# A Tokyo Disney, HKDL & Shanghai DL PTR-UPDATED 11/23-JUST BACK!



## katt789

To all who come to this trip report; 


WELCOME


I hope that you’re in for one heck of a majestic adventure, because we sure are!! It’s been a year in the making, it’s been sketched out, planned, re-planned, things got cut out, things got added, times got changed, dates got pushed around, and ENTIRE COUNTRIES got added or deleted! And we’re STILL in the planning stages!!


Approximately a year and a half ago, I packed up my life and moved down to Orlando Florida, to spend a year working for Mickey Mouse himself!!







That would be me…guess I should introduce myself hey? I’m Katt!


On that very program, I met one of the most incredible people in the world, one who would soon become my absolute best friend, Kara!








Knowing that we had a year to save up for adventures, we started talking about what to do when our program was over. Well, we both love Disney, and we both love adventures of epic proportions, so WHY NOT:


-Fly to California for a couple of days, explore Disneyland


AND THEN


Fly to Tokyo, and then Hong Kong, and THEN PARIS!? (and at this point, there were rumors of Shanghai being opened in the fall, so we thought… MAAAAAYBE….we could knock them ALL OUT OF THE PARK AT THE SAME TIME)


We began looking into it not too in depth, and then one day I checked the flights,  and THEY HAD JUMPED BY NEARLY $2000


Uhm…no….that made it completely un affordable to go. BUT, everything happens for a REASON, right?! We scrapped the second leg of our trip, and enjoyed a lovely  4 days in Disneyland post program!





12038604_10156246839430360_1867929226052866418_o by Katt McCluskey, on Flickr








Soon after getting home, neither of us had much to do back in Canada, so we started researching Japan & China more. We now knew that we would be planning to go in October 2016, by which time, Shanghai would ACTUALLY be open (see, blessing in disguise that things worked out the way they did).






image by Katt McCluskey, on Flickr


We both bought guide books for both places, and started going through the suggested itineraries, and starting to figure out where we might want to go. I honesty started to FALL IN LOVE with Japan MONTHS before we were to even step foot in the country! It all looked and sounded SO beautiful, and there were SO many things to do, how could we ever narrow it down!


When it came to China however, we figured we’d do mainly the Disney areas, with a couple of other things thrown in.


We looked at prices of flights to add in Paris too, to say that we could have been in every Disney park in the world in 1 calander year, but AGAIN, prices were just too high! 


Kara’s got heritage in Indonesia, and I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go to Bali, and what better of a way to relax after an epic trip than a nice beachside resort? We checked it out, and it potentially stayed on the planning list.


So…there’s the introduction, now, lets get on with the EXCITING stuff, right?!


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## katt789

Saved for Links!
Introductions Part 2
*
Trip Day by Day Outline!*
Tokyo Part 1
Tokyo Part 2
Tokyo Disneyland Days!
Across Japan Day 1
Kyoto! -> NEW JULY 24
Nara, Hiroshima & Miyajima
Beijing
Shanghai Disney->
Shanghai City->
Hong Kong Part 1  -> NEW AUG 31
HK Part 2-> NEW AUG 31
HK Part 3-> NEW AUG 31




*Real Life Updates*
One
One Month Til We Leave!!-> NEW SEPT 5TH


*Planning Resourced*
Tokyo Disneyland Tips
Flights
Accommodation
Random Tips for Asia Travel
Vlogs to Watch!!
*
POST TRIP UPDATES--> NEW NOVEMBER 19TH*
Just back!

NEW TRIP REPORT LINK


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## katt789

With the new year in place,  Kara & I had an exciting adventure coming up that took place on THIS side of the ocean, as we FINALLY RETURNED TO WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!








From left to right we have: Abby, Kara, Becky, myself, and Pearl! All of us had worked together on the program, Becky was still down there, and Abby, Kara & Pearl were all running the Glass Slipper Challenge!  You can read that Trip Report here:


http://disboards.com/threads/dreams...the-magic-completed-5-19-new-tr-link.3488251/


Throughout the trip we obviously talked about our Asia stuff, and Abby ended up asking if she could come, since she really wanted to see Shanghai! We came to the conclusion that Kara & I would venture through Japan, and Abby would meet us over in China!


Over the next few months, a lot happened, I had most of my planning outlined, as did Kara, and we were pretty sure they were about the same. Come May, I moved from Edmonton to Vancouver, and actually moved into a place with Abby that’s about an hour away from Kara. 2 days after that, we ventured to California!





IMG_4551 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr





IMG_5896 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr





IMG_6303 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr


You can read all about THOSE adventures HERE:


http://disboards.com/threads/i-think-we-need-more-bread-bowls-a-pixiefied-disneyland-adventure-updated-6-18.3512106/


A few weeks after, was my birthday! We decided a nice way to celebrate would be by climbing the Grouse Grind, a not so easy, but not so hard mountain in the area!





image by Katt McCluskey, on Flickr


Afterwards Kara came over and we spent the majority of the evening going through our plans. We touched base on what everything was, the costs of stuff, how much time it would take, was it on both our lists and such. After we cut everything down, we started looking at hotels/hostels/air bnb’s around the countries and decided it was time. WE WERE GOING TO START BOOKING STUFF!! 

Our official timeline looked like:
-Fly Vancouver to Tokyo
-Spend a few days in the city/surrounding area
-Tokyo Disneyland
-Explore the rest of the country (south from Tokyo)
-Fly to Beijing, meet up with Abby
-Shanghai Disneyland
-Shanghai city
-Hong Kong city
-Hong Kong Disneyland
-Fly home!



***PSA: I’m still working out how to organize all of this stuff, I know there will be posts about the planning stages, some that outline accommodation, ticket prices, things that helped us figure out stuff, etc. For now, I have the introduction, and a timeline of our plans while we’re there!**


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## zanzibar138

What an exciting trip! Looking forward to following along 

Just recently got back from opening day at Shanghai and it was AMAZING! I also love HK, but haven't managed to get to Tokyo yet.


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## Raya

Posting so I can follow along. I'm super jealous of your trip! I get a measly 2 weeks a year off, so this kind of long adventure seems pretty impossible. How many days do you think you'll be gone?


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## Karin1984

Also following! I have a similar trip planned for SEPT 2017, but I placed it in the Tokyo sub board... no idea why.


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## missangelalexis

Joining in! This sounds like it's going to be a trip of a lifetime! Can't wait to hear all about the planning


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## katt789

zanzibar138 said:


> What an exciting trip! Looking forward to following along
> 
> Just recently got back from opening day at Shanghai and it was AMAZING! I also love HK, but haven't managed to get to Tokyo yet.



Thanks for joining in!!! I'm glad you're looking forward to it!! AH THATS AWESOME!! We watched all the opening ceremony stuff on youtbue and it looked super exciting! I can't wait to go!



Raya said:


> Posting so I can follow along. I'm super jealous of your trip! I get a measly 2 weeks a year off, so this kind of long adventure seems pretty impossible. How many days do you think you'll be gone?



Hahah, glad you're here! I BELIEVE we leave Vancouver Oct 4th and return something like November 12. it's about 6 weeks all together!


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## katt789

Karin1984 said:


> Also following! I have a similar trip planned for SEPT 2017, but I placed it in the Tokyo sub board... no idea why.



Yay! Welcome & glad you're here!! Lol, how awesome! I'll be sure to put in as much detail as I can for you!!



missangelalexis said:


> Joining in! This sounds like it's going to be a trip of a lifetime! Can't wait to hear all about the planning



Welcome!! It really is! I wish we were able to add in Paris to knock out every park in 1 year, but hey,we'll get there eventually!!


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## MomoMama

Wow, this trip is going to be huge! I was stressed out planning a trip visiting just 1 country(Japan) for 2 weeks, I don't know how you do it! But this will be an amazing trip and you will have fantastic time with your friends! Oh, it's so good to be young! 

Fall will be here before you know it.  I hear Tokyo Disney could get crazy for Halloween, wonder how HongKong and Shanghai will be.  I'm sure you have some costumes planned out?


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## Karin1984

Curious to hear the plan, how long will you stay in each city and how many days are devote to Disney?


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## camper06

Joining in!  Always enjoy your reports! Never been to any of these countries so looking forward to pics!!


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## zanzibar138

katt789 said:


> Thanks for joining in!!! I'm glad you're looking forward to it!! AH THATS AWESOME!! We watched all the opening ceremony stuff on youtbue and it looked super exciting! I can't wait to go!



I watched the opening ceremony stuff on youtube too  That stuff was only for invited guests  Still exciting to be there though!


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## BelleBway

I'm planning a trip to all 3 Asian parks this November too- wonder if our plans will overlap.  I only have 2 weeks, though... but I've been to HKDL and TDR before, so I don't need to do as much there.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to following your trip plans, as well as my own!


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## katt789

MomoMama said:


> Wow, this trip is going to be huge! I was stressed out planning a trip visiting just 1 country(Japan) for 2 weeks, I don't know how you do it! But this will be an amazing trip and you will have fantastic time with your friends! Oh, it's so good to be young!
> Fall will be here before you know it.  I hear Tokyo Disney could get crazy for Halloween, wonder how HongKong and Shanghai will be.  I'm sure you have some costumes planned out?



IT REALLY IS!!! I've managed to not be too stressed planning since we're all planning it together, and we've been following a lot of the lonely planet's recommended tour plans by the day, so that helps a lot!! I'm super excited! Lol. I KNOW! Kara mentioned the other day that we've only got 7 pay cheques until Asia and THAT freaked me out, thank goodness I make tips as well!! I have heard that too, our dates are early enough I hope we avoid that! And I'm curious as well! We are hoping that since we hit HK in November that maybe we'll get some christmas in there too! And of course we have no idea what Shanghai holds for holidays!!



Karin1984 said:


> Curious to hear the plan, how long will you stay in each city and how many days are devote to Disney?



That will all be updated soon!! (probably tomorrow since I'm off lol)



camper06 said:


> Joining in!  Always enjoy your reports! Never been to any of these countries so looking forward to pics!!



Yay!! Welcome and glad you're here!! It's going to be awesome, I cannot WAIT for all the pictures!!


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## katt789

zanzibar138 said:


> I watched the opening ceremony stuff on youtube too  That stuff was only for invited guests  Still exciting to be there though!


Lol, fair enough!! But still super exciting! I was so happy to see familiar faces on the castle stage too! SO PROUD!! 



BelleBway said:


> I'm planning a trip to all 3 Asian parks this November too- wonder if our plans will overlap.  I only have 2 weeks, though... but I've been to HKDL and TDR before, so I don't need to do as much there.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to following your trip plans, as well as my own!



Nice!! We'll be in China for November!! Maybe we might overlap!! Haha, that's fair! I've never been to Asia much less the parks over there, so we really wanted to do EVERYTHING and acommodated a LOT of time lol


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## missjackiemcg

HOLEY MOLEY!!!  Your trip sounds like the vacation of a lifetime!!!!  It would've been awesome to visit all the Disney parks in one year, but LOTS OF $$$$$ I'm sure!!  Can't wait to hear more about your planning and how it all works out.


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## Feistygirl916

We are doing the same thing! We are hitting HK, Shanghai, and Tokyo on our world tour  We are heading there in November!


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## katt789

missjackiemcg said:


> HOLEY MOLEY!!!  Your trip sounds like the vacation of a lifetime!!!!  It would've been awesome to visit all the Disney parks in one year, but LOTS OF $$$$$ I'm sure!!  Can't wait to hear more about your planning and how it all works out.



Bahahhaa yes...yes it is a lot of money...I won't lie..it's caused a bunch of stress with us! Bahah. I'll go through some budget stuff later one!~



Feistygirl916 said:


> We are doing the same thing! We are hitting HK, Shanghai, and Tokyo on our world tour  We are heading there in November!



HOW AWESOME!! Where are you headed first in November?!


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## katt789

***heads up, NONE of the following photos are mine, they should all be credited via flickr, but NONE of them are mine!***


*Japan Adventures *


Our dates are official! Flights are yet to be booked(but it will happen in the next few days!), but we have 98% of our accommodation READY TO ROCK! YAAAS!


*Day 1-October 4/2016*The adventure beings in the Vancouver International Airport, where we’ll board our (potentially even direct) flight to Tokyo! *On October 4th 2016*





At Vancouver Airport by Images by John &#x27;K&#x27;, on Flickr


Obviously it’s going to be a SUPER long flight, but Kara’s done Europe, and I’ve flown to Australia, so it shouldn’t be anything too bad! We’ll keep occupied I’m sure! Mainly music, tv, games, and sleeping, because we’re trying to bring as little as possible with us!





スカイマーク 737-800 #JA737Q by かがみ～, on Flickr


Landing in Tokyo will be sure to be SUPER EXCITING, we still have a few kinks to sort out, like, if we’re stopping somewhere in the airport to pick up a pocket wifi, or if we’ll be getting one later/somewhere else. Our plan is obviously to head straight to our Hostel, we’re staying at:



* Day 2- OCTOBER 5/2016*-> Our arrival in Japan


Emblem Hostel Nishiarai

https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://emblemhostel.com/&prev=search


http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Emblem-Hostel-Nishiarai/Tokyo/102785?s_kwcid=AL!591!3!113093736038!b!!g!!_inurl:_feed_label:japan&source=adwordsenhostelnames&network=g&creative=113093736038&adposition=1t2&uniqueclickID=9981620546940703252&sub_keyword=_inurl:_feed_label:japan&sub_ad=b&sub_publisher=ADW&ef_id=V0SfjAAABG8076j0:20160625192536:s


We booked through Hostelworld, and for the 4 nights we’re there it totaled out at 3000.00 Japanese Yen, ($381 Can dollars, or $293 USD total, so we split that in half).  We’re staying in a 6 bedroom all female dorm for the remainder of this portion.  I’ll do more of a cost/accommodation breakdown later!


*Day 3-Tokyo-October 6th/2016*

It’s your first day in Tokyo, you’re probably jetlegged, and might be up super early, what’s the most logical thing to do?! Why, head to the *Tsukiji Fish Market* of course! It’s a very high paced, and fully functioning market, where you can visit right at dawn to see them auction off the tuna, or see multiple different kinds of sea creatures that are all for sale!





tsukiji-market-c40 by http://3CoolDudesInTokyo.com, on Flickr


We’ll probably check it out, and depending on how we’re feeling, get some SUPER FRESH SUSHI!  (although raw fish for breakfast doesn’t sound too appealing, we might just have to do it anyways lol)


The afternoon will be spent checking out places like the *Hama-rikyu Onshi-teien* gardens that the guide books say “don’t miss”,  one of Tokyo’s best  gardens, and extend into what is now the fish market (though I’m not sure how accurate that is as I know the market itself is moving in preparation for the Olympics!) They say there’s a  large island home to a super cute tea pavilion  in there as well! 





Hama-rikyu Onshi Teien by navisan, on Flickr


Along with the *Tokyo Imperial Palace* which is actually still home to Japan’s emperor and the family, so some of it’s still off limits, but you can visit some of the free grounds and the gardens which are said to be super beautiful!





Sunset over Tokyo by Pierre Natoli, on Flickr


The * Tokyo Station* since it’s a landmark, and the *Sky Tree* in the area. The Station has been completely redone and is GORGEOUS inside, as I can now tell from some of the pictures. There are other observation decks closer to the Station, but the Skytree is said to have better views, despite the higher price. Its also on the way to our final destination of the day!





Tokyo Station by Ballet Lausanne, on Flickr





Tokyo J - Tokyo Skytree Tokyo Sukaitsuri 02 by Daniel Mennerich, on Flickr


Hoping the view is going to be good that day!





SkyTree, Tokyo by Matt Pettitt, on Flickr

We’ll finish off the day by checking out the Asakusa Area, specifically the *Senso-ji Temple* It has a whole page dedicated to itself in the LP guidebook, marked as a “DO NOT MISS” it’s a highly visited temple by both locals and tourists alike! 





Senso-ji by mon_vitoria, on Flickr





Senso-ji by jolene, on Flickr



*DAY 4- Tokyo-October 7/2016*

Bright & early Kara and I will head off to the *Meiji-jingu shrine & gardens*[/u] where Tokyo’s grandest shrine is located. It’s dedicated to a previous emperor that was destroyed during WW2, but has been rebuilt, and still holds an “authentic feel” to it.





Tokyo明治神宮 / Ceremony by YEH, on Flickr





明治神宮御苑　(Meiji JinguInner Garden) by rockcake, on Flickr


There’s lots of gardens to see in Tokyo, and our next stop is *Yoyogi-koen Park*[/u]





Yoyogi-koen Park by Junichi Kashima, on Flickr





Untitled by Bornil, on Flickr


And judging by the photos, I hope will be fully into the autumn season by the time we’re there!  It’s a popular lounging park for people to hang around in, and obviously, we’ll go a little picture crazy!


The park is located in the Harajuku area of Tokyo, so we plan on spending a bit wandering the streets, looking at all the shops and eccentric things we might find!





Takeshita Dori by Nick Gray, on Flickr





Tokyo 058 by tourmania, on Flickr


Harajuku kind of overlaps with Shibuya, so we’ll obviously take a stop to see the famous *Shibuya Crossing* said to be the worlds busiest corner!





Shibuya crossing! by Tom, on Flickr


The area also has  a bunch of shopping streets that’s closed off to cars in the area called the*Shibuya Center-Gai* that we’ll spend some time meandering through!





Shibuya Center Gai - Tokyo Christmas 2012 by Tokyo Fashion, on Flickr


With Shibuya crossed off the list, we’ll head up to *Shinjuku* specifically to see the *Tokyo Government Offices* because of their observation decks! The decks are open until 11pm, and it looks like the views are a lot more impressive at/after dusk, unless of course it’s a clear day and you can see all the way to Mt Fuji!





Tokyo Metropolitan Government office.jpg by daidai00247, on Flickr





From Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices by Anne McKechnie, on Flickr


Now, I HONESTLY feel like this is probably going to fill up our day, especially if we’re taking our time and  taking a million photos like I know we will be. 


Luckily, when we were in the editing process last month, we cut out a day trip that we had planned, and added another day in Tokyo which will fill up with any left over things we didn’t get to, and probably a rest back at the hostel so that we can get classy and have some fancy drinks in Shinjuku, and the *New York Bar at the Park Hyatt*where you can check out the views from the 52 nd floor, though dress code is enforced, which is why we’re probably leaving it til the day after we’re in Shinjuku. the bar is apparently the one featured in Lost in Translation!





Park Hyatt Shinjuku by Philippe Reichert, on Flickr





Tokyo at night from the Park Hyatt by Mari Sheibley, on Flickr



* Day 5- October 8/2016-Tokyo*

Today we don’t have any specific plans written down, but we may find that we aren’t able to squeeze everything in from the past 2 days, or we may want to visit a place for a second time. Or weather happened, or we sleep in, relax, and then head into Shinjuku for that classy night of drinks? We’ll figure it out when the time comes, but it’s nice to have a buffer day especially with the jet leg!


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## katt789

*Day6- October 9/2016- Toyko- Day trip outside the city*

Today will be a SUPER early morning for Kara & I as we head to either the train or bus station (haven’t figured out which is cheaper yet!) as we’re off on a Day trip out to *Kawaguchi-ko* otherwise known as *Mount Fuji*!! Yay!!





Mount Fuji by Terence Lee, on Flickr


We’ll spend the day exploring what the area has to offer, and of course taking a million photos! There’s a “retro bus” hop on/hop off service that follows the North Shore of the lake to see all the tourist attractions! This takes up pretty much our whole day, and whenever we’re ready to leave, it’ll be back to Tokyo for potentially an early night?


*Day 7- October 10/2016-Tokyo*

Today we start off at the *Tokyo National Museum





Picture 152 by Michae1, on Flickr


The guide books say if you’re only going to visit one museum, to make it this one! They’ve got some of the largest collections of specific artifacts, and it’ll be nice to learn more about the history and culture of Japan!


Continuing past the museum, is Ueno Park which includes a shrine and even a zoo!!





Sakura en Ueno by Japón Entre Amigos, on Flickr


It’s another popular park for people to just hang out and relax, and looks stunning during cherry blossom season, which I am sad we’re missing, but all in all I think crowds will be better this time of year, plus we get the autumn foliage season instead!





Ueno Park by Wynn Chew, on Flickr


We might do the zoo, depends on budget and how much time we have, since today we’ll be checking out of our first hostel, and checking in to:


Family Resort Fifty’s for Maihama

**
http://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/family-resort-fiftys-for-maihama.en-gb.html?aid=311088;label=family-resort-fiftys-for-maihama-fZmlFhCr6J4aT6w5Ii9isAS95690451844%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atikwd-18106112417%3Alp9001554%3Ali%3Adec%3Adm;sid=238ac1d6ddbaaf61b08a085578c7a3a0;dcid=12;dest_id=-246227;dest_type=city;dist=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;srfid=4cc269cc98cc2b909a83c015fa862dba8fd84131X1;type=total;ucfs=1&


Which we booked through booking.com it totaled out around $649 CAD. Now, you may be asking, why change hotels? Why not a Disney hotel? Or a Disney partner hotel?


Well, we changed to a closer one, one that was actually on the line that would get us to Disney. That train line is much less crowded than the city center one is during rush hour, and it’s much closer. We also really didn’t want to deal with Tokyo train rush hour! The Disney hotels are GORGEOUS, but are also SO FREAKING EXPENSIVE!! Even all the ones a DLR local would call “good neighbor hotels” are RIDICULOUS, but that’s what you get for wanting to try and stay as close as possible!


Depending on the time of day and how tired we are, this will be our first glimpse into the Tokyo Disney bubble as we head into Ikspiari! Which is their Downtown Disney area!





25th Anniversary, Ikspiari by Keiichi Inoue, on Flickr





IKSPIARI by Taro Yamamoto, on Flickr


We’re gonna have to withhold from buying LEGITIMATELY EVERYTHING because merch in Tokyo is JUST TOO CUTE AND WONDERFUL. But since this is Disney park #1 of the trip, and we’re not even IN the parks yet, we have to make smart choices! Lol.


*


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## MomoMama

Ooooooooooooo!  Your Japan part of the trip sounds so exciting! 

You have so many places to visit,  so much to do!!  I think it's a great idea for leaving the 5th day open to anything. 

I visited some of the places you are planning to visit, like Tsukiji market, Asakusa, and Tokyo station.  But did not get to visit those beautiful Japanese gardens, panda bears at Ueno zoo, man-made forest at Meiji jingu, or Mt. Fuji! I especially envy you will get to see Mt. Fuji!

Are you planning to see the actual fish auctioning at the fish market? I heard you have to line up at 2 am to get the pass!  We were not that crazy about the fish, and just checked out the shops for the general public. 

Early October may be too early for the fall foliage in Japan...  But the weather is generally great, so I hope you will get to go everywhere you want to go!


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## missangelalexis

Your Tokyo days sound awesome, you are going to see so much cool stuff!

I'm sure getting to the Disney portion of the trip will be so excited! I'm sure it will take a lot of restraint to not buy all of the things! haha I can imagine all of the great merchandise you are going to encounter!!


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## Feistygirl916

katt789 said:


> Bahahhaa yes...yes it is a lot of money...I won't lie..it's caused a bunch of stress with us! Bahah. I'll go through some budget stuff later one!~
> 
> 
> 
> HOW AWESOME!! Where are you headed first in November?!


We are doing Shanghai, then HK, then Tokyo


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## missjackiemcg

Everything looks SO amazing!!! Tokyo is just beautiful.  I'm glad you're taking the time to see all the "must dos" and not just skipping straight to Disney.  What an awesome adventure!


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## disney144

Did you end up keeping the Bali leg or getting rid of it? We are planning a Bali and Lombok honeymoon in spring 2017 and are trying to add on a few days at Shanghai disneyland


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## katt789

MomoMama said:


> Ooooooooooooo!  Your Japan part of the trip sounds so exciting!
> 
> You have so many places to visit,  so much to do!!  I think it's a great idea for leaving the 5th day open to anything.
> 
> I visited some of the places you are planning to visit, like Tsukiji market, Asakusa, and Tokyo station.  But did not get to visit those beautiful Japanese gardens, panda bears at Ueno zoo, man-made forest at Meiji jingu, or Mt. Fuji! I especially envy you will get to see Mt. Fuji!
> 
> Are you planning to see the actual fish auctioning at the fish market? I heard you have to line up at 2 am to get the pass!  We were not that crazy about the fish, and just checked out the shops for the general public.
> 
> Early October may be too early for the fall foliage in Japan...  But the weather is generally great, so I hope you will get to go everywhere you want to go!



I'm super excited!!! I'm glad we ended up adding another day because there's just so much to do!!! Ah thats awesome!! I'm excited about Mt Fuji, but also super bummed we can't climb it due to the time of year!

We're definitely not, that's way too early, and I don't care for that part of the experience, we'll probably just go explore!!

awe man! Well, we'll be there all month, so hopefully we'll catch some of it!



missangelalexis said:


> Your Tokyo days sound awesome, you are going to see so much cool stuff!
> I'm sure getting to the Disney portion of the trip will be so excited! I'm sure it will take a lot of restraint to not buy all of the things! haha I can imagine all of the great merchandise you are going to encounter!!


I'm super excited, the country looks amazing, I'm already in love with it and we've still got 3 months to go!!
UGH, YES. Seriously, all the merch over there is INSANELY AWESOME. I KNOW some of the stuff already I'm putting money aside for, it's a struggle though!


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## katt789

Feistygirl916 said:


> We are doing Shanghai, then HK, then Tokyo


Who knows, we might cross paths in Hong Kong!!



missjackiemcg said:


> Everything looks SO amazing!!! Tokyo is just beautiful.  I'm glad you're taking the time to see all the "must dos" and not just skipping straight to Disney.  What an awesome adventure!



It's STUNNING, and heck yes! at first we were debating how to do the trip, China's still more based off disney, but we're visiting some of the other stuff too! To go all the way to Asia and JUST go to Disney parks would be a bit extreme imo!



disney144 said:


> Did you end up keeping the Bali leg or getting rid of it? We are planning a Bali and Lombok honeymoon in spring 2017 and are trying to add on a few days at Shanghai disneyland


We ended up scratching it! It was around $900 for a contiki tour, and that just added so much more money onto the trip, this way we have that little bit more to stay in some disney hotels and such!


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## katt789

*Day 8-October 11/2016- Tokyo Disneyland*

EEEEEKKK

ARE YOU EXCITED BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE DYING.

Also because it’s going to be BUTT EARLY in the morning. Tokyo is probably the BUSIEST of the parks, so we know we want to be there an hour to an hour and a half before the park opens to get in line.  Tickets will be bought online in advance to help save time!





Tokyo Disneyland 012 by Mohd Hafiz Mohammad Saleh, on Flickr


Because you can’t park hop the first 2 days, I’m pretty sure we’ve chosen Disneyland as our first day, with DisneySea as our second day, and then you can hop after that!





Tokyo Disneyland Castle by Thessa Conanan, on Flickr


SO PRETTY!! There are some unique attractions to TDL, and some of them are the most popular in the parks, so we’ll be shot cutting down the right hand side of World Bazaar to grab fast passes for Monster’s Inc





Tokyo Disneyland by Jeff from Houston, on Flickr


And then it’s OFF to ride Pooh’s Hunny Hunt





Tokyo May 2014 - Pooh&#x27;s Hunny Hunt by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


Both sound like things one wouldn’t be rope dropping to, but in Tokyo the rides are different from what we’re used to, and things one wouldn’t want to miss!


From what I’ve been able to read, Space Mtn is a thing we want to fp, or ride in the morning, same goes for Haunted Mansion. Splash would be a priority after our intial race into the park, where as Star Tours is pretty much a clone attraction.


Our big things for today will probably end up being a lot of photography, a lot of feels, and hoping to catch as many characters that we might not see at home!





Tokyo May 2014 - Wandering through Fantasyland by PeterPanFan, on Flickr





TDR Oct 2012 - Flynn and Rapunzel having fun by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


Their characters do a lot more roaming, and I don’t believe there’s many that have set up indoor greets like in WDW. It’s said to be a bit intimidating because of all the Tokyo “photographers”/”social media” people who will crowd to take pictures of the characters, even though they’re not taking pictures WITH them. It might be a bit awkward to know when to jump in, but we have the added bonus of knowing a few special people out there who might be able to help us out 


Another priority of TDL will obviously be the parades and shows! 


Happiness Is Here! 





Happiness is Here by Brooke Pearce, on Flickr





THE #Dinsey moment / Happiness Is Here the day parade / #Tokyo #Disneyland #TDL / Tokyo Disney Resort #TDR by Erika, on Flickr


Their evening parade, Dream Lights, similar to WDW’s DEP, but with AWESOME FLOATS.





Dreamlights Cheshire 1 by Justin Cheung, on Flickr





Dreamlights by looseey, on Flickr


Heck, even if it’s raining, THEY HAVE A BACK UP PARADE FOR THE NIGHTTIME called “Nightfall Glow”





IMG_0797 Nightfall Glow by Chao-Wei Juan, on Flickr


Fireworks are something that people usually say aren’t horribly worth it, they’re more a thing people watch on their way out of the park at the end of the night after the parade. But we’ll be our own judges for that





Tokyo Disneyland Fireworks by Tom Bricker, on Flickr


*Day 9-October 12/2016-DISNEYSEA*


I have to admit, I am BEYOND excited for this! It’s said to be one of the most unique Disney parks around the world, and every time I see pictures of it, it just BLOWS me away! 





Tokyo DisneySea, Japan 2016 by Richard Chen, on Flickr


Since we’ve found out Journey to the Center of the Earth will be CLOSED when we’re there, we’ve been told to head straight to ToT first off. What are ya’ll’s thoughts on that?? It’s a little bit different, and we don’t have our hearts set on riding TSMM since it’s the exact same as at home!





Tower of Terror @ DisneySea by David Morton, on Flickr


At the moment, I can’t really think of anything specific we’ll be running to afterwards, I know there’s lots to do, and we want to do all of it, especially all of the unique things! We’re super excited to explore the Arabian Coast





Arabian Coast by Brooke Pearce, on Flickr


And all of the Atlantica area! I know there’s a cute show down there, and we’ll probably pop in to say Hi to Ariel!





Tokyo DisneySea by Robert M, on Flickr





Mermaid Lagoon by Brooke Pearce, on Flickr


There will be TONS to do, that’s for sure!!





IMG_0237 by Duy Phan, on Flickr


And we’ll HAVE to end off with watching Fantasmic obviously! I’ve watched it on youtube a few years back and I remember it BLOWING MY MIND, so we’ll see how much it impresses us in REAL LIFE!





Fantasmic! | Tokyo DisneySea by nagi usano, on Flickr





Fantasmic! | Tokyo DisneySea by nagi usano, on Flickr


I mean, it looks PRETTY SPECTACULAR!


*Day 10 & 11- October 13 & 14th*


These days will be similar to the previous days, with filling in the things we didn’t do, and the people we didn’t see yet! We’ll obviously have some repeats in there as well! As you can tell, the trip is pretty well planned out, until it comes to the actual Disney days! It seems so easy to plan a WDW or DLR trip, there’s so much information out there, but overseas it gets tricky. This is especially a problem with Shanghai since it just opened and we’re really unsure where to start.


SO, if you’ve been, let us know your best tips for touring the parks!!! I’m going to spend some more time looking into that over the next few weeks!


Also as I get those Disney days more nailed down I’ll post a link on the home page to more details on how those days will go!!


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## missangelalexis

That's interesting that you can't park hop the first 2 days of your tickets.

The first day sounds like it will be awesome! I didn't realize there was a Monsters Inc ride there.

DisneySea looks beautiful. Another fun day you guys will have!

And it's great that you guys have 2 other days to get to the things you missed on the first 2!


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## mindeola

Interesting bit about the park hopping!

I am not sure if you follow Tom Bricker over at www.disneytouristblog.com. If you don't , be sure and check him out! He has great posts on the Asian parks- even went to opening day of Shanghai.

( Now that I look closely I see you have some of his photos!)


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## katt789

*October 15th*

Today we get up as early as we can and its time to check out of Tokyo, while we head to the train station to journey off to *Matsumoto*. It’s considered one of Japan’s finest cities!


We booked through booking.com again and chose the _Ace Inn Matsumoto_ where we paid $119 CAD total for the night! It’s a private double room with breakfast including (and as I’m looking at the sheet now it’s apparently also a smoking room, so that sucks since we are NON smokers, but yolo, right?)


After checking in our plans are to check out the *Matsumoto-jo* castle!  They say it’s a MUST SEE, and Japan’s oldest wooden castle, where you can hike to the top to see some impressive views!





matsumoto-jo  松本城 by 愚夫.chan, on Flickr





Matsumoto-jo by Dani Gurgel, on Flickr


It looks gorgeous & I’m SUPER excited, I won’t lie! A few blocks from the castle is *Nawate-dori*, a nice riverside walk with street vendors, street food and such!





Nawate-dori by Okami-mynx, on Flickr


I’m assuming that’s the frog statue that marks the start of the promenade.





松本 女鳥羽川沿いの商店街 by 三日画師, on Flickr





Nawate Dori by iris, on Flickr


Kara and I spend the night and then pack up to head off to our next city in the morning!


*October 16th*

We start today off by checking out of Matsumoto and hopping on a train to *Kanazawa* where we’re off to check in at  the _Guest House Pongyi_ where it cost us $157 CAD total for 2 nights! We’re in a all female dorm for this stay!





Pongyi Guest House by Alexander Takeshi, on Flickr


Kanazawa has some awesome geisha & samari districts, a bunch of temples and museums, and is a big draw because of the variety of cultural attractions it holds! After dropping our luggage and getting settled, Kara & I are off to something she’s super excited about, GEISHA STUFF! There are two museums to choose between, *Shima* or *Kaikaro* so we’ll have to check out some reviews and pick one from those!





Standing in front of famous Kaikaro, geisha house, she is a happy bride to be! by Nana Trongratanawong, on Flickr


We also have it sketched out to head to the *Omi-cho Market* where they have some of the freshest sashimi and produce, so we can pick up some dinner and some snacks for the next couple days!





Omi-cho Market by Ali M, on Flickr





~ omi-cho market ~ by Andre Santoso, on Flickr


A pretty easy day since we do have to travel that morning and didn’t want to try and cram too much in if our train got in later on in the day!


*October 17th*

Our day today starts out bright and early as th best time to see the *Kenroku-en* gardens is super early, right at the 8:00am open time!





Kenroku - en by Елена Глубоковских, on Flickr





Kenroku - en by Елена Глубоковских, on Flickr


It’s said to be one of the top 3 gardens in Japan, it has all the apparent “six attributes for perfection” abundant water, spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, broad eiws and antiquity, so it should be great!! However they do recommend getting there at opening to arrive before the crowds, especially for great photo opportunities!!


*Kanazawa castle park* is our second stop of the day, which technically houses the entrance to the previous park, but we’ll be able to check them all out together!





金澤城-石川門 Kanazawa Castle Park by 歲月之歌, on Flickr





金澤城 Kanazawa Castle Park by 歲月之歌, on Flickr


When our castle and garden tranquility comes to an end, I’m sure we’ll grab some lunch somewhere quick and cheap, it’s all about authenticity and experiencing the culture for us! Then we’re potentially off to the *D.T. Suzuki Museum!*





D.T. Suzuki Museum, Kanazawa by TokyoViews, on Flickr


It’s a very spiritual stop, a tribute to one of the “foremost Buddhist philosophers of our time”.  


It’ll be an easy evening, probably just dinner back near or at the hotel as we pack up and get ready to continue on our adventure the next day!!


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## katt789

PSA: I'm gonna do my best to keep this PTR up to date, and hopefully will work on more of it today since I'm home sick from work, but am HOPEFULLY starting a second job soon, and still need time for fitness lol, so I MAY fall behind a bit, esp since this update is the last I have pre-typed as of right now....eta...the update wasn't completed, so my goal is to finish up Kyoto by the end of the day, I mean, disboarding is what sick days are for, right?!

Thank you to everyone who's commenting, and thank you to everyone who's reading! Come out of lurkdom & say Hi! We love new friends!!

For trip related real life updates: ALL OUR FLIGHTS TO ASIA ARE BOOOOKED!! AHHH!!! We were getting super stressed about them jumping, so Kara jumped on it and booked our roundtrip to Tokyo, and Abby booked hers into Beijing and out of Hong Kong. Now we just need to take care of all our internal flights and trains. And figure out if we're going to want a JR pass in Japan or not.

For those who have travelled Japan, did it seem more worth it to get a JR pass, or just get a suica card? We're a bit lost on trying to figure that one out!

*********


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## MomoMama

I think JR pass is not worth it unless you are traveling across Japan.  Trains/bus you can ride is limited too.  Since you have ideas on where to visit, try to compare the cost of all the fares to the cost of JR pass.  

I was traveling from Kanto (Tokyo area) to Kansai (Osaka area) back and forth, and still decided not to get the JR pass. Because the discount airline fare was really cheap if booked more than 60 days in advance.  Also the flight time was about 1 hour, less than the time a train would take.   But in the future I hope to visit other areas of Japan, north to south, and I think JR pass will be a great deal for trip like that.

Suica pass is convenient and must get though!


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## missangelalexis

More great plans! And that's so exciting that your airfare is booked!


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## Grumpy's Wife

This is going to be one awesome trip.  I can't wait to hear all about it.  I'm so excited for you.


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## Terapin

I went to Tokyo, TDL, and surrounding areas last May. It was awesome! Such a great place to visit. 

While I thought it was a strange thing to be so popular, indeed Pooh's Honey Pot was AMAZING and had the longest lines in the park. It's just so well done! Rope-drop is a very popular event and the parks were busy early, but less busy in the early evening. DisneySea is wonderful. I was pregnant when we went and so I am really looking forward to returning and riding what I couldn't ride before. 

I'm sure you will have a grand time!  We are heading to HKDL in Septmeber. Can't wait! Perhaps Shanghai next year.


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## katt789

MomoMama said:


> I think JR pass is not worth it unless you are traveling across Japan.  Trains/bus you can ride is limited too.  Since you have ideas on where to visit, try to compare the cost of all the fares to the cost of JR pass.
> 
> I was traveling from Kanto (Tokyo area) to Kansai (Osaka area) back and forth, and still decided not to get the JR pass. Because the discount airline fare was really cheap if booked more than 60 days in advance.  Also the flight time was about 1 hour, less than the time a train would take.   But in the future I hope to visit other areas of Japan, north to south, and I think JR pass will be a great deal for trip like that.
> 
> Suica pass is convenient and must get though!



Thanks so much for the info! I do think we've kinda decided agianst it. The length we'd need one would be would like $400 and that seems a little extreme for the amount of transport we're doing within Tokyo that might not count as JR, we'll have to check again. We just thought we might want it with the training from Tokyo to Kyoto with stops in the middle!!



missangelalexis said:


> More great plans! And that's so exciting that your airfare is booked!


Yay! It's super exciting!!



Grumpy's Wife said:


> This is going to be one awesome trip.  I can't wait to hear all about it.  I'm so excited for you.


IT'S GOING TO BE SO GREAT!! I'm seriously so excited! I have days where it doesn't mean much, and days where I'm super stressed about stuff, money/plans, but right now I'm in the super excited phase lol. I've actually come to terms with the fact that I won't make it back to WDW til marthon weekend next year because of this trip and I'm now finally okay with that because of the excitement for Tokyo Disney


Terapin said:


> I went to Tokyo, TDL, and surrounding areas last May. It was awesome! Such a great place to visit.
> While I thought it was a strange thing to be so popular, indeed Pooh's Honey Pot was AMAZING and had the longest lines in the park. It's just so well done! Rope-drop is a very popular event and the parks were busy early, but less busy in the early evening. DisneySea is wonderful. I was pregnant when we went and so I am really looking forward to returning and riding what I couldn't ride before.
> I'm sure you will have a grand time!  We are heading to HKDL in Septmeber. Can't wait! Perhaps Shanghai next year.


Yay!!! Glad you had an awesome time, I cnanot wait!!  I'm super excited for the rides that are different over there!! I am a little nervous about the crowds but I THINK we'll be okay since we're there during the week!! UGH DISNEYSEA! I CANNOT WAIT! I think it's what I'm most excited about at this point!! Ah! That's awesome!!


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## MomoMama

katt789 said:


> Thanks so much for the info! I do think we've kinda decided agianst it. The length we'd need one would be would like $400 and that seems a little extreme for the amount of transport we're doing within Tokyo that might not count as JR, we'll have to check again. We just thought we might want it with the training from Tokyo to Kyoto with stops in the middle!!


If you are going to Kyoto and then going back to Tokyo, 7 day (about $260) pass may be worth it... Shinkansen ticket (Tokyo to Kyoto without stops) should be about 13000yen each way.  I think you can select the activation date, so if you don't need it for the first few days, activate it for the later days.  You should double-check it though, that was the info I got when I was checking.

Planning phase can get you stressed out, but hope you can stay excited!  After all, you are going to Tokyo Disney!


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## Feistygirl916

We are getting a Suica card for our days in the city of Tokyo. The JR pass was so expensive compared to the Suica!


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## katt789

MomoMama said:


> If you are going to Kyoto and then going back to Tokyo, 7 day (about $260) pass may be worth it... Shinkansen ticket (Tokyo to Kyoto without stops) should be about 13000yen each way.  I think you can select the activation date, so if you don't need it for the first few days, activate it for the later days.  You should double-check it though, that was the info I got when I was checking.
> 
> Planning phase can get you stressed out, but hope you can stay excited!  After all, you are going to Tokyo Disney!



We're traveling that way, but we're making so many stops along the way, and leaving from Kyoto to China!!  Train transportation is something on my list of things to double check over the next few weesk! lol! I've reached that INSANE amount of excited now!! I've been watching a bunch of vlogs, and some of the special themed parades/shows from Tokyo that run seasonally that we won't get to see and I'm so pumped on it right now lol!!



Feistygirl916 said:


> We are getting a Suica card for our days in the city of Tokyo. The JR pass was so expensive compared to the Suica!



I think that's going to end up being what we have to do, the JR just seems so pricey and not totally worth it!!


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## katt789

*October 18th*

ALLLLL ABOARD!!!

We check out this morning and hop back onto a train to head over to *Kyoto!* It’s only a 2 hour train ride on the JR line, so it shouldn’t take too long, but I’m sure we’ll sleep in a bit, check out time is 10:00am so it might be a good idea to take advantage of that, and then hop on a train, especially since we can’t check in until 3:00pm.


We’re staying at an AirBnB for our Kyoto stay, it worked out to be cheaper, and it’s in a nice area, and a local area!





Kyoto Skyline by Stephen Leung, on Flickr


Our original plans had us doing a TON of things on the first day, but when we altered things and booked everything accommodation wise we added another day to Kyoto, so I’m guessing we’ll head on over to the *Nanzen-ji* temple!





Nanzen-ji by Eric Olsen, on Flickr





Nanzen-ji by PBY, on Flickr


It’s said to be one of the most rewarding temples in Kyoto, and has a lovely view out over the city. There’s also a lovely tea shop in there to enjoy a cup while you’re enjoying the view.





Sanmon view, Nanzen-ji by Laurie Brunner, on Flickr


I’m not 100% sure if we’ll make it out here since it does close at 5pm and we can’t check in until 3:00pm, but maybe we’ll be able to check in earlier, or perhaps leave our bags in luggage lockers at the train station, OR, completely bypass these plans and figure something else out….babah!


We’ll return early home and probably call it a night after dinner, we’ve got a lot crammed into Kyoto and will definitely need our rest!


*October 19th*[/u]

Good morning! Today is the first of many adventures that we’ll have in Kyoto, and we’re starting off with exploring the *Arashiyama & Sagano * areas!  They are at the base of a mountain range, and considered to be the second most important area to sight-see! *Tenryu-ji* will be our first stop along the way!





Tenryu - ji  Temple by waewduan C, on Flickr




Tenryu-ji by SBA73, on Flickr


A Buddist temple with some of the finest gardens, it’s said to best be visited early on in the day to avoid the larger crowds, hence the first thing we do. The other big site here is the * Arashiyama Bamboo Grove* which is something I’m SUPER excited about because it LOOKS SO AMAZING.





Lost in Bamboo Grove by Jacopo, on Flickr





Arashiyama Bamboo Grove by Gorka Zárate, on Flickr


It’s definitely going to be a spot for us to challenge ourselves with our photography as well, since even looking for these pics on flickr, so many of them are exactly the same, lol. Gotta stand out!! There’s also a monkey park in the same area as all of this that we have the chance to check out if we feel like we want to!





Arashiyama Monkey Park by Tim Easley, on Flickr





Arashiyama monkey park by Kirsty Komuso, on Flickr


Located not too far from all of our morning adventures is *Okochi Sanso* a celebrity estate, surrounded by gorgeous lavish gardens, and a gorgeous view of the city. There’s even tea & cake included in the admission at the tea house at the end of the trails!





Okochi Sanso, Kyoto by Adrian Wiggins, on Flickr





Okochi Sanso Villa Garden by Krzysztof Baranowski, on Flickr


We’ve called it there for the end of our adventures, all these sites are located kinda far off to the side of Kyoto and we obviously want time to explore everything! It’ll  be more of a chill evening as we eat dinner either at home or near home and gear up for the next day!


*October 20th*

Kara & I start today off with another kind of shrine *Fushimi Inari-Taisha* according to the guidebook, its one of the most memorable and impressive sights in the city, it consists of 5 different shrines and a 4km pathway up a mountain! It’s a place that I’ve seen so many gorgeous photos of and cannot wait to see in person!!





Fushimi Inari Taisha by Damien Polegato, on Flickr





Fushimi Inari Taisha by Simon Long, on Flickr





Fushimi Inari-taisha by Rachel, on Flickr


Also another place where we can up our photography game!  After we’re done there, we head over to a “don’t miss” *Tofuku-ji* 





Tofuku-ji Gate by Nancy JonesFrancis, on Flickr

It’s easily linked with our previous stop via train, and a spectacular garden/temple. It looks GORGEOUS during autumn foliage, so I’m hoping that we’ll catch the very beginning of that, since it says it gets crazy crowded during the actual season, but it’s pretty, so I’d like to see it lol!





Tofuku-ji Temple by Junichi Kashima, on Flickr


We might have some time for a break before we hit up a couple of market/shopping streets tonight, it kinda all depends on how much time we take everywhere. Our first stop afterwards is the *Nishiki Market* 





Nishiki Market - Kyoto by Tom Walter, on Flickr





Nishiki market by jacksog, on Flickr


It’s a food market  back in the center of town, and full of all kinds of fun stuff to look at and potentially eat! We’ll probably grab some dinner from here before we hop on over to *Ponto-cho* which comes alive at night in a brilliant atmosphere, we’ll probably check this out quickly for that and then head home for the night?





Ponto-cho, Kyoto. by Stefano Ravalli, on Flickr



*October 21st*

Today is our last PLANNED (currently) day in Kyoto, in the booking stage, we added another day in to accommodate a couple more things, and have time if we missed anything we really wanted to see. We start  off with an adventure off to a castle with beautiful architecture, and gorgeous grounds. [/b]Nijo-jo[/b].





Nijo-jo by G P, on Flickr


As you can assume, we’re headed here first because of the crowds that it attracts, so we hope to make it in and conquer it before they hit, when they start to roll in, we’ll move out to our next destination! [/b]Daitoku-ji[/b]





Daitoku-ji, Kyoto by Evan  Stuart, on Flickr


(guys as I type this up and am looking at countless pictures on flickr, I swear, everything is starting to just look the same…) This is another Buddhist Temple, they say it’s a different world within Kyoto, and one of the most rewarding parts in the city, so maybe it’ll be a nice change, lol!!


As for taking things slow today, we don’t have much planned, I have written down _ Geisha dance?_ So who knows if that’ll happen, I know Kara really wants to do some geisha stuff, we’ll see what we end up working out, it looks beautiful. I also have sketched in _Bar K6-> overlook river?_





Kyoto: Bar K6 by kaydeesquared, on Flickr


The guidebook says it has great views of one of the “prettiest stretches of Kiyamachi-dori. Seems like a decent place to relax at the end of the night and take in the views! Chances are we’ll only grab a drink and then eat at home to save money, but we’ll see!


*October 22*

As I previously said, we don’t have anything specific planned for today, when we were booking hotels, Kara wanted to add another day in Kyoto & I figured that it was a good idea. There was SO much to do, and we’re going to be in town during a festival of some sorts, so that obviously makes crowds that much higher and things that much busier, so the extra day is probably needed!


I know Kara also REALLY wants to do the thing where you go somewhere and they do you all up like a geisha! It sounds super cool and the friends I’ve seen do it look beautiful, so I’m excited to see what this day holds.


As for Kyoto, this is officially our last day in the city, as we have 1 day trip the next day before we move on out to our final stop in Japan!!


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## DaisyDuck001

Wow, as with the year in Orlando, once again you will be living out your dreams!  Some people just wish they could go to these places, but you really make it happen.  This will be quite an adventure.


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## Aussie Wendy

Looks like a great trip and not too rushed which is a good idea. In my siggie is a TR of our experiences in Japan. I am so excited you are going to Kanazawa as few tourists go there though they say when the fast train is up and running that will change (is it yet?) The gardens were lovely and we just loved the non touristy "feel" of the city. The geisha area is pretty small and was a bit overrun with tour bus tourists when we were there but interesting small shops. We were inspired because of a book set there by an Australian author Kierin Meehan Hannah's Winter (lovely children's story but it might not be available in Canada). Do not miss Myoryu-ji (or Nija-dera) - the Ninja house. The tour is in Japanese with a short English translation book but it's the sort of place that language doesn't matter. We found opening times a bit different to those published so you may have to go back if its shut the first time you try. It was one of the highlights for us. The castle site next to the gardens is also worth a stroll through. The loop bus which is valid on the flat route buses as well is a convenient way to get about (you can buy a day pass). They do some great donuts in Kanazawa too - lots of different, unusual flavours though since then they are all the rage here in Aus too so not as unique now. 

If you have a day free or if you haven't got it in your itinerary yet consider visiting Nara as well from Kyoto. Otherwise I can second pretty much most of what you have planned in Kyoto and Tokyo. You are allowing yourselves time to poke about and get off the beaten track as well which is good. Our most favourite temples in Kyoto were probably Ginkakuji (the silver pavilion), walking the Philosophers Path from here detouring to cute little Otoyo-Jinja (or rat shrine), Honen-in and round to  Nanzenji. We loved little Kodaji Temple and outside Kyoto Fushimi-Inari is like it looks in pictures and is very special especially as once you get up the path some ways the crowds disappear.

Take comfortable walking shoes for all the walking you will be doing. So excited for you. Its going to be an amazing trip.


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## Aussie Wendy

Forgot to say-when we were travelling, if you don’t hold a JR Rail Pass and intend travelling around the Kansai region consider getting a JR West Rail pass (Kansai Pass) for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. The 1 day pass is worth it even just for the express train from the airport to Kyoto but I think you are training in so might not be as good value for you. If it still exists that is. Our tip was 2012 so getting a bit old in the teeth given how fast things change. Looking at the Kanazawa castle pic you put up for example - looks substantially more been restored since we were there!


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## missangelalexis

Sounds like such great and exciting plans!


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## katt789

DaisyDuck001 said:


> Wow, as with the year in Orlando, once again you will be living out your dreams!  Some people just wish they could go to these places, but you really make it happen.  This will be quite an adventure.



It certainly will be an adventure!! We're all excited!!



Aussie Wendy said:


> Looks like a great trip and not too rushed which is a good idea. In my siggie is a TR of our experiences in Japan. I am so excited you are going to Kanazawa as few tourists go there though they say when the fast train is up and running that will change (is it yet?) The gardens were lovely and we just loved the non touristy "feel" of the city. The geisha area is pretty small and was a bit overrun with tour bus tourists when we were there but interesting small shops. We were inspired because of a book set there by an Australian author Kierin Meehan Hannah's Winter (lovely children's story but it might not be available in Canada). Do not miss Myoryu-ji (or Nija-dera) - the Ninja house. The tour is in Japanese with a short English translation book but it's the sort of place that language doesn't matter. We found opening times a bit different to those published so you may have to go back if its shut the first time you try. It was one of the highlights for us. The castle site next to the gardens is also worth a stroll through. The loop bus which is valid on the flat route buses as well is a convenient way to get about (you can buy a day pass). They do some great donuts in Kanazawa too - lots of different, unusual flavours though since then they are all the rage here in Aus too so not as unique now.
> If you have a day free or if you haven't got it in your itinerary yet consider visiting Nara as well from Kyoto. Otherwise I can second pretty much most of what you have planned in Kyoto and Tokyo. You are allowing yourselves time to poke about and get off the beaten track as well which is good. Our most favourite temples in Kyoto were probably Ginkakuji (the silver pavilion), walking the Philosophers Path from here detouring to cute little Otoyo-Jinja (or rat shrine), Honen-in and round to  Nanzenji. We loved little Kodaji Temple and outside Kyoto Fushimi-Inari is like it looks in pictures and is very special especially as once you get up the path some ways the crowds disappear.
> Take comfortable walking shoes for all the walking you will be doing. So excited for you. Its going to be an amazing trip.



I'm super excited for everything!! I've definitely read your tr!! I'm glad to see that you've been to Kanazawa!!  We have Nara on the list!! I'm SO excted for it too!! Glad to know that we've got some good plans!! I wanted to cover everything, and obviously we wanted an authentic experience too! We definitely will have good shoes! I usually wear toms, even in the disney parks, but I'll have one pair of actual running shoes too, esp for the great wall!



Aussie Wendy said:


> Forgot to say-when we were travelling, if you don’t hold a JR Rail Pass and intend travelling around the Kansai region consider getting a JR West Rail pass (Kansai Pass) for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. The 1 day pass is worth it even just for the express train from the airport to Kyoto but I think you are training in so might not be as good value for you. If it still exists that is. Our tip was 2012 so getting a bit old in the teeth given how fast things change. Looking at the Kanazawa castle pic you put up for example - looks substantially more been restored since we were there!



I'll have to double check what the value will be for us!! 



missangelalexis said:


> Sounds like such great and exciting plans!


It's gonna be so great!!


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## katt789

* October 23/2016*

Today we’re still staying in our accommodation at Kyoto but are venturing out of the city! A short 45 minute train ride is _Nara_ it was actually the first appointed capital of Japan, and said to be one of the most rewarding  destination!





nara by fezaizm, on Flickr


It’s a small and compact town so we should be able to cover the highlights on foot and within the day that we’ve given ourselves! _Yoshiki-en is a stunner of a park that’s free, so we’ll most likely end up checking that out.





Exiting the Yoshiki-en Pond Garden, Nara by psilouroboros, on Flickr


Todai-ji Is a nearby Buddhist temple that holds the “great Buddha”, most of it is free as well, which makes it a major pull for us!





Todai-ji by MB DeGeorge, on Flickr





Todai-Ji by Guillaume Guiral, on Flickr


A smaller sub temple, just uphill from Todai-ji is  Nigatsu-do It’s pathway leading up to it is lined with lanterns, and has a veranda with fabulous views!





Nigatsu-do by Chang Ju Wu, on Flickr





Nigatsu-do by Chang Ju Wu, on Flickr


And the big pull towards Nara is Nara Koen Park which is where all the pictures like this come from:





Nara Koen, Nara, Japan. by Kinki Cycle, on Flickr





Nara-Kôen by Bakka1985, on Flickr


These cuties roam freely everywhere and you can buy feed to feed them too! They’re super cute and I can’t wait! Though I can imagine there are some horror stories about feeding them too lol. I mean, they are wild animals….


Kasuga Taisha (another free item) is a Shinto Shrine that has pathways lined with lanterns and even more in the shrine itself. It obviously comes alive at night, but I’m not quite sure how late we’ll be staying.





Kasuga Taisha by Maeghan, on Flickr





Kasuga-Taisha by Chiara Salvadori, on Flickr


Basically today is all about exploring. We’ll see if we end up doing anything that we have to pay for, I’m sure Kara & I are more than okay with just doing the free things, especially since there’s so many to do in Nara. Nara is said to be packed full of food options, many right near the station, so I’m sure we’ll have some lunch (indoors…away from the deer at the least) while we’re there, and whenever we’re done with the exploring we’ll head back to Kyoto! I’m assuming we’ll stay til around dusk to try and get some different time of day photography done and try to avoid the rush hour on the trains when we return to Kyoto!


*October 24/2016*

Today we bid farewell to Kyoto and our (hopefully) lovely AirBnB! Lol Our day is filled with a train ride over to Hiroshima We originally planned to hop off the train in Himeiji to see their castle, but figured that since we have a MILLION castles n shrines, it wasn’t worth it to pay for, OR to stress over what to do with our luggage that day. Himeiji is apparently a popular spot to hop off the trains so depending on time of day there might not be any luggage lockers at the station. So, we opted to go straight to Hiroshima! 





Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, 原爆ドーム、広島 by Aleksi Mattsson, on Flickr


We’re staying at Santiago Guesthouse Hiroshima in a 10 bed all female dorm. It cost around $150.00 USD for 3 nights, so pretty decent. Our plan is to just check in, maybe pick up a couple food items, and then tuck in for an easy night after a day of travel.


I’m not sure why, but I’m actually SUPER excited to explore Hiroshima, I honestly don’t know why, but I’m pumped for it, it looks so beautiful and there’s so much history there to learn about too.


*October 25/2016*

We’ve got a decent day today, pretty well packed with stuff, but not too crazy, and it’s all condensed in one area, so it’s easy to see, right?! Lol. We’ll eat at the hostel, and head to Hiroshima-jo first!





Hiroshima jo by Ian Edwards, on Flickr





Jo by Keith Mac Uidhir, on Flickr


There is a charge to go in, and they say the grounds and moat are the most impressive to see, so we’ll probably check things out on the outside before moving along to our next few stops.


All clustered together are:


The Atomic Bomb Dome it’s still there as a memorial to those who died in the bombing, since it somehow withstood the bomb.





A-bomb dome close, Hiroshima by Javhlan Byamba-Hughes, on Flickr


Peace Memorial Park  which includes things like the Memorial Mound and Chidlren’s Peace Monument





Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan by Adrian Dutch, on Flickr 





Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Cenotaph by Sara, on Flickr





hiroshima // children&#x27;s peace monument 02 by Daniel Chang, on Flickr


National Peace Hall





The Hall of Remembrance by William Bullimore, on Flickr


An adjoining room has the names and photographs of the victims, and there are stories from survivors you can watch as well.  Lonely Planet mentions it and the peace memorial museum as places that can be upsetting, but still a must see in the city.


Again, today will be an exploring of the area, since everything is so closely compacted together. And a day of paying respects in a sense. Again, Hiroshima has many places for cheap satisfying food, so we’ll grab some dinner before heading back to the hotel for the night. 


*October 26/2016*

AHH! SUPER EXCITED ABOUT TODAY, SERIOUSLY. A short 10 minute ferry ride away from Hiroshima is Miyajima





MIYAJIMA by Shichifuku Jin, on Flickr


It’s a small Island and one of the country’s most visited destination. It’s also home to the REAL LIFE FLOATING TORI that we’ve become so accustomed to see with Spaceship Earth in the middle of it…well…NOT TODAY!!


We’ll arrive via ferry near the Tourist Information Center and take a stroll along the waterfront to get to the shrine and other such areas, bonus, the walk is only 10 minutes! 


Itsukushima-jinga Shrine is the shrine to see the floating tori from, and is constructed like a pier because of the islands sacred status. “Commoners were not allowed to set foot upon the island and had to approach by boat through the tori in the bay” (from LP)





20140521-035-Itsukushima-jinga temple complex-2.jpg by Roger Wong, on Flickr


They also say that most of the day the tori is seen surrounded by mud and dirt, to get the actual floating effect one has to see it during high tide, but I’m sure we’ll spend a good chunk of the day here.





Floating Tori by Ştardust96, on Flickr





Floating Tori by daoartgod, on Flickr


I mean…just look at it! We’ll want day time, dusk, and sunset photos, bahaha!!


Momiji-dani-koen is a park along the river that “comes alive” in autumn, so maybe it will be late enough to see some of that this time! 





Momiji Dani by Habuki, on Flickr


An option for us if we wish to explore a little more, and if it’s running, is the ropeway on Mt Misen  After taking the ropeway up, there’s a 30 minute walk to the top and the observatory. 





View from Mount Misen (弥山) by Kevin, on Flickr





Mt. Misen Ropeway II by Uwe Seiler, on Flickr


Miyajima has plenty of eating options along the main strip, including local oysters, eel and other delicacies! The guide books also say 1 block further inland from the main strip is much quieter and still has a few cafes and shops and such! The ferry times kinda determine how long Kara & I will stay, but I would LOVE to see a sunset with the floating tori, and the next day’s just a travel day, so we’ll see what ends up happening!! _


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## wanderlust7

I love Miyajima!  I'm not sure if the ferry schedule will work, but the torii is beautiful after dark too.  It's lit up and the reflection shimmers in the water, one of my favorite memories of Japan.


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## katt789

wanderlust7 said:


> I love Miyajima!  I'm not sure if the ferry schedule will work, but the torii is beautiful after dark too.  It's lit up and the reflection shimmers in the water, one of my favorite memories of Japan.



Yay!! It's one of the places that I'm most excited to see!!! Awe man, I hope it works...but I wouldn't be surprised if the ferry doesn't run after dark! Should've thought of that before!!! I hope we get to see it!


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## katt789

*October 27th/2016*

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! We are officially leaving Japan!! We have it planned now to fly out of Hiroshima and to Beijing, but depending on cost/efficiency we might fly out of somewhere that’s more of a major port? We’ll figure it out and price it out in the next little bit.


Since we’re checking out of Hiroshima, and then travelling internationally, and dealing with customs, a new country, visa’s and the like, we don’t have anything major planned for after arrival. It’s also the first day Abby will be joining us!! YAY! She’ll also be exhausted after flying from Canada, so if we did anything, it wouldn’t be much cause she’d probably miss out on it!


* BEIJING*




Beijing by Tony Shi, on Flickr


We’re staying at _Leo Hostel it cost us just over $200 total for 4nights in a 3 bed private dorm, so bonus! No sharing rooms with strangers!! There’s a restaurant, a bar/lounge area, some free wifi, and it’s pretty centrally located to where most of our adventuring will be.


We had a potential stop over to see some towers this evening, but considering I just checked the google maps and it’s an hour away on public transport, I’m guessing we’ll take it easy and pick up some food and call it a night. Probably also catch up with Abby on how things have been going for both of us! 


China is the part of this trip I’m excited for but also super nervous about, with no social media availability, I know we have to get a VPN and that’s just super  confusing. I’m also considering NOT getting one since we’re only in the country for 11 days. The only thing would be things like google maps, as I’m sure we could all go without social media for 11 days lol. I’m also not sure how trustworthy the cities are lol, they seem great, but I know things like pickpocketing are a lot worse here, so we’ll be keeping a much closer eye on our belongings than in Japan.


*October 28/2016*

The three of us start earlier today, hopefully the jet leg isn’t too bad for Abby, we head a closer distance from our hostel and are going to Tiananmen Square





Tiananmen Square 1 by Adrian Osmond, on Flickr


It’s obviously one of the most symbolic things in Chinese History and I’m excited to see it. Right passed the square is the Workers Cultural Palace which Lonely Planet says is the city’s best kept secret, most people skip right by on their way to the Forbidden City, but it was the emperor’s “premier place of worship”. It seems to be a popular place for weddings too!





Workers Cultural Palace by Johan Olsson, on Flickr





Weddings @ Worker&#x27;s Cultural Palace by Irina Callegher, on Flickr


The Forbidden City is obviously our prime stop for today, and there’s LOTS to see within the walls, and numerous halls within that have other special costs for special things. The Forbidden City is China’s best preserved and largest of it’s ancient buildings. It says to allow the better part of a day to explore inside, though I’m not going to go into much more detail on the inner going-ons right now lol.





The Forbidden City by Chee Seong, on Flickr





The Forbidden City, Beijing by Septimus Low, on Flickr


Through the back of the Forbidden City is an exit into Jingshan Park it’s up on a hill where the land was left after creating the moat for the city, and provides good views over the rooftops.





Jingshan park by Vince Miezejewski, on Flickr


I feel like I mainly included it in because it’s a way out of the walled city and gets us closest to Beihai Park which I honestly saw a picture of in the guide book and thought it was gorgeous! It’s close enough to where we’ll be that day so if we want to stroll along the lake to end off our afternoon, it could be a great place to do so!





Beihai Park by dominique boursier, on Flickr





Beihai Park by Oliver, on Flickr


The day is VERY full of adventure and exploring, and I’m sure we’ll all be rather tired by the end of the day, so some food and SLEEP will be the most important! Especially for poor jet legged Abby! 


*October 29/2016*

Today we only have ONE thing on the menu, and it’s the Summer Palace It’s a bit further away from the city, and kinda isolated, and requires pretty much a full day to explore, so that’s our reasoning to making it a full day thing!





Summer Palace by Ian Fraser, on Flickr


There are a few different tiers of tickets we can choose from, and some different tours/audio tours that we could upgrade to if we wanted. The Summer Palace is considered a “mandatory” sight, and there’s tons to explore.





Beijing, China: Summer Palace by Robin Liao, on Flickr





Todd Hockley Beijing Summer Palace by vonSchnitzenberg, on Flickr


Depending on how long the Summer Palace takes us, and how we’re feeling, we might check out the  Drum & Bell Towers they were originally on the list for our arrival day in Beijing, but today seems like a decent time to try and squeeze them in if we want to see them!





Bell Tower and Drum Tower, Xian by Azam Abedi, on Flickr


They’re also something much more beautiful to see at night, so this plan works out pretty well!


* October 30/2016*

Today is another day of EPIC PROPORTIONS!!! We’re exploring one of the wonders of the world, and we’re all SUPER excited for it! The Great Wall of China no need to explain what this attraction is, we’ve all heard about it’s majesty!


We’ve chosen a segment of the wall that’s been recently renovated, and sees a lot of tourists, even has a cable car, chair lift and A SLIDE TO GET BACK DOWN INSTEAD OF HIKING, LIKE HI, THAT’S AMAZING. I’m also reading that we’ll need to bring our own snacks, as food is around the entrance way but is pricey, so we’ll see about that too…





Great Wall  at Mutianya by Roy Wong, on Flickr





Mutianya-Great-Wall-2 by Kyle Royston, on Flickr





beijing-great-wall-at-mutianya.jpg by nice_business_in_china, on Flickr


It’s gonna be one HECK of an amazing day, that’s for sure! There’s a bus that takes about 2.5 hours from Beijing to get there, and leaves at 7am daily, and returns around 4:00pm, so we’ve got a GOOD chunk of the day to explore and adventure and take ALL the photos! 





The Great wall of China, Mutianya section- 3 by Jade Robinson, on Flickr


I’m REALLY hoping that it’s a clear and not too smoggy day, mainly because of the views/pictures, but like, I also hope that every day so that we can..you know…breathe…


The three of us will be able to squeeze it all in today, and then head back to Beijing on the bus at 4:00pm and probably call it an early night, we’re off to another city the next morning, and things are GETTING EVEN MORE EXCITING!!
_


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## zanzibar138

Yay! I finally feel like I can chime in with some useful information 

First of all, so glad to see that you are really taking the time to explore these places fully rather than doing a one day 'highlights' tour where you get about 5 minutes at each place  That is one of the reasons I decided not to explore more of China on my recent trip. I really felt like I didn't have enough time to do anything justice.

Please don't be scared about China. Yep, it's a different culture, but that's part of what makes it exciting. I know Shanghai is a lot more westernised and more open to westerners, but I felt perfectly safe getting around on my own, even at night. All the reports I've heard from Beijing say that it's perfectly safe for women to travel solo (I did a lot of research on various cities because I would have been on my own). While you should be mindful of pickpocketing, it's much more of an opportunistic thing and will mainly happen where there are large crowds and you wouldn't notice someone tampering with your bag. It's not like Europe where they'll set you up for it. I just held my handbag in front of me on the train where I could it and everything that happened to it, and never had any hint of trouble. You should take the same precautions that you normally would while travelling. Don't flash around expensive jewellery etc, and keep a close eye on your stuff.

I would recommend getting a VPN for your time in China. 11 days is a long time! (I was only there for 3 nights and I felt like I couldn't get by without one lol!). It's always nice to be able to connect with people back home on facebook, or to be able to use your gmail, access google maps like you said... I think even the DIS is blocked in China from what I've read! It's *so* easy to get a VPN. I've done a whole post on it in my TR (check the contents page for a quick link), but you basically just sign up and download the software, then just connect to Hong Kong whenever you use the internet. Express VPN got the best reviews, so I just went with that. It would probably be worth signing up before you get to China, as I wouldn't be surprised if VPN websites are also blocked


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## helenk

We explored that portion of the Great Wall in July. It is really nice and the views were amazing. My daughter hired a driver suggested by one of her friends. It only took an hour from her apartment in Beijing. We took the ski lift up and then after hiking along the wall took the slide down. Also I would not count on getting to the Drum and Bell Tower after visiting the Summer Palace. They are on opposite sides of the city and the Summer Palace area/ park is huge. There is alot to see alot of walking. We used the subway from my daughter's apartment it took a few transfers and about an hour of travel time. We used the subway alot in Beijing it's easy to use and inexpensive. We also did a self tour on Electric bikes through the Houtongs which was fun. I also second using a VPN while in China. My son and I used Betternet it was free and it was easy to download and use.


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## zanzibar138

helenk said:


> I also second using a VPN while in China. My son and I used Betternet it was free and it was easy to download and use.



Good to know! I looked at using Betternet, but I couldn't find any reviews and wasn't willing to take the chance.


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## katt789

zanzibar138 said:


> Yay! I finally feel like I can chime in with some useful information
> 
> First of all, so glad to see that you are really taking the time to explore these places fully rather than doing a one day 'highlights' tour where you get about 5 minutes at each place  That is one of the reasons I decided not to explore more of China on my recent trip. I really felt like I didn't have enough time to do anything justice.
> 
> Please don't be scared about China. Yep, it's a different culture, but that's part of what makes it exciting. I know Shanghai is a lot more westernised and more open to westerners, but I felt perfectly safe getting around on my own, even at night. All the reports I've heard from Beijing say that it's perfectly safe for women to travel solo (I did a lot of research on various cities because I would have been on my own). While you should be mindful of pickpocketing, it's much more of an opportunistic thing and will mainly happen where there are large crowds and you wouldn't notice someone tampering with your bag. It's not like Europe where they'll set you up for it. I just held my handbag in front of me on the train where I could it and everything that happened to it, and never had any hint of trouble. You should take the same precautions that you normally would while travelling. Don't flash around expensive jewellery etc, and keep a close eye on your stuff.
> 
> I would recommend getting a VPN for your time in China. 11 days is a long time! (I was only there for 3 nights and I felt like I couldn't get by without one lol!). It's always nice to be able to connect with people back home on facebook, or to be able to use your gmail, access google maps like you said... I think even the DIS is blocked in China from what I've read! It's *so* easy to get a VPN. I've done a whole post on it in my TR (check the contents page for a quick link), but you basically just sign up and download the software, then just connect to Hong Kong whenever you use the internet. Express VPN got the best reviews, so I just went with that. It would probably be worth signing up before you get to China, as I wouldn't be surprised if VPN websites are also blocked




I am very happy that we've got a lot of time, there were some days that I thought seemed super rushed but when we went over everything when we booked hotels and took stuff out it's made me feel a lot better!! I'm only slightly worried about China, I think Abby is moreso, but it's almost more the crowd culture and how people will be super pushy and have no personal space, bahaha! I invested in a small but big enough for a DSLR crossbody bag specifically for China, so I'll be keeping a good eye on my bag!  Haha, if it wasn't for google maps we'd just be saying screw it and not have social media for a few days, but I honestly think everyone back home will be wanting to see some pictures asap, esp of Shanghai, so we'll probably end up getting one!




helenk said:


> We explored that portion of the Great Wall in July. It is really nice and the views were amazing. My daughter hired a driver suggested by one of her friends. It only took an hour from her apartment in Beijing. We took the ski lift up and then after hiking along the wall took the slide down. Also I would not count on getting to the Drum and Bell Tower after visiting the Summer Palace. They are on opposite sides of the city and the Summer Palace area/ park is huge. There is alot to see alot of walking. We used the subway from my daughter's apartment it took a few transfers and about an hour of travel time. We used the subway alot in Beijing it's easy to use and inexpensive. We also did a self tour on Electric bikes through the Houtongs which was fun. I also second using a VPN while in China. My son and I used Betternet it was free and it was easy to download and use.



Yay!! Glad to see we picked a good spot then! Esp since I kinda picked it on my own so if it was a bust I'd feel so bad! Lol. We're probably taking public transport out there, which does kinda worry me but hopefully we'll be up early enough to beat the crowds!? Who knows!? I'm super excited about the slide!!  The only reason I sketched in the towers after the palace were because they're super close to our hostel! Otherwise we'll skip them, not super high priority!! Awesome, thank you!!




zanzibar138 said:


> Good to know! I looked at using Betternet, but I couldn't find any reviews and wasn't willing to take the chance.


Yay!


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## katt789

*October 31/2016*

HAAAAPPPPPYYY HAAAALLLOOOWEEEENNNNNN


But seriously.


We love Halloween.


I’m still heartbroken I’m not going to WDW’s festivities this year….


But this Halloween is going to be EXTRA special because we are arriving in _SHANGHAI_ hopefully the Metro won’t be too confusing for us, or we might bail and take a taxi, we’ll find out. Because we are headed somewhere VERY SPECIAL, NEW AND EXCITING








SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND!! Is our next stop on the trip! We really wanted to stay onsite here since it’s a bit cheaper than Tokyo hotels were, and to really be part of the magic, plus it’s all new! The Toy Story hotel seemed like a better choice budget wise, so it’ll be home for the next 4 nights!








I’m super excited for it! Our plans for today are to check in, and kinda relax and I have laundry penciled in, thrilling, I know. However we WILL have Wi-Fi at the hotel, and I know there’s laundry services here so maybe a nap will be in order!!


*EEEEEERRRCCCCHHHH*


This is one of those moments that I’ve gotten the plans typed up, and they changed! So, all 3 of us are tight on money right now, and it’s becoming more and more apparent just how much all of this trip is going to cost, AND how fast it’s coming up! Not that much time to save, plus paying rent and living in a super expensive city! SO, the other day, we went on an adventure onto AirBnB and Hostelworld and the like as I SEARCHED DESPERATELY for something cheaper and close to Shanghai Disneyland.


Here’s the problem with that… SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND DOESN’T REGISTER ON GOOGLE MAPS.


NEITHER DOES THE LINE 11 EXPANSION ON THE METRO.


DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND OUT WHERE PLACES ARE WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND THE EXPANDED METRO ON THE MAPS?!?!


None of the hotels that were that cheap were close enough anyway, so I began to dig through AirBnB, using the road name where the closest Metro station to SDL was. The struggle here is to ensure safety, they don’t show you the actual address/location of the bnb, they just have a circle radius of where it’s located. SO,we had to TRUST these people that their postings are correct, and the reviews all saying the same thing and the proximity to the parks is true!


Luckily, we’ve found a couple of choices that are a 5 minute walk to the metro, and only 2 stops away from the Disneyland station!


AND THEY EACH SAVE US AROUND $200 EACH!! Seriously. A major life saver considering the VISA TO GET INTO THE DARN COUNTRY IS NEARLY THAT MUCH!! #cries


….now back to the regular scheduled programming...



Afterwards though we WILL be heading over to the Wishing Star Park and Disneytown to get a bit of that Disney love and check out merchandise and probably grab some dinner if we don’t eat at the house.





Exit to Disneytown by Joel, on Flickr





World of Disney main entrance by Joel, on Flickr








Naturally, since we’re close enough by, we’ll want to check out the _Shanghai Disneyland Hotel_ as well, at least to take some pictures, it LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL!!














There’s multiple food options at all locations we’ll be visiting tonight, so it’ll be a fun pick of what to eat!! I’m also wondering if there will be any kind of Halloween festivities, I’m not even sure if the holiday is celebrated in China…maybe we’ll be able to see some merch, but who knows?! But we can’t be out too late, we’ve got a VERY exciting day to get up to the next morning!


*November 1/2016, November 2/2016, November 3/2016* **(grouping these together since we don’t really have concrete plans for which day will be which things yet…)

Welcome to a NEW month, and A NEW DISNEY PARK! A BRAND FREAKING NEW DISNEY PARK.


WHAT?!?!


WHAT?!?!


IS THIS REAL?!!?


I’ve become SUPER excited about it seeing all the pictures slowly emerge. It’s been tough with the social media being blocked there, I know there’s lots out there, but heck, even finding all the previous pictures was tough enough! Lol.


The other nice thing about Shanghai is that it doesn’t see to open super early, so we won’t have to be up at the CRACK of dawn, but we’ll still want to be getting there early!





Shanghai Disneyland 2016 by Toni Arias, on Flickr


One of our days will start off with us veering LEFT to Tomorrowland (yeah…everything’s backwards…I don’t wanna talk about it) and heading towards Tron first!





Tron Lightcycle Power Run sign at night by Joel, on Flickr


Since the park is so big, we’ll stick to one land at a time (we’ve heard this is the best system, feel free to pipe in with any advice!)

Our morning will look like this

-Tron standby

-Grab fp for later

-Buzz Lightyear

-Jet packs? (it looks like they’re basically dumbo with a different theme, maybe not..)

-Launch Bay stuff(?)


I do REALLY want to meet C3PO & R2 so that’s definitely on the list, and since we’re starting in Tomorrowland, it’ll make sense to do today! 


Judging by the map there’s a little back pathway to Fantasyland, so we can check out that kinda stuff after, hopefully there aren’t any HUGE lines.I’ve heard that Mine Train is pretty much identical, and has longer waits, so I’m not heart set on riding it, but we’ll take some time to explore the area, explore the castle, maybe meet a princess or two, and check out the hub area!

















Princess Belle by Nay, on Flickr


There’s definitely a few familiar faces and people we’re excited to see again when we get over to Shanghai! I also have NO idea where/when it is, but there’s some adorable little dance party/show with a bunch of characters that we MUST see.








And of course the castle show is a MUST do!





Golden Fairytale Fanfare by Nay, on Flickr





Golden Fairytale Fanfare by Nay, on Flickr





Golden Fairytale Fanfare by Nay, on Flickr


And the parade, despite it being kind of a cluster of whatever they felt like throwing together…seriously the weirdest combinations of characters, but I’ll take it!





Mickey&#x27;s Storybook Express by Nay, on Flickr





Mickey&#x27;s Storybook Express by Nay, on Flickr


It looks like the Frozen Sing a Long is hidden in Fantasyland, so it’ll probably be watched on our first Tomorrowland/Fantasyland day!


For our second day, I’ve been told to start on the RIGHT hand side of the park, over in Adventure Isle, and head straight to Soaring, as it packs the heaviest wait time otherwise.








And to spend some time in the surrounding Pirates Cove area, especially to finally see the new Pirates in person! We’ve all avoided watching any ride throughs to be sure we’re all surprised and know nothing lol!








Roarin Rapids will probably (?) be next on  the list, and kinda just checking out the area, maybe we’ll find a pirate roaming around, who knows?








Obviously there’s SO MUCH TO DO, and I’m still kinda formulating a plan. Day 1 will be start in Tomorrowland and see how much we can accomplish. Day 2 we’ll start on the opposite end and do the same thing. Day 3 we’ll either start in the same spot as a previous day OR start in say, Fantasyland to kick things off.  I’m thinking that 3 full days should be more than enough time to fit everything in at least once, and some things twice, and obviously we’ll end each night off with the fireworks!!








and take ALL OF THE PHOTOS.

It’s seriously going to be so incredible, to be in a Disney park the YEAR it opens, gonna be so great! I’m also super excited to see a bunch of the people that are working over there that I haven’t seen in AGES since they left seriously so long ago!! 


I am a bit ….uneasy….I guess about the culture, but I mean, we’ve got a few days in the country before we’re in the parks, so I’m thinking we’ll be used to it by then, or should be. I also know that people have said it’s really not too bad in the parks, so we’re hoping for the best!! 
[/COLOR]


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## zanzibar138

First of all, the metro is so ridiculously easy, I'm sure you won't have any problems at all! Seriously, you just go to the ticket machine, change it to English, and tap the station that you want to go to. You don't even have to know which station you're at - it figures that out automatically. So cheap too! If you feel like splurging, the Maglev is a great way to get to Longyang. Having said that, if you're pretty keen on getting to the Disneyland area as soon as possible, I'd go with a taxi. While the metro is easy, you'll still have to make your way nearly into the city then out again.

Sorry you won't get to stay at the Toy Story Hotel anymore, but it sounds like your alternative accommodation will be just fine. I totally understand your problem with google maps too. I struggled BIG TIME to find a hotel for my first night in Shanghai (which was before the hotels officially opened). One problem with staying offsite is that the train line actually shuts down fairly early over there. It's an even bigger problem if you're staying in the city and you need to change lines, because you need to make sure that you get to the transfer point in time to catch the last train on that line. However, being only a couple of stations away from Disneyland, you'll just be able to get the very last train leaving Disney station. Worst case, it would be a quick and cheap taxi ride.

I'm so very jealous that you get a full 3 days at Disneyland, plus the afternoon that you arrive to check out Disney Town. I just didn't get time to see Disney Town at all - I seriously just walked straight through it once on my entire trip lol! Would have loved to spend more time there, and I'll be interested to see what you think of it. You should totally check out the fireworks from the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. There would be a great view from the lobby or Bacchus Lounge, and there's even a fireworks viewing deck (but you may need a room key to get up there). I would totally grab a light dinner from Bacchus Lounge, snag a window side table, and watch the show over a couple of adult beverages 

Totally spewing that I didn't get one of these pictures! Again, I kind of ran out of time to spend too much time in the hotels.







Yeah not sure about Halloween. I know they have Halloween celebrations at HKDL, but have no idea what they will be doing for the various holidays in Shanghai. I'll be interested to hear all about it!

Definitely do get to the gates early. I would recommend arriving at least an hour before opening. One of my days it took a full hour to get in, and I've heard lots of similar reports. You really want to be within that first group going in to get the jump on FP lines.

Your touring plan sounds remarkably similar to mine! Concentrating on a couple of lands close to each other worked really well for me, definitely easier than criss-crossing the park like I did on my last day. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland definitely are close by and easy to go between, so that will work well. Pooh's Hunnypot Spin seems to have reasonable wait times most of the day, but for Peter Pan and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, I had more luck after the fireworks when they were pretty much walk ons. Yep, SDMT is pretty popular and will have long wait times all day and night. You can be lucky with the SR line though. I've never heard of the character dance party, but they do have a cute little Tai Chi show featuring Chip N Dale and Donald in Gardens of Imagination. Unfortunately the castle show only opened the day after I left, so I can't give any advice on that one. The parade was disappointing, but you sound like you're prepared for that. Don't bother to invest too much time in staking out a spot for it.

I would tweak your second day plan a little. I would go and get a FP for Soaring first, then ride Roaring Rapids straight away. They are regularly the two longest waits in the park. Pirates is high capacity and the wait time tends to hover around 30 minutes for most of the day. Sounds like they're having some major technical problems with it at the moment, hopefully that will all be sorted out nice and quickly. You will be BLOWN AWAY if you haven't seen any ride throughs. It is so completely different, and just spectacular. I have yet to hear of anyone being disappointed with it. You mention maybe meeting a pirate while you're in the area? Jack Sparrow does meet and greets near Pirates. If you're into characters, also make sure you stop by Happy Circle for Lion King and Jungle Book characters with almost no wait every time! Also, if you can fit it into your budget, I recommend eating at Barbossa's. It's incredibly well themed, and the ribs were delish! You didn't mention seeing the shows here - I would recommend both, but especially Tarzan. The pirates stunt show was a little difficult to follow without knowing the language, and really only had a couple of interesting stunts. I would also recommend the Challenge Trails as something completely different to anything you'll experience in any other Disney park. It was a lot of fun, and that area was a great place to hang out even without doing the attraction. I would recommend doing it straight after Roaring Rapids while you're in the area.

I'd ticked most things off my list in the first 2 days, and spent the 3rd day just going where the wind took me. As I mentioned before, I did lots of criss-crossing the park, trying to find attractions with the shortest wait times, grabbing FPs for what I could, watching a couple more shows and doing some walkthroughs. I was disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see the fireworks again on my last night, because I had to leave just after sunset to get to the airport on time. I would recommend investigating alternative spots to watch the show, where you won't have to deal with pushing and shoving from other guests. I highly recommend the area near Dumbo, right on the rail overlooking the little pond. I'd also be tempted to watch from over the lagoon in Treasure Cove, although you wouldn't get the projections from there.

I found the crowds fairly easy to deal with. Things worked a little differently, and there are definitely different cultural norms, but it certainly didn't ruin my trip. It's quite easy to just let it go most of the time. If you can cope with the local culture in Beijing, Shanghai should be a breeze for you.


----------



## katt789

zanzibar138 said:


> First of all, the metro is so ridiculously easy, I'm sure you won't have any problems at all! Seriously, you just go to the ticket machine, change it to English, and tap the station that you want to go to. You don't even have to know which station you're at - it figures that out automatically. So cheap too! If you feel like splurging, the Maglev is a great way to get to Longyang. Having said that, if you're pretty keen on getting to the Disneyland area as soon as possible, I'd go with a taxi. While the metro is easy, you'll still have to make your way nearly into the city then out again.
> 
> Cool! I'm not too worried about the metro, it seems easy enough to get around, and esp when we're in the disney area, it isn't far!! I'm thinking we're just gonna end up taxi-ing, esp with the three of us all being together!
> 
> Sorry you won't get to stay at the Toy Story Hotel anymore, but it sounds like your alternative accommodation will be just fine. I totally understand your problem with google maps too. I struggled BIG TIME to find a hotel for my first night in Shanghai (which was before the hotels officially opened). One problem with staying offsite is that the train line actually shuts down fairly early over there. It's an even bigger problem if you're staying in the city and you need to change lines, because you need to make sure that you get to the transfer point in time to catch the last train on that line. However, being only a couple of stations away from Disneyland, you'll just be able to get the very last train leaving Disney station. Worst case, it would be a quick and cheap taxi ride.
> I am kinda bummed about it, but it's just WAY too pricey for the value you're getting, and for how cheap we really are going to need to be! ultimately i would've loved to do a split stay between the two but hey, whatever works at the time. Maybe we'll get back another day! Eeek! We'll be sure to check the last time the train leaves, hopefully it's not too early! And if it is, I'm sure we could just take a cheap cab! Sometimes photography is just more important, bahahah
> 
> I'm so very jealous that you get a full 3 days at Disneyland, plus the afternoon that you arrive to check out Disney Town. I just didn't get time to see Disney Town at all - I seriously just walked straight through it once on my entire trip lol! Would have loved to spend more time there, and I'll be interested to see what you think of it. You should totally check out the fireworks from the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. There would be a great view from the lobby or Bacchus Lounge, and there's even a fireworks viewing deck (but you may need a room key to get up there). I would totally grab a light dinner from Bacchus Lounge, snag a window side table, and watch the show over a couple of adult beverages
> I think we'd even originally planned 4 full days in the parks and cut it down! Thought at first for the crowds we'd need 4, but figured there's only 1 park, so we may not need THAT much time! Great idea!! We'll definitely check that out, I'm sure the hotels will be more on our list of places to see/photograph than the DT area! Plus we usually like to enjoy a glass of wine and a cheeseplate at the Grand Floridian in wdw so it's about the same! Lol
> 
> Totally spewing that I didn't get one of these pictures! Again, I kind of ran out of time to spend too much time in the hotels.
> 
> 
> Yeah not sure about Halloween. I know they have Halloween celebrations at HKDL, but have no idea what they will be doing for the various holidays in Shanghai. I'll be interested to hear all about it!
> i'm getting super intrigued about it! Also super bummed we're not in HKDL for either celebrations! Christmas should start a week or 2 after we leave, but it does let us see PTN parade agian which is awesome, esp with it going seasonal at dlr now!
> 
> Definitely do get to the gates early. I would recommend arriving at least an hour before opening. One of my days it took a full hour to get in, and I've heard lots of similar reports. You really want to be within that first group going in to get the jump on FP lines.
> 
> geeeeeeze thats insane!! We definitely will be there as early as possible!!
> 
> Your touring plan sounds remarkably similar to mine! Concentrating on a couple of lands close to each other worked really well for me, definitely easier than criss-crossing the park like I did on my last day. Tomorrowland and Fantasyland definitely are close by and easy to go between, so that will work well. Pooh's Hunnypot Spin seems to have reasonable wait times most of the day, but for Peter Pan and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, I had more luck after the fireworks when they were pretty much walk ons. Yep, SDMT is pretty popular and will have long wait times all day and night. You can be lucky with the SR line though. I've never heard of the character dance party, but they do have a cute little Tai Chi show featuring Chip N Dale and Donald in Gardens of Imagination. Unfortunately the castle show only opened the day after I left, so I can't give any advice on that one. The parade was disappointing, but you sound like you're prepared for that. Don't bother to invest too much time in staking out a spot for it.
> ahahahhaa i think that's cause I based my plans around what you did/suggested! It's been so strugglesome planning the actual PARK part of this trip I've been so lost, esp without maps printed out!! Good to know my ideas will work out!! There's some kind of little thing with Rapunzel & Flynn & like, Pinocchio, Pooh & Tigger and some random dancers dancing with the tangled village music! Also some little "storytime with belle" thing I've seen snippets of on facebook/insta! The tai chi thing looks super cute too!! Castle show i'm thinking we'll hit the first one, or treat it like dream along, but I'm guessing way less "instagram groupies" will be around bahahaha! I'm honestly not holding out much for the parade, so we'll see how that goes!!
> 
> I would tweak your second day plan a little. I would go and get a FP for Soaring first, then ride Roaring Rapids straight away. They are regularly the two longest waits in the park. Pirates is high capacity and the wait time tends to hover around 30 minutes for most of the day. Sounds like they're having some major technical problems with it at the moment, hopefully that will all be sorted out nice and quickly. You will be BLOWN AWAY if you haven't seen any ride throughs. It is so completely different, and just spectacular. I have yet to hear of anyone being disappointed with it. You mention maybe meeting a pirate while you're in the area? Jack Sparrow does meet and greets near Pirates. If you're into characters, also make sure you stop by Happy Circle for Lion King and Jungle Book characters with almost no wait every time! Also, if you can fit it into your budget, I recommend eating at Barbossa's. It's incredibly well themed, and the ribs were delish! You didn't mention seeing the shows here - I would recommend both, but especially Tarzan. The pirates stunt show was a little difficult to follow without knowing the language, and really only had a couple of interesting stunts. I would also recommend the Challenge Trails as something completely different to anything you'll experience in any other Disney park. It was a lot of fun, and that area was a great place to hang out even without doing the attraction. I would recommend doing it straight after Roaring Rapids while you're in the area.
> Good to know! Thank you!!  AH! Totally forgot about the shows!! I just had the interactive map from the SDL website up and was kinda pulling it around and clicking on some random stuff! We DEFINITELY will see Tarzan, it looks incredible, and i LOVE anything pirate related so I'm down for that lol!!
> 
> I'd ticked most things off my list in the first 2 days, and spent the 3rd day just going where the wind took me. As I mentioned before, I did lots of criss-crossing the park, trying to find attractions with the shortest wait times, grabbing FPs for what I could, watching a couple more shows and doing some walkthroughs. I was disappointed that I didn't have a chance to see the fireworks again on my last night, because I had to leave just after sunset to get to the airport on time. I would recommend investigating alternative spots to watch the show, where you won't have to deal with pushing and shoving from other guests. I highly recommend the area near Dumbo, right on the rail overlooking the little pond. I'd also be tempted to watch from over the lagoon in Treasure Cove, although you wouldn't get the projections from there.
> I'm guessing that's what our plan will be too, do everything we can the first 2 days, then the one or two things we missed first thing, and then just kinda chill!! Good to know about the fireworks too!
> 
> I found the crowds fairly easy to deal with. Things worked a little differently, and there are definitely different cultural norms, but it certainly didn't ruin my trip. It's quite easy to just let it go most of the time. If you can cope with the local culture in Beijing, Shanghai should be a breeze for you.


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## katt789

*November 4/2016*

Today Kara, Abby & I will say farewell to our Disney experience in Shanghai, and check out of the Toy Story Hotel and move over to *The Mingtown Etour International Youth Hostel* we’re booked in a 6 bed female dorm and it’s costing us a total of $120 US for 3 nights!


Since I’m assuming we’ll be pretty wiped after all that Disney insanity, we only have one potential stop for exploring today. I originally had sketched in the French Concession, but upon google mapping things, there’s a few things to do right around the hostel, and the FC is about 45 mins in transit away, so I’m sure we’ll stick around the hotel.





the people&#x27;s square by Rob-Shanghai, on Flickr


People’s Square is right around there so that will probably end up being our exploration to stretch our legs after moving.


*November 5/2016*

Kara, Abby & I will be up early today to head over to _The Bund_ it’s  a sweeping road along the river with great views, especially at night, and holds plenty of shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars and hotels. It’s a great people watching stroll to kick off the day with, a great place to potentially grab a coffee and wander through! 





The Bund , Shanghai , China by Maher Najm, on Flickr


In the earlier hours of the morning it’s easy to see a lot of locals practicing Tai-Chi as well.





Morning on the Bund by Andrea Cavallini, on Flickr


We’ll continue along our adventure with the _Yuyuan Gardens_ the guide book says it’s a DON’T MISS, and I’ve seen plenty of people visiting it via social media since they’ve moved to Shanghai! They’re considered one of Shanghai’s premier sights!  There’s also a bazaar next to it, that may be fun to browse.





Yuyuan Garden by Barry O&#x27;Neil, on Flickr





i21 - Yùyúan Bazaar Gate by Mark Knoke, on Flickr


Lonely Planet has some awesome itineraries for certain amount of days in cities, so I kinda followed it for the days in Shanghai, and we are to metro over to _Pudong_ next. Now, for anyone planning this, it may get confusing. I knew that Disney was to be located in “Pudong” and could find it on a map since it was a pretty popular area, little did I know, that Disney was ACTUALLY in a NEW Pudong area, which is actually pretty far south compared to this touristy area ….


Over in Pudong are a number of things to check out, it’s a lot of skyscrapers, and a lot of “views”, but also an very popular photographed and travelled area! The _Shanghai Tower_ is China’s tallest building, and at the time of writing, is the 2nd tallest building in the world! _ The World Financial Center_ has 3 observation decks that we may choose to venture up to, although it comes more alive at night! There’s _Jinmao Tower_ is said to be the most attractive of the towers, and has an 88th floor observation deck, and the best time to go is said to be around dusk, to get both daytime and evening views! The _Pearl Tower_ is a pretty staple part of the skyline, and it’s mainly a place to see as the views are better elsewhere! Finally we come to the _ Riverside Promenade_ Which might be what we do first since most of the views seem to be better at night, and the riverside is the best stroll in Pudong, and there are some nice cafes we can stop in for lunch. The other big thing over in Pudong’s area, is the DISNEY STORE!






Shanghai Tower by ty law, on Flickr





Shanghai World Financial Tower by Marc Towersap, on Flickr





jinmoa tower from ground by haishang1972, on Flickr





Oriental Pearl Tower by kersy83, on Flickr





Pudong by Werner Schröttner, on Flickr





Shanghai Disney store by Daisy Liao, on Flickr


Depending on our how day goes, we may circle back to the hotel before we make the trip over to Pudong more in the early evening to make sure we’re looking a little bit classier, and have some drinks at _Flair_ it’s on the 58th floor of the Ritz Carlton and has some amazing views in the evening.





Flair Rooftop Bar, 58th floor Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai by Grzegorz Rogala, on Flickr





Flair by Richard Chen, on Flickr


After that we’ll head back to the hotel, this is our main day in Shanghai, and we’ve basically seen all the big things in the city!


* November 6/2016*

Today is an early start for us since we’re taking a little day trip outside of Shanghai, and visiting _Zhujiajao_ it’s an easy to reach and charming canal town.  There’s Ming and Qing dynasty alleyways, bridges, and architecture. It’s another place I’ve seen quite a few people venture off to, and I’m excited about it.  There’s also boat tours you can take to see all the sites from the river!





zhujiajao-boats by Raphael Olivier, on Flickr





Zhujiajao by uro8oros, on Flickr





IMG_7515 by Dzintars Berzinskis, on Flickr





Pickles, Zhujiajao, Shanghai by Robert RANKIN, on Flickr


And THAT’S A WRAP on China for us!! I seriously can’t believe it seems SUPER quick, especially to really only have 1 full day in Shanghai! I know when we were planning we all said there wasn’t too much aside from Disney we wanted to do in Shanghai, and we do have that first half day after checking out from Disney, but I’m guessing we’re gonna milk that checkout time as long as we can lol!


We’ll also have this evening pretty free, but may end up packing and relaxing at/around the hostel for the time. There’s quite a few food streets and market streets in the city that maybe we’ll check out on our way back from Zhujiajao before turning in!


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## katt789

*Tokyo Disneyland Tips*​
Okay, so these next little bits are going to kinda be a cluster of information, but just those little bits of tips/tricks/information that I’ve written down while researching, and are mainly categorized into different parks/cities/etc!


So, for Tokyo Disneyland Park we have the following:


-Mon to Thursday are the best days to go to avoid crowds, also pay attention to holidays, and specific times of year. Ie; in Sept/Oct there are specific dates guests may where full costumes into the parks, and while that’s awesome to see, it means it’s going to be a MESS of people even though that time fo year may not be the busiest!

-3 to 4 days to try to see it all


-Parades & shows are a big thing over there, you’ll want to get a spot around 1hr prior to parade time!

-One Man’s Dream II show-> SUPER popular.

-Japan runs on “lottery systems” for the shows, you can do standby for the first show, or try to win the lottery for a specific showtime during the day, you can only apply for the lottery once per day! 

-Same goes for Once Upon a Time, their nighttime show. That lottery location is in Tomorrowland!



-Monster’s Inc Hide & Go Seek: rope drop it! (there’s a little side street on the right off world bazaar to cut over to Tomorrowland) Either ride it right away, or grab a fast pass then head over to Hunny Hunt!

-Do Splash Mountain after this! 

-Space Mtn: use a fp, or ride it early in the morning

-Same for Haunted mansion

-Jungle Cruise is a completely different experience in the day vs nighttime! 

-Star Tours, Snow White, Pinocchio are copies of wdw


-Buy tickets in ADVANCE to avoid more lines, or tix for the day being sold out. They can be bought at Disneystore, a ,Disney Tokyo Hotel, online, or a few other locations.


-Specific for our time of year:

-Haunted Mansion has a Nightmare before Xmas overlay, ride early on in the day, expect large lines!

-Daytime Halloween parade runs in TDL, expect bigger crowds, a cute, family friendly type thing

-Villains World running at TDS on the Mediterranean Harbor, GET SPOTS SUPER EARLY! This show opened last year, and is SUPER popular (and honestly looks AH FREAKING MAZING) and it’s said best to get spots 1.5 hours to TWO HOURS early!!

-There’s also villain “streetmospehere” roaming around during Halloween time, they don’t speak English but still are said to be super fun! 


*Tokyo DisneySea*​
-Lottery system for shows again, Big Band Beat show is said to be a don’t miss

-Fantasmic: second show is less busy


-Rope drop straight to Journey of the Center of the Earth (sadly it’s closed while we’re there!)

-Then grab a fast pass for Tower of Terror

-Indiana next, has differences to Dlr’s ride.

-Toy Story Mania is just like the states parks, and GETS INSANELY BUSY, we’re probably going to skip it

-Turtle Talk is entirely in Japanese

-Raging Spirits: has a loop! Has mixed reviews, and is a super short ride with long waits. Some say the ride isn’t worth waiting for!

-20,000 leagues: wait until all the other FP are run out, or ride if after JCE & Indy

-Stormrider: a simulator ride, FP it in the afternoon when everything else is out already

-Venetian Gondolas: are the best shortly after sunset for views, lines are lowest in the mornings

-Sinbad: rarely has long waits, super cute ride, can ask for an English Map

-DisneySea Eclectic Railway: like the peoplemover!


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## katt789

Alright, so let’s talk FLIGHTS!!

It seems like something that it super daunting when you’re traveling a trip as far away as Asia (this being written from someone living in North America).When we first starting talking about going it was when we were still living in Florida, and before Shanghai existed! Knowing that we’d both be making pretty good money, Kara & I were pretty into it at first. Around Christmas I got onto expedia and did it the lazy way “multiple destiations” and went Orlando-LA-Tokyo-Hong Kong. And it came out pretty cheap, well, WAY cheaper than I thought it would, I mean, it was under $2000! Pretty decent if you ask me! As we got closer to we double checked and they’d jumped, but we’re glad because now we get to experience so much more of Asia! And Shanghai’s open!!

So, here are some of my tips for searching for/booking flights, in general and for Asia!


-Use an “incognito” or private window on your computer/phone, and ALWAYS wipe your history, and cookies when doing so. Your computer saves stuff like that and flights will increase as you keep checking them!

-Download the app “Hopper” it tells you the best time to book, and when fares will go up, or if they’ll drop! Always nice to check! I usually end up downloading it, checking stuff, and deleting it, bahha!

- airfarewatchdog .com is another good tool for this kind of stuff

-Always cross check what’s quoted with the actual airline site! You get stuff like actually choosing your seat and such on the actual website whereas if you book through someone else it may not be available til check in!

-Watch out for WHAT currency the prices are in! Especially for us Canadians, we sometimes think we’ve found a steal of a deal only to realize it’s in USD which works out to the same

-Sites like cheapoair have an extra $10 booking fee that they charge, so be careful of stuff like that!

-Consider train travel within the country! We’re doing a lot of it in Japan, and ORIGINALLY, were going to from Beijing to Shanghai because it was saving us so much money, but we’ve since found a cheap flight, AND, with VISA APPLICATION, they need to have your outward travel information to make sure you’re leaving, so we assume any inner country travel needs to be booked & proven before this happens, and you can’t book a train that far in advance!

-For Asia I continually checked the following sites for flights/trains/travel stuff
elong.net
airasia.com
carthaypacific.com
china-airlines.com
garuda-indonesia.com
ctrip.com
kyzz.com.cn
skyscanner.com
travelchinaguide.com

Guys I’m not even kidding AS I’m typing this up, I went to the last site up there to double check some stuff, and there IS a “bullet” style train that travels from Beijing to Shanghai in just under 4 hours, and will save us $100. AND we can book it now, they also have other trains available, so ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK THINGS!

Now, when it comes to travel WITHIN the cities, for us we had a number of barriers to think about, the guide book suggest a JR pass, and that you “couldn’t go wrong” with one, well, when we looked into it, it would be around $400 for the amount of time we needed it for. We hadn’t even had the effort or time to go back and check all of the travel within Tokyo to see how much of it would be covered by the JR pass before we decided it wasn’t a good idea.

-Suica card/Pasmo card, are cards you can load up, and buy at the airport that work on various public transit in Japan
-Oyster cards are the same in Hong Kong
-The JR West pass is still something we’re looking into, I haven’t quite had time to research it, but for our travel in/around Kyoto we might want it to save a little bit of money!


----------



## katt789

*Let’s talk HOTELS!*​

So obviously it’s pretty easy if you’re just doing Disney parks around the world to stay on site, and we would have LOVED to do that, especially since Tokyo has a ton of different movie themed rooms in their hotel, which are just beautiful, and one of them is Beauty & the Beast. Their other hotel, the Miracosta, overlooks DisneySea, and is just gorgeous. Shanghai’s hotels are super cute/pretty as well, HOWEVER, we’re on a budget, which just got tighter and tighter as time went on and the trip got closer.

-Tokyo Disney has a lot of “good neighbor” we’ll call them, hotels that have things like, ability to purchase tickets, guaranteed admission with said tickets,  transportation to the parks, and other such Disney related things

We also had to find places to stay in the cities as well. We trusted our guide books for the most part, I chose at least once place that was recommended in LP, and was cheap, most of them were hostels. Then we each (separately) took to looking online for hotels/hostels and each compiled lists to try and find one that was close enough via public transport and met the other needs we had.

-LOOK AT AIRBNB.COM SERIOUSLY! It’s a site where people put up their extra rooms/houses/rental units kinda thing up for vacation stays.  Some of them you get the full private apartment, and amenities of it for cheaper than a hotel!

-While we were checking out each of these options, especially for while we were going to the parks, we used a lot of google mapping things, trying to figure out what kind of transit time we would have from our accommodation to the parks, and over to the main attractions of the City we’d be seeing. Some locations were perfect, some were super far, and some cities were just super spread out so it didn’t really matter.

-When looking for a Tokyo Disney offsite hotel, we tried to find something that was ON the same line as the Disney line, so we wouldn’t need to travel, especially important for getting back at night if we missed that last connecting train it would be an issue.

-Same for Shanghai, we’re offsite but on Line 11. This one was MUCH trickier because google maps hates China and doesn’t show Disneyland on it, OR the Line 11 expansion. I ended up using Google Earth to find the park and then go from there.

-Hong Kong Disneyland is SUPER separated from the main city, it would take AGES to get there in the morning on public transportation if you were to stay in the city. I also checked airport area hotels to try and see if they were cheaper, but it worked out that staying onsite at the Hollywood Hotel was the best deal for us, so always check that kind of stuff out!

NOW, onto the list of all potential hotels we had thought about and details on them! I’m going to include some potential prices in here, but they are for fall, so if you’re going at a peak time, or the dates are a weekday vs weekend they obviously might not be correct.


*APA Hotel & Resort, Tokyo Bay Makuhari*
-$131 per night  -1 “semi double bed”
-$153 got you 2 single beds
-Internet, safe, non smoking

*Hotel Mystays Maihama*
-$157 for a twin room
-Coffee shop, resturaunt, massage, wifi, free shuttle bus to Disney

The next ones are for our stay in the City.

*Hako Hostel & Bar*
-$42 per night,
-Rated 10/10
-Free wifi, maps, luggage storage, laundry, lockers, onsite food, accepts credit card

*Emblem Hostel Nishiari* **we booked here**
-$192 each (2 ppl) for 5 nights
-It’s NEW! Lockers, luggage storage, kitchen, food onsite
-Though might be far from some locations in the city

*Ace Inn Shinjuku*
-$55/night for a female dorm
-lockers, wifi, vending machines, laundry

*Aizuyy Inn*
-$164 each for 5 nights
-Private room, wifi, laundry, accepts credit card, meals available

*Nui* **recommended by LP
-$175 each. $35/night
-Cash only, lockers, laundry, wifi, kitchen, near shopping

*Kyoto Accommodation​*​​
*Back packers Hostel, K’s House Kyoto*
$30/night
-10 mins to JR station, wifi, kitchen, movie nights, laundry, free coffee/tea, tour information, café/bar, buffet breakfast, might not have lockers?

*Khaosan Kyoto Theater*
-$37/night
-downtown, lockers, clean, female dorms, wifi, coffee/tea, kitchen, laundry, vending, luggage storage, shampoo, cash only

*Santiago Guesthouse Kyoto*
-$34/night
-wifi, linens, maps, laundry, hot tub, lockers, luggage storage, meals available, accepts credit card

*bAkpAk Gion Hostel*
$27/night
-maps, towels, wifi, lockers, laundry, steam room, late check out

*Shanghai​*​​*SoHo People’s Square*
$158 for 4 nights
-a/c, wifi, kitchen, laundry, lockers, linen, meals, vending, credit card accepted, had iffy reviews though

*Mingtown Etour Int Hostel*  **we booked here**
$155 total
-laundry, food nearby, minimal kitchen, laundry area, linen, travel desk, cash only

-That’s all I have for accommodation, apparently the rest of the trip got thrown away, but it’s a good start for anyone looking for hotels in the areas!

-ALWAYS check reviews, and on multiple sites, and double check how recent they are, a place may have changed hands and be either horrible or fantastic due to it
-Most places in Asia do NOT accept credit card, we paid a deposit on most places and will have to pay cash on check in

-Google map your location to where you want to go to see how far it is from things, we’ll also be printing out these maps/directions to help when we’re there incase we don’t have access to wifi at the time!

-Some hostels do NOT provide LINENS for the beds! You want to make sure yours do, or travel with a super light sleeping bag for the occasion!

-Hostel dorms, you will be rooming with strangers. Some hostels have female only or male only dorms while some are mixed. I noticed a lot of places in China do NOT allow locals to stay there, you must have a foreign passport, so that’s interesting

-MOST hostels have lockers, in Asia I noticed in pictures that they’re not always in the room with you, some of them are in the hallways! BRING YOUR OWN LOCKS for this, and in my opinion, DO NOT STAY SOMEWHERE WITHOUT LOCKERS!!  And always lock your valuables up, even if you’re just going to be gone for a minute.


----------



## katt789

*Random Tips​*​​

Okay, so this  bit is going to be a bit of a cluster eff of mess, but it’s all the random tidbits of information I’ve accumulated over the past nearly 10 months of planning this trip, some is general, some is city/country specific, and some may only apply for travellers from Canada, so…here goes!


-Passports must be valid 6 MONTHS LONGER than the day you return! Renew it early too since you never know if it’s going to get delayed, and you might need to still apply for visa’s!


-Visa’s! Look into them EARLY! For China, there is a leeway if you’re spending under 80 hours in the country, you might not need one!


-For us, since we’re doing a week or so, we DO need one. For Canada/US it costs around $200, and you have to ship your passport in for them to stamp the visa into it. This cannot be done earlier than 60 days to your arrival into China. There are 1 time entry visa’s, or 5 time I think? Or unlimited entries for 10 years, obviously prices are different but think about your future and if maybe it’s worthwhile to get a pricier one


-When it comes to Visa’s, you must prove all of your accommodation and ongoing plane/train tickets at application time to prove where you’re staying and that you’re leaving, so be prepared for that


-Always make copies of all your ID’s, passport and the page the Visa is stamped and store them separately in a safe place!


-Print off hotel names in the native language to help if you get lost


-Health is something else to think of “before you go”. Vaccinations! The only required one is yellow fever, and that’s if you’ve travelled to somewhere within the yellow fever zone 6 days prior to entering China. That being said, there are some recommended ones, and obviously, talk to your doctor about which ones would be a good idea. This should be done 6-8 weeks before travel time. WHO recommends the following; Adult diphtheria & tetanus, Hepatitis A & B, Measles, mumps & rubella, typhoid, varicella. Obviously a lot of needles, but hey, healthy & safety should come first! And you’d always rather deal with a needle than the actual disease that could come from it


-Other health concerns: medication, even such things as Tylenol & allergy stuff is all over the counter and you have to have a prescription to get in China, so we’re all stocking up our supplies before we leave home. Japan we can buy stuff, but all directions and labels are in Japanese so that would still be tough.  Also thanks to the air quality being so bad I’m going to get double checked for the asthma I had as a kid, and potentially getting a new puffer for that. I’ll be making sure to pack some Benadryl, Tylenol, feminine products, Midol, and of course, prescriptions in original packing!


-Many public bathrooms in Asia do NOT have toilet paper, so keep some tissues on hand and all time, along with hand sanitizer, both for after bathrooms and before meals!


-Air quality SUCKS for China, make sure to have masks, and download an air quality app to check the quality daily before you go out. Also in the app, make sure it’s set to the US standards, mine has US or China standards, and obvs the China standards are lower


-In China, DO NOT drink the tap water, and with street food, try to stay away from cold food, make sure things are cooked thoroughly and stored properly. Bottled water is available, but be cautious at some locations that it is properly sealed.


-A money belt MAY be something you want, I don’t think any of us are taking one, it seems to be safe enough for us as long as we keep our valuables in sight.


-You must carry your passport with you at all times, this is the only reason I can think one would want a money belt.


-VPN. You’ll need one in China if you want to access social media, or GOOGLE. This is crucial for google maps. We’re still trying to figure out if we will get one or if we’ll take the chance with paper maps & enjoy the break from social media for a few days. If you want access, you’ll need one, there are numerous options, and some have free 30 day trials you can cancel when you’re done with them and thus don’t have to worry about paying.


-Consider downloading WeChat, a place to use to message/call/text other people instead of using messaging/text.


-Compare flights vs trains, how long they are an prices! It could save youa  couple of hundred dollars


-Make sure to pack stuff like an adapter for the plug ins!


-Make all your hotel ressos in advance, as far as you can! THOUGH, some places you cannot book until less than 6 months out. We booked all but one of ours 5-6 months prior to

-Make sure to have enough cash to pay for said hotel reservations, as many hotels in Asia do not accept card


-JR passes MUST be booked BEFORE arriving in Japan. Also double check if you will actually need this, depending on the length of your trip, and routes you’re travelling, it might not be worthwhile. A Suica/Pasmo card will do the trick


-Try and fly direct, as long as it’s not too much more expensive


-Book the day before you leave off, not only to run any last minute errands, but also to reschedule your inner clock. For me, I’m going to try and convert to Japan time as early as possible (ie, whenever I’m done work on the 3rd). Things like Melatonin will help you sleep (naturally) or get some sleeping pills/have an extra few coffees. We’re planning to do this to try and fight the jet leg as much as we can!


-MiFi/WiFi Cube!! GET ONE!! Again, it depends on the length of your trip and the like, but you can either rent one from home, and pick it up at your departure airport, and return it when you land, OR get it dropped off at your hotel/house when you depart/arrive. The Asia parks DO NOT have wifi (Shanghai apparently does but it’s pretty spotty). If you want to post updates/separate from each other/look up things, you’ll want it. Also when touring cities, WiFi may not be readily available, and things like Google maps are pretty needed (in this day and age at least…)


For reference, we rented a portable Wifi cube for our Disneyland trip (since we’re from Canada and our phones are on airplane mode we figured it was a good trial for it). It was cheap when we split it between 3, and WAS SO NICE TO HAVE! I will say though, if you’re going to be out and about all day, it’s going to die on you, guaranteed! I would leave it turned off until we got into the park, and usually until we were in our first line/off our first ride/were at a downtime, aka eating, and it would usually die in the mid afternoon/early evening. I had a portable charger for my phone that I would plug it into to recharge it so we had internet to help kill time waiting for Paint the Night, but then that would drain my portable charger and my phone was usually dead by the end of the night. Lol. SO, always double check the battery life on those things, and keep them turned off as long as you can!


Which brings me to my next point:


-Portable chargers! GET ONE! Lol. I boutht a super cheap one from Walmart, it charges like, half my phone up and then dies. Splurge a little extra and get a better quality one! My friend Steven has one that was around $45 and charges 1 phone from 0 to 100% FOUR times (or charges four phones) WAY better quality


-Other phone tips: turn it onto airplane mode, turn on battery saver mode, make sure all your apps your not using are turned off, turn off Bluetooth, and turn down the brightness! 


-


----------



## wanderlust7

Sadly, StormRider permanently closed in May.    We just missed it by a few weeks.

There is now a 144 hour visa-free transit for China that just started this year.  We plan to do this (in a couple years) and just visit Shanghai since $140 (for U.S. citizens) x family of 4 = $$$!

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-transit-144hour.htm


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## katt789

wanderlust7 said:


> Sadly, StormRider permanently closed in May.    We just missed it by a few weeks.
> 
> There is now a 144 hour visa-free transit for China that just started this year.  We plan to do this (in a couple years) and just visit Shanghai since $140 (for U.S. citizens) x family of 4 = $$$!
> 
> https://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-transit-144hour.htm



ah boo, well that's fine! lol, one less thing to do, bahahah!!

That's good you can save money! Unfortunately with us heading to Beijing as well, we have to pay the hefty price!


----------



## jelloarms

Wow, looks like I will be in Japan...even Disney ...the same time as you!  I am going to Japan with my sister and mom.  we are leaving Hawaii on October 3 and arrive in Osaka on the 4th.  We are going to take a train down to Tokyo that Friday and we have our Disney days planned from the 10th through the 13th.  Maybe I will recognize you from the Disboards!

Did you buy your Tokyo Disneyland tickets yet?  My sister wants to wait till we get to Japan and buy them at a Disney store there but I want the peace of mind of getting them before we leave.  The only thing I'm worried about is if I buy them online, they will print out on flimsy computer paper and I'm afraid of them getting ruined...especially since we will be pulling them out throughout the day for the Fastpass machines.

I wanted to pick up WiFi at the airport but by the time we arrive, the place will be closed.  We are going to use a service that sends the WiFi box to your hotel instead.  What I am freaking out about is that short time between getting off the plane and getting to our hotel.  There is an airport train that takes us to a stop about 15 minutes walk from our hotel but I am so afraid of getting lost on the walk since we won't have access to GPS!  I know Japan does not have street signs so while yes, I can save an offline accessible map on my phone, I will not be able to know for SURE that I am walking in the right direction.


----------



## missangelalexis

Yay for Shanghai! Sorry you won't be staying at the Toy Story Hotel but it's good that you found a way to save some money. Your park days sound like they are going to be a blast!


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## wanderlust7

jelloarms said:


> I wanted to pick up WiFi at the airport but by the time we arrive, the place will be closed.  We are going to use a service that sends the WiFi box to your hotel instead.  What I am freaking out about is that short time between getting off the plane and getting to our hotel.  There is an airport train that takes us to a stop about 15 minutes walk from our hotel but I am so afraid of getting lost on the walk since we won't have access to GPS!  I know Japan does not have street signs so while yes, I can save an offline accessible map on my phone, I will not be able to know for SURE that I am walking in the right direction.



I had our SIM cards sent to the hotel.  I saw the airport option but it was slightly more expensive so I thought, oh I don't need that.  Ha ha, a little naive, but it worked out fine, our hotel was only 5 minutes walk from the station.  Some suggestions:

- Do Google street view and identify some easily recognizable landmarks and figure out where they are on your map.  Maybe a printed out map would be good to mark it down.
- Have a map, hotel name and address in Japanese so you can ask for directions.  If the hotel is known by an English name, show that to the person since their knowledge of written English may be better than their spoken English.
- If you happen to see a tourist map board, the "You Are Here" dot is very helpful for orienting yourself.  We lucked out and came across one in Asakusa.  I vaguely remember them in Shinjuku.
- OR if you don't want to try to find your way while wrangling luggage, get a taxi, it'll probably cost around 1000 yen.


----------



## katt789

jelloarms said:


> Wow, looks like I will be in Japan...even Disney ...the same time as you!  I am going to Japan with my sister and mom.  we are leaving Hawaii on October 3 and arrive in Osaka on the 4th.  We are going to take a train down to Tokyo that Friday and we have our Disney days planned from the 10th through the 13th.  Maybe I will recognize you from the Disboards!
> 
> Did you buy your Tokyo Disneyland tickets yet?  My sister wants to wait till we get to Japan and buy them at a Disney store there but I want the peace of mind of getting them before we leave.  The only thing I'm worried about is if I buy them online, they will print out on flimsy computer paper and I'm afraid of them getting ruined...especially since we will be pulling them out throughout the day for the Fastpass machines.
> 
> I wanted to pick up WiFi at the airport but by the time we arrive, the place will be closed.  We are going to use a service that sends the WiFi box to your hotel instead.  What I am freaking out about is that short time between getting off the plane and getting to our hotel.  There is an airport train that takes us to a stop about 15 minutes walk from our hotel but I am so afraid of getting lost on the walk since we won't have access to GPS!  I know Japan does not have street signs so while yes, I can save an offline accessible map on my phone, I will not be able to know for SURE that I am walking in the right direction.



Oh wow!!! That's awesome! Do you have a pre trip report going or anything? Maybe!! Chances are I'll be the only suuuper blonde around, lol. If you see a super blonde girl with a brown girl, wearing those special Tokyo Disney shirts that have a cluster of all the characters from either Tangled, Aladdin, or Little Mermaid on them, it's us!! Say hi!!!

We haven't yet, I'm a little worried about getting them after we're there so we'll buy them online before we leave. I'm hoping they'll stay in good shape! I'll probably bring a sleeve for them or something to help poretect them!

Hahha yeah!! That's a concern!! I'm sure you'll be fine, just make sure you have the address printed off in Japanese so you can ask for help even from someone who might not speak english! I'm not quite sure what we're doing for wifi yet, I've been doing more research and it's sounding like it's pretty easy to find in Shanghai/Hk and those parks have it, so I don't think we'll rent one there, just in Japan, but it's on our to do list!!


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## katt789

missangelalexis said:


> Yay for Shanghai! Sorry you won't be staying at the Toy Story Hotel but it's good that you found a way to save some money. Your park days sound like they are going to be a blast!



I'm SO glad that we found a way to save a bunch of money, it was just getting SO stressful!! Moving to Vancouver definitely zapped my savings! lol, and we'll still have a chance to explore the hotels so they won't go unnoticed



wanderlust7 said:


> I had our SIM cards sent to the hotel.  I saw the airport option but it was slightly more expensive so I thought, oh I don't need that.  Ha ha, a little naive, but it worked out fine, our hotel was only 5 minutes walk from the station.  Some suggestions:
> 
> - Do Google street view and identify some easily recognizable landmarks and figure out where they are on your map.  Maybe a printed out map would be good to mark it down.
> - Have a map, hotel name and address in Japanese so you can ask for directions.  If the hotel is known by an English name, show that to the person since their knowledge of written English may be better than their spoken English.
> - If you happen to see a tourist map board, the "You Are Here" dot is very helpful for orienting yourself.  We lucked out and came across one in Asakusa.  I vaguely remember them in Shinjuku.
> - OR if you don't want to try to find your way while wrangling luggage, get a taxi, it'll probably cost around 1000 yen.



Oooo! SMART with the street views! Esp to print it out!!  We might end up taxi-ing, though I'm not 100% sure, probably depends how jetlegged we are lol!!


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## katt789

*Youtube Videos/Vlogs!*​So over the course of my life, I've ALWAYS loved watching Disney Trip Videos on youtube, and even love creating them. Since the Asia parks are just that much harder to plan and find reviews/info on them, we've spent SO FREAKING MUCH time on Youtube watching vlogs. Some of them are good, some of them are not so great, or like, way too long. Some are awesome trip videos that let you see stuff and get a feel for what it will be like, and some are more like "touring plans/guides" So, I figured for your enjoyment when you're bored at work, done watching Netflix, or to help you plan your trips, here are some of my favorite vlogs that we've watched!

*Tokyo Disney*
We'll start off with our very own Disboard member Sam's Tokyo Disneyland Video!








These guys are part of Thingamavlogs channel on Youtube, they have MULTIPLE videos on Tokyo, be sure to click through and watch a few of them, I love them!!!




This is another acct that has a bunch of videos on Tokyo, and potentially other parks, take a check through, super cute!




This vlog I like! and they've got more than just Disney, other areas around Japan too!





*Shanghai Disney*
This one's super high energy & fun, covers the parks & some more, it's split into 3 parts, so you'll have to click through for them as I'm not going to link all of them!








Obvs this one is "part 2" so click through to see the other ones!




Shanghai Disneyland opening daaay!










*Hong Kong Disney*





*General Asia Travel*
Shanghai City!




Kyoto!




The Great WAAAALL




Beijing (she's also got a ton of other travel type vlogs, tips on packing, where to go, how to do it, etc)




Hong Kong





I'm just kinda linking the ones I'm skimming through right now, and ones I know we enjoyed, I'm obvs struggling finding some good HKDL ones, but I know there were some great ones!! I'm gonna leave it for now and keep a word document of other ones I discover on the go!

Happy watching!!


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## mulderxcoltrane

zanzibar138 said:


> First of all, the metro is so ridiculously easy, I'm sure you won't have any problems at all! Seriously, you just go to the ticket machine, change it to English, and tap the station that you want to go to. You don't even have to know which station you're at - it figures that out automatically. So cheap too! If you feel like splurging, the Maglev is a great way to get to Longyang. Having said that, if you're pretty keen on getting to the Disneyland area as soon as possible, I'd go with a taxi. While the metro is easy, you'll still have to make your way nearly into the city then out again.



Since you've done it, would you be able to provide a dummy's guide for using rail transportation from Pudong (assumed that's where you arrived) to Disney?  

You mentioned picking your destination on a machine; will it have Disney listed?

What about the Maglev option?  What would our route be?


----------



## zanzibar138

mulderxcoltrane said:


> Since you've done it, would you be able to provide a dummy's guide for using rail transportation from Pudong (assumed that's where you arrived) to Disney?
> 
> You mentioned picking your destination on a machine; will it have Disney listed?
> 
> What about the Maglev option?  What would our route be?



First of all, I would recommend checking out the interactive map here:

http://www.exploreshanghai.com/metro/#

You can easily plan all your travel and it also tells you what time the first/last train is for each line. It's a great resource!

Here's what you would do to get from Pudong airport to Disneyland.
* From Pudong Airport, take either the Maglev or Line 2 to Longyang Road. The Maglev is not a budget option, and with 2 of you, you might find that it would actually work out cheaper to take a taxi. Either way, this is the end of the line, so you know you'll always be going the right way  The Maglev is basically a shuttle between the airport and Longyang Road.
* At Longyang Road, follow the signs to Line 16. This is also the end of the line for Line 16, so just get on any train that is there. Get off at Luoshan Road (the second stop).
* At Luoshan Road, follow the signs to Line 11. Get on the train heading to Disney (the other way will take you back into the city). This station is new and nice and easy to get around. Disney Station is the end of the line (3rd stop from Luoshan Road).

Hope that helps!


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## mulderxcoltrane

zanzibar138 said:


> First of all, I would recommend checking out the interactive map here:
> 
> http://www.exploreshanghai.com/metro/#
> 
> You can easily plan all your travel and it also tells you what time the first/last train is for each line. It's a great resource!
> 
> Here's what you would do to get from Pudong airport to Disneyland.
> * From Pudong Airport, take either the Maglev or Line 2 to Longyang Road. The Maglev is not a budget option, and with 2 of you, you might find that it would actually work out cheaper to take a taxi. Either way, this is the end of the line, so you know you'll always be going the right way  The Maglev is basically a shuttle between the airport and Longyang Road.
> * At Longyang Road, follow the signs to Line 16. This is also the end of the line for Line 16, so just get on any train that is there. Get off at Luoshan Road (the second stop).
> * At Luoshan Road, follow the signs to Line 11. Get on the train heading to Disney (the other way will take you back into the city). This station is new and nice and easy to get around. Disney Station is the end of the line (3rd stop from Luoshan Road).
> 
> Hope that helps!



1) I've read in many spots that you take your life in your hands in a taxi in Shanghai.  Is that your experience?

2) If we choose the Maglev option, how long should it take from Pudong to Disney (all transfer included)?


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## zanzibar138

mulderxcoltrane said:


> 1) I've read in many spots that you take your life in your hands in a taxi in Shanghai.  Is that your experience?
> 
> 2) If we choose the Maglev option, how long should it take from Pudong to Disney (all transfer included)?



I read that too, which is why I tried to stick to the train. The only time I got a taxi was from Disney to the airport because I wanted to maximise my time on my last day. I figured I'd be safe enough if I got the concierge to organise a taxi for me, and I didn't have any problems. I'd be pretty hesitant to hail my own taxi though. Not many taxi drivers speak English.

I would allow an hour and a bit using the Maglev. The commute from my hotel was nearly an hour, and that was only one stop away from Longyang on the metro. The Maglev apparently takes about 20 minutes, but it felt a lot shorter than that.


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## jelloarms

Nope, no PTR going but I'm thinking of doing a TR when I get back!  I've tried to do them in the past for Florida trips but never finished.  That was years ago though, maybe this time will be different!  I think a good reason why I never finished is because I hated getting to the end of the TR.  In some odd way, it almost felt like ending the trip AGAIN and with no future trips in sight, it made me sad.  It's crazy because I had the whole report typed out and everything, ready to be copied/pasted into entries but I simply could not bring myself to copy-paste!

I liked the Thingamavlogs video you posted...from there I ended up watching ALL of their Tokyo Disney videos.


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## katt789

OMG SO as we're talking aboubt HK Abby pointed out that I never posted this portion of the TR, so EFF MY LIFE HERE IS WHAT HAPPENS


*November 7/2016*

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we have finally reached out THIRD and FINAL country on this GIANT adventure of epic proportions!  Today, we check out of our Shanghai hostel and head on over to Hong Kong!


It’s currently undecided on fly vs train, but I’m 90% sure it’ll be a flight since the trains seemed to be VERY inconvenient!


When we arrive in_Hong Kong it’s straight off to Dragon Hostel Hong Kong








Here we’ve got a 3 bed private ensuite room, so that’s awesome, I am happy that we’ve got a couple places we don’t’ need to share rooms with a large amount of strangers or anything. It cost us a total of $219 CAD for three nights!


*November 8/2016*

Today we start our adventures on my own kind of route of what was on the LP’s walking tour/1 day guide, we kinda condensed everything we wanted to do into 2 parts and it worked. Our first stop is the  HSBC Building





Hong Kong: HSBC building by Charles, on Flickr


When it was completed construction it was the WORLDS most expensive building!  They say it’s stunning, and it’s on our way to the next destination, so it’ll be a nice quick stop on the way to  the Bank of China Tower 





Bank of China Hong Kong. by Bernard Spragg. NZ, on Flickr


You can go up to the 43rd floor for some panoramic views of Hong Kong





View from 43rd floor of Bank of China tower by Ed Loveridge, on Flickr


So far these things seem to be something not super exciting, especially during the day, so if it’s a not so sunny day, there’s a chance we’ll end up skipping them and heading straight to the  Hong Kong Park. According to LP, it’s considered to be one of the most unusual parks in the world! 




IMG_0861 by LW Lau, on Flickr 





Conservatory by Roy Ng, on Flickr





Hong Kong by Kenny Sharpe, on Flickr


I know for sure the first one is the right park, I honestly have no idea about the second two, but they seem kinda right so we’re gonna pretend! Lol.


The park is conveniently located at the bottom of the Peak Tram which is our next adventure! It’s a cable hauled railway that climbs 396meters to the highest point in HK! There is a “short day” itinierary on their website, so my guess is we’ll follow that. Arriving at the Peak Tram Lower Terminus to purchase our tickets





Lower Peak Tram Terminus, Garden Road by chopsticks7, on Flickr


There is a history gallery, but depending how we’re feeling and doing for time, we may or may not skip it! Then we’ll board the Tram itself and ascend the hill!





Peak Tram by Andy1878, on Flickr


Knowing us, we’ll end up singing some Trolley Show songs from Wdw along the way, bahha! And then we reach the top, where there is the Peak Tower. I can’t find any pictures right now, but there’s a bunch of stuff to do, restaurants, gift shops, a market, and then a  Sky Terrace at the highest point in Hong Kong! 





Hongkong The Peak by A B, on Flickr


Next on our list, we’ll head on over to the Hong Kong Zoological Gardensthere’s lots of sculptures and fountains and the like, though we’ll skip on the actual zoo part. I’ve been reading up on some places in Japan (specifically Fuji Safari park since friends posted pics and it looked awesome) but apparently Japan has like no rights when it comes to animals so they treat them HORRIBLY, so I’d prefer to skip it!





Hong Kong Zoological Park by Ruth Johnston, on Flickr





Beautiful scene at dusk by d-k-t, on Flickr


Well end the day off exploring the Tsum Sha Tsui East Promenade. 





Tsim Sha Tsui east by aaron4ls, on Flickr


It’s an area to see the cities finest skylines, and a lovely stroll during the day, and truly comes alive at night! There’s even a nightly LIGHT SHOW, WHOOT WHOOT, hopefully weather will be nice and we’ll be able to see that tonight. A bar called “Deck ‘n Beer’ provides lovely views of this too, so maybe some drinks/dinner there!





Deck n&#x27; Beer by Slightly Jo, on Flickr





Hong Kong Symphony of Lights by Pablo Fernández, on Flickr


*November 9/2016*

Today is our last day of city travelling along our adventure, which is both exciting and sad at the same time, we’re back to somewhere somewhat comfortable for the last few days, BUT, it’s gonna be sad to say good bye to everything we’ve seen so far. Today the three of us head off to Kowloon Park





Kowloon Park, Hong Kong by Cycling Man, on Flickr





九龍公園 Kowloon Park by Jansen Lam, on Flickr


It’s the area where we ended off the night before, and we’re somewhat just cutting through it as a side tracked adventure on the way to the ferry! (*** although while I’m trying to find the information on it right now, I honestly think we’ll be checking it out the day prior to while we’re on the promenade, I honestly don’t know why I wrote it down as a separate day). 


Our main destination is the suggested “detour” from Lonely Planet that suggests taking the ferry over to YungShue Wan  on Lamma Island and then walking the 90 minute  trail over to Sok Kwu Wan to have a seaside lunch over there!





Yung Shue Wan by Tom Baylis, on Flickr





Lamma Island/Yung Shue Wan by Lynn Sell, on Flickr


This was also a nice little reminder that I have to find that info in the guide book/look up more on it before we go so we know where we’re going! Bahaha!




Sok Kwu Wan by Richard Lander, on Flickr





Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island by JOY, on Flickr


After our seaside lunch we’ll ferry back to the main area and head back to the hotel to freshen up and potentially get super classy to celebrate our last night in the city! There’s 2 bar’s,  Ozone the highest bar in Asia on the 118th floor of the Ritz Carlton





Ozone Bar (The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong) by Gay Travel Advice, on Flickr





Hong Kong by anna Matsiras, on Flickr

I just checked and the dress code isn’t super strict AT ALL, so we don’t have to be worried there, though there are no prices on anything on the menu, but they’ve got sushi, so we’ll probably split some of that!


And our second option is Sevva which LP says has pricier drinks & shotty service, but I mean, it also says IT is the “million dollar view” in HK…





Sevva - Hong Kong by alie rose, on Flickr





View from Sevva by ngcynthia, on Flickr


Obviously if both are going to be super pricey and it’s super smoggy or rainy, we’ll skip this and just celebrate on our own but very possibly still class up just to feel good lol! I skipped through some reviews and pictures and Ozone HONESTLY looks better IMHO, but we’ll see what happens!! 




_


----------



## disney144

Do not miss the light show! It is amazing. I believe it has music too, so find a place that pipes in the music.


----------



## katt789

* November 10/2016*

Todays the day, our last EXCITING move of our 6 week trip! We check out of our hostel in Hong Kong today, and head on over to 


HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!!!





Themed subway train to Hong Kong Disneyland by Misha Davids, on Flickr


I’m super excited about the super adorable trains here too!! We’ll actually be staying onsite here since it seems pretty impossible to stay OFF site and actually maximize time. When we FIRST started planning (though after Bali got the cut) we wanted to splurge with staying at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel!





Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, Lantau Island by Jaws300, on Flickr


I mean…just LOOK AT IT! Though, as we actually started being realistic with budgeting, we double checked the price for the Hollywood Hotel, and realized we’d be saving $160 each to stay there instead..though looking at it right now, that doesn’t seem like that much…but give it a day or two when bills are due and I’m sure we’ll all think otherwise, bahaha!





Disney Hollywood Hotel, Hong Kong by FW@CA, on Flickr





Disney&#x27;s Hollywood Hotel Hong Kong by YY Ma, on Flickr


It’ll definitely be nice to have that bit of Disney magic for the last 3 days! Our plans today will probably include some napping, resting, and DISNEY DIM SUM!


GUYS! I don’t know if you’re SEEN some of the pictures of not but THE FOOD IS SO FREAKING CUTE!





&quot;雞丁&quot;蓮蓉包 @ Crystal Lotus 晶荷軒 by 雨笙, on Flickr





Duffy 迪斯尼小熊紅豆蓉包 @ Crystal Lotus 晶荷軒 by 雨笙, on Flickr


You do have to book in advance for this stuff, and order in advance I belive, but it kinda depends on our flight time leaving if we do this today or on the day we leave, we also have another potential big plan since we’re on the island.


We’ll spend the rest of the evening just relaxing,we’ll have laundry access these last few days, so maybe that’ll happen but it seems kinda ridiculous that it might happen when we have such little time left! Lol.


*November 11[/b

Obvs first: moment of silence…



But then it’s off to the PAAARRRRRK!!!





20110731_Hong Kong Disneyland by kuma, on Flickr


And this is where Kara, the LUCKY DUCK, will be BAWLING HER FACE OFF, because this will check of the LAST of the Disney parks, once she steps foot onto Main Street she will have been to ALL Disney parks around the world, and 10 of which WERE IN THE SAME YEAR!!! (WDW’s 4 parks, DLR’s 2, Tokyo’s 2, Shanghai and Hong Kong, which is ALSO TRUE FOR ALL OF US) Seriously…why did the flight for Paris have to be so pricey!! But like, if we went, there was no way I could go and NOT see THE CITY, like, that would be a waste NO MATTER HOW BROKE I WAS.


Okay...back on track..


Chances are, right at rope drop, minus grabbing a few photos since I honestly LOVE the castle with the mountain back drop! We’ll be heading STRAIGHT for Mystic Manor! SERIOUSLY SO EXCITED for it! 





Mystic Manor at Night by Tom Bricker, on Flickr




[HKDL] Mystic Manor - Mystic Point by Disneyland Dream World, on Flickr

The lil monkey’s SO CUTE, and I can’t wait to buy ALL THE MERCH.


It’s their version of Haunted Mansion, but apparently their culture is SUPER against ghosts/bad spirits (makes sense) so they went with a bit of a different version here!


We’ll have to back track a little bit to hit up our next NEW adventure, Grizzly Gulch!






big grizzly mountain entrance by Rafa Torcida, on Flickr


Kinda like Big Thunder! (potentially we’ll pick up fast passes for this on our way to Mystic Manor so we can kinda just continue on our circle afterwards?)


Continuing the circle after the Manor is Toy Story Land, which has a couple cute rides that I honestly am excited for, it seems super kid like, but still cute, and probably a good idea to hit in the morning as Fantasyland is in WDW.

Thoughts?





[HKDL] Toy Story Land by Disneyland Dream World, on Flickr


RC’s racer ride in the back there!





[HKDL] Toy Story Land by Disneyland Dream World, on Flickr


Depending on the time, I’m pretty sure HKDL opens later, we’ll potentially book it over to Mickey’s Wonderous Book! I’ve seen it on youtube and I BAWL EVERY FREAKING TIME, the other 2 haven’t seen it, so I’m super excited to see their reactions. I’ve also got a couple of friends who hang out around that area, considering they renew their contacts!





Mickey and the Wondrous Book | Hong Kong Disneyland by nagi usano, on Flickr





mickeys and wondrous book- ariel by alienalice, on Flickr





mickeys and wondrous book-tiana by alienalice, on Flickr


IF that’s not where we go, or if we pulled FP for grizzly earlier, we’ll head over to the show in Adventureland, one I’m excited about but also SUPER APREHENSIVE ABOUT.


…if you know me or have read ANY previous WDW trip reports, you might know that that’s Festival of the Lion King.


The show over at DAK is SERIOSULY my one true love, I bawl like a baby every single time. The first time I saw the show, I knew I NEEDED to work for Disney, and wanted to be the blue bird, I got extra pixie dust from friends when I worked down there and got to meet the entire cast and literally froze because it was a surprise. Basically, the show means the WORLD to me, and I’ve had some people be all “YOU’LL ABSOLUTELY LVOE HKDL’S VERSION” yet I’ve seen reviews saying that it’s not too great when you compare it. SO, I’m going in with lower expectations, and will obviously be comparing it to FOLK DAK style the entire time..... #whoops





HKDL July 2011 - Festival of the Lion King by PeterPanFan, on Flickr





HKDL July 2011 - Festival of the Lion King by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


Since we’re only there for 2 days, I DO want to make sure that we see both the shows the first day so that we can see them again (if we want, I KNOW I’ll want to see the book again, we’ll see what happens) the other thing we NEED to make sure we do the first day is the parade!





HKDL July 2011 - Flights of Fantasy Parade by PeterPanFan, on Flickr





HKDL July 2011 - Flights of Fantasy Parade by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


I don’t know if you’ve listened to the music or not, but it IS LEGITIMATELY THE EXACT SAME AS SOUNDSATIONAL IN DLR…not sure who came out first, but yolo right?


We’ll spend most of the rest of the day just hanging out, hitting up rides in Fantasyland and the like, HKDL I feel like has most of the attractions that we’ll be used to/copycats of other parks, so as long as we hit up those that are unique, we’ll be okay.


As for food, I really want to eat at  Clopin’s Festival of Fools! I’ve ALWAYS loved Esmerelda, and everything Hunchback, so it’s just gonna tie it all together lol!  The Royal Banquet Hall does seem like the other place we’ll eat, at least just to get some sushi, dim sum, and explore the rooms decorated after our princesses! 

There isn’t much for Table Service, but River View Café does offer a tea break that I feel like is a thing we’d be into, but I doubt we’ll try to make ressos over the phone, we’ll just see what happens when we check in!


As night rolls around, WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO SEE PAINT THE NIGHT!





disney paint the night parade- donald by alienalice, on Flickr





disney paint the nighte parade- belle by alienalice, on Flickr


WE. LIVE. FOR. THIS. PARADE!


I’m super sad to see it’s not going to be running daily at DLR anymore (and honestly, we all DO NOT want it to move to Florida, despite all of us frequenting that park more, it just means more at dlr) so we’ll be watching it both nights! Finally, we’ll have to wrap up with some fireworks!





Disney in the Stars Fireworks by Tom Bricker, on Flickr


November 12

Guys… today’s gonna SUCK...it’s gonna be REAL bad & emotional….it is officially our last day of vacation…our last day in Hong Kong, so thank goodness it’s going to be spent at DISNEY!


We’ll go right first and probably fast pass Space Mountain, or ride it standby (depending how busy it is)






Hyperspace Mountain by Joseph Calev, on Flickr


If we fast pass it, it’ll be because it’s busy and we must get back to mystic manor, OR, because we just want to ride everything else in Tomorrowland first. Then hop back to ride it.


WHOOOAAA I JUST CLICKED THE INTERACTIVE MAP AND WE CAN MEET R2 HERE SO THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN!



Fantasyland will be next as we circle the park and hit up the attractions we’ve either missed or want to do again! It also looks like a TON of characters are out and about in Fantasyland so we obviously have to meet some of them!





[HKDL] Fantasyland by Disneyland Dream World, on Flickr





HKDL July 2011 - Meeting Tinker Bell by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


And then we circle through doing all the things we missed or wanted to do again, and obviously taking ALL THE PICTURES 





[HKDL] Fantasyland by Disneyland Dream World, on Flickr





HKDL July 2011 - Meeting Duffy by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


And we’ll end up watching both the daytime parade and Paint the Night again tonight!






[HKDL] Flights of Fantasy Parade by Disneyland Dream World, on Flickr





HKDL July 2011 - Flights of Fantasy Parade by PeterPanFan, on Flickr





IMG_5669 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr





IMG_6202 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr





IMG_6246 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr


PTN photos courtesy of ME from DLR.


Depending on time/weather I’m sure we’ll watch the fireworks again and then just photograph our last moments in the park, letting it all sink in as this amazing journey comes to a close.





20110731_Hong Kong Disneyland by kuma, on Flickr





HKDL Oct 2012 - Tomorrowland at Night by PeterPanFan, on Flickr





HKDL Oct 2012 - Halloween at Main Street Station by PeterPanFan, on Flickr


And then it’s back to the hotel try not to cry, and head to bed after packing our bags! It’ll have been a WHIRLWHIND of a vacation/adventure, Like, seriously, even typing it up feels wrong, feels sad, like, how can an adventure so epic, so culturally rich, so many new countries and firsts for us, be over so quick?!?!

*


----------



## katt789

*November 13th*

So today can go 1 of 3 ways.

-Sleep in, check out, head to airport

-Check out, do Disney Dim Sum, head to airport

-Check out, head to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island (same as Disney and the airport)





Tian Tan Giant Buddha by Carlos Sanchez, on Flickr





Day 2 - Tian Tin Buddha closer by David Robertson, on Flickr


It’s something and Abby and I talked about really wanting to see, but not really having the time to add it into the trip. SO, we may do it either before or after check IN to the Disney Hotel, or before we head to the airport!


So, some options here that really only depend on what times our flights are all at.


Abby flies straight back to Vancouver, whereas Kara found it was cheaper to book a round trip Vancouver to Tokyo than one ways, so we fly back to Tokyo, crash the night on the airport floor, or splurge for a hotel at the airport, and then fly direct back to Canada!!


----------



## BelleBway

Oooh!  I'll be at HKDL one of the same days you guys are!  My Shanghai and TDR plans don't overlap, though.


----------



## zanzibar138

I've stayed at both HKDL hotels - you won't be disappointed with the Hollywood, and you'll still get to see the HKDL Hotel when you go for Dim Sum (which I'm very jealous of by the way!) 

The park is seriously practically empty for the first few hours after it opens. I'm not even kidding. Like a ghost town. You will have plenty of opportunity to get your photos on the way through AND walk onto both Mystic Manor and Grizzly Mountain several times in a row. There's no FP for Grizzly Mountain, but you won't need one. I've seriously never seen more than a 20 minute wait (and that was on a Saturday afternoon).

There's really not much to Toy Story Land, but all the rides are slow loaders. You could potentially be better off to head here first then back track to Mystic Manor and Grizzly Gulch. Otherwise, you're really not missing much if you can't be bothered to wait for the rides.

Make sure you get to the theatre early for Mickey's Wondrous Book. We got there about 20 minutes before the show and were turned away both times because the theatre had reached capacity. Shows and characters seem to be more popular than rides over there. We haven't actually seen FOTLK yet, because it's always down for maintenance in March and that's when we tend to go. However, I've heard that it's very different to the one at AK (which I also haven't seen lol!). I would try to go in with no expectations, and no comparisons. Just enjoy the show for what it is.

Flights of Fantasy is by far my favourite parade so far. FWIW it came before Soundsational. I loved the song so much, I was so excited when I got to DLR and I heard the very same music! The parade is much better though - the floats are awesome and the performers are incredible! So much interaction if you get a front row spot too. FWIW we've always got a great front row spot walking up 10 minutes before the parade starts. It's highly possible that you'll want to see it again. Not sure if you're aware, but Paint the Night also made its debut at HKDL before transferring to DLR. I kind of think it's nice that it'll be unique to HDKL again soon. The fireworks are a different style to DLR. More low level and centred around the castle. But I love them!

I would suggest you probably won't need a FP for Space Mountain. I've never seen it with more than a 15 minute wait (and that was a Saturday afternoon). Although now that it has its Star Wars overlay, it might be a bit more popular. The option is always there for you anyway. I can guarantee that you will wait longer to meet R2D2 than you will to ride Space Mountain.

I think you'll really enjoy taking in the theming around HKDL, and the gorgeous mountain/jungle backdrop that is still unique to HK. Also, after TDL and SDL, you will very much enjoy the more laid-back, less crowded atmosphere. It will be a great note to finish on


----------



## katt789

Life updates!!

So Kara came into Vancouver the other day and we ended up filming a lot of vlogs for our channel!! 






We've got a couple Asia videos and will be uploading weekly until Abby leaves to join us in Beijing!! Check out our channel here!!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc_eM8yH8HyyE5kN7udbz_Q

A minor dilemma as I was going to bed the other night and I realized I'd be SO FOCUSSED on our internal China travel that I'd COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE FLIGHT FROM HIROSHIMA TO BEIJING. POOP!!! Seriously kicking myself because it was WAY more expensive that I wanted to pay. SO, Kara hopped on the computer at her work, and found a flight that was $340, despite it turning up at $380 on my computer, so I sent her my info and she attempted to book them!

Hers went through no problem...my card declined...#whoops. I got things sorted out with my visa and hopped on Ctrip this morning to book mine, and when I opened the one arriving at 4:45, I noticed something...it has a stopover in Shanghai, BUT THE STOPOVER HAD A CHANGE OF AIRPORTS!! Like, it lands in Pudong and then the connecting flight leaves from Hongqiao to leave over to Beijing. Kara tried to figure out how to change it, or how if there was a shuttle between them (there is, it's 50 mins, not sure if there's a cost) SO, now, since my card had declined, I had to choose whether I was going to be a great friend and book that same flight, or if I'd book a flight with the same first leg and then connected through Pudong.

SO....I ended up being the better person and booking the same flight Kara was stuck with...yup...gonna be a grand adventure there..bahahha. should be interesting...

We also booked our train from Beijing to Shanghai.

AND the flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong. There were some for $66, BUT they were on an airline that your carry on AND checked luggage had to be under 30lbs, SO, we decided to spend alittle bit more and have the usual baggage allowance. I ended up booking later than the other girls by an hour or so, and noticed there was a flight that would save me $50 if I chose it instead, though I would get there around 9pm, and solo, I chose it anyways!!

I'm off on a little adventure this week that I need my passport for, so I'm headed to get my Visa for China when I get back from there. Then we need to take care of our internal Japan travel, and we're basically set to go!! WITH that, we still need to double check whether we're getting a JR pass, it was something like $400 for our entire time in Japan, which is a bit absurd, IMO, so we'll have to price out some stuff and see what's going to be worth it. Any advice or tips would be welcomed 

We travel Tokyo to Kawaguchi-ko aka Mt Fuji. and back for a day trip
-Tokyo to Matsumoto (there's a bus option here)
-Matsumoto to Kanazawa
-Kanazawa to Kyoto
-Kyoto to Hiroshima
-Day trip to Nara from Hiroshima

IT'S SO BIZARRE THAT IT'S COMING UP SO FAST GUYS!! Like, actually in a month, Kara I will be adventuring around Tokyo's Imperial Palace and eating amazingly fresh suishi and Tsjuiki market!! (i didn't double check the spelling so that's probably HORRIBLY wrong...lol)

Stay tuned!!!


----------



## missangelalexis

Your time at HKDL sounds amazing! Can't believe how fast your trip is approaching, how exciting!!


----------



## disney144

Good call to stick together. Travel mishaps happen, and it can be challenging to develop a plan B when you're out of the country and not together.


----------



## katt789

BelleBway said:


> Oooh!  I'll be at HKDL one of the same days you guys are!  My Shanghai and TDR plans don't overlap, though.



Awee!! Well holler at us if you see us!! I'm sure we'll run into eachother!!



zanzibar138 said:


> I've stayed at both HKDL hotels - you won't be disappointed with the Hollywood, and you'll still get to see the HKDL Hotel when you go for Dim Sum (which I'm very jealous of by the way!)
> 
> The park is seriously practically empty for the first few hours after it opens. I'm not even kidding. Like a ghost town. You will have plenty of opportunity to get your photos on the way through AND walk onto both Mystic Manor and Grizzly Mountain several times in a row. There's no FP for Grizzly Mountain, but you won't need one. I've seriously never seen more than a 20 minute wait (and that was on a Saturday afternoon).
> 
> There's really not much to Toy Story Land, but all the rides are slow loaders. You could potentially be better off to head here first then back track to Mystic Manor and Grizzly Gulch. Otherwise, you're really not missing much if you can't be bothered to wait for the rides.
> 
> Make sure you get to the theatre early for Mickey's Wondrous Book. We got there about 20 minutes before the show and were turned away both times because the theatre had reached capacity. Shows and characters seem to be more popular than rides over there. We haven't actually seen FOTLK yet, because it's always down for maintenance in March and that's when we tend to go. However, I've heard that it's very different to the one at AK (which I also haven't seen lol!). I would try to go in with no expectations, and no comparisons. Just enjoy the show for what it is.
> 
> Flights of Fantasy is by far my favourite parade so far. FWIW it came before Soundsational. I loved the song so much, I was so excited when I got to DLR and I heard the very same music! The parade is much better though - the floats are awesome and the performers are incredible! So much interaction if you get a front row spot too. FWIW we've always got a great front row spot walking up 10 minutes before the parade starts. It's highly possible that you'll want to see it again. Not sure if you're aware, but Paint the Night also made its debut at HKDL before transferring to DLR. I kind of think it's nice that it'll be unique to HDKL again soon. The fireworks are a different style to DLR. More low level and centred around the castle. But I love them!
> 
> I would suggest you probably won't need a FP for Space Mountain. I've never seen it with more than a 15 minute wait (and that was a Saturday afternoon). Although now that it has its Star Wars overlay, it might be a bit more popular. The option is always there for you anyway. I can guarantee that you will wait longer to meet R2D2 than you will to ride Space Mountain.
> 
> I think you'll really enjoy taking in the theming around HKDL, and the gorgeous mountain/jungle backdrop that is still unique to HK. Also, after TDL and SDL, you will very much enjoy the more laid-back, less crowded atmosphere. It will be a great note to finish on


Yeah, i'm not too bummed considering we are saving money, and we'll still get to tsee it, plus we stayed at the gflo last year and it wans't as awesome as we though it'd be lol. 

Good to know!! it'll be handy for ALL the pictures we'll stop to take!! lol

OH I KNOW!!! We're usually 30 mins if not 45 or more mins prior to every show, and parades were in the area an hour before to securse spots, so I know at least I'll be there crazy early for map, i cannot wait for it!! The dak folk is ACTUALLY MY FAVORITE THING EVER, if ou haven't watched it on youtube, watch this link: 



   or at least watch the last 5 minutes...i'm definitely going in with no expectations and we'll see what happens.

Good to know!! I alreayd love them both!! I knew ptn came to hong kong first!! 

I'm super excited for hkdl so i know i'll enjoy it!!


----------



## katt789

missangelalexis said:


> Your time at HKDL sounds amazing! Can't believe how fast your trip is approaching, how exciting!!



I cant wait, so excited for hk! and the trip is coming up so fast! so not ready!!



disney144 said:


> Good call to stick together. Travel mishaps happen, and it can be challenging to develop a plan B when you're out of the country and not together.



yeah, its gonna be crazy!!


----------



## rosaciri

Cant wait to read about your time  at Tokyo DL.  We are planning to visit in October 2017 after our cruise and we are not sure how many days to allow for TDL and Disneyseas.


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## missangelalexis

One more week! So excited for you!!


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## katt789

AHHHHH!!! I DEFINITELY meant to do another picture and adventure filled update before we left, BUT, my computer is infected so its in the shop right now!

Kara & I leave on TUESDAY FOR TOKYO AAAHHH THIS IS REAL, ITS REALLY HAPPENING!!!

Ive done a lot of running around the past few days, have worked my last shift, have finished packing & am attempting to convert to Japan time which means staying up all night bahaha!!

Trip reporting sure won't be happening til late November, BUT check out the following things:

Instagram:
Kattwyllie
Kattwylliephotography
Karavanriel
Abbywithsparkles
Festivalofpixiedust

Youtube:
Festivalofpixiedust

Snapchat:
Kattwy
Karavanriel
Abby-sparkles

Kara's doing a live blog while we're there, follow along on that here:

https://adventuresbykara.wordpress.com/

The blog, Instagram & snap-chat will be updated regularly, and we'll post a lot on there! 

Buckle up!! We're off on a WIIIILD RIDE!!!

Stay tuned for the trip report & thank you all for joining!!


----------



## BelleBway

Have a great time!!! Hope to bump into you in HKDL lol


----------



## Grumpy's Wife

Safe travels and have a wonderful time.  I'll be anxiously awaiting the trip report.


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## missangelalexis

Have an amazing trip!!!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Planning my own trip for next September, can't wait to hear all about yours!  Hope you're having a blast


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## katt789

Hey folks!!! So we've been back ALMOST a week, and are just not maybe adjusting to the jetleg! #worst In the meantime it's been lots of photo editing and getting back to real life stuff. I hope to have the trip report started soon, but am waiting on Kara's photos (for specific reasons I need them....no spoilers..) and also am wondering:

-Should I do it all together like I did the PTR?

OR

Split it up via Park/City and place them in the appropriate boards with links to everything??

Thoughts?

Here are some pictures to keep you occupied for a bit!!




IMG_2826 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr




IMG_2790 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr




IMG_2136 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr




IMG_2329 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr




IMG_0089 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr




IMG_0687 by Katt mccluskey, on Flickr












Each of the parks was absolutely incredible, though it is safe to say that Tokyo Disneyland is MY favorite from all around the world. Everything was just amazing!!

Shanghai Disney was SO much better than I expected, it truly blew me away, I'm pretty sure it did for all of us, and it held so many special surprises!!

HKDL was super cute, bizarrely similar to DLR, you'd be sitting on Main Street and just swear that you were in California. It has one of the shows that we immediately dubbed "top 3 of all Disney parks worldwide".

Japan stole my heart, completely, I already want to go back, the cities were so amazing, full of culture and modern things all at the same time. China was nice enough, lol, though not my favorite, Hong Kong truly stole the show, the bustling streets, traditional temples and markets mixed in with island life and tropical beaches, simply amazing!!

Feel free to ask any specific questions!!


----------



## camper06

Welcome back!! Cant wait to hear all about your trip!  I vote for keeping it all together in one trip report


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## zanzibar138

Wow, amazing photos  Can't wait to see the rest of them!

I would be keen to see a combined TR


----------



## Malia78

Also vote for a combined report. So exciting-- heading to the Asian parks next fall so really looking forward to reading about your adventures!


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## RnbwSktles

I'm going to vote for 1 trip report, although maybe when you're done you can copy each section and put them in their respective categories so that future visitors to these parks can find them easier


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## Grumpy's Wife

Welcome Home! 

I've anxiously awaited your return because I can't wait to hear all about it.  I vote for just one report.  If you don't continue with it here, please post a link so we'll know when it's up.


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## disney144

1 report please!


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## katt789

Just for anyone who's following this thread but might not check the forum regularly, the Trip Report is up and running!! I should be updating pretty regularly!!

*This is Where Your Dream Begins, A New World in Every Chapter*

Happy Thanksgiving to any American friends!!

Hope you'll enjoy the trip report, and thank you for following along on the pre trip report!


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