Trip Report Shanghai (K)nights (and days) - A Max Trip Report - COMPLETE

amjt660 · Feb 2, 2018

Day 2 cont’d

Zootopia!!!!!

Overall a very fun parade with different floats and characters

ajrwdwgirl · Feb 2, 2018

I love the Tangled part in the parade!

amjt660 · Feb 3, 2018

Day 2 cont’d
I went back to ride Pirates with my FP
The second ride was even better than the first.

I will try to upload some videos of the ride

But here are my thoughts

A little history - I first rode POC at Magic Kingdom in 1979(yes I am old) at the age of 13 and loved it.
It was so realistic - it blew me away

When they added the characters from the movies I was okay with it.
I am not too much of a traditionalist I guess - if new things are done right

So if you personally did not like the additions to POC - you will not like Shanghai's version
It is completely based on the new movies.
AND it uses simulation screens (nothing to make you sick) to help tell the story.

Of course it was in Mandarin so I really do not know the whole story but basically you are brought under the sea (not Ariel) and meet up with Davy Jones and his crew and then come back to the surface and of course an epic battle ensues.

Dive to the depths

Davy Jones himself

Back to the surface!!

amjt660 · Feb 4, 2018

Day 2 cont'd
More POC videos
Fight scene (using screens)

Final scene with Jack

And this one is for @Tuvalu

Remember when I told you I did not want to be a Pirate??

Guess what?? I changed my mind (can't image why?)

amjt660 · Feb 4, 2018

Day 2 cont’d
After Pirates I continued to walk and take pictures of (of course) the castle

Stopped for dinner and had a pizza
(it was okay)

and of Tomorrow Land all lit up
I hope we get this but I doubt it.
(this park was build around Tron and we will have Tron plunked down into an existing park)

Did some shopping and then found a spot for the night time FW/Castle ProjectiON/Fountain show - Ignite the Dream

It was crazy busy and traffic flow was terrible - people kept coming into the area I was standing but it was a dead end.
A lot of shoving and pushing - total turn off.

At one point the CM tried to have everyone sit down.
Now everyone here knows that a crowd sitting takes up more room than one standing.
And we were packed like sardines in a can

So as the people try to sit they cannot.

Just one of many examples of how mainland China is new to theme parks - their CM , management and Guests do not understand how to act just yet.

No pictures but my notes say it covered
Lion King, Little Mermaid, Nemo, Pirates (with cool fire effects), the Genie, Mulan (of course), Stars Wars Ep 7, Frozen and then a Cinderella song to finish up in Mandarin.

It was a great show and I had a good spot looking straight at the Castle.

Next up: Finishing up the park day and then on to other sites in Shanghai
(NOT DONE YET!!!)

Tuvalu · Feb 4, 2018

amjt660 said:
Day 2 cont'd
More POC videos
Fight scene (using screens)

Final scene with Jack

And this one is for @Tuvalu

Remember when I told you I did not want to be a Pirate??
View attachment 261508

Guess what?? I changed my mind (can't image why?)

View attachment 261511 View attachment 261510 View attachment 261509

And what does your wife think of your new pirate friend?

amjt660 · Feb 4, 2018

Tuvalu said:
And what does your wife think of your new pirate friend?

What happens in China.......

JK - she thought it was funny

Max

amjt660 · Feb 4, 2018

HOW BOUT THOSE EAGLES!!!!!!

Max

SHP · Feb 5, 2018

amjt660 said:
HOW BOUT THOSE EAGLES!!!!!!
View attachment 261715

Max

Since it couldn’t be our beloved black and gold, we are thrilled for our fellow PA fans. Sorry @Matty30 !

Matt and Kelly · Feb 5, 2018

SHP said:
Since it couldn’t be our beloved black and gold, we are thrilled for our fellow PA fans. Sorry @Matty30 !

No need to apologize. While not my desired outcome it was a fantastic football game! Congrats to @amjt660, @fractal and the the rest of the Eagles fans on the site.

amjt660 · Feb 5, 2018

And back to the report...

I did not take many daytime pictures of the entrance (because I used a different entrance) so I went back on my way out of the park to take a few.

Not sure when I took this one but here is it is

A little last minute shopping (browsing only on this item)

and it was back to the hotel after a long and fulfilling day at Shanghai Disneyland.

Next up: Early sunrise in downtown Shanghai

amjt660 · Feb 5, 2018

SDL only wrap up:

So I will do a wrap up of just Shanghai Disneyland now and then continue on with the report.

So was it everything I expected?? yes - and more!!

Disney states that the plan for SDL was to be "Authentically Disney and Distinctly Chinese"
I think they did a great job!

The park is all about the 3 B's - Big, Bold, Beautiful

As I said earlier it reminds me most of WDW Magic Kingdom in terms of being built for large crowds and with room to expand.

Unique attractions:
Roarin Rapids was OK (cold weather did not help)
Tron was great (I think I did not sit properly though)
Pirates was amazing - wish I could ride it again
The Crystal Grotto ,Alice Maze and Peter Pan were nice surprises.

I had tried to prepare myself for the culture and I have to admit by the end of the day it did start to get to me.
The pushing, shoving, lack of personal space does wear thin after awhile.
The park was relatively clean - CM's were doing their best to stay on top of it - but when your guests do not care it is a losing battle at times.

And the total lack of respect for CM is tough to watch/experience.
I can't remember if I already mentioned but the parade viewing incident with the trash can was just stupid.
Kid standing on top of trash can, father right next to him, CM telling him to get down and father is yelling at CM.
Kid finally gets down, CM walks away, Father tells kid to get back up.

I do not feel the desire to rush back to Shanghai and see it again.
Probably mostly due to the cultural issues.
But never say never - maybe someday but it is not a high priority.

Now just to be clear - THIS REPORT IS NOT OVER YET!!!

More to come on Shanghai , Hiroshima and Osaka .
For those that only come for Disney you can leave if you wish

Although there still is at least ONE MORE DISNEY tie in to come.....

You will just have to keep reading to find out!

Max

Notes from Neverland · Feb 5, 2018

I'm super late to this, but the concept art / drawings posted around the Toy Story Hotel is awesome. There's some great, great art there.

Also, I believe the MK version of Tron will be essentially a clone ... including the exterior and lighting.

amjt660 · Feb 5, 2018

ajrwdwgirl said:
I love the Tangled part in the parade!

I did much better on this one getting some Tangled pictures than I did on the boat ride!!
The Tangled music is really special

SHP said:
Since it couldn’t be our beloved black and gold, we are thrilled for our fellow PA fans. Sorry @Matty30 !

To quote the Frozen soundtrack - " For the first time in forever....."

Matty30 said:
No need to apologize. While not my desired outcome it was a fantastic football game! Congrats to @amjt660, @fractal and the the rest of the Eagles fans on the site.

Back and forth game - only one punt - and I really do not know if that bobble catch one in the end zone should have counted......
I was pacing back and forth and dreading the fact that Tom was going pull off another miracle.

TheDude23 said:
I'm super late to this, but the concept art / drawings posted around the Toy Story Hotel is awesome. There's some great, great art there.

Also, I believe the MK version of Tron will be essentially a clone ... including the exterior and lighting.

I tried to capture as much as I could - not sure if I got it all - you will have to go see it for yourself??

I hope they see Tron through completely and do not short cut the queue or exterior.

Max

fractal · Feb 6, 2018

amjt660 said:
SDL only wrap up:

So I will do a wrap up of just Shanghai Disneyland now and then continue on with the report.

So was it everything I expected?? yes - and more!!

Disney states that the plan for SDL was to be "Authentically Disney and Distinctly Chinese"
I think they did a great job!

I like to the park is all about the 3 B's - Big, Bold, Beautiful

As I said earlier it reminds me most of WDW Magic Kingdom in terms of being built for large crowds and with room to expand.

Unique attractions:
Roarin Rapids was OK (cold weather did not help)
Tron was great (I think I did not sit properly though)
Pirates was amazing - wish I could ride it again
The Crystal Grotto ,Alice Maze and Peter Pan were nice surprises.

I had tried to prepare myself for the culture and I have to admit by the end of the day it did start to get to me.
The pushing, shoving, lack of personal space does wear thin after awhile.
The park was relatively clean - CM's were doing their best to stay on top of it - but when your guests do not care it is a losing battle at times.

And the total lack of respect for CM is tough to watch/experience.
I can't remember if I already mentioned but the parade viewing incident with the trash can was just stupid.
Kid standing on top of trash can, father right next to him, CM telling him to get down and father is yelling at CM.
Kid finally gets down, CM walks away, Father tells kid to get back up.

I do not feel the desire to rush back to Shanghai and see it again.
Probably mostly due to the cultural issues.
But never say never - maybe someday but it is not a high priority.

Now just to be clear - THIS REPORT IS NOT OVER YET!!!

More to come on Shanghai , Hiroshima and Osaka .
For those that only come for Disney you can leave if you wish

Although there still is at least ONE MORE DISNEY tie in to come.....

You will just have to keep reading to find out!

Max

THAT Pirates ride!!!

Common theme among all SDL reports I've read - awesome park, cultural differences tough to deal with. It's still on my list though. Thanks for the great report Max and I'm still hanging around for the rest.

amjt660 · Feb 6, 2018

Day 3 - early sunrise visit to downtown Shanghai

As the song goes, "Regrets, I've had a few..."

On my trip to Hong Kong Disneyland I basically went from the airport to the resort and back to the airport.
I decided I wanted to do a little more in Shanghai so I did an early morning excursion to The Bund.

The bund is a waterfront walkway along the Huangpu river in downtown Shanghai.

I left the TS hotel just before 5am (yup - I am a little crazy) and took a cab to the Bund

My first picture was recorded at 5:17 am
Enjoy!

5:44am

The walkway is approx. 1 mile long - I walked down to one end in darkness
I was pretty much alone other than a few joggers and some kite flyers

5:56 starting to get brighter

The afore mentioned jogging groups

6:02am

The same monument - just a little easier to see!

Crazy number of people with kites - some had rope lights attached so they looked really cool in the dark
The one below had just come down - it says "OK "