ABD China 2017

[Douglas Dubh]

That is a very helpful overview. Is it unique to this park to pay a guide to "sneak" you on to rides faster, as I've never heard of this before? What a great job to have! The cost is prohibitive for me solo (and Canadian), but I appreciate how vital it is to avoid line-ups. I look forward to hearing other reports to help me with my DIY touring plan. My goal is always to see and do everything, with less than a thirty minute wait LOL.

I think you can do this at US parks as well.

 

[Karen Stevan]

I think you can do this at US parks as well.

Wow! Best job ever (next to Disney princess)! Imagine getting about $300 an hour just to go on a bunch of Disney rides while skipping all the lines. I get people using FastPasses to cut the waiting time, but it feels like cheating to pay someone a bagful of money to get ahead of everyone. I'm glad they're not "sneaking" in, though. That would be hilarious, but would also explain the inflated charge for a job I would pay to have!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I doubt the tour guides get the $300 an hour. But I would think it's a pretty good job. They probably meet celebrities and such

 

[GerriS]

Thank you for your helpful responses. I have the "Unauthorized Guide to Hong Kong Disneyland 2016", but couldn't find a resource for the Shanghai park. The VIP guide at Shanghai Disneyland sounds like the way to go and I will definitely be exploring that option. This would allow me to see parades and shows when with ABD the afternoon/evening, and to delay my departure by a day so I can cover the attractions with a private guide. It would be fun to stay the extra night at the park and fly home from there.

That's what we hope to do, an extra day at the park at the end of the trip

 

[GerriS]

Are there groups for specific tour departures, similar to the cruise meet ups? We are booked on the Oct 22, 2017 trip.

 

[sayhello]

Are there groups for specific tour departures, similar to the cruise meet ups? We are booked on the Oct 22, 2017 trip.

There aren't. With only 40-ish people at most on a trip, there's rarely enough people on a specific departure to have a separate thread for each. But there is a Meets thread for each Itinerary. Here's the one for China:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/china-enchanted-china-meets-thread.2933875/

There's a Sticky at the top of the ABD Forum with a link to all the Meets threads.

Sayhello

 

[Trina Enmon]

Hi Trina;
Have you decided to go? I agree the single supplement is atrocious but my husband is not able to join me.
I am a huge fan with many Disney experiences under my belt from 1972 and would love to share information about the upcoming adventure. Three weeks off sounds great to add on that Tokyo component, but I have limited time so will enjoy the tour and add on a Shanghai day as suggested. I was at Aulani when it opened New Years and it would be the most magical of endings for you. Four full days there should round out your trip. That will have to wait for me until I have time for Tokyo! Thanks for starting this thread!!
Karen

This trip is so full of possibilities. It is amazing. That is why a lot have waited to book till now.
Yes I am planning to go Oct 22 2017. I will go solo. I am DVC member and use points. So the single supplements grips on this trip. If I can find a roommate that leaves those single supplement points to use for post nights and Aulani at the end. Yes it makes the trip long but to travel that far with so much there now is hard not to try. Yes it is ambitious.

 

[Trina Enmon]

Excited about ABD China 2017. It looks amazing with both parks planning extensive trip to include Tokyo and end with Aulani. Oct 22 2017 is filling up at this time. Looking for a roommate that is ready for this adventures. Are you out there?

 

[Karen Stevan]

Excited about ABD China 2017. It looks amazing with both parks planning extensive trip to include Tokyo and end with Aulani. Oct 22 2017 is filling up at this time. Looking for a roommate that is ready for this adventures. Are you out there?

Good morning, Trina. Sounds like the dream trip to me! I am solo on the September 3rd adventure but am going to bookend the parks an exra day each. Counting the months now!

 

[Karen Stevan]

Hello anyone. I am trying to add-on one night at the start of my trip at HongKong Disneyland (September 2nd). My agent is quoting me $572US for one night! Can this be right? What are people without an add-on paying?! (It seems awfully steep to me.) I am also being told I have to forfeit my hotel transfer from the airport as Disney will not substitute a transport from Disneyland to my ABD hotel unless I schill out an extra $135! Really??
I am also curious, because I am booking an ABD for the first time from Canada and haven't received any of the usual Disney surprises for an adventure, such as a little welcome in the mail or anything to rev up the excitement factor. Has Disney just cut this part of the adventure out or is my travel agent missing something on my behalf?
Much appreciated, Karen

 

[sayhello]

Hello anyone. I am trying to add-on one night at the start of my trip at HongKong Disneyland (September 2nd). My agent is quoting me $572US for one night! Can this be right? What are people without an add-on paying?! (It seems awfully steep to me.) I am also being told I have to forfeit my hotel transfer from the airport as Disney will not substitute a transport from Disneyland to my ABD hotel unless I schill out an extra $135! Really??
I am also curious, because I am booking an ABD for the first time from Canada and haven't received any of the usual Disney surprises for an adventure, such as a little welcome in the mail or anything to rev up the excitement factor. Has Disney just cut this part of the adventure out or is my travel agent missing something on my behalf?
Much appreciated, Karen

Unfortunately, that could be right. Pre-days through ABD are *frequently* way more expensive than you could do on your own.

I'm going to try and find my notes for the cost of the pre-day in Hong Kong. I'm doing both a pre- and a post-day, so the stuff from ABD doesn't list the cost separately. I don't think it was cheap. The cost for both the pre- and post- day is $1,118.00, so $572.00 for one night doesn't sound too far off. If this wasn't China, where I don't speak the language and can't even read the "alphabet", I probably would not have booked it through ABD.

Does the extra day include your tickets? VIP Fastpasses? If not, it doesn't sound like you're getting much benefit from booking it through ABD (especially if you lose your transfers, which is one of the main reasons to book through ABD. Are they transporting you from the DLHK to the Peninsula HK?) Which hotel are they booking you in at DLHK?

It's still a bit early to be getting stuff for a trip next September. I haven't seen ABD cut this part. At this point, all I've gotten (and all I've ever gotten) is emails. However, ABD *do* have a lot of issues with getting stuff to Canada. I believe the problems are with Canadian customs. You may want to check with your Travel Agent and see if she's gotten anything. I believe, if you want, your TA can instruct ABD to send any of that stuff directly to you instead of to them. It won't help with the problems with Canadian customs, but at least you'd get stuff right away when it *does* come.

Sayhello

 

[Cousin Orville]

Hello anyone. I am trying to add-on one night at the start of my trip at HongKong Disneyland (September 2nd). My agent is quoting me $572US for one night! Can this be right? What are people without an add-on paying?! (It seems awfully steep to me.) I am also being told I have to forfeit my hotel transfer from the airport as Disney will not substitute a transport from Disneyland to my ABD hotel unless I schill out an extra $135! Really??
I am also curious, because I am booking an ABD for the first time from Canada and haven't received any of the usual Disney surprises for an adventure, such as a little welcome in the mail or anything to rev up the excitement factor. Has Disney just cut this part of the adventure out or is my travel agent missing something on my behalf?
Much appreciated, Karen

I would price out your pre night hotels on your own. As Sayhello said, it's usually cheaper and you should be able to keep your transfer. If you choose a different hotel (like HKDL rather than Peninsula), you typically have to arrange your own transfer. I'm very surprised they gave a transfer option at all from HKDL. $135 is probably what you would pay if you arranged your own private transfer.

Thoughts on Hong Kong...

Option 1 - HKDL should be very easy to taxi to from the airport. Book it on your own and taxi there, and just taxi from HKDL to the Peninsula. Language barrier won't be a big issue in HK.

Option 2 - Just go straight to the Peninsula (depending on price) after you get off the plane and then take the subway down to DL. It's about a 30 min subway ride. It may be more convenient if you don't have to change hotels.

 

[Karen Stevan]

Thanks for the reply. The quoted hotel price included nothing; park tickets are less than $60US so that seemed like a bargain. Interesting the hotel is so high as it is not even peak season and I am spending little time in the room. I also don't understand Disney skimping on the transfer, after including the trip from the airport to the Penninsula in my package. I was only wanting to make my own way to the Resort and use my package transfer to meet up with ABD from there. It's little things like not accommodating my wanting to spend an extra day at the HK resort that makes me cringe. It's not like the trip is cheap to begin with and Disney saves money if I don't use the transfer and I am intending to spend bucks at the Resort just prior. I think $600 to stay for one night and then expecting me to get to the Penninsula on my own is petty. Ugh!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Looks like if you booked HKDL Hotel on your own it would be ~$550-600.

As far as the transfer goes, I tend to agree with you. They should probably do what they do for Backstage Magic guests who are staying at the Grand Californian for their pre nights. For that trip they include transfers from another hotel (Grand Cali) to Loews Hotel. I've never known ABD to do that for any other situation. Twice (France and Northern Italy) I've transferred to the start hotel on my own dime. It's never bothered me, but yeah seems like they could do a better job at customizing the transfer. If I ran ABD: I'd send that transfer special request to the contracted company and if it's a bit more expensive either eat the cost in the name of good customer service or if much higher offer to pass the cost difference to the guest.

 

[jlbanos17]

We are also getting in early for Hong Kong Disney, but we plan to stay the extra nights at The Peninsula Hong Kong, God knows we are moving around a lot once the Adventure gets started we may as well enjoy a few nights of stability at a nice resort.

 

[sayhello]

We are also getting in early for Hong Kong Disney, but we plan to stay the extra nights at The Peninsula Hong Kong, God knows we are moving around a lot once the Adventure gets started we may as well enjoy a few nights of stability at a nice resort.

Same here!

Sayhello

 

[Karen Stevan]

Quick update: There are no add-ons for the Disney Parks with the ABD, so I had to book HK Disneyland Resort separately and pay full rates. ABD will transfer me from the Resort to the Penninsula, so that is a relief! I cannot get a transfer on the way home from Shanghai Disney to the airport, however. I am surprised there isn't an add-on offered for the parks as this seems to be a popular feature. Hope this helps.

 

[sayhello]

Quick update: There are no add-ons for the Disney Parks with the ABD, so I had to book HK Disneyland Resort separately and pay full rates. ABD will transfer me from the Resort to the Penninsula, so that is a relief! I cannot get a transfer on the way home from Shanghai Disney to the airport, however. I am surprised there isn't an add-on offered for the parks as this seems to be a popular feature. Hope this helps.

I'm surprised, too!

Sayhello

 

[Tammy-CA]

We are on the 7/9/2017 ABD China. Anyone one else going that date?

 

[Cousin Orville]

Quick update: There are no add-ons for the Disney Parks with the ABD, so I had to book HK Disneyland Resort separately and pay full rates. ABD will transfer me from the Resort to the Penninsula, so that is a relief! I cannot get a transfer on the way home from Shanghai Disney to the airport, however. I am surprised there isn't an add-on offered for the parks as this seems to be a popular feature. Hope this helps.

Probably obvious, but when arranging transfers from Shanghai DL to the airport, make note of which airport you're flying out of. Pudong is the more convenient one and is more international. The other airport is likely the one you will fly into Shanghai with ABD.