The First (but technically second) of Many Trips to Shanghai Disney (Royal B Food photos!)

supedewoop

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
In three days I'll be going to SH Disneyland for the second time, but for the first time as an Annual passholder.

Background:
I live and work in China, but not near Shanghai. I have been waiting YEARS for an annual pass. I know they had the seasonal pass, but I was a lot less certain I could maximize the value of it in 3-6 months rather than a full year.

I have been to Shanghai Disneyland once before, but it was only for a day as a staff-trip. And, while the time in Disney was fun, it was tied up with a bad experience with a co-worker the night before that led to even worse aftermath. I'm eager to see how much I enjoy it when I'm in a better state of mind from the beginning!

I had planned to go to either HK or SH some weekend in March, in part because I didn't travel during the recent Spring Festival. Prices are drastically increased during that time, and there wasn't anywhere I wanted to go badly enough. And, I couldn't find anyone to watch my cat.


Right now, my plans are:
PIRATES! (This is one of my favorite rides!)
Disneyland Hotel
Meet a Shanghai-based friend in Disneytown for appetizers at Cheesecake Factory (when you live in China, you eat familiar "western" food on trips, not try something new!)
Eat 2 "unique" snacks (things unique to the park)
Eat a meal at the hotel (buffet breakfast? But can I do that and early entry?)
Check out the pool at the hotel
"replace" my Dale hat (if possible! It was a winter item that I bought a couple months ago in Disneytown. I love it but I hid it from my cat and lost it!)
 
Pre-trip report
I booked everything about 3 days ago--the weekend before, but I had done my research and knew what I wanted. I think I did pay a slight premium for the plane ticket and it might have been cheaper a week ago, but oh well. A benefit to living in China is that I can use all the native pay systems. I found the pay process familiar and simple: scanning a qr code with my phone in an app. When I go home and have to use cards or cash for everything is when I have problems.

I booked the flight using Trip.com, which works well in China, and again, provides qr code and app payment options. I'll fly in from another Chinese city early Saturday and leave late sunday. I also booked a hotel closer to the airport friday night to reduce travel-stress and increase sleep-time. It's a short trip, but super affordable. My dream has always been to be able to take weekend trips to Disney. I probably specified WDW at one point or another, but there's no reason to be so picky! I had wanted to get there Friday night, but the flight/train schedules aren't convenient with my work schedule so it's only one night, but that's okay because:

To "celebrate" the annual pass, I've also booked one night at the Disneyland hotel. Going forward, it might be a bit much to spend on frequent trips, (one night is about the cost of the round-trip plane ticket, so I'll have to choose between another trip sooner or a night at the hotel) but once in awhile, it might be okay!

The discount was pretty good, about 300 RMB cheaper than the site at the time, but might have been as much as 500. It's unclear if the website included taxes and fees. 300 RMB is only about 40 USD but when you live in China, it makes more of a difference! In Disney terms, that's probably about 2 decent meals' worth! I do wonder how it compares with other discounts offered through the site, such as a multi-night stay. Would it have been a discount on top of that discount?

I knew from asking when I first found out about the pass that I'd need to pay for the pass, then call to book the hotel to get the discount. So, I did that. Here, I had to use a US credit card because there was no app option over the phone but I'll probably try to switch at the hotel. When booking, I had kinda an awkward moment with the person on the line. I paused a bit after he asked how many the reservation was for, before answering that it was only one. He replied something like, "Oh, well, you're a bit lonely, aren't you?!" I still don't know if it was funny or insulting, but it felt more personal than I'm used to from "services" in China and was nice from that perspective!

I'm a little worried I'll be a bit tired! I've had a busy week (a friend's going away party on Monday, St. Patrick's themed trivia tonight (wednesday), some freelance articles to finish for an EFL site, my students have a touch of Spring Fever). I can use the break, for sure, but hope it will be relaxing as well as enjoyable.
 


It was fantastic! I'll finish my report soon, but I will note that my legs are DYING from all the walking.
I'm a little concerned about my classes as I stand and move the whole time, but I'm sooooo sore!
 
Friday was a normal day at work. We have the option to leave a little early, but I usually don't take it. I did that day, though. I needed to pack!

I wanted to see if it's "worth" heading out to the airport the night before an "early" flight (about 7am) which is on the other side of the city, AT LEAST an hour by car. It wasn't worth it. The traffic is SO BAD in the evening, plus the hotel wasn't very nice and the bed was WAY hard. It *might* be worthwhile to go if I take the subway to the airport, but I think in the future, an early night and a reserved didi in the wee hours of the morning is best. I'll sleep better, and have less traffic to deal with.

The airport was smooth. I've flown domestic a few times and it was a slow time of day. It was a full flight. We landed a little early, which was nice. I had checked a bag because I knew I'd buy stuff and didn't want a backpack limit, but in the future, might just ship it back! So I collected it.

I didn't want to take a taxi and was worried about a didi finding me, and I had read about a bus to Shanghai Disney, but it was an older article. I decided to try and find it and then go from there. I found the coach depot, which went to the same cities mentioned in the article, but Disney seemed to no longer be an option. I checked the local buses and similarly had no clue which I needed, plus, I think I'd need to transfer at least once. I checked my didi app and found a green dot nearby. So, I got on top of the dot and saw others getting picked up, so I decided to try it. It worked! Sorta. The driver didn't recognize my initial description of the location and asked which terminal, but I mistook it for floor, and answered incorrectly, but we eventually figured it out, both of us being too stubborn to lose money to be the one to cancel. The Didi cost was about 60 RMB. This is also about what the airport SAYS a taxi ride should be, but most "real" taxi drivers don't want to take you that close. It's less than 10 USD, compared to about 20 USD that I've seen other people mention being charged from "black taxis". It doesn't seem like much, but living in China makes Chinese money have more value. Imagine going from 60 USD to 120 USD! (This will also be important later!)

All told, I made it to the park at about 10am! I had my luggage with me, and knew I could check it, but didn't know where. It had to go through secruity and be "searched" but they didn't do too much besides open it and feel around. I'm glad I had the forsight to put my underwear in the zipped half! The check was between the park and security, all the way on the right. They also could send my luggage to the hotel! Even easier to pick up, and I wasn't charged, though I did see signs advertising 80RMB.

I started out at ticket pickup, but they said to go "over there" so I guessed Guest Services and they pointed me towards a gate, then the gate said I had to go to ticket pickup! But, I said in (really poor) Chinese that they said to go here, so they sent someone with me. He took me right to a window, explained, and I got my ticket. They also helped me set up the wechat coupons. They even made sure to show me which links to follow, so I can do it on my own. They also explained the Early Admission perk (I get 12 days, but "reserve" them in advance), and implied that other coupons could show up besides the merchandise and dining ones.

I was in! And I was starving! So, my first stop was Remy's Pattisserie, fondly remembered from the last trip as being actual baked goods. I got a cranberry muffin and was pleased to see the SHanghaiese Pork Bun that a few other travelers had mentioned as being really good. It wasn't eligible for the discount, in a weird gray area between dining and merchandises, I guess.
porkbun.jpg


It was good! I was kinda expecting it to be a bit like Baozi, but it wasn't at all! It was super flakey and the filling was really unique. It reminded me most of "Chinese hamburgers", roujiamo, but was still unique and super good. The muffin had more of a cake-y consistency, but was still good.

While I ate, I checked in with my friend and we had a slight change of plans. Instead of meeting me for Cheesecake factory appetizers, she and her husband would be going to the park shortly after 2! And, I decided to see if we could get reservations for the Royal Banquet Hall, and I'd treat them. It was less weird to eat there as a third wheel, than to eat there alone, I figured. So, I headed to the castle and was successful! We had a reservation at 630pm. Her husband is Polish and hasn't been to any permanent theme parks, let alone a Disney, so we wanted to surprise him.

After making the reservation, I headed over to Pirates. I was in the front row, but actually discovered I prefer further back rows, which I'll explain later when I go again. I thought about trying TRON again, but figured my friend would cheer me up more easily if I REALLY was too fat, than being alone.

So, I did some shopping. I found the Dale hat! It was the hardest to find of the "winter" hats and had seen all the others at a few places before I saw this one. So I bought it right away. I also got some purple Minnie ears, with the intention to wear them, but failed. It was about 130, so I decided to eat again, since our dinner reservation wasn't until 630 and my friend would eat before she came. I got another food I remember loving: The Bacon Cheese Hot Dog from Timothy's Treats.

hot dog.jpg
This might seem like a weird choice, but a)Cheese is honestly hard to find in China and then it's commonly fancy European Cheese like Edam and b)I'm wary of the quality of most "sausage" meats in China and c)bread is wildly inconsistent in China, often very sweet and soft. This tastes exactly like something I could get in a carnival back home. And I love it for that. The hot dog has a great crunch to it. The cheese is so wonderfully plasticy. The bacon is cooked (it's often very raw in China.). The bread is a little chewy.

My friend checked in while I ate, and they'd arrive pretty close to 230. So, with about 45 minutes, I wanted to see if I could get checked-in, at least, and then head back to the park and meet my friends.

Plans checked:
PIRATES! (1 time)
Eat 2 "unique" snacks (1, Shanghaiese Pork Bun
Eat a meal at the hotel (buffet breakfast? But can I do that and early entry?)
Check out the pool at the hotel
"replace" my Dale hat (DONE)

Plans changed:
WAS: Meet a Shanghai-based friend in Disneytown for appetizers at Cheesecake Factory
NOW: Go to park with friends and have Royal Banquet Hall dinner.

Still to come:
Disneyland Hotel
Swimming pool at hotel
Eat a meal at the hotel
Try Tron again.
 
How did you buy your ticket? I thought you can just buy it online and show the print out with QR code.
 


How did you buy your ticket? I thought you can just buy it online and show the print out with QR code.
I bought the annual pass through the website, but paid through WeChat. I got a confirmation number for it, but had to "activate" it.

One thing I will note is that the AP is a paper ticket! They give you 2 plastic envelopes to "protect" it, but I prefer the card and photo from HK much more! I'm worried about losing it or damaging it, although I'd guess it's quite replaceable: connected to my wechat, phone number, SH disney app, and passport.

I understand the WEchat connection for the coupons, because it's so ubiquitous in China, but I hope to see more SH disney app connections in the future. Official accounts in WeChat still use ONLY Chinese, which can be a bit hard to follow and would probably be off-putting for someone who hasn't lived in China, but wants the AP for a 2+ day trip or the other benefits.
 
I don't take pictures in attractions or rides, but I might change that going forward. There's not many pictures in this post, but the NEXT post will be FOOD AND HOTELS.

I hopped on the boat to get over to the park. It's a wait of 20 minutes right now, which is solely due to efficiency. It "waits" at the hotel for most of that time and then takes all of 5 minutes to cross over. Then, it goes back to the hotel after picking up everyone, but it's all of 5 or so families each trip. I was unable to check in, but I dropped off my shopping bag and switched my large travelling to a very small Captain Marvel purse I fell in love with, which I also left with the bellhop. It was much more convenient. I took the bus which was similarly empty as the boat, but more frequently.

I had some confusion meeting my friend, but we eventually found each other. To kick everything off, we went to Pirates!

I love Pirates. We were in the front row again! BUT, I made an observation that it's kinda weird that "Jack" is so high up when you meet him. After that, I made sure to look up, rather than straight ahead or down and it was as amazing as I remembered. Later I realized that sitting in other rows, you are "forced" to look up, over the people in front of you. It seems silly, but I needed that realization. SO! Look up!

My friend and her husband are thrill-ride lovers, and they were pleasantly surprised by Pirates, and wanted more! But... there's not much more. I knew we'd do Tron, but I was worried about doing those two and then the rest of the day being disappointing. 7DMT had a 60+ minute wait and I just don't think it's worth that. Soarin' was 75+ minutes. Roaring rapids was 45, but we were worried about getting TOO wet. (As Americans, we don't believe in ponchos.) I decided to slowly go to Tron, but maybe do Buzz first and hopefully find something on the way. We ended up doing the Honey Pot Spin, which was surprisingly good, as we'd take turns looking up and getting dizzy, so it was a little exciting.

On the way, I also explained The Tron Issue. I made sure they knew that if I had to go on the special seat, they needn't come with me. BUT, I was going to try the bike seat again. The line was about 30 minutes, and I paid extra special attention to the seating video once more. I still don't think I did anything wrong. WE got to the coaster, I put my bag in the bin, and my glasses in the little spot on the bike. No one said anything to me, or followed me so it was already different from my first experience. I did wiggle a bit and re-position my legs once I climbed over, but once I was arranged, it worked fine. Perfectly. It's really similar to Pandora, but there's a trick to pulling the handlebars down, which brings the back piece down. I really wish the original person had been kinder and more patient. My best guess is I didn't pull the handle enough, but I really think I would have if he hadn't hovered over me, and been so rude. But, I know enough Chinese to know he called me fat (I hear it often enough here), and I am, but I didn't even have a chance to try really. The park was newer then, and in general I felt like the service was much better all around this time, so it's easy to explain away and "forgive" but I really hope that Disney continues to maintain their standards as they increase their presence in China.

BUT THIS TIME, IT WAS FINE. I was so elated for being able to do it, I started the ride with a rush even before it shoots you off. And then, once it does, it really is a good ride. I was SHOCKED at how difference the experience was. The seat and position really changes the whole dynamic and feeling of the ride, making it super unique. My friends loved it.

We headed to Buzz Lightyear afterwards, which was fun enough. My friend's husband got 1 million for his very first time, but it's worth nothing he does archery and plays video games as a hobby.

We then did the Snow White Adventure, but it was disappointing. A lot of walking up stairs and the "scenes" aren't much. I expected more interaction, but it seemed like the expected interaction was photo taking.

We had a bit of time before our dinner reservation, so we did Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. I'm always amused that the last "scene" gets the best reaction from others. I don't find it very impressive and like the statues more. It feels very symbolic of my life in China, so it holds a weird place in my heart.

Now, it's dinner time!




Plans checked:
PIRATES! (1 time)
Eat 2 "unique" snacks (1, Shanghaiese Pork Bun)
Eat a meal at the hotel (buffet breakfast? But can I do that and early entry?)
Check out the pool at the hotel
"replace" my Dale hat (DONE)
Try Tron again (HUGE SUCCESS!)

Still to come:
Disneyland Hotel (failed attempt.)
Swimming pool at hotel
Eat a meal at the hotel
Royal Banquet Hall
 
Royal Banquet Hall!
Okay, so, I want to start this off by emphasizing that I have lived in China for about 5 years, mostly in a "small" city with few foreigners. Chinese ideas of service and beauty and food are very different, but I have a better understanding of those differences than many foreign SH Disney fans will have. I was SUPER CLOSE to writing off the Royal Banquet Hall and regretted bringing my friends--but the day was saved.

rbh entry.jpg
We checked in right on time at 6:30. I had read that there was a 90 minute "limit" to how long you could sit. This is actually really common in China! Dinner is a super social thing, and people will linger at restaurants for HOURS. We figured we'd have no problem being finished by 8, then book it over to Mickey Ave and watch the fireworks from there, knowing we'd miss out on all the nice seating because we didn't camp out, but Mickey Ave is less crowded and uncomfortable, anyway.
We had tried to check in early but didn't have any luck. When we checked in, the waiting area was nearly empty. We waited about 15 minutes, but the frustrating part was that people arriving after us, including similarly sized parties, were seated before we were. So, a rough start.
The waiting area is really pretty though.
Our pre-meal photo was with Princess Minnie. I thought I had read that it was one of the Face princess characters, but either I was mistaken or this is not always true. It didn't really matter to us, (in fact, we'd prefer a costumed character, because they're less awkward for adults) but if it's seen as a way to skip the lines for a princess photo, don't rely on it!
We were seated in the Sleeping Beauty themed area. There were a lot of open tables and many people finishing up their meals.
rbh dr.jpg
Sleeping Beauty is my favorite of the "classic" princesses. The vase was really the only thing with characters on it, bur there were landscapes from the movie and the general color scheme.

We asked the waiter to come back one time, and that might have been our downfall. In China, the waiter will often stand and wait for you to look at the menu, and perhaps that is also done here, but we asked her to come back in a minute. It was much, much longer.
We ordered, then waited about 15 minutes before getting the bread basket.
rbh bread.jpg
Then, we waited a LONG time. We got our appetizers at about 7:20.
We ordered the Crab Cake, Chicken Salad, and Roasted Eggplant and Curry.
rbh crab cake.jpg
rbh chicken salad.jpg rbh egg.jpg
We were all very happy with our appetizers. The crab cake was the smallest amount of food, but, being a crab cake, that was understandable. The Chicken Salad seemed massive, and the eggplant was a nice middle between the two. I had the eggplant. Eggplant is something I never ate until I came to China, but love now. It was perfectly cooked, not too soggy, and went well with the curry. My friend said the crab cake was one of the best she's ever had, but she also doesn't eat them often. The Chicken Salad was the least "special" though, and the size of "the good parts" meant lettuce was leftover at the end, but was still really good and substantial.

After the appetizers, we had another LONG wait. We realized that we would be luck to leave the restaurant before the fireworks even started. I started apologizing profusely, because I had talked up the fireworks and had been SO SURE it wouldn't have been much of an issue to make it. We gave up on the fireworks! And were still waiting. I started apologizing for even going to the restaurant. Other tables were being served. Our waiter stopped stopping by to refill water and otherwise check on us.

Just before 8:00, a server came out and apologized for the wait. She said a huge group had come in, (in another dining room) and was ordering a la carte. I kind of don't understand how that would affect us as much as it did, unless they were understaffed. Our dining room still had empty tables. BUT, because of the wait, we would be escorted to the VIP viewing area for the Fireworks show, and our dessert would come out before we finished our dinner so that we could make it. She was genuinely apologetic, and a perk is the sort of gesture that is uncommon in China when the service isn't as expected. At best, they'll offer a small discount or a free drink, but even that is rare and it's never more than a few RMB worth. The VIP viewing is offered for at least 100 RMB more than the regular meal, so it was even more surprising. We didn't expect anything other than missing the fireworks show and being disappointed at the wait.

Our dinner came less than 5 minutes after that.

For dinner, I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana, my friend ordered the short Rib, and her husband ordered the sausage. Our choices largely came down to favorites rather than excitement. I haven't had a Chicken parmigiana in years, at this point, but it used to be my go-to at an Italian restaurant. My friend's husband is Polish and misses kielbasa, while my friend loves a slow-cooked meat.
Where the appetizers were more substantial than we expected, the main course was slightly less than.
rbh chicken parmigna.jpg rbh sausages.jpg rbh short rib.jpg

It was all good, but mine wasn't exactly cold, but not as warm as I would have wished. We kinda rushed to eat it all, and that might have affected our perceptions, but I thought the chicken was SO THIN as to be not very much, while the short rib seemed to just not be quite enough. THe sausages seemed the most substantial, especially with the potatoes and sauerkraut.

Our desserts arrived after we had finished eating, about 8:15. Again, we kinda rushed. I ordered the Cinderella Slipper, while my friend and her husband both ordered cheesecake, in tribute to the cheescake factory trip we never made.
rbh cheesecake.jpg
I loved the slipper itself, but found the macaroon to be inedible. The filling was really tasteless and too whip-creammy. I found it messy. The rest of the dish might have been good enough. THey enjoyed the cheesecake and ice cream, but said it wasn't anything special. (I'll start the next post with a photo of the slipper--I'm at my 10 max with this one!)
Overall, the Royal Banquet Hall did seem worth the price, even by comparing it to other high-end Chinese restaurants, but only just barely. Drinks were kinda outrageous, to the point that I suggest sticking with water or buying a bottle from a stand before you go in. It's kind of an okay thing to do in China, though I didn't do it here, so I don't know for sure that it would be acceptable.

By the time we got the bill paid and were ready to go, it was 8:26. We were escorted to the VIP area. I pointed out to my friends the other areas as we passed them, and explained that those people had probably been there for at least an hour. It was body-to-body, sitting on the ground. The VIP area was not at all crowded and we were able to stand or sit. It was also perfectly in front of the castle and completely unobstructed. Seeing that, and enjoying the show from such a great area made the wait for the food worthwhile. I've mentioned my friend's husband is Polish, so he also hasn't seen many spectacles like that, and it was a really good way to end the day, and show how special Disney can be.

Plans checked:
PIRATES! (1 time)
Eat 2 "unique" snacks (1, Shanghaiese Pork Bun. 2, Eggplant curry thing)
"replace" my Dale hat (DONE)
Try Tron again (HUGE SUCCESS!)
Royal Banquet Hall
Really special Ignite the Dream viewing!

Still to come:
Disneyland Hotel (failed attempt.)
Eat a meal at the hotel (buffet breakfast? But can I do that and early entry?)
Check out the pool at the hotel
 
I think Princess Minnie is the default princess if all the face princesses are not available
 
I love all the mickey heads on the different dishes. Disney Magic alive and well in Shanghai!
 
rbh slipper.jpg
As promised: the slipper. The slipper itself is really good, but that big macaron is not what it seems.

So, after the fireworks, we went our separate ways. I went back to the hotel, while my friends left for the subway.
I had to go to the "check" in line, and pick up my bags, but it was very efficient. I was on the fifth floor, which is probably actually the fourth? 4 is an unlucky number in China so buildings often don't have a fourth floor. It's also why the Chinese name of Disney has a shi sound rather than a si.

I had reserved a garden view, but I got a lake view. Yay! The picture I took has a superbad reflection, but the lake view does offer the park in the distance. I'd imagine it'd be nice to watch the fireworks from, if you're doing more than one night.

dlh beds.jpg
I forgot to take a photo of the tv and other side of the room, but it this gives you a good idea of size. The bed on the left is NOT up against the wall, there's enough space to get in, but not much more. These beds seemed really narrow, but I see similar sized beds in other higher end hotels in China in double bed rooms. As far as I know, there are NO single bed options at DHL. Where the chair is, there's another chair, not pictured, and it was a nice sitting area without feeling like you were on top of the bed.
dlh pullout.jpg
Under the tv, there is a small pullout bed for a child. Probably no older than 10? It was quite small. I also thought this was cute:
dlh robes.jpg
It's a child-sized robe. I don't think I've seen that before!
dlh bed castle.jpg dlh tink.jpg

Here are closeups of the headboards. I really liked them.
dlh bathroom 2.jpg dlh bathroom.jpg
The bathroom seemed really spacious and I was glad they had a tub. Most, but not all high-end hotels in China have one, but basically no apartments do. I didn't really have time this trip for a bath, but I'll plan for one in the future. It's such a luxury when you don't have one!
dlh tea.jpg
The complimentary tea and coffee. There was also a fridge that was empty. There were at least 4 complimentary water bottles as well, which is nice. It's usually 2.

I think overall, it was a very nice room and it was interesting to see how family-oriented it was, compared to the hotels I usually stay at in China. That could even be the reason for 4 bottles of water!

I did briefly go down to the pool, but it was really cold and pretty late so I didn't stay long. I went back to take photos the next day, so it will be a further post any way. On my way back from the pool, though I stopped by Lumiere's Kitchen and saw that they did a brunch on the weekends so I decided to reserve an early access ticket from the AP, and then I'd head back to the hotel at 11 to check out and have brunch.

So, next time: Early Access and Lumiere's Kitchen Brunch.
 

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In the morning, I had some extra time so I got everything packed up and stopped at the Ballet Cafe. The selection was basically a small version of Remy's Patisserie the day before. Brunch would be in a few hours, but I was a little hungry then, so I grabbed a pastry and coffee drink of some sort. It was perfectly fine at the time, but not at all memorable, because I can't even remember what I got!

I took the bus over to the parks. It drops you off very close to the DisneyTown entrance, which is the hotel-only-entrance in the morning. We waited in line until EXACTLY the opening time before the line started moving. Because my key and ticket weren't "connected" since I was on the AP, I had to be redirected to the main entrance. This a fairly minor complaint, but I wish they would have been clearer about this sooner. I went through the small security stop, and it's so tightly packed that I had a hard time getting back out. Obviously, I know now for the future, and the AP is fairly new, so it could be something that changes.

By the time I got over to the main entrance, there was no Early Access line, but it was still no more than 10-15 minutes since early opening. I don't know if it's because Early Access is still new and not popular or if they were just really efficient. Upon entrance to the park, my very first thing to do was to book a fastpass for Soarin', which I hadn't experienced yet because it's always the LONGEST LINE and I have gone on WDW's. Your account is "tied" to your ticket so you have to be IN the park, as in, your ticket needs to be scanned, before you can book a fastpass. I got one for 9:30, about an hour away. So, I headed over to Tron, which was basically walk on. I hit Buzz while I was in the area, then meandered through fantasyland, where I did Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Seven Dwarves Mine Train, and then to Pirates, because why not? Basically, everything was walk on, and by the time I got across the park through behind the castle, it was time for my fastpass. It was nice. After that, (about 945) I booked a fastpass for River Rapids for 11:30, but was worried I'd be headed back to the hotel by then. I went to Pirates and then headed into the line for the Ropes Course. It is very much Not My Thing, but at this point, I'd been on all the rides, more or less. and figured I'd try it. The line was advertised as 30, but it felt a little longer. There's three paths, I took waterfall. There's also three options at all "obstacles" with easy being basically stairs or walking and hard being real climbing and leaping obstacles like things you see in crossfit. Medium is between the two. I was too afraid to really risk putting my full weight on the rope at any point so I always took the easy, which frankly, was a little boring. It would be more interesting to try the medium stuff one day, but it's so very much Not My Thing.

One thing to note, the easy route often has two lines, but one can't be used by the big harnesses. I think it's meant for kids, because I saw one or two on it. Otherwise I saw a lot of parents having the kid before or after them on the same path, which slowed everyone down. Having dual-lines also means you can "race" with your kid and it's a little more "together" than "I go, you go". If you do it as a family, try it?

After the ropes course, I still had about an hour until my fastpass, but also nothing else to do and I was worried about making checkout AND the fast pass, so I headed back to the hotel. I stopped by Lumiere's kitchen which had just "closed" for breakfast and made a "reservation" which wasn't really necessary for the brunch at 12:00. I checked out and stored my luggage again, but still had time to kill so I went to photograph the pool. I think anyone who has seen other Disney pools would be shocked at this one. Swimming for leisure and fun just isn't much a thing culturally here. That may be changing, but it's still seen as a thing people do for a reason: health or fitness. On top of that, when it's cold outside, regardless of the temperature inside, swimming is actually seen as VERY unhealthy. My school has an indoor pool that can be heated and does swimming classes, but only during the first and last couple months of the year, because too many of the parents will NOT allow their children to swim in the winter, no matter what.
It's a beautiful pool though it's not exactly big or exciting.
Here are some photos: dlh pool.jpg
dlh mosaic 3.jpg dlh mosiac 2.jpg dlh mosiac 4.jpg dlh mural 1.jpg
It has a view into the gardens. dlh pool2 .jpg
You can check the info on the pool. It didn't feel as warm as it claims the night before, but I have a really bad sense of temperature.
dlh pool 3.jpg

The fitness room is similarly small, but has a diverse variety of equipment for the size.
dlh fitness.jpg dlh fit 2.jpg
Next Time: Lumiere's Kitchen!
 

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