Posted by Kanga. Please do not reblog.
During our Christmas holiday, we were allowed to travel within China, although we would have to report any travel plans outside of Shanghai to my employer and take responsibility for any COVID-19 related issues, like avoiding high risk areas and possibly having to do a 14 day quarantine upon return. We opted to stay right in Shanghai and avoid the risks. I decided this might be the right time to go to Disneyland. We did a little stay-cation involving two nights at the main hotel and one full day at the park.
It was not cheap. We upgraded to the Club Level, which we considered worthwhile. We were met in the main lobby and escorted up to the 7th floor (Club Level) where they have the club reception area. There are 3-4 meals included and provided in the club area. (Way better than the buffet on the 1st floor – do not go to the buffet!!)
My plan had been that I would be using my electric wheelchair and I would be able to zip around the park easily. We purchased a second battery and had them both charged up and ready to go for a full day in the park. HOWEVER, the best laid plans of mice and men do not always work out. Just after checking in, as we were heading into the dining area for the afternoon snack, the right front wheel of my chair came off. The post was sheered off.
The staff were very helpful. They offered a manual wheelchair and took both our luggage and my damaged chair to our room while we sat down to eat.
I found the manual chair hard to move. It kept going to the right. The carpet doesn’t help much as it is super cushioned, which is great for the walking guests, but not so much for the rolling ones. Hotel staff decided to help push me to our room and it took two of them, as the chair was hard to steer.
The room was quite nice and thoroughly Disney-fied. Plenty of towels and plenty of complimentary water bottles. The beds were soft, which is rare in China. It was quiet and comfortable and we had a good sleep.
We went for dinner in the buffet restaurant, Lumiére’s Kitchen, on the first floor. Unless you have children and really need to see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto in costume, do not go there. The food was really, really bad (mushy, lukewarm, and had been on the buffet too long). The price (and we got a 20% discount) was horrifically high. Don’t do it. We suspect that kids eat for free, so maybe that and the characters is the draw, but they clearly make up for that by charging exorbitant prices for adults.
We had a fun day, despite the manual wheelchair. It was nearly killing Paul to push me around as the walkways are mostly smooth, but hilly. Lots of up and down slopes and he was having to fight the wayward chair the whole way. We were joined by friends, happily.
Jesse, Lucy, and Isolde joined us. We have this picture because it was part of the wheelchair drama. The chair that the hotel had loaned us was so awful that even with Paul and Jesse taking turns pushing me around, it was miserable. So, we went off to the guest service center near the front entrance where they rent out strollers and wheelchairs. Lucy was our interpreter and helped explain that the chair we had was not working well. We were able to trade for a slightly better one. Then we were taken to the other guest service area across the entrance and offered a pass that would allow us, as a group, to get priority access (“the short line”). The picture was necessary to show with our pass so that we could all go as a group. The catch was that you have to take the pass to a guest service booth, tell them which ride you wanted to do. They would “calculate a time” whatever that means and they would write it in the pass. Then we could go to the ride at that time or anytime after that time and get priority access. Also, you could only plan one ride at a time. This means going to a guest center between each ride and then waiting for the appointed time. We only did this once as it was just a bit of a hassle to get 5 people to decide on a ride and then go through the guest service booth process, etc. The lines were not long anyway, so it wasn’t really necessary. Paul and I had already purchased a package for priority access to the main rides. Oh, well. Live and learn. If we go again, we will know better.
In fact, the lines were so reasonable that we ended up going on all the major rides twice. I’m not a big Disney fan, as far as movies and merchandise are concerned, but they definitely know how to create amazing rides. Soaring Over the Horizon is the most popular ride in the park and it was definitely my favorite. It is a giant IMAX type movie, but they make you feel like you are flying and they make you smell the Savanah.
Back in 1968, my sister took me to the original Disneyland and I remember riding through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride with all its animatronics. The new Pirates of the Caribbean has few animatronics (sadly), but is amazing. You know you are in a “boat” that is moving through the water on a rail, but they make you think you are at the bottom of the ocean or speeding to the surface.
My memories from my first Disney experience as a five year old include It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Tea Cup ride, and a ride that scared me. It was a rinky dink train ride. I am sure it was demolished long ago. The seats on the train were set to look out the left side of the train only. It passed through a tunnel and there was a dinosaur diorama displayed in front of us. I was immediately afraid of what dinosaurs might be BEHIND US!!! I shudder to think how traumatized my 5 year old self would be if exposed to the current Disney rides.
I meant to wear my heart pendant souvenir from my 1968 Disney visit during my 2020 visit, but I forgot to take it with me. I still have it, though, all these years later and the fond memories that are connected to it.
On the whole, aside from the wheelchair struggle, we had a great day. The lines were short. The staff were friendly and helpful. We shared it with friends. It was expensive, but we haven’t traveled since January and needed a little Christmas cheer this year. A big thank you to our friends for joining us. Maybe I won’t wait 52 years to visit Disney again.
Living the Travel Channel 