Shanghai Disneyland is the only Disney park in mainland China. As Disney fans, we figured it would be fun to check out what Chinese Mickey Mouse looks like.
We visited the park on a Thursday in Nov 2018. It was a perfect time to visit–the park was almost empty; the weather was sunny and warm. During our visit, the longest line was around 10 minutes.
We spent the whole day in the park, which was enough time for us to take all the rides we planned to try. However, I could imagine needing more time during popular days, like weekends and holidays.
The park has a layout very similar to the other Disney parks–a main street leading to a storybook castle right in the middle of the park with a lake around it. There are six areas in this park: Adventure Isle, Toy Story Land, Fantasyland, Gardens of Imagination, Tomorrowland, and Treasure Cove.
As we prepared to visit, we read that most reviewers ranked Soaring over the Horizon as the best ride in Shanghai Disneyland. We rode it: it turned out to be very similar to “Soarin’” in Epcot in Disney World. While we enjoyed the ride, we strongly felt it didn’t compare to what we thought was the best ride in the park by far: Pirates of the Caribbean. Shanghai’s version of Pirates was way more modern, exciting, and visually impressive than the versions at Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Los Angeles. Even with Captain Jack speaking fluent Mandarin.
Among all the rides we rode at Shanghai Disneyland, our top three were….
This ride is located at Treasure Cove. Just this ride itself is worth a trip to the park. No spoiler here!
#2. TRON
This ride is in Tomorrowland. The setting immerses us in the cyber world of TRON: Legacy. The ride simulates the light cycle battle scene. It is a short, but very exciting ride. Recommended!
Tip: You won’t be allowed to bring anything on the ride itself. There are lockers for rent with ¥50 before entering the line, but save your money unless your luggage is huge. The staff will provide a cart right before the ride for small purses and backpacks for free.
The ride is in Adventure Isle. The ride is worth taking, although it is very similar to the same ride in Orlando and Los Angeles. The highlight for us was the crazy wizard woman theme in Shanghai’s version. We’re not sure who she is or why she’s here, but hey the ride was fun.
We rode almost every major ride in the park–including Peter Pan’s Flight, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. If you only have time for three lines, we recommend the rides above.
It is always a pleasant experience to visit Disney parks. This one was particularly fun because of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. If you have time and want to step away from sightseeing the busy city, we highly suggest you spend a day at Shanghai Disneyland, and be a kid!
Tips:
You should try to go on a weekday, and it would save lots of time lining up. Otherwise, you should definitely download Disney mobile app to check wait time and schedule your activities accordingly. Also, you should take advantage of Fast Pass to avoid long lines.
Thanks for reading, and please leave any questions in the comment section. Safe travels and have fun!
Reference links:
- https://www.shanghaidisneyresort.com