Shanghai Disneyland planning guide
Shanghai Disney Castle
Shanghai Disneyland is a unique and necessary addition to your Disney park bucket list (if you are a Disney fan of course!) it has been on my wishlist for a couple of years now….so when we decided to visit Shanghai it was the first thing on my list! Is the newest Disney park, it has the biggest castle and has some unique attractions, plus at the moment is home to the only Zootopia Land which makes it worth the visit alone. So lets dive in and have a look at how to make the most of your visit, how to get on as many rides as possible and also our personal highlights. This guide is based on a summer visit and summer opening hours.
Shanghai Disney Tickets
Table of Contents
Park tickets
How long to spend and Hotel options
Getting to Shanghai Disney
Essential Tips
Ride guide
Merch and Theming
Donald outside of the park
Park Tickets
Okay so you want to visit Shanghai Disney and the first thing to consider is your park tickets. I know you may think I am pointing out the obvious but I acutally found this a bit tricky I won’t lie. You can use the Hong Kong Disney app but I found this super glitchy if I’m honest. In the end we used Trip.com (I have popped the park ticket link below. Prices range hugely from £48 to £70 for a one day adult ticket. You will get an early bird discount so I do recommend booking ahead if you can.
Something we really regret is not getting the early bird ticket. We did try but ended up leaving it too late. Annoyingly they only become available 1 week before the date of your visit (hence us leaving it last minute) so I would make sure as soon as you are 7 days before you get a ticket. It is an extra £21.85 but I think worth every penny. You can get on all the rides in one day if you are limited on time but only if are clever and plan your day well. The extra hour early entrance is just a good opportunity to save some time by hopping on one of the rides with a higher wait time. Having said this when we were there we did check the app wait times (aka your most important tool) and actually in the morning Zootopia hot pursuit and Tron were actually already super busy so you may be better using that time to do some of the middle wait time rides. You can also buy the premier access pass too although the only rides with heavy wait times were Tron, Hot pursuit and Seven Dwarfs Mine train.
Chip and Dales Treats Shanghai Disney
How long to spend and Hotel options
The big question!! How long to spend? Well people will say you can do the park in a day and this is technically true but if you actually want to experience the full park and have time then I would actually recommend two days. The park itself isn’t huge and there aren’t so many rides but when you add in the shows, theming, shops and dining experiences then you could definitely enjoy over two days. I
Something to be aware of is you have quite a walk from the car park and even if its not busy the queue to get in snakes for so long…it took us 25 minutes even with no queue to get to the actual security queue as you had to walk through snaking queue barriers for so long. I would definitely just allow a lot more time for this and as with all the parks I’ve experienced they open the gates 15 minutes before the “opening time” so I would aim to get to the car park about an hour and 15 before opening time.
You can of course stay on site, probably the most affordable rooms in terms of Disney is the Toy Story Hotel which is good value for a Disney hotel at around £232 a night. The other hotel we looked at is the Shanghai Melia Parkside which is a stunning hotel and very close to the park. This is a little cheaper at around £159 per night and whilst it lacks the theming of the official disney hotels it is a more relaxing and luxurious feel. I feel like if you have longer in Shanghai and are a big Disney fan then it is worth it. Ultimately we decided not to stay out here as we felt we didn’t have long enough in Shanghai but next time we visit we will absolutely check the park hotels out.
Getting to Shanghai Disney
The park is around 45 minutes from downtown Shanghai. To get here you can access via the metro or by DiDi. The metro station as with most Disney parks is right at the entrance to the park bridge. The metro is line 11 and it is pretty quick, from peoples square you can take line 2 to Longyang Road, change to line 16 to Luoshan Road and then change again to Line 11 and get off at Disney. You will only be on the train just over ½ an hour but because of having to make 3 changes we just took a DiDi from central Shanghai and it was around £10 so very reasonable and I am very happy we made this decision.
Pixars Adventurous Journey
Essential tips
Now if you have read my full china guide you will have already seen some of this essential information but if not I will give you the important bits. Firstly and possibly the most important thing is make sure you have downloaded the Alipay app. This is where and how you pay for everything. You will also need to make sure you link any cards prior to visiting so you can pay for everything and then you can also use the app for DiDi (Chinas taxi app). The other thing you need to download is the Shanghai Disney App. Now in terms of buying tickets as I have outlined above do not buy tickets direct as it is a nightmare to navigate the app without a Chinese number and I have seen several reports saying the same. I know you are probably thinking so why do I need. this app Bex? Well the all important wait times for attractions and also the timings of the many shows and of course the parade in the park. Now if you are a Disney geek like me then I would very much recommend checking wait times in the days or weeks leading up to your visit (I always like to check wait times on the actual day you are visiting the week before and then the two days leading up to my visit so I can see realistic wait times.)
If you visit in Summer then come expecting the heat. It can be brutal and we did find it a bit tough at times (my preference is always winter Disney) but there are some good ways to cool off and I think if you are travelling with kids its essential. There are a couple of water based attractions in Shanghai Disney, The wild river rapids, then there is a great little splash park near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. You have several indoor attractions too, the marvel area is all indoors, Pirates, the Pirates show (epic btw but we will discuss later) and then Pixars Adventurous journey. Zootopia hot persuit has a queue that is mostly inside and fully airconditioned and the outside area does have a mist system but it was 32c so we did struggle until we get to the inside section. Obviously if you visit in Autumn or Winter you do not need to worry about the heat but obviously check temperatures before you go.
Food and Drink is pretty accessible and the selection is good. I found there were less snack options than Tokyo Disney/Disney Sea but obviously it is a slightly smaller park and there is still plenty of meals and snacks.
One thing we really liked about Shanghai Disney was how wide the streets were. It meant that even when busy you had plenty of space and for our Autistic boy who doesn’t like crowds it makes it a bit more accessible. One thing that felt a bit weird is there isn’t a traditional main street with a walkway to the castle. In front of the castle is actually various gardens instead which is lovely and unique. This may be down to the fact Shanghai Disney is only partly owned by Disney and the majority share is held by Shanghai Shendi Group. Disney still has creative control but as China has strict regulations about foreign ownership of large-scale infrastructure and entertainment projects it means foreign companies have to partner with a government backed entity. The cool thing about this is the park feels really unique, while maintaining all of the Disney magic but with elements of Chinese culture woven in and of course amazing technology because well this is China.
Something worth mentioning is you cannot take selfie sticks into the park. I did think does anyone use selfie sticks anymore?! But actually if you have anything extentable like the Insta 360 camera and actually I found this the hard way with my gimble because it has a function to extend so I couldn’t take it in. The security were really helpful they walked me over to guest services where you can store luggage to check it in, it was only a couple of ££ for the day but took extra time so I just wouldn’t bring anything like that as they will not let you in with it. The security did take me back to the park without having to do the checks again which I was grateful for but we lost about 20 minutes to this situation.
Zootopia Land Shanghai Disney
Ride Guide
On to the juicy bits!! Okay so Shanghai Disneyland has some really unique attractions and I am going to list the rides I think you cannot miss below and then in you only have 1 day the best way to get on them all….
Zootopia Hot Persuit
A trackless dark ride simulator with excellent theming and unique (for now) to Shanghai…I worried it may be overhyped but it was excellent and a must do in my opinion. One of the most popular rides so expect to Queue for at least 50 minutes however keep an eye on the app as sometimes you will find a 30 minute wait time. The queue theme-ing is great and very immersive actually and largely air conditioned/inside so we didn’t mind the wait on this one. I wouldn’t wait more than 60 minutes as the wait time will decrease at periods throughout the day, it was busy even in the “extra magic time” so I wouldn’t use that time for Zootopia. You can get a fastpass for 180 yuan however we couldn’t get the app to work.
Tron
This one isn’t unique to Shanghai, you can also find at Magic Kingdom in WDW but a very unique high speed rollercoaster in a motorcycle seating. We were gutted that we didn’t make it on Tron, we just struggled to fit it in and by the end of the day I was having a pain flare up so I couldn’t do the queue. Next time it would be first on my list and if you had two days it would be very manageable. I would personally use your early entry time to do Tron (if you get the early entry pass) as the wait time is usually lower first thing because a lot of people rush to Zootopia or to meet Duffy and Friends. Keep an eye out through the day as wait times do fluctuate and if you don’t have early entry I would say 40-50 minute wait is what you would aim for.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Now hear me out when I say this is one of The best ride in Shanghai Disneyland…..I am a massive fan of the pirates ride at DLP but this one is next level. Honestly the immersion, technology and graphics are incredible and I can totally see why people say it is a must do. Generally wait times are decent for this one (expect around 30 minutes) but we did do this early, when we visited it had only just opened as it does open a little later than some so we only waited for around 10 minutes. I wouldn’t do this as your first ride however if you do earlier on then you will save time.
Roaring rapids
Roaring Rapids was our first ride at Shanghai Disney, again a ride unique to the park but not a super unique ride in that it is essentially a rapids ride. I wanted to go on it because even early doors it was already super hot, I love the theming on rides like this and throughout the day the wait times are around 75 minutes and it was literally 10 minutes for us so I knew it was a good chance. I wouldn’t prioritise the ride but if you are there early and the wait time is low then it is worth going on for sure.
Soaring over the horizon
This is another popular one at the park and again one we didn’t get on. Its hang glide style flight ride with a concave film screen for an immersive “ride” over various world landmarks. They have a similar ride in Tokyo and California and Epcot I believe. For me this wasn’t so high on my list, if the wait times were any lower I would of definitely given it a go but it was pretty much 60 minutes + all day so we didn’t make it. I have listed here though as its one of the most popular.
Seven Dwarfs mine train
I love a mine train and this one is unique to Shanghai and Magic Kingdom. Again another one we missed as pretty much from the moment we entered wait times were 75 minutes or more. This one is one neither of the kids would do and the heat meant I felt like we couldn’t ask them to wait that long with us if they didn’t actually want to do the ride. Again possible as part of the fast pass programme I had heard the ride was pretty quick so again seemed like it wasn’t worth the wait.
Pixars Adventurous journey
Not a ride as such but if you are a pixar fan (we are) it is a must see!! Exhibition like with amazing photo ops and interactive elements. I won’t spoil it but I have a reel up on instagram with a preview and honestly if that was a standalone experience in a big city it would honestly be an expensive experience in itself. So immersive and just brilliant to be honest, a massive highlight for me.
Woodys round up
Very similar to the cars ride at Paris or Baymax in Tokyo, this is a well themed and cute ride if the wait times are low (20 minutes or less) If it is more than this I personally wouldn’t wait but worth your time if its low wait.
Voyage to the Crystal grotto
A cute, boat ride with various scenes and the actual grotto at the end which is pretty cool. We only waited for about 5-10 Minutes so again worth a go if the wait time is low but again I wouldn’t wait longer than 20 for this one.
Pooh’s hunny pot spin
Essentially teacups but with hunny pots instead, comparable versions would be Alice’s teacups in Paris or even Rapunzels spin. The kids really like the teacups so again, if the wait time is low then the themeing is lovely but again, I’m not enough of a fan to queue for long. It is worth saying the Asian market seems to love Winnie the Pooh so you will see lots of merch and in Shanghai there is a small dedicated area with this and the Many adventures of Pooh with dedicated Merch and actually a meet and greet and food cart (the pooh beef and mushroom ragout sandwich was really good) so if you are fan you will enjoy this area.
Many adventures of Pooh
This isn’t super unique as they have in Hong Kong, Florida and California but I hadn’t ridden it before so its making my list. A cute, dark ride, good for all ages and perfect for fans of Pooh. Again 30 minutes and under its worth your time, anything more and I probably wouldn’t bother.
PLAN!!!
So how to plan your time? Here is the itinerary I would personally follow if I were to advise you and of course it is based on wanting to see the above rides. Any I haven’t mentioned it is because we either have them in Paris (my nearest park) or it wasn’t such a priority for us.
Opening time/Extra magic hour
I would head straight to Tron if the wait time is less than 40 minutes…If not I would go back later. After Tron, head to Adventureland and hit up Roaring rapids and soaring over the horizon (make sure wait is less than 30 minutes and get on soaring first).
10-12pm
Take the short walk to Treasure cove, go on Pirates (10-15 minute wait-if its more wait until later) then see the “eye of the storm” Pirates show….its so good and a must see. If its a hot day and you are travelling with kids don’t miss Shipwreck shore which is a great little splash park and the perfect way to cool off. Don’t miss the shop after Pirates sunken treasure as it has some merch unique to that shop and if you love pins there is an amazing stand outside (I bought 5 pins….they aren’t cheap at around £12-15 each but so so unique and stunning). Next head to the castle and catch “The Heart of Magic” show. It’s a great little show, doesn’t attract huge crowds and has characters that are often not featured in other parks so for me a must see. It is currently on at 11.20, 12.45, 2.55 and 4.20 so the only thing I would say is you are pretty close to Zootopia land so keep an eye on hot persuit and if the wait is 40 min or less then trot on over and do that first. After seeing the show check out the castle, it is the biggest Disney Castle and has some gorgeous murals inside so take your time to enjoy it.
12-2pm
Head over to the Winnie the Pooh area and if the wait times are decent go on Pooh’s Hunny hunt and many adventures of Pooh. Grab a bite and then a streetside spot for the 1.30 Mickey’s storybook parade which starts in Toy Story land. The parade is great because the streets are super wide and as I said at the beginning there isn’t a traditional main street so lots more space. After the parade, enjoy Toy Story Land. As well as Woody’s round up theres slinky spin and Rex Racer (both the same as Paris) good rides and the theme is obviously perfection so enjoy this and of course Al’s toy barn before moving onto Tomorrowland. There are also some cool fairground stalls called Andy’s backyard games which are worth a look before you move on.
2-4pm
In Tomorrowland as I said above I would absolutely do Pixars wondrous journey, I love Buzz lightyears lazers and if youve been you may know the wait times in Paris can be pretty hefty yet in Shanghai it seems to be always at 5 minutes so for that it has to be done!! The shops here are excellent too, there are some items in the Pixar shop I couldn’t find elsewhere and the shop after Buzz’s lazer blast had some great bits of merch. There are some meet and greets and stitch experiences here if that is your thing and we also enjoyed a quick bite at Stargazer Grill. Decent prices and portion sizes and cool themeing inside. After tomorrowland head round the corner toward Dumbo and enjoy character Tai Chi at 3.25.
Zootopia Vending after the Hot Persuit ride
4-6pm
After Tai Chi, head to Marvel universe (if you like Marvel) If visiting in summer its an opportunity to cool off too. There is Character meets, a shop and interactive Iron Man experience where you are essentially acting as iron man and it uses sensors so your body is “in the game”. I’m less of a fan but my kids loved this area and with virtually no queues and the aircon it was worth the ½ hour we spent there. Next head back toward the castle and take a left, if the wait is low go on voyage to the crystal grotto, I would also go on Peter Pans flight if its a lower wait and enjoy the shops and theming there and then head to the back of the castle to do alice’s maze and go to enjoy Zootopia land. After checking the app everyday for weeks in the lead up to our visit we found in the evenings Zootopia hot pursuit did tend to drop to 40 mins and below later on so my general suggestion is to save this one until later, if you see it low and are nearby by all means run over but otherwise I would wait. It’s worth taking your time in Zootopia and try and visit whilst it is still light as the details are incredible, even if you come back later for the ride. You have to get a pawsickle and Raffii was so chuffed to get a Gary D Snake drinking cup which was about £12 with a drink inside. They love Zootopia here and the merch is brilliant, when you get off the ride there is a hidden vending machine, it is only topped up once a day so it is luck of the draw as to whether there will be anything left. I do regret not buying anything in the Zootopia store but it was very crowded and overwhelming and I thought we would come back but annoyingly we ran out of time. If you are a fan of the movies you will LOVE this area.
The Lego store and Shanghai Disney town
6-8.30 pm
This is the chance to do anything you have missed, get some food and maybe go to the village. The Lego store is really cool and unique and if you head to the Coach cafe in the village you can get Xao long Bao ice cream. One place you could go and spend more time is Adventureland, there are some high ropes and there’s a brilliant Chip n Dale shop. If you haven’t already then try and get on Tron, again later on when I have spied on wait times later does tend to be better so I would definitely aim to do this in the evening if you’ve not managed to get on already.
8.30-10 pm
Fireworks and the night show starts at 9.15pm so I would aim to get settled between 8.45pm and 9pm. We ended up leaving before the show as I was struggling to stand up by this point (I have chronic pain/inflammation). But in my experience of evening shows I personally never think its worth getting there super early as its literally in the air so you normally get a good view. I will say though because there isn’t a traditional “main street” the view may be a little more restricted as the viewing space is smaller, that is why I have left this from 8.30pm onwards to give more time to get a decent spot.
Merch and Theming
The Merchandise at Shanghai is really, really good in my opinion. I think if you are a big Disney fan then this is something you are probably on the look out for and for me the Asian parks really deliver in this area. Granted I haven’t been to California or Florida yet but I do follow many Disney accounts and I have bought merch from people and I know the US parks have amazing stuff but I do think for unique merchandise and cost wise Tokyo Disney and Shanghai are excellent. I will say that Shanghai is definetely more expensive than Tokyo but I would say overall cheaper than Paris.
If you have visited any of the Asian Disney parks you will know the Duffy and friends obsession, if you don’t then Duffy is the “mascot” if you like for Disney in Asia and there are several friends that make up this gang such as Shellie May, Gelatoni, Stella Lou, Cookie Ann, Olu Mel and Lina Bell. Duffy started off as the “Disney Bear” in 2005 and whilst the Asian parks still have Mickey and friends, Duffy and friends are far more popular, meet n greet lines are crazy and there is so much merch, I’m talking whole shops dedicated to Duffy and Friends purse pals. Even outside the parks I see people with Duffy clothes and bags. At first I was a bit skeptical but I do really like them now.
So you can get loads of Duffy merch and the other things I would look out for are;
pins, if you are a collector there are some beautiful pins, ride specific, park specific and some excellent character offerings.
As I said before the Zootopia shop is excellent, great clothing and accessories, blind boxes and decorative items
there are some great clothing options, I bought an amazing Jessie shirt from Pixar wonderous journey shop, some great tees representing various rides and the “busy” character style ones I’ve also purchased from Tokyo.
Obviously blind boxes are massive at the mo and there are so many good ones here that are really unique. I will say its a bit overwhelming on the blind box front so I would either watch some videos before hand to gain an idea of what you want or look around everything first and then shop in the evening.
We love Chip and Dale so it was really nice to see a dedicated shop, you can play a fairground game outside too to win unique prizes and they had some amazing homewares inside. I bought a purse pal and the Shanghai Disney nodding head dumpling ornament (so cute).
The theming is good on the whole but I will say its not on a par with Disney Sea in Tokyo or Paris. It does feel a bit more dis-jointed and almost like there are more pockets of mini themes than other parks (like Winnie the Pooh) but I did love how wide the streets were and I think the addition of lots of mini play areas and a couple of splash parks were a great addition especially when travelling with kids. Obviously as I said at the beginning the park is unique in the way its owned and it does show but in good and bad ways. Overall we really liked it, its great value and its more than worth a visit.
Would you guys visit? Let me know if you have any questions at all!
