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

amjt660 · Feb 7, 2018

fractal said:
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.

Pirates was amazing - no other word works better than that

Keep it on your list for sure - just be prepared - I was glad I read up on the cultural side before I went.

MinnieM123 said:
Wow, just WOW, Max! Those pictures of the walkway in Shanghai are awesome!!

It was weird being there sooo early - for the most part I felt safe but you never know.
I wish I had a better camera because it looked so cool in person

fractal said:
Love to have been with you taking photos of that skyline!

Hope you have more pics.

You would have been in a very happy place I am sure!!
I do not have many more pictures from the Bund in Shanghai - I guess you will have to bump it up on your bucket list and see it for yourself!!

Thanks for continuing to follow along

Max

amjt660 · Feb 7, 2018

Day 3 cont’d
Lost in translation

As I was paying for my early morning taxi I asked the driver to come back at 7:30
I actually punched in 730 into the calculator on my phone and pointed to it and the cab - trying to say come back and get me

So I finished up my walk and was waiting at the curb - and no taxi

Finally at 7:45 I started waving on taxis to try to have them stop.

One did stop and I climbed in - handed the driver the business card for the Toy Story hotel

After a couple of minutes he shook his head and kicked me to the curb

And now panic sets in - I have a 1pm flight to Japan!!

I was able to wave down another cab around 8am and got back to the hotel in one piece!

Went back to the caf for breakfast (Note: Not my baby!!)

Then took a few more pictures around the hotel grounds

found some interesting potato chip flavours

Was tempting by these square mugs but I had already picked up one from the park
(and DW was only willing to put up with one more mug!! - I am a little obsessed)

And then it was check out, cab to the airport and flight to Nagoya.

Day 4-8 was all work so the next post will be Day 9 in Hiroshima, Japan

(yes it will get real , but there was some fun stuff to report on as well)

ajrwdwgirl · Feb 7, 2018

Did you try any of the chips? I would be intrigued with the Texas BBQ flavor. That square Toy Story mug is too cute, you should have gotten it.

Sillysidewalker · Feb 7, 2018

amjt660 said:
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.
View attachment 261760 View attachment 261761

I love this clock. Reminds me of the watch all the 80’s/90’s kids had (myself included).

amjt660 · Feb 7, 2018

ajrwdwgirl said:
Did you try any of the chips? I would be intrigued with the Texas BBQ flavor. That square Toy Story mug is too cute, you should have gotten it.

I did not try any - just thought the naming was cool

This is the mug I did bring home

And these are the 4 that I have added since Dec 2016

I want to come home and still have my key open the door!! - so only 1 mug this time

Max

amjt660 · Feb 7, 2018

Sillysidewalker said:
I love this clock. Reminds me of the watch all the 80’s/90’s kids had (myself included).

I never make that connection but you are spot on!!

Max

ajrwdwgirl · Feb 7, 2018

amjt660 said:
I did not try any - just thought the naming was cool

This is the mug I did bring home
View attachment 262498 View attachment 262499
View attachment 262500
And these are the 4 that I have added since Dec 2016
View attachment 262501
I want to come home and still have my key open the door!! - so only 1 mug this time

Max

Those are all cute mugs, good choices. But really can one have enough mugs? Ok maybe...my cabinet is getting full too.

sheriffwoody · Feb 8, 2018

Only on page 3 right now, but I am OBSESSED with the Toy Story hotel! If the WDW value hotels were that cool, I'd stay there every time!!

amjt660 · Feb 9, 2018

Day 9. - Hiroshima
After 5 days of work (yes I actually am on a business trip although I always try to work in some fun) we travelled to Hiroshima for the weekend.
We took the bullet train from Nagoya to Hiroshima on Saturday morning (first train was around 6:30am , arrived around 9:20)

Started touring the historical sites.
As expected these places , memorials, and the people stirred up many emotions.

I met a relative of one of the victims near the Atomic Dome.
This observatory was essentially ground zero for the first hydrogen bomb ever dropped for the purpose of war (not a test).

The building is still standing over 70 years later (but they have had to put in some reinforcements)

amjt660 · Feb 9, 2018

Day 9 cont’d
I met an actual survivor who was only 9 months old and lived on the outskirts of the city
He asked me to sign a petition to end the stockpiling of nuclear weapons.

This cenotaph includes the stone chest that has the registry of all 140,000 people that lost their lives either in the explosion itself or from the fallout over the next 4 months.

If you look closely through the arch you can see the stone chest, the eternal flame and the atomic dome in the background.

To ensure everyone understand this message above they made plaques in many different languages

This next one really got to me. It is a mound of ashes gathered up after the bombing and it meant to represent the remains of the victims.

Next up was the memorial museum that walked you through the historical timeline of events leading up to and following the first bombing.
I will not post pictures from inside because of the images are very disturbing.

amjt660 · Feb 9, 2018

I know this is not a fun topic and I do not want to get political at all.

I just want to say that it would be a good thing if all world leaders held a summit at or near Hiroshima.

I would like to think that spending time seeing the actual results and impact of nuclear weapons would have an impact.

A person can dream.

Next up : Back to fun stuff with an excursion to Miyajima Island

riverside · Feb 9, 2018

amjt660 said:
I know this is not a fun topic and I do not want to get political at all.

I just want to say that it would be a good thing if all world leaders held a summit at or near Hiroshima.

I would like to think that spending time seeing the actual results and impact of nuclear weapons would have an impact.

A person can dream.

Next up : Back to fun stuff with an excursion to Miyajima Island

Thank you for sharing these. They are very touching. And I agree with your statement.

PacNWTigger · Feb 9, 2018

I agree with your sentiment as well Max. It is a hard topic, but it is an important one. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

ajrwdwgirl · Feb 9, 2018

Thank you for sharing the Hiroshima pictures. I'm sure it was a very emotional experience.

prfctlyximprct · Feb 9, 2018

Wow seeing the Toy Story parade floats makes me miss parades at DHS. Just think, AK and DHS, and even Epcot all once had parades! Why do you taketh away dear Disney!

Your pictures make me happy, so for my momentary sadness.

And to clarify, a week or two at each resort.

So yes, I do need to hit the lottery! HA!

*Flynnderella* · Feb 10, 2018

Thankyou for sharing those pictures & your experience at Hiroshima Max.

I think I’ve already said but I LOVE the Toy Story hotel! I hope they plan to build one in line with TSL at WDW!!

Hanging on to hear the rest of your report

Songbird76 · Feb 10, 2018

amjt660 said:
I know this is not a fun topic and I do not want to get political at all.

I just want to say that it would be a good thing if all world leaders held a summit at or near Hiroshima.

I would like to think that spending time seeing the actual results and impact of nuclear weapons would have an impact.

A person can dream.

Next up : Back to fun stuff with an excursion to Miyajima Island

So sad...I wish that it would work, but looking at some of the world leaders, I don't know that the impact would be a positive one for the rest of the world. I see the glint in the eyes of some leaders and I think they would be more interested in the possibilities than in the tragedy...that it would give them ideas we don't want them to have. I could be wrong, and I would love for them to be motivated to establish peace, but I don't see it at the moment.

MinnieM123 · Feb 10, 2018

Very moving photos from Hiroshima, Max; thanks for sharing.

amjt660 · Feb 11, 2018

Day 9 cont’d
Miyajima Isalnd
This is a small island located near Hiroshima
It boasts some of the best lookout views in Japan
We took a ferry from downtown (this is the ferry boat after we had disembarked onto the island.

What is that you ask? Is it a large dog? Nope - it is a deer
Wild deer roam freely on the island - you have to be careful because they are hungry

Some of my work mates also got into doing group selfies

We arrived late in the day (around 2:30) and the last ferry back for us was 6:00
So three of us (J , B and me) decided to hustle up the mountain
We knew we could not make it to the peak but we made it most of the way.
Some nice view along the way up the first hill

You have to take two separate gondolas up to the near top and then hike about 20-30 min more to get to the summit.
They wedged us pretty good into the car.

amjt660 · Feb 11, 2018

Day 9 cont’d
Ok so I got things a little out of order
(it was because I have two phones (work and personal) and have pictures on both)
Before making the climb we took some daylight pictures as we walked around the base of the island.