I was there in the summer, and there was no issue with the air pollution at all. Not in the city, not in the Disney park. I am sure there are moments when it's bad, but I do think the media is overdoing it.
Hong Kong is one of my favourite Disney parks due to its relaxed atmosphere. Tokyo was nice, but we had several cultural issues with some CMs, and the massive crowds even in low season were a turn off. And would be at the bottom of my list of Disney parks to return to. Also didn't see why Disney Sea gets so hyped up.
I was there in 205 (so before the Disney park) and I had some problem with air quality one day. I don't suffer from any respiratory conditions, but my mom and sister do, so there might be some genetic thing I normally don't notice. One day I just really couldn't breathe while outside. Had to return to the hotel and just ly on the bed with the AC on to be able to get some air
SDL is shanghai DL? how was it?
was the air quality a bother at all?
we have 3 members of the family with rather severe asthma and i was worried it might be a problem there.
I'd like to do an asian disney trip for all of us some time, but after the air pollution issue came up, i was thinking of doing just HK and Tokyo.
But i'd really like to include Shanghai.
Did you find it impacted you at all?
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I brought masks to wear since I'd heard the air quality could be an issue, but never had to wear one. From what others told me while we were there, it can be worse during the winter months and I think it is worse in Beijing, which we also visited and had no issue with... we actually had blue skies while on the Great Wall, which is apparently kind of rare! We only had one day in SDL and were so bummed that Pirates was down the entire day. I loved the SDL hotel - didn't seem like barely anyone was staying there at the time so it was awesome and SO beautiful. The park is beautiful as well and very large. The pathways are very wide so even when crowded, it doesn't feel that claustrophobic. The ride lines were very long though, probably due to rain that moved in that shut down some rides. There are definitely cultural differences in this park - line cutting was very common and got a little irritating. I'm preparing myself for that in DLP as well. Anyway, I'd recommend a visit for sure! I'd love to visit Hong Kong also - it looks like such a nice, quiet and small park!
that's good to know!
my daughter was at HK disney, but back when it first opened..
i believe a lot has been added since then...
personally i adore tokyo disney (and japan in general)...
i grew up spending a lot of time in japan (as well as in europe)...
Japan has always been a favorite of mine and my kids have inherited my love...
yes the crowds and more specifically the lines there are daunting to say the least...
i'm not sure what issues you might have had, but as with any country, cultural differences can be a deal-breaker sometimes...
we observed some very strange behavior by the french CMs - not versus us, but altercations with other guests who were further ahead of us in line...
things that i've never seen happen at WDW and i think it was entirely due to cultural differences in the approach of the CMs to their work...
actually, most of the incidents we saw were between french CMs and french guests, so that was particularly interesting (i speak french so i could follow what was happening)..
there were also a few really difficult incidents between french CMs and american and british guests...
in all the cases we saw, we felt the guests were in the right....
but we also felt it was something in how the french implement their work guidelines...
we even spoke to a manager about it, and according to her, the guidelines are actually very similar to how it's done at WDW, but sometimes the implementation gets lost in translation...she admitted as much.....
it was interesting..
.i wonder if what you experienced in tokyo was of a similar nature...
very hardline implementation of operational guidelines...
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I actually have seen it before, but only once, in a Disneyland hotel. It was in January 2016 in Sequoia Lodge, same notice. I also asked an employee about it last week because of this thread and he said that it is a thing, but he doesn't know the details. Also added "there is one today I believe", which was the day the OP said it was.
I think the worries about the power outage and the air con are enormously over done, but this thread is right about how crappy the DLP hotels can be for the price.
Sure they are just hotels for a couple of nights stay, not resorts, but the service is often (although not always) terrible and the maintainace and cleanliness is often appaling. I was very dissapointed with the state of Sequoia Lodge last time I stayed, and I am not American.
I actually think WDW hotels also have an issue with cleanliness, Polynesian hallways can be grotty, rooms in AKL pretty worn and stained, but I have never felt ripped off in them like you do in DLP sometimes,
The Disneyland Hotel is the only decent one really, and even that isn't amazing.
Completely different, but some people seem to attract it, I used to work at a callcenter (inbound) for a health insurance company and the colleague sitting opposite me had to raise her voice several times a day to customer. There was something in her voice that made customers think they could walk all over her, and when she had to tell them no, they just didn't accept it. She said exactly the same things as I did to explain the procedures etc., but there was something in her voice which rubbed people the wrong way.Yes, some people attract that sort of thing also. This weekend we're going to DLP with a friend who always, always has something wrong with his reservation/room, will be fun to see what's going to happen, as we're known to get surprise upgrades
It’s not scheduled Maintenace, it’s some ridiculous government mandated check when all the hotels at DLP will have their power turned off.
If the manager is to be believed, they tried to convince the French governmental authority to postpone due to the extreme weather but to no avail.
This type of thing definitely happens in the US parks, too. I've experienced a planned water shutoff at the Grand Californian in Anaheim and an accidental (water main break at DHS) water shutoff at Coronado Springs in Orlando, both for multiple hours. And if you think NBC is dirty, you probably never stayed at GCH (or even Coronado) before their most recent refurbishments. We had a roach crawl out from under our bed at GCH one night, and definitely used to play "guess the stain" with the old Coronado carpets. And when we complained about the AC at GCH, a maintenance guy showed up, badmouthed the resort, and vented sludge from the AC system into our toilet, which he didn't clean up afterwards.
I am sorry your experience did not live up to your expectations.
I have personally never been to Disneyland Paris but I do hope to some day.
Each Disney resort around the world is built to cater to their target audience. That includes the US parks as well.
These are a few examples...
Tokyo Disney Resort
- Smoking rooms in parks and hotels.
- AC is shut off in hotel rooms when not in use
- Hotel lobby's are hot in the summer (AC usage is low)
- Umbrellas...umbrellas everywhere!
Disneyland (caters to everyone, but their main population are latinos)
- Tabasco sauce included in a lot meals
- Corn on the cob (with cheese, sauce, etc.)
- Flavored churros
Disney World
- Funnel cakes
- Freezing restaurants, hotel rooms, etc.
- Strollers galore
Shanghai Disney
- This park was literally built for the Chinese guests, and any American going to this park expecting it to be like the rest of the parks will probably be upset. From the hotels, rides, and food its absolutely different.
Again these are just examples I could think off the top of my head.
Dirty rooms are not okay in any hotel around the world except if its a situation that's "you get what you pay for". Disneyland Paris is turning around and now being under full ownership of Walt Disney Company things will take a turn for the better.
But getting upset at cast members/Disney Company for maintenance routines that are beyond their control is just is what it is. One night at the Hotel Miracosta the AC's were shut off for maintenance between 1-3. In the middle of July...where it was 110 degrees.
Sorry for the lengthy post. I don't mean for this to come off rude...but I do hope you enjoyed your DLP trip somewhat.
As has been said many times, it has only just had a refurbishment!thanks for your post..
it's funny, as we all talked about the trip afterwards at family dinner the other day, we all mentioned particular areas of filth..
when you enter the newport bay from the DLP walkway, there are wooden stairs that you go up to get to the lobby level..
we all remarked about the filth on those steps that were never cleaned during the 5 days we were there..
it was funny, because my daughter in law really went crazy about it..
she just couldn't believe that the dirt was left that way for 5 straight days..
and we're not talking motel 6...
this is a VERY expensive hotel..
the rack rate of our room was 710 euro.....not exactly a cheap date..
i didn't know it, since they didn't tell me while we were there, but my son's room smelled of sewage..
he said they complained the first day and every day thereafter, but nothing was done, and no apology was given....
clearly this hotel is in desperate need of refurbishment and management training...
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thanks for your post..
it's funny, as we all talked about the trip afterwards at family dinner the other day, we all mentioned particular areas of filth..
when you enter the newport bay from the DLP walkway, there are wooden stairs that you go up to get to the lobby level..
we all remarked about the filth on those steps that were never cleaned during the 5 days we were there..
it was funny, because my daughter in law really went crazy about it..
she just couldn't believe that the dirt was left that way for 5 straight days..
and we're not talking motel 6...
this is a VERY expensive hotel..
the rack rate of our room was 710 euro.....not exactly a cheap date..
i didn't know it, since they didn't tell me while we were there, but my son's room smelled of sewage..
he said they complained the first day and every day thereafter, but nothing was done, and no apology was given....
clearly this hotel is in desperate need of refurbishment and management training...
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