The ULTIMATE Shanghai Disneyland Guide (2026.

Things to know about Shanghai Disneyland.

As someone who has gone to almost every Disney Park, Shanghai Disneyland is one of my favourites. However, there are some good to knows before going as well as differences from other parks to manage expectations.

First of all, it’s one of the more affordable Disneylands. It’s the newest Disneyland (2016), and the only one in Mainland China.

With it being in China, there may be some…cultural differences. Do remember that you’re going to a country with 1.4 billion people, and with that, means larger crowds and a lack of personal space. I’ve noticed quite a few comments on forums saying they disliked this Disneyland due to some shoving, cutting lines, and crowds, but if you live in a country with that many people, it’s really the only way to get what you want. While it may be annoying since we’re not used to it, it’s important to note that most of them are not being purposefully disrespectful to you, it’s just what they’re used to doing.

You’ll also have the occasional smoking, although smoking is now prohibited in the parks.

For those that are used to the Disneylands in America, there’s actually no main street. Instead, there’s “Mickey Avenue”.

If you’re flying into Shanghai, keep in mind there are two airports: PVG (Pudong) and SHA (Hongqiao). SHA is farther on the east side (~45 min drive), whereas PVG is on the west side (~25 min drive). Keep in mind traffic can easily double your journey.

Both airports also have bus/metro options to Disneyland, but honestly, they can take an hour and a half or longer, and a Didi (Chinese Uber) is relatively affordable, so it’s best to take a Didi for comfort/time. I highly suggestion to choose the Premium version.

From the city, you can also take a Didi, but metro may be faster/easier, depending on how close to Line 11 you are (especially with traffic). Line 11 takes you directly to Disneyland.

Another option is to stay at a hotel at or near Disneyland, which we will get to in another chapter.

With it being in Mainland China, there may be some things to consider if you’re flying in. If you’re transiting, most countries are eligible for a 24h transit visa. That means if you’re going from country 1 - 2 (Shanghai) - 3, you should qualify for a 24 hour transit visit.

If you are from eligible countries, you can also apply for a 10-day transit visit. To learn more about a transit visa, click the button below.

Getting there.

Transit visa info

The Disney Hotels.

There are currently two (soon to be three) Disneyland themed hotels, the Toy Story Hotel, and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. Staying at one of these hotels can be beneficial as they come with perks, but there are some very important things to know before considering it.

Location

The most important thing to know is that both are located outside the park, and require some time to get to the park. That means walking or taking the shuttle bus/taxi. The shuttle buses sound great…but the lines can get VERY long, especially to ride into the park. The walk can also be long (20+ minutes). When we stayed at the Toy Story Hotel, we ended up opting to take a 5 minute Didi there, but took the free shuttle back to the hotel.

Differences

We have not stayed at the Hotel yet, but we did stay at the Toy Story Hotel. From my understanding, Toy Story is, well, Toy Story themed, and is very much catered to children.

Prohibited Items.

Shanghai Disneyland can be very strict about prohibited items. I won’t list them all, but you can check the list here on the official website. It’s about half way down. The one thing I’d like to point out is no tripods, selfie sticks, or stabilizers. That means even a pocket gimbal may be prohibited if you have the tripod extension, or a phone gimbal that can extend. We had ours confiscated, and it was very disappointing. You won’t be forced to throw it away, but you’ll have to store it in a locker outside the park and retrieve it on the way out. It’s just another step to add, which can be frustrating.

I also noticed they said no professional photography/film equipment, but I’ve seen people with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras inside, so it should be fine. Most pocket gimbals such as the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro and Insta360 Luna Ultra are allowed (again, no tripod extensions of any kind). I was also allowed in with a chest mount for my Insta360 Ace Pro 2, so action cameras and mounts are allowed, but whether or not you can use it on a ride depends on the ride. You can sneak it on the ride, but do so at your own risk.

All Shangai Disneyland rides.

— Squarespace

#18 Slinky Dog Spin.

This is perhaps my least favourite ride, mostly because it gave me a headache, which I don’t usually get on rides. You basically go in a circle bobbing up and down at a slow-ish pace, so it’s not exciting, and it’s just pure motion sickness. I do think kids may find it fun, but as an adult, I would not go again. If you do want to, I’d say only go if the wait time is sub-20 minutes. No height requirements.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located in Toy Story Land

  • No height requirement

  • Quietest in the morning and at night

  • Adults: 3.5/10

  • Older children (7-13): 5.5/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 8/10

Woody’s Round Up.

You basically sit in a horse carriage and get thrown around. It’s extremely jerky, so don‘t go if you have neck problems. It’s not my least favourite ride, but it’s not the best. It would be thrilling for young kids. I wouldn’t say this is a priority, but if there’s no line, sure, go for it.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located in Toy Story Land

  • 81 cm/2’7 ft height requirement

  • Quietest in the morning and at night

  • Teens and Adults: 4/10

  • Older children (7-13): 7/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 8.5/10

Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

An aerial carousel-style ride with sometimes ridiculous wait times, but a Disney classic. You can adjust how high you go as well, which is cool. You can get a nice aerial view of the castle, which is beautiful before sunset. I wouldn’t wait longer than 20 mins for this, as the ride is very short so the payoff isn’t really that good.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located in East Gardens of Imagination

  • No height requirement

  • Pretty busy most of the day, quietest in the AM but best at sunset

  • Teens and Adults: 5.4/10

  • Older children (7-13): 6/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 7/10

Alice in Wonderland Maze.

Since it’s a walkthrough there’s almost never a wait. It’s fully outdoors, so on a hot day, it can get VERY hot. It‘s essentially a maze that ends at Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Id suggest going during early morning, or sunset/blue hour when it’s a lot cooler. I wouldn’t say it’s a priority attraction, but feel free to stop by if you have time or want cute photos.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located in West Fantasyland

  • No height requirement

  • Pretty quiet all day, usually <5min wait

  • Teens and Adults: 5.7/10

  • Older children (7-13): 5.9/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 7.5/10

Jet Packs.

This is a faster version of Dumbo, so another aerial carousel-style ride. It’s very short as well, and for some reason, can get very busy. l I wouldn’t wait longer than 20 minutes. If you have EE and are going to Tron first thing, this is a good spot to drop by before/right after. We did Tron twice first, then went to Jet Packs and only had to wait 5 minutes. I will say it would probably look cooler at night, but the wait time can be long. Only solution is to DPA it, although a single-use one wouldn’t really be worth it in my opinion.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located in Tomorrowland

  • 112cm/3’7 ft height requirement

  • Pretty busy at night, but best at night

  • Adults: 6.4/10

  • Older children (7-13): 7.7/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 8.5/10

The Stage Shows.

Avengers Training Initiative.

A very disappointing show in my opinion, but as a kid, I can see this being cool, but still not THAT cool. Best for kids ages 7-13. The plot is essentially agent trainers bringing up a few kids to “train” with, and then are joined by Marvel characters such as Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Then they must do a mission together to defeat HYDRA. I will tip my hat to the cast as they really do give their 100% for the show, but I feel like this could’ve been much more immersive.


GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located at Pepsi E-Stage in Tomorrowland

  • 15 minutes long

  • 5 show times

  • Adults: 3.3/10

  • Older children (7-13): 6/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 7/10

Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular.

By far my favourite stage show. Honestly, at first, I was skeptical and very bored the first half. It starts outside for quite some time, as they introduce the cast and plot. Then you are seated inside, and after some time, the REAL show begins. It’s essentially a stunt show as the name suggests, as it’s actually very entertainment. My only note is that this may be scary for younger children.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located in between DisneyTown and main entrance

  • 30 minutes long

  • 12 show times

  • Adults: 7.5/10 (lost points due to the first half)

  • Older children (7-13): 9/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 9.5/10

Frozen Sing-a-Long.

This is more for kids, as most shows are. There are a lot of show times with a great amount of seating, and lasts about 20 minutes. You won’t really need to line up for this, unless you want to be in the front row. As the name suggests, it’s a sing-a-long to Frozen songs, and it’s all in Chinese, so keep that in mind. We only went because it was very hot and it was blasting AC inside. Honestly, not a bad place to rest for 20 minutes! As an adult, 4/10. As a kid, 5.5/10, and as a Chinese kid, probably 8/10 haha.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • Located between Toy Story Land and Zootopia

  • 20 minutes long

  • 10 show times

  • Adults: 2/10

  • Older children (7-13): 5/10

  • Young Children (under 7): 8/10

“Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration”.

Important things to know.

“Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration” is Shanghai Disneyland’s evening show, and there are a few things to know about it, so buckle in. The most important thing to know is that it can get cancelled due to weather or other external factors. Not a fun thing to hear, but important to manage expectations. This means planning your trip accordingly and going at the right time of the year (and luck).

Another thing to note is that the shows update frequently. They also have special illuminations for different events/occasions, such as Mickey and Minnie’s Birthday celebration. You can plan accordingly to go during these special.

Is the show worth going to? If you have the energy for it, 100%. I can’t say much for the parks in the US (it’s been a long time since I’ve been), but compared to Hong Kong and Tokyo Disney Sea, I’d say this is at the top of my list. They also recently updated it with more Marvel inclusion which I love!

The show lasts 20+ minutes, and even more with the additional 2026 show “Magic Together: A Special 10th Birthday Celebration” that comes right after, which I can recommend staying for. 

When and where to watch the show.

Most of the time, the show will start at 9:00PM, but this really depends on the time of the year and if there are any special events going on. On some days, there are even two shows! The best thing to do is keep an eye on the app. If you did not purchase DPA, you’ll want to find a spot about an hour or so prior to the show. Yes that’s early, but it’s the only way to get a good view, trust me, there WILL be massive crowds. However, if you don’t really care about the “best” view, I found the back near Cookie Ann Café to be an okay spot, and it’s close to the exit so you can be the first to leave.

Is DPA worth it?

In my opinion, yes. It saves you the time finding a good spot, and you don’t have to stress about it. However, do note two things: 1) you will be sitting on the ground (gross) and you cannot stand up, and b) you still aren’t guaranteed a “perfect” spot. Since I am germaphobe and I knew I’d be sitting on the ground after going the first time, I actually asked a gift shop for some extra wrapping paper and sat on that. 

As I’ve done DPA a few times, I found that there’s actually a near “perfect spot”, which is at the back of the reserved DPA area. The front was actually too close to the castle so we couldn't see some of the fireworks. I’d suggest going as close to the show time, as they allocate people front to back.

Alternative: Imagination Terrace.

Imagination Terrace is a special viewing area outside the park at DisneyTown. You can actually book the Imagination Terrace without a park ticket! You can buy it day-of in the app or in advance online, and it costs somewhere between 199-249 CNY. The entry can be a bit hard to find, but in DisneyTown, look for the Walt Disney Grand Theater. It’s right next to the entrance into the park at Disneytown. Registration opens about 45 minutes before the show starts, and I do recommend going about 15-20 minutes before to secure a good spot. From memory, there were a lot of stairs, so I’m not sure it’s wheelchair accessible.

While it is significantly quieter and more peaceful with unobstructed views, I honestly can’t recommend it over DPA and being right at the castle. You can feel the distance, and it just doesn’t have that Disney feel. However, if you are in a pinch or if you just want to see the show without going to the park (which I think is a mistake), then go for Imagination Terrace.

Alt: Imagination Terrace.

Imagination Terrace is a special viewing area outside the park at DisneyTown. You can actually book the Imagination Terrace without a park ticket! You can buy it day-of in the app or in advance online, and it costs somewhere between 199-249 CNY. The entry can be a bit hard to find, but in DisneyTown, look for the Walt Disney Grand Theater. It’s right next to the entrance into the park at Disneytown. Registration opens about 45 minutes before the show starts, and I do recommend going about 15-20 minutes before to secure a good spot. From memory, there were a lot of stairs, so I’m not sure it’s wheelchair accessible.

While it is significantly quieter and more peaceful with unobstructed views, I honestly can’t recommend it over DPA and being right at the castle. You can feel the distance, and it just doesn’t have that Disney feel. However, if you are in a pinch or if you just want to see the show without going to the park (which I think is a mistake), then go for Imagination Terrace.