Thursday, August 30, 2018

D&M Report: Shanghai Disneyland Adventure Isle Camp Discovery Challenge Trails



Today's D&M update is a special article about Shanghai Disneyland Adventure Isle Camp Discovery Challenge Trails with great pictures that i've shot during my visit of Shanghaî Disneyland - make sure to click on each to see them in big size. Camp Discovery Challenge Trails is a unique attraction in Disney theme parks, not only because it exists only at Shanghai Disneyland but also  because it defy the usual Disney logic which is generally to don't build anything which can be dangerous.

As a matter of fact if you do Challenge Trails, which i highly recommend, you'll survive to it because they took plenty of safety measures to avoid an accident and you have to wear a harness, itself linked to a rail above you but some sections of the trails can be incredibly difficult and of course, for the pleasure, a bit scary and adventurous.







There is at least three different trails - you have a map at the entrance - one go around a Mayan area and inside and around a temple and the others go either inside caves or waterfalls.








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The suspended bridges are the easy part but others parts you have to go through are a very different story...






Here is the inside of the temple that you walk through in one of the trails.


Outside there is also a playground area for younger kids.








Back to the challenge trails...






Another temple in a cave - yes you need to walk on the dead tree above...






...and also through caves. Note that for each section you have to go through there is two or three level of difficulty, allowing to choose the easy one of the difficult one.


One of the most difficult part is the one with the "hidden waterfall" - called like this because you can't see it if you don't do the trail - and this one is really insane. If you're twenty and thin it'll be okay, if not you'll keep asking yourself how you're gonna do to reach the other side without slipping on the wet stones which are not more than 20cm/8" large, and with no way to hold yourself on the walls. And of course you have the hidden waterfall in the center which splash water all around... The scary part is that if you slip you would fall down 15 meters. You won't fall because you have your harness attached to the rail above, but that is of course if everything goes as planned, with no technical issue,  The trick, if you're tall enough, is to hold yourself to the track over you, the one to which you're attached all along by safety.




Camp Discovery look great also at night, as you'll see on the pictures below.




Here is the famous map of Camp Discovery Challenge Trails that i was talkin' about.











For security reasons you're not allowed to keep a camera with you when you do Camp Discovery Challenge Trails but apparently the Go Pro cameras placed on the head are authorized. I've found some great videos for you which will show you at least two of different trails.

The first video, filmed on a sunny day is a short video filmed in fact not during the trails but from the path which goes all around, allowing those who don't want to - or can't - do the trails to see what's happening.




The next video shows the Hidden Waterfall trail and is quite well filmed, so don't miss it.



The next video shows the Echo Cavern trail, the one going through the caves, also well filmed, "just like if you were there".



This last video showing the hidden waterfall trail was filmed with the wide angle of a Go Pro camera, allowing to see the Challenge Trails with a larger angle.



Camp Discovery Challenge Trails is definitely not to be missed if you visit Shanghaî Disneyland, you'll love it instantly!

While we are at Adventure Isle i thought you'll be pleased to see a video of the Roaring Rapids raft ride, one of Shanghaî Disneyland attractions with the longest wait time! Don't miss the giant Audio-Animatronic monster!



All pictures: copyright Alain Littaye

4 comments:

  1. I’ve done the trails twice since grand opening and both times several areas have been unavailable (parts of the routes bolted off so you can’t access parts of some of the more difficult obstacles). Any idea why this is?

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  2. Guests complaints probably. They ignore difficulty warnings and then get stuck...

    But this looks so attractive, a less passive experience that really looks great. I've done several of those in trees and it will be quite exciting with Disney theming.

    I really wonder if it's popular or not ? Any idea of lenghty queues ? Or does it's fill only when the park is packed ?

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  3. Yes Challenge Trails is very popular and it's among the attractions where you can find a long wait, not as long as the regular 2 hours for Soaring and Roaring Rapids nearby but still quite a wait.

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  4. Mike, yes, me too when i was there i found some sections of the trails which were unavailable apparently because they were damaged. I suppose the structures were too fragile and guests involuntarily probably damaged some sections of the trails.

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