Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Special Limited Offer : David Younger's Theme Park Design book hardcover edition AND the Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality book for $154.95 only including FREE shipping !

For those of you who love Imagineering and don't own yet the fantastic Disneyland Paris From Sketch to reality book, i'm doing for a limited time a great special offer which is a great way to own in one time two of the best books ever about Imagineering, i.e David Younger's Theme Park Design book hardcover edition AND the Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality book! By ordering both books, you also have a 15% discount on the DLP book at $85 ( 75€ ) instead of $100 ( 90€ ) normally. The total amount for the two books is $154.95 and include FREE shipping for both books!

Payment can be done with Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. For a payment with Paypal you can either send the $154.95 directly from your Paypal account to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com OR you can use the Paypal button below, just make sure to choose the option with the two books. 


For a payment with credit card or bank transfer, please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com


Theme Park Design +Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality Books

For those of you who don't know David fantastic book about Theme Park Design i repost below the previous article about it. As for the Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality book jump on the book website HERE to learn more and watch a video showing the whole book!


It's with great pleasure that i introduce to you today THE best book ever done about Theme Park Design. Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment", is written by David Younger, former Creative Designer at WDI, and has a Foreword by Imagineer Tony Baxter and an Afterword by Imagineer Joe Rhode. The book has 570 pages (!) and 80 illustrations, a 11" x 8.5" format size, and in two words, is the book about theme park design that you've been dreaming about since years! 


David Younger tell you more about "Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment": "Over the past century, theme parks have created worlds where pirates still loot Caribbean towns, where daring adventurers explore booby-trapped temples, and where superheroes swing from New York skyscrapers - and allowed us to step into them too. This is a book about how to design those fantastic places, and the ingenuity that goes into their creation.

More than just Hub & Spokes, Forced Perspective, and Wienies (although they’re covered too!), Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment dives into every discipline and technique a themed designer needs to know to create amazing worlds, explaining vital concepts such as story design, set design, park and attraction layout design, shop design, roller coaster design, fireworks design, character design, lighting design, flat ride design, and much, much more, each pulling together the diverse perspectives and well-earned wisdom of accomplished designers. 

Order now Theme Park Design in one click with the Paypal button below, or continue to learn more about this fantastic book:

Theme Park Design Book

This is a handbook for the practicing designer, a textbook for the aspiring student, and a behind the scenes guidebook for the theme park fan, drawing on hundreds of interviews with accomplished designers from Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, Merlin Entertainments, and more. Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment explores everything from the stories, themes, and characters that theme parks bring to life, to the business models, processes, and techniques that allow them to do it.
 
From rocket ships to roller coasters, fairy tales to fireworks shows, and dinosaurs to dark rides, never before has a book dived so deep into the art form of themed entertainment."
David has written the book while undertaking the world’s first ever Art & Design PhD examining theme park design. In the course of doing so, David has served an elected two year term on the International Board of Directors of the Themed Entertainment Association, and has worked as a Creative Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California. 
 
Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment is without a doubt the most in-depth book on theme park design ever written! Across nine chapters and almost six hundred pages, the book guides the reader through every aspect of theme park design, drawing from more than two thousand quotes from both historical and brand new interviews with designers from Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios, Merlin Entertainments, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and more. 













David Younger: “As a young person within this industry, I viewed the process of writing this book as an opportunity to learn from the best designers in the history of theme park design, documenting their advice, their perspectives, and their tried-and-tested approaches to design so that, like me, others can learn from them too. 

Rather than trying to prescribe any particular approach to design, my aim was to document all possibilities theme parks have found so far, and show just how innovative, exciting, and varied theme park design can be. In fact, I first had the idea of the book when I was a student: while lots of books have touched upon aspects of theme park design, I wanted a book that pulled it all together, and covered the areas other books missed out. If it didn’t exist already, I decided, I’d write it myself!








Those of you who own my Disneyland Paris book know how much i love Imagineering. Some consider Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality as the "bible" about Disneyland Paris, but let me tell you this: David Younger's Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment IS the bible about anything Imagineering and how to create theme parks and will be for years to come. And, to be perfectly honest, i can't see anyone doing a book about the science of creating theme parks better than this book.

But may be you're interested to know what Imagineers themselves think about Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment? Well, as i told you the book’s Foreword is written by legendary theme park designer Tony Baxter, and here is what Tony says about David book:

“I can’t imagine a person contemplating a role in themed entertainment not coming out of this immersive experience inside David Younger’s mind without the equivalent of a Master’s Degree in the psychology of the themed experience. Add to that the good fortune to have a large reserve of inbred talent, and they should be fully charged to make a major leap towards discovering that elusive next big thing!”
- Tony Baxter, Theme park designer, Disney Legend, and Themed Entertainment Association Lifetime Achievement Award winner


...And Tony is not the only one who love David's book. Here is further praise from more WDI Imagineers and Theme Parks Creatives: 


“This is the most thorough book on theme park design I have ever seen. One that quotes real designers with priceless knowledge.”
– Peter Alexander, Lead Designer of Universal Studios Florida (1990)

“What a fantastic, very comprehensive, book. I’m a forty year veteran of the themed entertainment industry and I still learned a few things! I would recommend this to aspiring theme park designers, and to my colleagues as well.”
– Jon Binkowski, Lead Designer of Hard Rock Park (2008)
“It's the kind of book our young industry has never really had before - equal parts academic, celebratory, and archival, with the Herculean and noble goal of trying to summarize and quantify a half-century sprawl of disparate, disconnected design techniques, achieving it admirably.”
– Dave Cobb, Lead Designer of Men in Black: Alien Attack (Universal Studios Florida, 2000)

“The most comprehensive book in experiential design! David Younger’s in-depth research and collection of comments from the most influential theme park designers in the world will make this book the gold standard for the themed design industry.”
– Tim Delaney, Lead Designer of Discoveryland (Disneyland Paris, 1992)

“An invaluable reference for both the practicing designer and for anyone who wants to learn this art form.”
– Anthony Esparza, Chief Creative Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

“You have in your hands David Younger's Theme Park Design, a colossal compendium of the best guidance that has been collected from the best in the business. Theme Park Design covers all the bases. I speak from experience. I'm one of Walt Disney's original eighteen 1954 Imagineers. We started the whole theme park industry, an unending trial and error saga. All the hard earned lessons of the past sixty years are now offered in Theme Park Design to guide YOU.”
– Bob Gurr, Lead Designer of the Disneyland Monorail (Disneyland, 1959)

“A comprehensive textbook that codifies theme park design in a way that no single book has achieved before it.”
– Craig Hanna, Chief Creative Officer at The Thinkwell Group

“David Younger has distilled the theme park design and production process from a vast cloud of pixie dust into a thoroughly-researched and incredibly detailed account of how dreams are made. It’s the perfect balance of pull-back-the-curtain magic and intelligent discussion of theme parks from concept to completion.”
– Garner Holt, Chief Executive Officer at Garner Holt Productions

"David Younger has created one of the finest studies of the themed entertainment industry ever attempted. It is a comprehensive and thoughtful analysis of every aspect of this most complex design discipline from the micro to the macro levels without once becoming heavy handed. Congratulations on providing both the novice and the grizzled veteran with this wonderful compendium!”
– Steve Kirk, Lead Designer of Tokyo DisneySea (2001)

“I have never seen such an exhaustive, thoroughly researched treatment of this subject, anywhere; well organized and extremely readable. If I were teaching a course in theme park theory and design, I would want this as my standard text.”
– Tim Kirk, Lead Designer on Muppet*Vision 3D (Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 1991)

“Authoritative, entertaining, and fascinating, Theme Park Design is a themed entertainment aficionado’s dream. David Younger has created a one-of-a-kind work that is both a scrupulously researched reference and a jolly good read; an excellent encyclopedia on its subject, and a 'bathtub book’ one can open to any page and have a wonderful time exploring.”
– Jeff Kurtti, Lead Designer of The Walt Disney Family Museum (2009) and Author of The Art of Disneyland (2005), Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends (2008), and Disneyland Through the Decades (2010)


“Probably the most comprehensive summation of themed design committed to print. David Younger has really pulled it all together, in one very readable package.”
– Joe Lanzisero, Lead Designer of the Disney Dream Cruise Ship (2010)

“Theme Park Design is an amazing compendium of theme park and themed entertainment knowledge. This book covers the who, what, where, and why of creating themed entertainment projects and includes personal insights from the top thought leaders and designers who have shaped the theme park industry over the last sixty years. This is a must read for anyone interested in this highly creative and technical industry.”
– Monte Lunde, Founder of the Themed Entertainment Association

“This is a seminal tome for our industry. David Younger has compiled and made sense of the incredibly wide range of work and art that our industry has produced. With clear affection, but intelligent discrimination, he examines the successes and failures that have already evolved in the short history of the art form. Many of the issues he tackles have come again and again in my career, and he provides a wonderful compendium of diverse perspectives. I read it with constant fascination.”
– Luc Mayrand, Lead Designer of Treasure Cove (Shanghai Disneyland, 2016)

“David Younger has created an essential document for those wishing to have a deeper understanding of the theme park industry. Filled with indispensable quotes from industry luminaries, it provides both the layman and the professional with an excellent resource on how theme park attractions are imagined and brought to fruition.”
– Chris Merritt, Lead Designer of Far Far Away (Universal Studios Singapore, 2010) and Author of Knott’s Preserved and Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles' Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier

“The art of theme park design involves more alchemy than it does art or science, and much of the secret sauce resides behind the obvious surface. Perhaps that’s why so little has been written about the subject, let alone anything of practical value. David Younger’s book is the first to break down many of these illusive and temporal theories into distinct, understandable, and enlightening observations.”
– Tom Morris, Lead Designer of Hong Kong Disneyland (2005)

“A great resource! This extensive, well-written guide should be on the desk of any person who wants to understand the business, art, and science of theme parks. Whether you’re new to the themed entertainment industry or an old pro, you’ll find this handy reference an indispensable guide.”
– Paul Osterhout, Lead Designer of Walt Disney Studios (2002)

“Expertise is real, and, at least in part, quantifiable, as David Younger’s magnum opus demonstrates. By amassing the communal knowledge of this disparate and diverse group into a single opus, David Younger has provided us all with a landmark in our intellectual space.”
– Joe Rohde, Lead Designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom (1998)

“David Younger has pulled together an engaging anthology of theme park design information that is vast in its levels of detail and well worth exploring. His book acts much like an Epcot pavilion, providing a grand doorway through which the interested reader can pass to gain insight on a plethora of subject matter, provoked to dig deeper and learn more about the complexities of our industry and the design process by which it is continually enriched.”
– Rick Rothschild, Lead Designer of The American Adventure (Epcot, 1982)

“David Younger has done his homework. This book is chock full of insights into the theme park design process. Comprehensive in its scope, it is a must read for anyone wishing to understand the full development process of complex themed environments.”
– Bob Shreve, Lead Designer of Jurassic Park (Universal’s Islands of Adventure, 1999)

“Walt Disney said it’s fun to do the impossible. David Younger has done just that by capturing an entire industry between two covers. If you want to be a theme park designer, or just love the history and inside jargon, this book is a labor of love - an E Ticket!”
Eddie Sotto, Lead Designer of Main Street, U.S.A. (Disneyland Paris, 1992)

“Theme Park Design is an exhaustive, in-depth exploration of storytelling in three dimensions. Featured are the words of the creators of this unique art form, as well as David Younger’s well-informed analysis of the history, the business, and the process of creating themed entertainment. The scale and scope of the book is totally unprecedented. For a serious fan, student, or employee, here is the complete story, a real deep dive into the Art of the Show. Indispensable.”
– Michael Sprout, Lead Designer on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 1994)

“In this insightful book, David Younger burrows into the theme park industry in an intelligent and thorough way, analyzing it from the perspective many of us take for granted and never bother to articulate. This book will become the definitive work to guide theme park designers.”
– John Wardley, Lead Designer of Alton Towers (1980)


As this amazing list of endorsements attest, the book is written to be suitable for professional designers looking for a valuable reference handbook suitable to their projects, theme park design students looking to learn the ins and outs of the discipline, and the curious theme park fans, looking for peek behind the curtain to learn how the magic is made.

How to Purchase David Younger's 570 Pages "Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment" Book?

As Disney and more is a site specialized in Imagineering, D&M is happy to work in partner ship with David and to propose this fantastic book. You can place your order RIGHT NOW as the book has its worldwide release this Monday, March 28th, 2016. The book is available in ENGLISH Hardcover Color Edition priced at $69.95 with free shipping to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and all Europe countries.

Payment can be done with Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. For a payment with Paypal you can either send the $69.95 directly from your Paypal account to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com OR you can use the Paypal button below, which allows you to select to order one or several copies.

For a payment with credit card or bank transfer, please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

Theme Park Design Book
Once the payment is received, i will confirm you and the order with your name and address is sent instantly to David who will ship the book to you in the next days. Note that, in addition to the name and address the post office requires a telephone number to be indicated on the package. So, don't forget to send me by email - or to indicate in your Paypal payment - a telephone number, thanks.

And, good news, as there won’t be any custom taxes for orders from U.S, Canada, European countries or Australia as the U.S and Canada orders will have the book ship from the U.S, the European countries order will have the book ship from England, and Australian orders will have the book ship from Australia.


OR Enjoy my Special Limited Offer: David Younger's "Theme Park Design & The Art of Themed Entertainment" PLUS Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality book!
For those of you who don't own yet the fantastic Disneyland Paris From Sketch to reality book, i'm doing for a limited time a great Special Offer which include David's Theme Park design book hardcover edition AND the Disneyland Paris book, a great way to own in one time two of the best books about Imagineering! If you choose to order both books, you have a 15% discount on the DLP book at $85 ( 75€ ) instead of $100 ( 90€ ) normally. The total amount for the two books is $154.95 and include FREE shipping for both books.

Payment can be done with Paypal, credit card or bank transfer. For a payment with Paypal you can either send the $154.95 directly from your Paypal account to: neverlandeditions@gmail.com OR you can use the Paypal button below, just make sure to choose the option with the two books. 


For a payment with credit card or bank transfer, please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com


Theme Park Design +Disneyland Paris From Sketch to Reality Books
Once the payment is received, i will confirm you and the order with your name and address is sent instantly to David who will ship the Theme Park Design book to you in the next days, and I will send you the Disneyland Paris book. Note that, in addition to the name and address the post office requires a telephone number to be indicated on the package. So, don't forget to send me by email - or to indicate in your Paypal payment - a telephone number, thanks.

For all additional informations, if needed, please send me an email at: neverlandeditions@gmail.com

Pictures: copyright David Younger

Monday, September 12, 2016

Walt Disney's Top 10 Rules For Success


In these times of uncertainty, this video below about Walt Disney Top 10 rules for success  - including plenty of vintage footage with Walt - is exactly what you need to remember for your next project!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Disneyland Paris Adventure Isle Reopens After 8 Months of Renovation!



At Disneyland Paris, Adventure Isle reopened after 8 Months of intensive renovation and Disneyland Paris News released more official details about it.


Daniel Delcourt, Chief Operating Officer at Disneyland Paris, celebrated on 9 September the reopening of Adventure Isle, after 8 months of major refurbishment. We took the opportunity to discover a rehabilitated area and the work achieved by a number of teams who joined forces to amaze our guests.
“These last two weeks have been quite busy, to say the least, as the teams worked 7/24 to comply with the deadline for the reopening”, Frédéric Clain, Project Coordinator in the Parks Operations Product Integration team, confided. While checking the island 48h before H-hour, reviewing each detail and taking notes, he gave us a tour of the facilities. Whether it was a new coat of paint, a renovation or a total replacement, the scope of the works is impressive.


La Cabane des Robinson

La Cabane des Robinson, the focal point of this refurbishing operation, required the most work. But the result is worth it. The entrance to the treehouse, the staircases, the fishing nets and the lighting all look brand new. The Cast Members have a new reception post with an ergonomic desk that offers more comfort. Each tree scene is dazzling as every accessory has been repainted, repaired or replaced by the teams from Central Shops and Euro Disneyland Imagineering. “Our biggest fans will even notice little differences!” Frédéric comments. Guests will not miss the central element of the Cabane, the large water wheel– back to its original splendor – that will help the water flow once testing is 100% complete within two weeks of opening. Disneyland Paris landscape artists completed a remarkable horticulture task, redesigning the perspectives, and putting trees and bushes on a more realistic scale.






The northern part of the island This area is another large works area on Adventure Isle, and hosts secret hiding places and coves where pirates from all over the world come to hide their treasures. Considerable work was carried out on the rocks themselves, as specialised companies filled gaps and repainted and sculpted the indoor and outdoor artificial rocks of this real labyrinth. Waterfalls throughout the island were brought back into service, some of which had not worked since shortly after park opening. The themed lighting was replaced to improve both the visibility and the atmosphere. The light effects in Ben Gunn’s Cave were renewed and those of the water falls were refurbished as lighting throughout the island modified to LED. Most of the twelve walkways connecting the alleyways were treated with anti-slip products.


The Galion des Pirates, at the foot of Skull Rock, the huge rock in the shape of a 12 m tall skull, was repainted by the Central Shops team and its sails are spic n’ span. The Central Shops team also renovated Plage des Pirates, nearby, with a major cleaning and paint job.



“It is not only for the show that we did all of this. It also allowed us to reinforce accessibility where possible, and reduced safety issues”, Frédéric explained to us. “For example, we modified the ramp to La Plage des Pirates and made it accessible. There are also many small details, such as additional emergency and evacuation lights, reinforced lighting, anti slip surfaces, and a greater number of themed nets.” All these items help to insure the safety of our guest and Cast Members.


“As of now this work environment belongs to the Cast Members. They will make the venue’s history come to life”, Frédéric states. “All those who worked hand in hand to see this project through, from Euro Disneyland Imagineering to the maintenance teams, including those from Horticulture, Safety, HST, Custodial and Park Operations are proud of the result. This project is a perfect testimony of the quality of the experience we wish to offer our guests.”




D&M will be back on this reopening with an exclusive photo report but in the meantime don't miss this video from Max showing Adventure Isle at its reopening. Watch how all waterfalls of Adventure Isle are now working, the new lighting in the caves, and more!




Pictures and text: copyright Disneyland Paris

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Incredible Auction of Rare Disneyland Historical Documents Archive


If you have some extra money laying around you might enjoy to bid on this auction of incredibly rare Disneyland Historical Documents Archive which will happen on September 26 at 10:00 am Pacific Time. You really need some money, though as the estimate is between $10,000.00 - $12,000.00! The auction site is the one of ruction.com HERE.

The whole thing is "one-of-a-kind archive of hundreds of documents and letters related to the finances of Walt Disney Productions and Disneyland, dated from 1946 to 1965, including one signed by both Walt Disney and his brother Roy O. Disney, and over thirty-five signed by Roy Disney alone. The collection primarily consists of financial documents, including mortgages, lease agreements, and other loan paperwork.



The most important autographic document ( picture on top ) is signed “Walter E. Disney” and “Roy O. Disney,” one page, May 20, 1965, in which Walt Disney exercises an option for a ten-percent interest in the motion picture Follow Me, Boys. The majority of the documents signed by Roy O. Disney are chattel mortgage agreements secured with Disney short subjects and television cartoons, most of which are listed in attached exhibits. In one instance the list of “short subject motion pictures mortgaged, pledged and assigned” lists films dating back to 1928, including a number of Mickey Mouse cartoons. A multitude of similar chattel mortgage documents not signed by either Disney brother are present.



The earliest document directly referencing Disneyland is signed by a Bank of America vice president, April 1, 1954, and reads, in part: “Please consider this letter our consent to the commitments obtained by you for the financing of Disneyland.” Disney had just made a deal with ABC to produce an hour-long weekly television show in exchange for guarantees against loans for the park’s construction. With this major commitment in place, Disney could secure the necessary loans and proceed with his plan. The very next day, April 2nd, Disney and ABC publicly announced their new partnership.




The materials concerning the early days of Disneyland are extremely interesting and are mostly found within folders labeled “Walt Disney Productions: Disneyland collateral supporting advances of WDP of $500,000, due July 31, 1956,” “Disneyland, Inc., $1,500,000 Loan due September 30, 1957,” and “Disneyland, Inc., 1958–1959.” The first contains documents related to a lease between Disneyland, Inc., and Walt Disney Productions for “Moonride,” presumably referring to the ‘Rocket to the Moon’ show in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland. 





The second folder contains additional loan agreements, as well as summaries of leases between Disneyland, Inc., and various vendors for space within the amusement park, with some of the more notable companies being American Motors Corporation, Coca-Cola, and Eastman Kodak. The third folder includes numerous documents related to loans and amendments to those loans.



Additional letters and documents, mostly on Walt Disney Productions or Buena Vista Distribution Co. letterhead, concern the foreign distribution of Disney films, and refer to a wide array of animated and live-action films including such classics as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, and Old Yeller. In very good to fine condition. Disneyland construction began in July 1954 and the park opened its gates a year later on July 17, 1955, in a special event televised on ABC. Featuring documentation related to both of Disney’s tremendously successful enterprises—motion pictures and amusement parks—this archive chronicles the history of Disney during an important transitional era."

Auction Date: 2016 Sep 26 @ 13:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location: 236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States

Thursday, September 8, 2016

D&M Shanghaî Disneyland Report - Part One


Here we go for my Shanghaî Disneyland review that you're waiting for and in this part one we'll talk also about a few tips that you really need to know if you plan to visit the park and Shanghaî in the future! So, we'll start by the beginning and, except if you're living in Shanghai area, chances are that the beginning for you will be at Shanghai Pudong Airport!






I have to say that i quite liked this airport. You don't have to walk miles before arriving to the Immigration desks or to take your luggage, which is not the case in all airports, unfortunately. One thing that i've noticed is the huge space around the airport. An airport is always classified as a "strategic" place and in China anything strategic is really strategic more than anywhere else so this may explain why there is literally miles of empty land all around.



IMMIGRATION

The Immigration was quite fast, i would say it took 20 - 30 minutes to go through and there was plenty of desks open with immigration officers, so that was another good point. I had my Chinese visa, so everything went fine but U.S citizens must note that a visa for China for U.S citizens cost four times the price than it cost for European citizens. There is the option of a 72 or 144 hours visa free transit option but this one has special conditions that you can check HERE. Basically you must leave China for a different destination than where you came from. For instance you cannot do Los Angeles ( or any other town in the world ) - Shanghaî  - Los Angeles, but you probably can do Los Angeles - Shanghaî - Hong Kong, and then go back to L.A. It sure don't make things more simple but, hey, it may be a good opportunity to visit Hong Kong Disneyland at the same time!

CHINESE SIM CARDS AND INTERNET

One of the first things that people usually do is to buy a temporary SIM card when they arrive at the airport of another country to avoid roaming fees from their local SIM card. It may look like a minor subject, but there is some real important things to know if you intend to do so. When i arrived at Shanghaî airport, and considering i stayed one week in Shanghaî, i went to the desks selling chinese SIM cards. I saw a desk which had many people waiting in line and choose another desk nearby where there was no wait, thinking it would be the same SIM cards. Boy, that was my big mistake! The SIM card was one from China Unicom and when i wanted to top-up a few days later, impossible to find a place in Shanghaî where i could top-up the SIM card. I've lost literally hours - and walk miles - trying to find a place where i could do this top-up and ...never succeeded. Usually in most of the countries you have plenty of shops where you can do it and it's easy, but in China for whatever reasons it's unbelievably complicated and when you find a shop doing it they don't do it for all phone companies, not to mention the language problem to have them understand what you want, and the fact that apparently after 7pm they can't sell top-up to foreigners!?! Finally, i had to change, literally, of mobile phone company and buy another sim card from China Telecom which had a branch near my hotel so i knew i could go there to top-up easily if needed. This SIM card story has been a big, big mess for nothing - i mean to top-up should be a simple thing to do, right?  - so my advice is this one: if you stay in Shanghaî let's say, less than four days don't buy any SIM card. And if you really want one and need to be able to check your mails, internet, etc... then ask for enough GB of download and minutes to call to don't have to top-up during your stay. And i forgot to say that the whole thing is pretty expensive too so the best is really, really, to avoid to buy a Chinese SIM card.

Now, even if you have a SIM card and enough GB to download you also need to download BEFORE you leave your country as you won't be able to do it in China apparently, a VPN App, as many of your favorite websites can't be accessed in Chine, starting by Facebook. The one who worked fine for me was the Betternet VPN App, that you'll find easily for free HERE. It also exist for Android.

MOVING TO SHANGHAI

With all this, we're still in the airport and it's time to move out of it. Now, some of you will go directly to Shanghaî Disneyland and i suppose there is eventually buses or at least taxis who will bring you to the resort. Others will go to Shanghaî to also spend a few days in the city itself. Which would be an excellent idea as Shanghaî is a great city, really, and i can't recommend enough to spend at least two or three days in Shanghaî. Now, if you want to go to Shanghaî from the airport you have three choices: either you take the Metro - the cheapest way and there is a direct line to Shanghaî center, or you take a taxi and it will cost you at least ten times the price of the Metro ticket, or you choose the Maglev train. Which is the one i choose as i had never experienced a Maglev train and wanted to try it. It won't bring you directly to Shanghaî center and you'll need then to take a cab but you'll get nearer to Shanghaî so the Taxi will be cheaper, too.







Actually, this Maglev train will be your first ride in Shanghaî as not only it goes at more than 300 km/h during the 20 minutes ride but you'll also be amazed to see how the train incline at an angle of almost 40 degree when there is a curve - as the train is "magnetically attached" to the track, of course. That Maglev trip was cool, not a E-Ticket ride, but pretty cool and the entrance to the Maglev station in the airport is easy to find and just a few meters ahead.



WHERE TO STAY IN SHANGHAI?

If you don't decide to stay in one of the two on-site SDL hotels then you'll stay in Shanghai which is probably the best, especially if you plan to spend a few days in the city. Now, where to stay? The hotel location is more important than it looks as  Shanghaî is a huge city and if you want to avoid to walk for nothing you better choose the right location. If you plan to take the Metro to go from and go back to the Airport ( green line no 2 ) AND to go to Shanghai Disneyland also by Metro ( Line 11 ) the best is to find a hotel which is near the Jiangsu Road metro station ( circled in orange on the picture below ) as it is where is the junction between the line 2 and 11, meaning that whether you'll go to the airport or to SDL it will be direct with no changes of metro lines. Now, if you want to have an hotel near the famous and not-to-be-missed Shanghaî Bund near the river then a hotel located near the Nanjing Rd ( East ) or Yuyuan Garden stations will be perfect ( circled in blue on the map below ).



WHERE I STAYED DURING MY TRIP

Personally i stayed in Shanghaî. I didn't stayed in any of the resort hotels because i was not a fan of the Toy Story "budget" hotel and the SDL hotel was full, and anyway the room price was more than i was ready to pay not to mention that its art-nouveau decor looked a bit too "fresh" to me. But i love art-deco style and Shanghaî has a lot of places which will delight any art-deco fans. I stayed at the Bund Riverside Hotel, not far from the Bund. The hotel rooms looks on the pictures on Agoda to have an older art-deco style and it looked fine for me. When i did my first reservation - remember that i first expected to be at SDL for the park opening days before having to cancel my trip as i had lost my passport - i had booked a "River View Suite" which at that time cost 70/80€ and then for my second reservation because the price had jumped i choose the "Superior River View Queen". Which i don't recommend as the room was not only a bit too small but the one they gave to me had an air-con problem. They finally upgraded me for free to a "River View Suite" - the one i had booked the first time - and this one was great, a real large suite. The art-deco deco looked like a room that could have been in the Tower of Terror (!) and there was great views from three different angles on Shanghai, see pictures below. For those interested HERE is the Agoda page for the Bund Riverside Hotel. If you succeed to have this "River View Suite" for less than 100 euros, then it's a good deal. Hotel breakfast was fine too.



















MORE THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHANGHAI

About money: there is ATM of course in Shanghaî from which you can withdraw money with your credit card but you need to know that they all have little doors in front of them, meaning that you don't see the ATM machine like you can in all others cities. You need to open the door, then after you entered you lock the door behind you, all this obviously to avoid people who could attack you when you withdraw money. So, the ATM machine are not really visible at first sight and you may need someone telling you where they are. In my case they were at 20 meters from the hotel, so that was fine.

Something more important than it may look: when you cross a street make sure there is really no vehicle coming. Say like this i know it looks stupid but sometime we are crossing streets not really looking or eventually briefly, because we don't hear any noise indicating a vehicle is coming. Now what you have to know is that in Shanghaî almost all motorbikes are electric, meaning they don't make noise at all, meaning you don't hear them coming! More than once i was close to be hit by one of them simply because i trusted on the no-noise in my field of vision. Believe me, it can be a trap, so keep this in mind.

And what about Shanghaî inhabitants, you ask? Well, all Chinese have been nice and i didn't had any problem with them. Some can be more boorish than others but overall they were fine. Girls are lovely, and you'll find some Chinese who speaks english, but not a lot so make sure to ask your hotel to write in Chinese your destination if you take a taxi. Metro is very cheap, though, and a Metro ride from Shanghai center to SDL will cost you 5 Yuans if i remember it well, so just one dollar, not even one euro! One more thing: Shanghaî taxi driver have all around their seat a solid transparent structure to avoid being attacked by a passenger. Quite odd when you see it the first time, and i think i've never seen it before although i wonder if Hong Kong taxi drivers don't have the same or so.



WEATHER AND WHEN TO GO

When i was there in August it was "full summer" as Shanghaî has a summer season like we have in Europe or in the U.S. The good point is that i had one week of blue sky and no rain at all. The BAD point is that it was bloody hot! With temperatures over 36-38° it was really really hot and i promised to myself to never go back with that heat. So, if you go to SDL, definitely avoid to go if temperatures are over 30°. Believe me, it was not funny.

LET'S GO TO THE PARK!

Time to go to visit Shanghaî Disneyland! Not that there is no wonderful places to see in Shanghaî itself but i will talk about them in the last part of this article series. I decided to go to SDL with the Metro by far the cheapest way from Shanghaî as, as i've said, the trip cost less than one Euro. The Metro ride will take one hour and of course you arrive at SDL Metro station located at 200m from the park entrance. When you go out of the station, make sure to check at what time they close. I didn't do it on my first day and the result was that i missed the last train and had to go back to Shanghaî by taxi which has cost me 60€ or so. So, make sure to don't miss the last train!You'll find also at the exit a great map of the resort.











Moving out of the station you'll see instantly SDL Wishing Star lake on the left. And you'll notice how huge it is. I mean really, really, huge and almost inexplicably huge as it's hard to understand why they did a lake that huge - easily six or eight times bigger than the lake at DLP with all DLP hotels around it. It's so big that they could build a whole theme park in that space...




Anyway, let's move towards the entrance but, first, definitely look on the right as you'll see a huge piece of land which is the one you saw on the drone pictures near Adventure Isle Roaring Rapids. They easily could build for the park a new land there in the future - or eventually a new hotel - and here are some pictures of it.














The esplanade leading to the park entrance and Disneytown is quite nice and of course you arrive to the great Steamboat Mickey fountain, one of the popular photo locations of the park.










It's also nearby that is the pier for the boat going to the Shanghaî Disneyland Hotel.




From that point visitors can choose to enter the park or to go to Disneytown. I've been to Disneytown only by night and liked it quite a lot, even more may be than DLP Disney Village, found it more elegant. As i only have night pictures of it here is a great Youtube video filmed by daylight showing well the whole Disneytown.




Before you arrive to the turnstiles you have a first check point for security where they check all bags, and they really check them! If you've bought your ticket on the SDL online website before - which i recommend  - make sure before you leave home that you've printed the e-ticket reservation as you'll need it in a few seconds.

Then, after the security check you'll arrive to the entrance where they will not only "bip" the barcode printed on your reservation but also take a picture of each guest coming in. I don't specially like that and the supposed reason why is to avoid Chinese going out of the park and giving his ticket to someone else. I asked to others readers who went in the park where are the cameras shooting a picture of you and none could really tell me. So, when i was there i asked the CM where they are. To what she answered to me "I can't tell you for security reasons". Which was such a corporate answer that it put me in bad mood and i told her "Security reasons? C'mon, it's bullshit! where are they?" And it's at that point that i noticed them. What they did in fact is to put different cameras in the ceiling, so basically they can shoot a picture of you on three different angles, meaning there is no way to escape to this corporate madness. Seeing them, i told the CM "Ah, here they are, right?" to what she didn't answer, so i took a picture to let you know exactly where these bloody cameras are!



In my second part article we'll finally enter the park and i'll tell you all the good things i think about it, so don't miss the part two! This is a pretty good cliffhanger, isn't it!  :-)

All pictures: copyright Disney and more
 
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