Shanghai Disney Resort and Shanghai Disneyland Trip Report
Just got back from a weekend at the new resort. It was very nice. I had business in China the previous week and extended the trip to check out the new park. I was concerned Saturday and Sunday in mid October would be crowded but it wasn't bad at all. Typhoon Haima made it a very wet and windy Friday night and Saturday but everything was manageable. The weather was fine Sunday and the crowds still seemed light.
I checked into Toy Story Hotel Friday afternoon. Even though I had booked the cheapest room, they did give me one facing the park which I think is an upgrade. I could see the Tron coaster and top half of the castle. I could see most of the fireworks as well. The TV in the room was great. I think it was the new 3D (or 4K) system. It had special Disney channels that even played the Fireworks show during the fireworks. It also had about 10 full length Disney movies on a special channel. The theming of Toy Story is great. You can see everything on the internet so I won't say much about the common stuff. What I will note is that there are not many Western food options, which is fine by me as I love traditional Chinese food and can handle chopsticks decently (every place has sporks so don't worry about being forced to use chopsticks :thumbsup:). They had great merchandise for sale at the hotel store and really everywhere. Prices seems to be about 20% less than typical US Disney prices after converting RMB to USD. I was tempted to buy another bag just for souvenirs but I controlled myself. Currently there is a lot of "Grand Opening" branded items that we like gold to me. I was thinking my great great grandkids would sit in awe of the Shanghai Disney Parks Grand Opening napkin I kept... :mickey: So plan extra room for merchandise...
There is a shuttle that runs from the hotel to the park every 10 to 30 minutes. Very convenient. It would be a long walk, probably 1/2 hour and not even an option on the outskirts of a typhoon.
With the rain, I didn't rush to the park. It opened around 9 and I got there around 9:15. Lines through the metal detectors were about 20 deep, then about 5 deep at the ticket check. I was in the park by 9:30. I went directly to the Fastpass station for Soarin. They were already all gone. The line for Roaring Rapids passes was probably 15 minutes. There are 4 or 5 Fastpass areas, one in each of the Lands, for that lands rides. It was great getting old fashioned paper fastpasses. I got a few and didn't use them to keep as souvenirs.
Soarin does not have a single rider line but most of the other top rides do so I wasn't worried. I went directly to Soarin and the wait was only 30-40 minutes and it was nice to dry out a little. Over the two days, I rode Soarin 4 times. Each time the middle section was not used. Like "broken." That is why the lines were so bad. Not sure what the issue was. And it seemed like they only had one theatre. So, slow load, long lines. It's the same as the US parks just with a downtown Shanghai fireworks ending.
I like a counter-clockwise path for this park. After Soarin, you can go around the outside hitting the biggies; Pirates, 7 Dwarfs, and Tron.
Pirates is amazing. Best ride in the park in my opinion. Other parks can't upgrade to this version, they'd have to do a complete rebuild. They use more HD tv screens and at a couple points the screens are floor to ceiling. I did notice a little homage to dirty foot and muddy pig guy. In the first big TV screen room, you can catch a "drunk" pirate hugging and playing with a grouper. His "foot" hangs over a rock and looks dirty. Hard to catch but it's there. Pirates sit 5 to a row and not a pure bench. So they have a Single Rider line. I walked right on all the time.
Seven dwarfs is the same ride as the US. Single rider made my longest wait about 10 minutes. It's a fun ride during a downpour as well. Almost like a constant splash mountain.
The Tron coaster is also amazing. The motorcycle ride position is great. You rest your belly on a nice pad section and "kneel". Hands forward onto handle bars. Heads up and away you go. It's a magnetic launch like Rock-n-Rollercoaster but they have a longer run and slower build-up to keep your head from snapping off. It's still fast but no problem. After a quick outside section, you head into a dark section a lot like Space Mountain. A+ ride they need to bring to the states. they could do a Star Wars themed ride with similar vehicles going through the Ewok forests. Someone tell Bob! :mickey:
Their Jungle Cruise is a Storybook cruise that actually starts outside and goes into/under the castle. Very nice job.
I'll post more later if anyone is interested in anything specific. In general, it's a Chinese park. It feels a little Chinese. Lots of Mandarin. Few cast members have very good english, just basics. The food was good. Again, I like Chinese. There were a few western options but really not too much.
Not sure I'd recommend it as a destination park for a basic Disney lover especially with younger kids. The crowds are loud and "rude" for western standards. Fine for business folks with extra time but I wouldn't spend all the $$$ needed to bring my family.
Oh yeah, Disneytown is very nice. Lots of higher end stores and traditional Chinese restaurants but also the only Cheesecake Factory in China and a BOATHOUSE that has western options. Also, the merchandise is fantastic. Disney Marketplace has everything and you'll want to make sure you have extra room in your luggage for all the goodies you'll want to buy.
Any questions, let me know. I'd love to try to help.
