I had exactly one day in Shanghai with no plans, so I did the obvious thing and went to Disneyland. Here is how the day went, what I would repeat and what I would skip.

Getting there

Metro Line 11 goes straight to the park; the last stop is literally called Disney Resort. From People's Square it took about 50 minutes. Buy tickets in advance through the official app or the official site, the gates open around 8:30.

Parade on Mickey Avenue
The parade on Mickey Avenue starts at 12:00 sharp.

What to ride first

  1. TRON Lightcycle Power Run — go here first, the queue explodes after 10:00
  2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure
  3. Soaring Over the Horizon
  4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (single rider line saves an hour)
Beijing Watch on YouTube ↗

The park is enormous but walkable. Comfortable shoes matter more than any fast pass.

Food

Treasure Cove has the best snacks, and the Mickey-shaped steamed buns are exactly as touristy as they sound. Bring a refillable bottle, water fountains are everywhere.

Where I stayed


Stay for the evening show. Everyone leaves after the fireworks, so the last hour on the rides is almost queue-free.

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