SDL Opening Day - I'm In!

[zanzibar138]

YAY for getting your passport back.

Breathe in, breathe out. Shanghai isn't going anywhere. It's also a lot closer to get to than any of the US parks. I'm pretty sure you'll be heading back. Just enjoy being there on opening day. Afterall, who knows what the crowds and logistics are going to be like, right?

Thanks PIO. Guess I'm feeling the pressure to do an awesome TR But you're right - I need to relax and go with the flow a bit more.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Thanks PIO. Guess I'm feeling the pressure to do an awesome TR But you're right - I need to relax and go with the flow a bit more.

It'll be an awesome TR. You always find ways of doing interesting things.

 

[zanzibar138]

I thought it may be worth making a list of rides I'm interested in and whether they will offer FP and/or SR lines. This is more for my own information, but feel free to read along if you're interested

Adventure Isle
* Camp Discovery - None
* Roaring Rapids - FP + SR

Fantasyland
* Alice in Wonderland Maze - N/A (Walkthrough)
* Peter Pan's Flight - FP
* Seven Dwarfs Mine Train - FP + SR
* Voyage to the Crystal Grotto - None

Gardens of Imagination
* Garden of the Twelve Friends - N/A (Walkthrough)

Tomorrowland
* Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue - FP
* Tron Lightcycle Power Run - FP + SR

Treasure Cove
* Pirates of the Caribbean - SR

Not quite sure what they're thinking not offering FP for POTC. I suspect this and Tron will be the most popular rides.

So with that in mind, I can maybe come up with a bit of a plan...

Thursday (Opening Day) - Focus on Tomorrowland and Gardens of Imagination
* Experience the whole opening ceremony and associated celebrations
* Hit the shops for opening day merch before it all sells out
* Grab a FP for Tron if there are any for after dark (if not, wait or come back after riding), ride now using SR
* Ride Buzz if line not prohibitive - if not, try for a FP later
* Explore the Garden of the Twelve Friends
* Meet classic characters in the Gardens of Imagination if lines not prohibitive
* Catch the parade (don't need a great spot, just want to see the Mulan float really)
* Eat at Wandering Moon Teahouse
* Suss out a good spot for the castle show and fireworks

Friday - Focus on Adventure Isle and Treasure Cove
* Grab a FP for Roaring Rapids
* Ride POTC using SR (several times throughout the day if possible)
* Experience Camp Discovery
* Meet jungle characters in Adventure Isle if lines not prohibitive
* See Tarzan show
* See Pirate stunt show
* Eat at Barbossa's Bounty (inside POTC like Blue Bayou)
* Check out Shipwreck Shore and Siren's Revenge (walkthroughs)
* Suss out whether it's possible to get a good spot for the fireworks on that side
* Ride Tron using SR if
* Ride Soarin' if there's spare time

Saturday - Focus on Fantasyland and redos!
* Grab a FP for Peter Pan
* Ride Voyage to the Crystal Grotto
* Grab a FP for Mine Train or ride using SR
* Check out Alice in Wonderland maze (walkthrough)
* Eat at Royal Banquet Hall (in the castle), check out castle walkthrough on the way there/out
* Catch the parade if I didn't see it the first day
* Meet any characters I've missed
* Do any other rides in the area which look reasonable
* Redo favourites if possible

Ah that's starting to feel more like a plan!

 

[PrincessInOz]

It looks like a great plan, @zanzibar138. Well done!

 

[zanzibar138]

Someone on the Shanghai planning thread was looking for people to share a private tour on the afternoon of the 17th to do focus on riding rides with no lines. I expressed interest, but unfortunately even with 6 people, it came in far too much over my budget to consider (and they'd already found enough people to fill the group anyway). I'm feeling fairly confident with my plan anyway, that I should be able to do most of the stuff on my high priority list.

In other news, I have cancelled my breakfast at Lumiere's Kitchen. I'll just grab breakfast from the club lounge that morning and focus on the park. I have booked lunch at the Royal Banquet Hall (inside the castle) for the 18th instead. I have a 1pm ressie. Was hoping for closer to 2pm, but pretty happy that I could still get in at all at this late stage!

I have been working on my Disneybound outfits. I plan to DB as Minnie for Opening Day (thought I'd go with a classic!), then Winnie the Pooh on the Friday (something fun), then Cinderella for the final day (for my princess lunch!). The Cinderella skirt was easy to make and has been sitting around for a while now. The Minnie skirt has given me nightmares, but I finally finished off something I'm relatively happy with last night. I may still try one more version though and see if I can't give myself something I'm totally happy with! Will post pictures as I finish off the outfits.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Not long to go now.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

I'm still trying to work out logistics... Here are some of the many thoughts buzzing around in my head right now.

* When on earth am I going to get time to explore Disney Town and Wishing Star Lake? I might have to do a 'trial run' on the train on Wednesday afternoon to have a look around.
* Having spent so much on my room at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, it's killing me to think that I'll get back from the park after 10pm, and be back up and out the door by 6:30am in the morning. I'd love to be able to check out the hotel in a bit more detail and actually take advantage of the club lounge.
* I'm thinking of taking PIO's advice and ditching breakfast at Lumiere's. I've heard the characters will be Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto. However, if I hear that they're wearing special outfits, I'll be disappointed to have missed out!
* I'm really not that interested in princesses, but hoping that being China they might include Mulan in the rotation for castle dining. I'm thinking since this is within the park, and especially within the castle, it's probably worth doing anyway.
* I may have to rethink my idea to take a tiny bag with just enough room for my money, ticket and camera. I'm not expecting it to be warm enough for a jacket, but I may have to carry am umbrella. Perhaps a cheap disposable poncho would fit in my tiny bag. If I need a cardi, I'll have to go back to the hotel to get it.
* Why oh why are Disney not opening until 12 on the first day??? It means I have a whole 1/2 day less than I was expecting!
* Now I'm thinking I should try to experience all the major attractions twice. Once just to enjoy and take everything in, and once more to take photos for my TR. Not sure how likely it is that I'll have time for that though!

I do have one less major thing to worry about now though - got my passport back from the Chinese visa office yesterday with my Chinese visa in it

Oh the worries some people have...lol!! We will all be glued to our screens for the first hand updates. Thanks for pioneering it for us Zanzibar. I agree the "new" attractions espy you need to do twice - you need to just enjoy it the first time round and a 2nd time worry about documenting it.I'd go for disposable poncho in small bag rather than brolly and lightweight jacket/cardi tied round waist depending on weather forecasts that time of year. I've lost track when is the BIG day?

 

[zanzibar138]

Oh the worries some people have...lol!! We will all be glued to our screens for the first hand updates. Thanks for pioneering it for us Zanzibar. I agree the "new" attractions espy you need to do twice - you need to just enjoy it the first time round and a 2nd time worry about documenting it.I'd go for disposable poncho in small bag rather than brolly and lightweight jacket/cardi tied round waist depending on weather forecasts that time of year. I've lost track when is the BIG day?

The big day is the 16th (I assume you mean the actual opening day), but only a few days now until I leave for Perth! It's now at the point where I'm starting to be able to see the weather forecast, though I know it's not reliable this far out. So far it looks like maximums in the high 20s and minimums in the low 20s, so I will only need a very light cardi if anything at all. There are showers forecast though, so I will definitely be trying to find some disposal ponchos to take along.

My to-do list seems to be actually growing at the moment lol!

* Get some cash and exchange
* Advise banks that I will be in China
* Investigate a program that you can apparently download to keep access to social media sites in China
* Get a smart phone going (I think we have an old spare at home with limited battery life) and download the SDL app
* Finish putting together my Disneybounding outfits and find my accessories like Minnie ears etc
* Print documents and put together trip folder
* Pack of course!

 

[zanzibar138]

I ordered my cash at lunch time and informed my main bank of my trip. I'll go ahead and inform all 3 banks that I have credit cards with though, just in case I need to use them as a back up. So that's 1 1/2 things off my list!

And for my own reference (or just in case anyone here knows anything about it), the program I want to investigate is called Betternet. Not that I have any idea when I'm going to find time to get on social media though lol!

 

[Meemoo]

Have a great time! I can't wait to hear all about Shanghai Disneyland!!!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Safe travels! Catch you at the other end.

 

[zanzibar138]

This time next week, instead of sitting on the train on the way to work, I will be waiting in line for Shanghai Disneyland to open its gates for the first (official) time!

 

[PrincessInOz]

YAY!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Yay. Have a wonderful, safe and amazing trip and enjoy the catch up with your parents first.

 

[aussiecookfamily]

So I was very fortunate and scored a ticket to the final trial operations day on 11th. Thought I would share some of my observations, hard to say how much of this will apply once the park officially opens. I arrived around 7am which was a good time, they opened the first gates at 7:15, which was bag check, all very smooth and through in 10 minutes, then queued at the actual entry gates (which was a bit more chaotic), but still into the park by 7:45. As with all parks early arrival is the key, in the first hour I got on four rides, which later in the day could have taken me 5 hours to do. The Disney app is very useful with waiting times, which is critical as the park is so big you can't just wander around checking times (I did 23000 steps in my 12 hour day), but the Disney wifi is very hit and miss so I would suggest ensuring you have a local data plan for your phone. Here are some of my key observations:

Single rider: This was great at 9am when I got on the Mine Train in only 10 minutes (standby was 90 mins), but the crowd picked up on this quickly and by the middle of the day the single rider was 2hours and standby 3hrs, and by mid afternoon single rider and standby were the same wait time of 90 mins. The single rider wasn't operational for POTC, but it appeared that the separate queue didn't start until quite close to actual loading.

Fast passes: these are distributed at hubs in each land, and the locals have been quick to catch onto the concept, so quick that by mid day the queue to get your fast pass was very long, with people reporting waiting for over an hour. So I didn't bother getting any, but will look to get one for Tron on Friday.

Not to be missed: POTC is phenomenal - so totally immersive (wait times for this varied greatly during the day, it was up around 2 hours during the middle of the day but down to 50 mins by 6pm); Pirate Stunt Show: this was great fun even if you don't speak Mandarin, and some amazing stunts (get there around 20 mins before show time and you should be right); Peter Pan: this is a longer version of the traditional version with lots more charming moments (I walked onto this at 8am and should have gone straight back on); Mine Train: a longer more intense version of the WDW ride, lots of fun riding with the local riders; Tarzan Show: a great display of traditional Chinese acrobatics well integrated into the story (this is a huge theatre so 15 mins before seems to be fine to get a good seat).

Other attractions I did: Once upon a time adventure (nice to be inside the castle and good interactions); Storybook Court (get to met a Disney Princess in only 30 mins); Voyage to Crystal Grotto (pleasant boat trip); Alice in Wonderland Maze (fabulous walk through); Marvel Universe and Star Wars Encounter Bay; Parade (short but fun)

What I missed: Tron and Soarin (wait times just too long, Tron was still at 2 hours when I left the park at 8pm, and Soarin was at 4 hours + all day); Roaring Rapids (still undergoing testing so only cast members allowed to ride); Frozen Sing-along and Castle Show (not playing on the day).

Overall it is a great park to wander around, with lots of walk-through attractions and great themeing to admire. It is very large so never really felt crowded and everyone was very well behaved. But be warned the humidity is extreme, although it was only 28 degrees on Saturday "real-feel" was 42 degrees, so keep a water bottle on you at all times.

I can't wait to go again on Friday and Sunday. Here's to the Aussies in Shanghai.

 

[zanzibar138]

Wow thanks so much for your insights aussiecookfamily! That's absolutely awesome information that will serve me well. I did wonder how the FP distribution would be with the 'hub' idea. I've pretty much got a couple of rides I'll wait for as long as it takes, then whatever else I do will be a bonus. I think if I can keep that attitude I might have a chance of having an enjoyable trip

BTW lucky you getting a sneak peek! And feel free to say hi if you see me on Friday or Saturday

 

[zanzibar138]

The big day is tomorrow! I think I'm about as well organised as I could be given the circumstances. Been getting a few last minute tips from people who have attended the soft opening. Still going in with a plan, but the more I hear, the more I realise it's going to have to be a pretty flexible plan. Trying to go with very few expectations so I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. Pretty exciting though!

 

[zanzibar138]

I made it! I won't go into too much detail because it's really close to midnight, I've been up since 5am, and I've got another early start tomorrow!

Starting from the beginning, the metro journey out here was reasonable, and early enough that the further out I got the emptier the trains became. I had a bit of trouble getting from the station to the Disneyland Hotel, which I will get into later.

The opening itself was surprisingly well organised and easy to navigate. There were no special shows or anything to mark the occasion - we were just let in to the park in groups and left to ourselves. There was an amazing atmosphere walking down Mickey Avenue though, with CMs lining each side of the road waving and cheering.

As per my plan, I focused mainly on Tomorrowland. Tron is my new favourite coaster, and I managed to ride it 3 times throughout the day with no more than a half hour wait. I also rode Buzz (which was a walk on), Peter Pan (half an hour wait), and Seven Dwarves Mine Train (half an hour again). Did some shopping, got some opening day pins, which seemed to be selling out pretty fast, but there is plenty of other opening day merch that looks like it'll last. Got a great, front row spot for the parade just before the marshall car went past. Went back to the hotel for a break in the afternoon as the rain had really set in and I'm happy that I'll get enough done in the 3 days given today's success.

Got pixie dusted by the hotel because they took so long to get my room ready - it wasn't until about 6pm. I got a voucher for a free opening day plush worth up to 200 RMB, and I also got what seems to be some sort of chocolate bar or something and a bookmark from my turndown service (which I wasn't expecting either and left a big mess in my room in my rush to get back to the park lol!) - not sure if that's normal or not. The hotel is great, and the room is awesome - very plush and has light up headboards.

Headed back into the park for night time photos and Ignite the Magic. Turned up 40 minutes before the show and got a great spot just to the side, along a fence so no one in front of me, and a pond which I tried to use for some fireworks reflection shots. Not sure if I've ruined all my photos by doing that lol! I think I got a couple of decent ones. Eventually left the park at about 10:30pm (it closed at 10pm), and managed to time it well enough that I got straight on a shuttle bus back to the hotel and it took off immediately. Again, I'd been planning to walk, but my body was complaining too much lol!

On the whole, everyone has been polite, some even downright friendly and helpful! I've met some lovely people, some who could speak English, some who could not. There is not as much English spoken around the resort as I'd expected. The hotel staff are pretty good, and the CMs on the rides weren't too bad, but people like the bus drivers didn't even understand 'Disneyland Hotel'! There were some western staff hanging around, I assume they were involved in training the Chinese staff or something - they all seemed pretty senior.

I think we were lucky with the weather. We had quite a bit of drizzle on and off throughout the day, but only one real downpour this afternoon when I was on my way back to the hotel anyway. Tonight there was no rain at all. It hasn't been too hot though which I was worried about. I think the rain is keeping the temperature down, and it's easy enough to work with - most of the rides have covered queues.

Anyway, better get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll be focusing on Treasure Cove and Adventureland!

 

[zanzibar138]

Well, here I am sitting at Pudong Airport after a huge few days at Shanghai Disneyland! I'm pleased to report that my experience far exceeded all my expectations. I achieved pretty much everything I wanted to, at least once, plus a few bonuses that I wasn't expecting. The longest I waited for any attraction was 50 minutes for the Challenge Trails, and that was only because it said half an hour on the board but by the time I got there and had stashed my bag in the locker it had gone up. Most wait times were half an hour or less. There were definitely areas for improvement, but on the whole things were a lot easier and less chaotic than expected

It will take me a lllooonnnggg time to go through all my photos (I took nearly 800 just on Opening Day lol!), but I'm so excited to share my experiences, I'll just start my TR with some general observations/impressions. Will link here when I'm done.

 

[zanzibar138]

Here's the link to my TR so far.

The 'I survived SDL Opening Day' TR