Having visited China several times, I decided this year to visit Disneyland in Shanghai and complete my goal of visiting every Disney Park. Each park is slightly different, especially those in other countries where different characters are preferred.
How to get there
By metro, take line 11 and get off at Disney Resort. We were coming from the airport, so we took a taxi. It is slightly more expensive but considerably quicker. If you take the train from the airport, you’ll have to change trains multiple times because there is no direct route.
Which hotel
Disneyland has two hotels. Toy Story is better for families; the rooms are based on Andy’s room from Toy Story. The other hotel is the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, which is elegant and pricey. Both hotels are more expensive than other local hotels. We stayed at the Toy Story hotel, and it was clean, and the staff were helpful, but the paper chain of Buzz Lightyear or the statue of him outside didn’t impress me enough to forget the plain interior of our room and the plastic shower curtain.
If you stay in these hotels, you are allowed to enter Disneyland an hour before the general public. They have a separate entrance that only opens early in the morning at the end of the street in Disney Town.
Both hotels run shuttle buses to Disneyland. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel also offers a ferry service. You should contact the hotel for transportation times. When we were there, the first bus of the morning left at 7 am.
There are other hotels, such as the Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai (International Tourism and Resorts Zone) and Shanghai Manhua Hotel, located farther away. Still, they also offer shuttle buses to the park.
How long to stay
You will probably need a couple of days to see most of the park’s attractions. It depends on how busy the park is and how early you arrive. If you are willing to spend extra money and purchase a premium pass, you will be quicker. If you spend hours waiting to meet all the characters, you might need 3 days.
Where to buy tickets
You cannot buy tickets at the park. If you are staying at the official hotels, you can purchase tickets from them. You can buy tickets from the Disney app or the Kook app, which seems very popular.
When to come
From June to August, it is summer, so expect long queues. Weekends are busier than weekdays. Avoid the major Chinese holidays as the place is packed. These include the Chinese New Year (in January or February) and the National Holiday (around October).
December to February can be cold and damp, but apart from the Chinese New Year, it is a relatively quiet period.
It can rain at any time, but the rainy season typically occurs from mid-June to early July.
Shanghai can get typhoons during the summer and early autumn. We got stuck in China when a typhoon hit Shanghai in September.
Entering the park
To make the most of your day, arrive early and ride as many of the more popular attractions as possible before the queues become too long. The park’s opening times vary, but it is recommended that you arrive at least 1 hour before the official opening time. There is a long walk from where you arrive to the entrance turnstile, and you must pass through a security checkpoint.
You can purchase an Early Park Entry Pass, which allows you to enter the park 1 hour earlier through the same entrance used by hotel guests.
The app
You need to download the Disney app, as it is an important part of the experience. This is best done before you arrive in China, as foreigners may encounter difficulties without a Chinese phone. If you have any problems, see Guest Services.
Once you are in the park, scan the ticket you received at the turnstile. You also need to link your family and friends so you can visit attractions together when you have reserved slots.
You can use the app to view maps, check ride opening times, see queue lengths, and utilise a Premier Pass.
Once in the park
It’s a good idea to have a plan before you enter the park and quickly head for one of the more popular rides. Then do the other rides, which often have long queues.
TRON Lightcycle Power Run is one of the most popular rides, with long queues. Soaring Over the Horizon also has long queues all day. Camp Discovery is popular and unique to this park; however, it often opens later in the morning, so check before rushing there.
Disney Premier Access
This allows you to enter shorter queues for the attractions; you may have no queue at all. The price of Disney Premier Access varies by date and attractions, and there is a limited number of them. You can also use them to reserve a viewing area of the entertainment venue. Currently, you can use Premier Access on five shows.
You can purchase Premier Access in the Disney app: select the specific attraction or show you want, or purchase a bundle. Check the time you are booking and click “Select” to view the details.
When your selected time arrives, proceed to the attraction and use the Premier Access queue. You will need to show your QR Code in My Plan on the app.
Standby pass
When it is swamped, standby passes will be used for popular rides. This means you don’t have to wait in line until your time slot. These passes are free and help regulate the flow of people.
Open the Discovery tab in your Disney app, select the Standby tab, and choose your preferred time slot. You can also have stand-by passes for the interactive games. You can have only one standby pass at a time, unless it’s in a different category.
The parade
The parade is typically held twice a day, at approximately 12:15 and 3:45. The current parade, called Mickey’s Storybook Express, has a long route, so you don’t need to reserve a spot to see it until the last minute.
The route starts between Toy Story Land and Tomorrowland, runs along the path between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, circles the Garden of Imagination, and finishes near the entrance to Zootopia.
Illuminate
During this nighttime show, they project images onto the castle and use fireworks and lasers. It is not on every night, and the time varies. People start reserving their spot to watch the show 2-3 hours before it begins.
Choose a spot where you can see the castle clearly and no one can stand immediately in front of you. We chose a spot where people were already sitting, we didn’t realise you weren’t allowed any closer, and we were near the very front.
I was very impressed by how the staff organised this area. They used strings to section off areas, and if you wanted to leave the area to go to the toilets, they would give you a pass so you could get back. This meant you weren’t fighting to keep your saved spot, as no new people came once it was full. Everyone was told to sit down when the show started, and balloons had to be kept down.
You can reserve a terrace in Disney Town to watch Illuminate for a fee. As it is in Disney Town, you don’t need a Disney entrance ticket. This means you could watch the show the night before you enter Disneyland. This terrace opens up 45 minutes before the show.
However, we couldn’t reserve the terrace viewing area because the app wasn’t working properly, even after multiple attempts throughout the day. In the end, we got a great view and saved the money.
Food
There is plenty of choice, but it’s not budget-friendly. If you would like a meal when a Disney character visits, you may need to book in advance, and you often need to prebook at fine dining restaurants.
If you haven’t made a reservation, expect to wait in line for a while. Chinese lunch times are from 12-2 pm, and dinner starts at 6 pm, so expect those times to be busy.
There are numerous places where you can pick up food while on the go.
If you have children who are fussy eaters, you can find Alien Pizza from Lotso Lunch Box in Toy Story Land and Winnie the Pooh Pizza from Pinocchio Village Hall in Fantasyland.
There are many restaurants in Disney Town, including the Cheesecake Factory and Blue Frog Bar & Grill.
The shows
There are a variety of shows, and the app will inform you of their showtimes. The shows will be in Chinese, so if you don’t understand Chinese, you may not fully understand what is going on.
Some of the shows, such as Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular, are highly visual, making it easy to understand what’s happening, and you’ll still appreciate the stunts. The first part is mostly chatting, but if you wait until you are allowed into the main room, the rest of the show is enjoyable even if you can’t speak Chinese.
The rides
Some of the rides are the same as those found in other Disney parks, while others are slightly different or unique to Shanghai.
Camp Discovery is a rope course. You are in a harness, but it still feels scary, especially if you have a fear of heights. You can choose a route and then select which of the three paths to take. You can always choose the easy path if you don’t want to try stepping on moving planks or edging around a waterfall on a small ledge.
Roaring Rapids is similar to other parks. You will get very wet, so wear a disposable mac. This was closed when we were there. During the winter, most wet rides were closed.
The queueing area for Zootopia: Hot Pursuit is entertaining,so you might not want to use Premier Access, as it bypasses some of the entertainment and photo opportunities.
TRON Lightcycle Power Run is currently the most popular ride. You sit on a motorbike and lean forward. This is a rollercoaster ride in the dark, with lots of twists and turns and big drops.
I won’t describe each ride to you, as they are available on YouTube. If you’re unsure whether you or your child will enjoy the ride, consider watching it on YouTube before visiting the park.
Things to note
We went here during term time and on a weekday, and we only saw a handful of children over 5. If you are adults without children, you won’t be the only ones.
The differences in Chinese culture are evident in the park. You might find that you’ve waited ages to watch a parade, only to have another person stand right in front of you as it begins. We chose spots near lampposts and with marked lines or ropes, which make fixed boundaries.
Twice, I was pushed out of the way by Chinese men; they never did this to my husband. It is hard not to get annoyed, but I understand they have a large population, and they need to be determined to get what they want.
Some of the locals were very helpful; a kind Chinese lady serving in a crowded restaurant went around asking everyone at the tables if they had a spare seat for us. I especially appreciated it, as I heard her tell a young Chinese woman that she had to sit outside; it was evening and cold.
If you plan to take photos with characters or with specialised murals, be aware that it can take several hours. It is a higher priority in Asian parks than in Western Parks. For some meet and greets, you can see lots of young adults sitting on the ground waiting at least an hour before the characters turn up.
Zootopia is very popular, so go there early. It can be crowded all day.
Don’t forget to bring a power bank; they do have recharging facilities, but it is easier to bring your own if you can’t understand Chinese.
There are squat and western toilets in each toilet block; you need to hunt them down. The western ones are often at the back.
You will see people running all morning, desperate to get to a ride early. If you are there all day, pace yourself as it is a long, tiring day. If you run, you might save 10 minutes in the queue, but remember: you are here to enjoy yourself. Everyone gets out their phones while queuing, so an extra 10 minutes isn’t a big deal.
Summary
We spent two days exploring Shanghai Disneyland. This was just right for us, as we didn’t want to go on some of the rides which had longer queues, and we weren’t interested in meeting characters.
I didn’t feel the magic of Disney until we slowed down. In the maze, we touched a door and heard a monster behind it, and smoke appeared beneath it. On the pirate’s ship, if you touch the cannons, they make a firing noise. The fast rides are fun, but the slower attractions add to the magic.
We went just before Christmas, and although it was chilly, the Christmas tree was lovely.
If you love the other Disney Parks, you are sure to love this one.
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