Our good friends planned to do all the Asia Parks all in one trip. She sent my their travel worksheets, and notes to use for my own trip that got canceled due to Covid and this whole mess...
They live in the midwest... They live in Wyoming... close to Montana and Idaho
They flew to Seattle from their home state,( southwest or jet blue on points) they arrived early, rented a car, did some sightseeing, and then spent the night at an airport hotel, Hyatt on CC points... ( it was cheaper for them to go Seattle, LAX and Shanghai route- then fly from their home state)...
Left Seattle flew to Shanghai - From Seattle to LAX, then to Shanghai.... They paid for Shanghai Visitor Visa, which she said that they were glad that they did, ( she said that their was no way to get in and out in 72 hours, maybe for business or something like that.) once they arrived, they went to the train and straight to
Disneyland Shanghai, they had planned to stay 4 nights ( Disneyland Hotel - total 2 days at Disneyland and 2 days touring..., the tour guide company cancelled their excursions, So they end up with 4 nights just at Disneyland Shanghai... she said that the jet lag hit the second day, and that they were glad to have a day to relax... then back on the train to the airport, she said that their flight was delayed/cancelled, and they had to spend they night in an airport hotel and she said it was very expensive, as they were not sleeping on the floor in the airport..
She told me that they loved the park, and it took them 2 days to just kinda get the layout... she said that the only thing down side was the airport, (not so much once you are air side) just in the main terminal and baggage claim area... and train stations were very dirty,
Then to Japan, they loved Japan so much, that they cancelled their flight to Hong Kong, to spend more time in Japan, they spent 10 days in Japan.. then flew back to the US... They flew to Hawaii stay over night ( they used the credit from the Hong Kong round trip to get them to Hawaii - and the used the credit from the hotel in Hong Kong for hotel in Hawaii) - then from Honolulu, on to Lax and then home to Wyoming...
They loved everything about Japan and are planning to go back next year... if this whole mess is over with with the covid... She said that she wished that they had more time at the Parks, that 2 full days wasn't enough for them...
She and her DH are travel hack aficionados... they live for the deal... They both travel for work weekly, so air miles, and hotel points are their jam...then throwing in the CC points that they manipulate they score all kinds of amazing deals... The only hotel that they paid for was the Disneyland Hotel Shanghai... and the hotel at the airport in Shanghai which they had to just bite the bullet and pay for... all the rest were on points..
Check out your credit card companies travel offers... we have scored some pretty great stays at really high end hotels that we would never pay the rack rate at... as well as air fare...