manchester. We will then meet at the airport. I booked a transfer to our hotel, which is the same hotel I stayed at in January. By the time we get to Paris, the last quick train will have left and I do not fancy 90 minutes plus on a commuter train. In the end, it cost about the same to get a private transfer than what two train tickets would have cost. Graham will come to the park with me on the first day. He will then spend the second day at either Meaux or Versailles and I will have a second park day. The last night we will spend in a hotel near the airport as we have early flights out. I am happy that I will get to go to Disneyland Paris for Halloween again although this year it will be scaled down a little as the 25th anniversary celebrations will still be ongoing. I am actually pretty excited about getting to experience both.