DIS/Dreams Unlimited China Adventure Oct 14th - 25th 2017 SOLD OUT!!!

The idea was discussed on our Sunday Skype about going up into HK as a group one of our free nights which I think would be fun. Was there a particular place anyone wanted to go to? One of the night markets or to see The Symphony of Lights? Is there a day people wanted to go - Monday or Tuesday? On Monday we'd be in HKDL in the morning and most of us have Dim Sum for lunch; we could go in the evening. Or on Tuesday we'd be in HK in the morning and early afternoon. We could go back to HKDL and break and the head back up to HK at night or just stay up in HK albeit it would be a long day. Thoughts?
 
That sounds great. Let me get in touch with TRB Hutong, and I'll get back to you. Is there anyone else that is interested in going?

Thanks for the offer Kevin, we are going to pass.... Looked at the menu and it was a little too gourmet for my tastes.

Chris
 
Thanks for the offer Kevin, we are going to pass.... Looked at the menu and it was a little too gourmet for my tastes.

Chris

LOL. Yeah, it's definitely a little fancy. But no one is wearing jackets or anything over the top a la V&A. Maybe like a Napa Rose chef's counter in plate presentation. Pictures are on tripadvisor.
 
What to buy??? We have a dilemma, what to buy in each country?

Some countries/regions are known for good deals on certain types of goods. I'm guessing China will have lots of silk. Japan pearls and cameras. What might be good to buy at our various stops besides the obvious Disney souvenirs?
 


We bought a water color painting in Shanghai which is gorgeous. It was very nice but a while to ship home. Jade was a big thing in Shanghai. We bought a few tchotchkes in the markets. The only thing that was kind of cool was the stone chops or stamps that you can have your name carved into and zodiac sign animal on top. I bought ours at Stanley Market. I also got a Chinese Fan where they'll write your name in Chinese, but I asked them to write Adventures by Disney in Chinese. I think that's in my travel cabinet. My son bought some electronic gizmos that have all sense broken. Fun while they lasted :) I did buy some umbrellas from Shanghai Tang (an upscale Chinese clothes store). They are still my favorite umbrellas. They look cool and they auto retract by pushing the button. Other than the painting, probably my favorite nonDisney purchase.


Shopping in China for me is similar to shopping in the Chinese pavilion in Epcot. It doesn't rank way up there on the WS pavilions I like to shop at. But Japan should be cool!

I know you asked about non Disney items. But my favorite souvenir is a Mystic Manor music box. The music is so good. And I tried it the other day. Still works after a couple of years.
 
The idea was discussed on our Sunday Skype about going up into HK as a group one of our free nights which I think would be fun. Was there a particular place anyone wanted to go to? One of the night markets or to see The Symphony of Lights? Is there a day people wanted to go - Monday or Tuesday? On Monday we'd be in HKDL in the morning and most of us have Dim Sum for lunch; we could go in the evening. Or on Tuesday we'd be in HK in the morning and early afternoon. We could go back to HKDL and break and the head back up to HK at night or just stay up in HK albeit it would be a long day. Thoughts?

Hi Kevin
From a totally selfish point of view we would prefer to go on the Monday evening, as we plan on going to the Big Buddha on Tuesday afternoon which would make it a very busy day.
We didn't think we would be going on an evening so have no real idea what to do, other than the obvious symphony of lights. Looking forward to other people's suggestions.
Ian & Diane
 
I have a dinner reservation for Club 33 Tokyo on Tuesday, 10/10. There are a few seats open at the table so if anyone else will be there earlier in the week and wants to go let me know. The way it works there is we need to make our menu selections beforehand so I need to know sooner rather than later.
 


As talked about on the Skype call today, I'm wondering who's following Disney Voldemort's "extremely rude, hijacked itinerary tour"? I'm curious if they've shared anything we could learn from.

Some great pictures are appearing on Facebook from the Tokyo Disneyland add on, making me get excited to see this park. Unlike our organized by John and Kevin preABD experience, it would appear that the dynamic duo of Beci and Lou are doing this alone.

Chris
 
I would love to see the Big Buddha and I think it's relatively close to the hotel - just need to figure out transportation. Brian and I might join any adventurers going downtown, but go ahead and plan it for whichever evening works best for you. Brian's cousin lives in Hong Kong and we're trying to work out which night we can get together with his family. in exactly 2 weeks, we will be on our way!!!

Laurie
 
Kevin, I would like to join the group at TRB if it' still possible. Thank you for arranging this!

For the folks who couldn't join us on our last Skype call, these are the highlights of our discussion:

Still waiting for Christian to respond to our questions. He was leading a tour group that just ended and is taking a few days off for R&R.

Listen to Episode 99 of the TDR Explorer Podcast for an illuminating trip report on Shanghai Disneyland.

Check with your credit card company to determine if they charge a fee for international transactions. For example, Disney Chase charges a 3% fee. Christian did tell me that American Express and Discover cards may not be accepted. MasterCard and Visa will be.

If you're looking for travel guides, Chandra recommends the Inside Guides and Frommer's Easy Guide to Tokyo.

If you want to read about the history of Disney's overseas parks, I'm reading Building Magic: Disney's Overseas Theme Parks by William Sylvester.

Several folks have registered their trip with their state department through Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP). This enables the local Embassies to send travel advisories and contact you in case of emergency. You can register at https://step.state.gov/ You need the addresses and phone numbers of the hotels we'll be staying at. Can someone who registered please provide that contact information in this thread?

Regarding currency, those who have already ordered local currency said they ordered $200 - $300 of each currency type (yen, HK dollars, yuan).

Those are the items in my notes. We spent the rest of the time mostly talking about the trip, weather, sites, etc.

We will have one last Skype call on Sunday, October 8 at 12 noon (PDT). Some of our travelers will already be in Japan. I hope the rest of you can join us!
 
Hi Kevin...please add me to the list for TRB. Do you think there's a dress code? I'm assuming that "theme park formal" won't suffice. :)

There's not a dress code that I'm aware of. From pictures on TripAdvisor looks like most guys have on a collared shirt. So, similar to Club 33. I'll confirm when I contact them.
 

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