They amended the time the bags had to be outside out door to to later: 5:15 a.m. We had to be on the bus at 6 a.m. The Hilton opened the breakfast buffet early for us. It was a very long day on Wednesday.
Hong Kong
Disneyland is fantastic. A very small park, but very uncrowded, at least at the time we were there. It closes at 8 p.m. By the time we got to the hotel and had a short orientation, it was 3 pm. We also had a full tour day the next day. If we had left Shanghai later, we wouldn't have had any time at the park. We all felt that the 5 hours at the park the first day and a couple of hours that we managed to squeeze in the next day were not enough to "do" the park. In addition, there is much to see in Hong Kong. We really would have liked AT LEAST one or two additional days of tour in Hong Kong. As it is, we are spending 3 extra days here and I fear that we still won't be able to get enough Disneyland in.
Yes, the Hilton was damp. Things that we take for granted, like air condiitoning, are not always a given in China. The drivers are a little crazy too. They don't follow the same driving conventions that we do. I would not want to drive there.
The Hong Kong Disneyland hotel is very well appointed. It's had the best air conditioning of any hotel that we have had so far. The airport had been shut down for some time the week before we arrived, but we did not see any effects of the flooding, except for very green foliage everywhere. It is extremely humid and warm here.
Just some random summary thoughts. If I had to do it again, I might consider a double and a single booking instead of a triple. It has been quite crowded in the rooms with all our luggage. Right now dd and ds are sharing a bed - not the best arrangement. The guides, Fred and Dusty, were FANTASTIC. The planning for the trip was superb. I would have preferred to cut out Shanghai completely - I found it very smoggy and there wasn't much to interest us - and add more days in Hong Kong. Even though we had 2 extra days in Beijing, that was about right for us with a total of 5 tour days there. Three would not have been enough. We flew economy over here - we're flying business class back. Business class upgrades were not available when we booked. People who did fly business class had much fewer problems with jet lag than we did. If you can, try to get an upgrade. The kids have loved the tour, their guides and the other travelers. I have to get them up for breakfast now and I expect some tears after they see their fellow travelers for the last time.
abdmom
Hope you have a great flight home.
