Disneyland, touted as “The happiest place on Earth,” is a fairyland filled with fun; it is a world full of magic and wonders. Disneyland’s appeal transcends the limitations of age, gender, or country. While kids are more than elated to arrive in Disney world, the grownups let themselves go, rejoice like a kid losing track of time. Immerse yourself in joy, go to Disneyland, and have fun!
One of the unmissable things to do in Shanghai is exploring Shanghai Disneyland. Spread across an area of 3.9 square kilometers, Shanghai Disneyland is ‘authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.’ The seven themed areas, breathtaking rides, engaging shows, themed hotels, musical parades, and endless entertainment attract a lot of tourists to this place every year. This castle park deserves to be a part of your Shanghai itinerary! Here is a comprehensive Shanghai Disneyland trip planning guide!
Is one-day enough to explore Disneyland?
A single day is enough for casual visitors to see all the major attractions of Shanghai Disneyland. However, if you are an ardent Disney fan, we recommend a two-day Shanghai Disneyland trip to experience everything and thoroughly enjoy all the attractions, rides, and shows.
When is the ideal time to plan a Shanghai Disneyland Trip?
Hot and humid summers and chilly winters are characteristic of Shanghai’s climate. So, the Fall and Spring are the best seasons to plan a Shanghai Disneyland trip. The mild and pleasant weather in the months of September, October, November let you tirelessly explore Shanghai Disneyland. February to April is also a good time to visit this place. Book your flights to Shanghai now!
Visiting hours and tickets:
Shanghai Disneyland is open from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM every day. Note that the park is more packed on weekends and the Chinese National Holidays. It sells one-day, two-day, and annual passes. The prices vary with the tourist season, i.e., the ticket price is high in the peak season and drops in the off-peak season.
How to reach Shanghai Disneyland?
Shanghai Disneyland, situated in Chuanshaxinzhen town of Pudong New District, is 14 km away from Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG). You can take a taxi/ cab/ local bus/ metro to reach Shanghai Disneyland. The Subway Line 11 drops you just a few steps away from Disneyland. The drive from downtown Shanghai to Disneyland takes about 40 minutes.
Where to stay?
If you are wondering where to stay during your Shanghai Disneyland trip, Shanghai Disneyland itself is the answer. It has two official hotels — Toy Story Hotel and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, located within a walkable distance from the park. Make your Shanghai Disneyland trip more dream-like by staying at these themed-hotels that provide a luxurious stay.
You can go to the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel in a water taxi or a shuttle bus. The highlights of this hotel include live music in an Art Nouveau-style lobby, multiple dining venues and rich menus, Mickey Mouse Playhouse, Little Mermaid-themed indoor pool, Hakuna Matata Oasis water play area.
Toy Story Hotel also provides a shuttle bus service. Kids love the Toy Story-themed rooms, The Play Room filled with toys, Woody and Buzz Courtyards featuring huge statues of the Toy Story characters, space-themed water play area, etc.
The highlights of the seven themed-lands in Shanghai Disneyland:
There’s a lot to see and do in Shanghai Disneyland. This Shanghai Disneyland trip planning guide highlights the unmissable experiences in each themed-land.
Mickey Avenue: This is the place you enter as you pass through the main guest entrance. You’ll be greeted by many popular Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Donald, Chip ‘n’ Dale, and Goofy. Don’t forget to click pictures with them!
Gardens of Imagination: This land features seven Chinese-themed gardens with myriad attractions like Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Fantasia Carousel, Marvel Universe, and spectacular shows, including Ignite the Dream, A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light.
Fantasyland: Here you’ll see Disneyland’s biggest castle built so far — The Enchanted Storybook Castle. The popular rides are Alice in Wonderland Maze, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.
Treasure Cove: This Pirates-themed area offers the visually impressive Pirates of the Caribbean — Battle for the Sunken Treasure ride, and is also famous for the stunt show Eye of Storm — Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular.
Adventure Isle: A few of the park’s most popular rides like Soaring Over the Horizon, Roaring Rapids, and Camp Discovery Challenge Trails can be enjoyed at Adventure Isle.
Tomorrowland: As the name indicates, this is a futuristic-themed land. The technologically-advanced, extremely exhilarating rides are TRON Light cycle Power Run, Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue, and Jet Packs. Meet the Star Wars characters in the Star Wars Launch Bay and the famous Disney alien Stitch from Lilo & Stitch in the Stitch Encounter.
Toy Story Land: This is the smallest of all the themed areas. It features three thrilling rides (called Rex’s Racer, Slinky Dog Spin, Woody’s Roundup), a Toy Box café, and a gift shop named Al’s Toy Barn. Don’t you wish to take back a toy-story souvenir home?
