“To all who come to this happy place, welcome. Shanghai Disneyland is your land. Here you leave today and discover imaginative worlds of fantasy, romance, and adventure that ignite the magical dreams within us all. Shanghai Disneyland is authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese. It was created for everyone, bringing to life timeless characters and stories in a magical place that will be a source of joy, inspiration, and memories for generations to come.” Robert A. Iger on June 16, 2016.
The newest of the Disney parks, Shanghai Disneyland opened June 2016 with six themed lands. The seventh land and the park’s first expansion, Toy Story Land, opened in April of 2018. Another land themed to the animated film Zootopia is currently under construction with no announced opening date. It will be located next to Fantasyland near The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Please note, in addition to FastPass, Shanghai Disneyland offers what is called the Disney Premier Access. It is essentially the option to purchase a single FastPass for one attraction at a time. There are also different Disney Premier Access sets available to purchase which allows guests to ride all the attractions in the set once without a wait.
Mickey Avenue
Replacing the typical Main Street, USA found in the other castle parks, Mickey Avenue is a treasure trove of animation Easter eggs and nods to Disney’s long history. Each shop and restaurant is filled with an incredible amount of detail bringing countless cartoon shorts and the adventures of the Fab Five and friends to life.
Similar to other Main Streets, there aren’t really any attractions in this entrance land. The only attraction is at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre where Mickey’s Film Festival plays a selection of animated shorts. The restaurants here are all super colourful, cute, and playful. Il Paperino serves ice cream and waffles and this little building is actually shaped like a waffle. Remy’s Patisserie is a great place to go for breakfast with its delicious baked goods. Nearby is the snack kiosk Chip & Dale’s Treehouse Treats. My favourite restaurant on Mickey Avenue is the Mickey and Pals Market Café. This large quick service location features several dining rooms each with a different theme: Mickey’s Galley, Tony’s, Daisy’s Café, and The Three Caballeros. I love Mickey’s Galley which displays hundreds of caricatures of Disney characters all drawn by animator Eric Goldberg. Copies of these drawings were put together in a book, An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg Draws the Disney Characters, which I featured in my Top 3 Disney Coffee Table Books post.
The majority of Mickey Avenue is made up of shops including Lucky Express, Carefree Corner, Whistle Stop Shop, and Avenue M Arcade. The well-known design of Carthay Circle Theatre is used as the façade of the Avenue M Arcade.
Gardens of Imagination
Shanghai Disneyland differs from the other castle parks in many ways, but one main reason is it’s the only one to turn the hub area in front of the castle into its own land. Gardens of Imagination is a beautiful land with amazing views of Enchanted Storybook Castle. There are two attractions among these crisscrossing paths, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Fantasia Carousel. A superhero meet and greet is located in the Marvel Universe where guests can meet Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Captain America. The Garden of the Twelve Friends showcases the Chinese zodiac featuring different Disney characters.
The Wandering Moon Restaurant is a delicious quick service dining location inspired by China’s wandering poets. Also in Gardens of Imagination are some snack kiosks such as Picnic Basket and Timothy’s Treats.
Adventure Isle
Instead of an Adventureland, Shanghai Disneyland has two different lands themed to adventure. Adventure Isle is filled with some pretty big attractions. This land is home to Camp Discovery which includes the Challenge Trails (a high ropes course which lives up to its name and offers the Disney Premier Access), Vista Trail (a walking path among the ropes course), and the Excavation Site (a play area for young guests). Roaring Rapids is a white water rafting ride which has both FastPass and Disney Premier Access. Soaring over the Horizon is probably the most popular ride in Shanghai Disneyland. It offers both FastPass and Disney Premier Access and may be the only attraction in the park worth purchasing this extra paid service if you are unable to ride. Happy Circle is a character meet and greet.
The only dining locations in Adventure Isle are the quick service Tribal Table and the snack kiosk Piranha Bites.
Treasure Cove
Another land themed to adventure, mostly inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, is Treasure Cove. This land is home to the E-ticket attraction Pirates of the Caribbean – Battle for the Sunken Treasure. This amazing and immersive attraction offers a Single Rider line and Disney Premier Access. At the El Teatro Fandango is the show Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular. Shipwreck Shore and the pirate ship Siren’s Revenge is another play area for young guests. The Explorer Canoes takes guests around both Treasure Cove and Adventure Isle.
Located along the waters of Pirates of the Caribbean – Battle for the Sunken Treasure is the quick service dining location Barbossa’s Bounty. There are a couple of snack kiosks scattered throughout Treasure Cove including Pintel & Ragetti’s Grub to Grab, The Snackin’ Kraken, and Tortuga Treats.
Fantasyland
Fantasyland in Shanghai Disneyland is huge! It is home to the parks centre icon the Enchanted Storybook Castle, which is the largest Disney castle in the world. Inside the castle is the Once Upon a Time Adventure, an interactive walk through following the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Voyage to the Crystal Grotto is a nearby boat ride and part of its route journeys inside the castle. Also inside the castle is a princess meet and greet called Storybook Court and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Fun tip: if you’re a Princess Diaries fan, the area behind the castle has a very beautiful music loop playing which includes the orchestral music from the film.
One corner of Fantasyland is the Hundred Acre Wood with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (which has both FastPass and Disney Premier Access) dark ride and Hunny Pot Spin. Other attractions throughout Fantasyland include the classic Peter Pan’s Flight (which has both FastPass and Disney Premier Access), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (which has a Single Rider line and offers both FastPass and Disney Premier Access), Alice in Wonderland Maze, and the Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration.
Fantasyland is home to the only table service restaurant in Shanghai Disneyland, the Royal Banquet Hall, which is located inside Enchanted Storybook Castle. This is a character dining meal and is very popular. There are two quick service restaurants, Pinocchio Village Kitchen and Tangle Tree Tavern. The latter is designed to look like the Snuggly Duckling from Tangled. It’s super cute! There are also some snack kiosks such as Fairy Godmother’s Cupboard, Merlin’s Magic Recipe, and Troubadour Treats.
Toy Story Land
Home to characters from the popular Disney-Pixar film, Toy Story Land is small but filled with some great rides. Rex’s Racers is a thrilling half-pipe coaster which offers Disney Premier Access. Tamer attractions include Woody’s Roundup (a whip ride which also has Disney Premier Access) and Slinky Dog Spin.
Al’s Toy Barn is a cute shop based on the store from Toy Story 2 and the only restaurant in Toy Story Land is Toy Box Café. This quick service location often has limited hours so be sure to go for lunch if you want to eat here because it will often be closed for the evening.
Tomorrowland
Shanghai Disneyland’s Tomorrowland is located in the back left corner of the park instead of the front right like all the other castle parks. The design of Tomorrowland is unique with the shops, restaurants, and attractions located on multiple levels with weaving ramps and stairs connecting them. The E-ticket attraction TRON Lightcycle Power Run is located here and is a fantastic roller coaster with both indoor and outdoor portions. Make sure to ride this both in the day and at night. TRON offers a Single Rider line, FastPass, and Disney Premier Access. Located nearby is the TRON Realm, an interactive design centre where guests can create virtual vehicles. Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue is a shooting attraction that offers both FastPass and Disney Premier Access. There is also the spinner attraction Jet Packs and the show Stitch Encounter in Tomorrowland.
The quick service restaurant Stargazer Grill has some fun views of TRON and is currently themed around Marvel’s Avengers. The Spiral Snacks is a nearby snack kiosk.
A quick tip for Shanghai Disneyland is the majority of the quick service locations have multiple dining rooms and/or outdoor seating areas located beyond the first tables. So don’t get discourage if you can’t immediately find a table; keep walking and wander around a bit passed the first seating area.
Check out these other Quick Guides to the Disney Parks!
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