Whether you're an adult or a child, there's definitely a dream of visiting a Disney park in your heart. In the past, most people would choose Tokyo Disneyland, but there's also one that's closer to Taiwan Shanghai Disneyland , which has the world’s largest single-park area and boasts nine global firsts, including being the first to feature all the Disney princesses, having the tallest and largest Disney castle, and the world’s onlyfully Chinese-languageDisney musical—you can finally understand the show content (lol)! Who says Shanghai Disneyland isn’t fun? Come explore it with us travel enthusiasts right away.
How to Enjoy Shanghai Disneyland?
Shanghai Disneyland has seven major themed lands, featuring nine global-first attractions and shows. Trying everything might be time-consuming, so here we’ve selected a few of the more interesting lands, attractions, and experiences for your reference.
Adventure Isle
#Soaring: A Flight Over the Horizon: Using 4D projection technology to enjoy the thrill of flying over world-famous landmarks from the sky, and it’s the world’s first to end with the ultra-high-rise building scenes of Shanghai’s Bund.
#Explorer Canoes: Highly recommended—this is the world’s first Disney attraction that rivals professional climbing and off-road difficulty levels, offering a certain level of challenge. Additionally, the Thundering Rapids Waterfall behind it is the world’s tallest artificial waterfall.
#Thundering Rapids : Similar to the white-water rafting at Leofoo Village, expect to get wet (lol).
Treasure Cove
#Pirates of the Caribbean——Battle for the Sunken Treasure: The world’s first pirate-themed area, using 3D screens that can accommodate more guests at once, resulting in shorter wait times. Embark on an adventure with Captain Jack Sparrow in the dim underwater world.
Fantasyland (Kid-Friendly)
#Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: A roller coaster where you’ll see characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.3Dappearances.
#Journey to the Crystal Grotto: The world’s only boat ride that takes you inside a castle, showcasing different scenery between day and night. Along the way, you'll encounter statues of many beloved animated characters such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, and The Little Mermaid—perfect for families with children.
#The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Winnie the Pooh attraction is loved everywhere, and it’s highly recommended for families with kids visiting Shanghai Disneyland.
Tomorrowland
#TRON Lightcycle / Run: The world’s only indoor roller coaster designed like a motorcycle, accompanied by thrilling music, lights, and 3D visual effects—it’s a lot of fun.
Disney·Pixar Toy Story Land
The last land officially opened to the public just this year, mainly simulating Andy’s backyard from Toy Story, featuring Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie. There are three brand-new rides here, including the Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin (a U-shaped coaster), the RC Racer, and the Woody’s Round-Up (spinning ride). 4/26 It officially opened to the public, mainly simulating the backyard of Andy’s house from *Toy Story*, featuring Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie. The park area includes three brand-new rides: Rex’s Racer (a U-shaped roller coaster), Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, and Woody’s Round-Up (a spinning ride).
Besides rides, there's also these
Must-see parades, shows, and fireworks at Shanghai Disneyland
When visiting Shanghai Disneyland, besides the major rides, the parades, performances, and fireworks are truly one of the essential soul elements — none can be missed. But with so many events, trying to see them all might take even two days. So where should you start?
There are four shows that I highly recommend you experience. The first isMickey’s Storybook Parade, as Shanghai Disneyland features the longest parade route among all Disney parks worldwide, and is alsothe first to incorporate Mulan and Chinese musicinto its parade — something you definitely won’t see anywhere else. The second is the world’s onlyfully Chinese-languageDisney musical, Tarzan, which also combines high-level Chinese martial arts and traditional Shanghai acrobatics. In addition, there are some time-limited stage performances, such as the Chinese version of The Lion King performed last year, and this year 6/14 kicks off with the Chinese version of Beauty and the Beast. It’s highly recommended to experience the magic of these live shows in person.
The third one isGolden Fairytale Fanfare,where Disney Princessesperform in the Fantasy Garden in front of the tallest and largest Disney castle in the world — Enchanted Storybook Castle. Characters like Snow White, Anna, Elsa, Jasmine, and Ariel will all make appearances, making it truly spectacular. Additionally, in front of the garden is the Twelve Friends Garden — the world’s first garden to pair the twelve zodiac animals with Disney characters. The last must-see is the nighttime highlight of Shanghai Disneyland — Ignite the Dream: A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light, which combines projections, fireworks, and stunning audiovisual effects to bring your Shanghai Disneyland trip to a perfect close.
Quick reminder:Whether you're watching a parade or fireworks, it’s advised to arrive early to secure a good spot, or you might miss out on the view entirely.
Must-buy limited-edition merchandise at Shanghai Disneyland
Whether you’re at Shanghai Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, or any Disney park around the world, the Disney Store is definitely one of the must-visit spots (laughs). Everything in there is super heartwarming, and almost everyone leaves the store carrying big bags of loot. Even someone as frugal as me, who swore not to spend too much, ended up quietly carrying out two huge bags — that just shows how powerful the Disney Store is (painfully delightful)!
And in Shanghai Disneyland, there’s also an amazing limited-edition item — the brand-new Duffy and Friends Western-style series, which will go on sale 9/5 , featuring 70 several styles, available exclusively at Shanghai Disneyland worldwide. Disney fans, don’t hesitate — if you don’t buy them, you’ll definitely regret it later.
Pre-trip Q&A
What’s the weather like in Shanghai?
Shanghai has distinct seasons, but due to its coastal location, it’s humid and breezy, sometimes making it unexpectedly damp or very cold. Summer highs reach about33°C, while winter lows drop to about10°C. However, because of the humidity, it may feel even colder, so it’s recommended to bring warm clothing and carry an umbrella with you.
Buy tickets in advance
By its first anniversary, Shanghai Disneyland had already welcomed over1,100Over one million visitors, making it the theme park with the highest number of first-year guests globally (surpassing Tokyo Disneyland). It’s easy to imagine how spectacular the daily queues to enter must be. After entering Shanghai Disneyland, you still need to go through security checks, which means standing in line yet again. If you also waste time buying tickets on-site, at least one to two hours can easily be eaten up. So make sure to purchase your tickets well in advance, well in advance, well in advance (it’s really that important—say it three times!).
There are three types of tickets available at Shanghai Disneyland: standard tickets, child tickets (100~140cm), and senior tickets (for those65years old and above), which are further divided into special offer tickets (entry in the afternoon), one-day tickets, and two-day tickets. If your schedule allows, it’s recommended to get a one-day or two-day ticket, as the park is absolutely massive and you definitely won’t be able to see everything in just one day. The price for a one-day standard ticket is RMB? 399, while child tickets and senior tickets are both RMB? 299. Additionally, when entering the park, you must present the original ID used during ticket purchase along with your proof of purchase. Therefore, tickets and other premium benefits are non-transferable and non-refundable. Be sure to double-check before ordering, but remember—it’s first come, first served (wink)!
These items are not allowed into Shanghai Disneyland
? Flammable or explosive items (such as fireworks), weapons, imitation weapons, toy guns, andselfie sticks.
? Food, alcoholic beverages,drinks over 600 milliliters.
? Canned or glass containers (except for small baby food cans).
? Bags larger than 56x36x23cm the bag, and during peak periods, other wheeled luggage may also be prohibited from entering the park. ( → Travel as light as possible!)
? Strollers and wheeled conveyances (excluding manual wheelchairs, electric mobility aids for people with disabilities with more than three wheels and a speed under16km/h, and strollers smaller than 92x132cm ).
? Wheeled recreational equipment such as roller skates, heelys, skateboards, and scooters.
? Large professional photography, videography equipment, and tools; large tripods, folding chairs, and stools.
? Animals(except guide dogs, which must be leashed and supervised by their owner; some rides may not allow guide dogs).
? Items prohibited by law and other dangerous or destructive objects.
These things are not allowed to do
? Visitors aged 16 and aboveNo dressing up as characters from cartoons, movies, or comics, no wearing floor-length clothing (additionally, footwear such as high heels or sandals may prevent you from using certain rides), and no wearing face masks(except medical masks, but they must not cover the eyes).
? Running is prohibited in the parkRun.
? Smoking is prohibited everywhere except in designated smoking areas (including tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other smoke-emitting products).
? The use of extendable poles for cameras, mobile phones, or handheld camcorders is prohibited (selfie sticks are strictly forbidden).
? Photography, videography, or audio recording is prohibited (except for personal, non-commercial use), and unauthorized interviews (such as photography, videography, audio recording, or interviewing visitors or performers) are not allowed.
? Impersonating or pretending to be any Disney character is prohibited.
? Feedinganimals in the park (such as birds) is prohibited.Animals in the park (such as birds).
Flying kites or operating remote-controlled devices (such as drones and remote-controlled toys) is prohibited.
Download the official Shanghai Disneyland app in Taiwan beforehand
In the past, you had to pick up a paper map upon entering the park, but now there’s no need for the hassle, because this official Shanghai DisneylandAppapp is incredibly powerful — not only can you browse the park map online (with navigation features), reserve Disney FastPasses, and check estimated wait times for attractions and show schedules, it also saves you a whole bunch of walking around. Super convenient, right? Still not clear how amazing thisAppis? Let me break it down for you.
★FastPass★
At many theme parks, FastPasses either need to be purchased separately or require you to go out of your way to collect tickets, but Shanghai Disneyland is super considerate — guests can simply draw themAppon the app. The process is very simple: just scan your physical ticket withAppthe app upon entering the park, and then every two hours you can draw a FastPass for any ride you want onAppthe app. After that, you can use theAppFastPassQR CODEinside the app to board the ride directly — super convenient indeed. However, since thisAppapp requires phone number verification via SMS to register an account, it’s recommended that you complete the setup in Taiwan beforehand, just in case you find out your Taiwanese number isn’t accepted when you arrive.
Top Tip:Let me let you in on a little secret: Tron Lightcycle Power Run, Soaring: Fantastic Flight, and Roaring Rapids are arguably the most popular rides, so if you’re going for FastPasses, prioritize these three.
Transportation to Shanghai Disneyland
Finally, the most important part — transportation. A direct flight from Taiwan to Shanghai takes only1.5hours (even faster than taking the high-speed rail from Taipei to Kaohsiung). Aside from driving or taking a taxi, you can also take the subway11line and get off at the final stop, Disney Resort Station. Then, it’s just a2or4minute walk from Exit5to10to reach Shanghai Disneyland. Alternatively, you can take the Shanghai International Tourism Resort Express bus directly from Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South Railway Station, Hongqiao Hub, or Pudong International Airport. Get off at the final stop and walk for about3minutes to arrive at Shanghai Disneyland.
After reading this, aren’t you super excited? Who knew Shanghai Disneyland could be this fun, not only with amazing rides but also with an exclusive Duffy and Friends Western series. You definitely want to bring back a few this time — once they’re gone, they’re gone, so go (and shop) fast !
(*All photos above are taken from the official Weibo account)
By Kayline | Tripresso Travel Cafe Editorial Team
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