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.
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.
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