I went to Zhujiajiao last year, it's a cute place, a little touristy but cute. The tourist buses don't include any kind of tour just transportation. You can walk around the place on your own if you like and you'll be fine, there's enough English signage and you can walk the whole thing in less than an hour not counting stopping at any sites. If you decide you do want a guide, you can always go back to the entrance to get one.

If you do want to go to Suzhou or other places by train, your hotel will usually get the tickets for you for a nominal fee. If they won't, there are lots of little agencies that will do it for you, your hotel can write down what you want. Though you might want to do it a day or two in advance.

China-wide ground pork is a spice, therefore a vegetable.

Count me in for dinner on Saturday. Note that the decor is pretty basic unless they've remodeled since my last visit.

As for dinner on Friday, how about South Beauty at XinTianDi?

As for the China Eastern tour, any chance of: driving a jetbridge simulator? time in a flight simulator? going down the emergency slide? Looked at the website though not really sure what the options might be.