Honest Review: Disney Shanghai (as prior Cast)

My family took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China to experience Shanghai Disneyland.

The experience had some great and poor moments.

As former Walt Disney World (Orlando) cast members, we are familiar with the common complaints like mobile app dependency, costs for entrance and inside, customer service, and mix of domestic and international guests.

Do you think Shanghai Disney has the same problems, new ones, and has solved any of them?

Below is a comprehensive review of our experience. We hope you find value and it helps you make informed decisions if you plan on visiting.

Picture taken at the end of the ride: Voyage to the Crystal Grotto

Set the Stage: Observations of People

China implements specific country-wide practices for its citizens like its own apps for commerce and taxi instead of Amazon, Uber, Venmo.
Shanghai Disney was designed for domestic Chinese guests. Most were amazed seeing a blonde hair 2 year old. Cast on average do not speak English.
Commerce is heavily dependent on internet for all aspects of life including payment. Cannot use cash or credit cards in the park.
Younger generation uses social media and mobile phones the same or more than USA users.
In our experience, average people prioritize their own families instead of the collective whole leading to more people running, cutting in line, and poor elevator or train etiquette.
People run to get into line even if there is secured access to the event. Then leave early to run to the next event, sometimes knocking over others.

Best Practices:

Stay onsite at one of the two hotels. You get into the park early. Able to ride 1-2 rides with barely any lines. Avoids the need to purchase Premier Access.
Immediately ask a Cast Member to put in their mobile number so you get Disney WiFi. Using the app is essential. Alternatively, purchase an international phone plan or eSIM. We use Airlo.
Bring a phone charger with you to the park. Charge your phone at restaurants in Adventure land or Tomorrowland (Avengers). Cast will tell you ‘No’ but keep searching for a different location.
Bring an umbrella: the climate is very similar to Florida because it rains frequently and is sunny.

Good:

Staying onsite allowed us to enter 1 hour before opening 8:30am. We were able to ride Zootopia with almost no wait. Without this, you have to purchase Premier Access
Park is large with wide streets. Did not feel crowded. Most areas had cover (except Toy Story area).
Adventureland is most fun spot with good shade, attractions, and food. Pirates ride is the best in the world. The show is fun and frequently see Pirates walking streets with many character greeting spots.
All park areas and bathrooms are very clean.
Food and drink are reasonably priced. Has high quality food at pavilions. Do not need to sit down. Beer throughout park.
Night time show has best Avengers sequence so far, in the world. Shows uses projection with limited fireworks.

Poor:

Dependent on mobile phone app for entrance, attraction and character greet times, premier access, and mobile order. Requires Chinese phone number for Disney WiFi (ask Cast). Cast tell you to rent mobile phone charger. We brought our charger and found outlets at restaurants hoping no one would notice.
Fastpass is very difficult to understand and there is basically no information online either from Disney or other guests on how to complete it. We couldn’t figure it out. If you do please comment how! We are happy we decided to stay onsite eliminating this need. We asked Zootopia cast for Fastpass and they told us ‘No’ and to wait in line.
Few cast speak English
Toy Story area has No Shade. But this is consistent with Walt Disney World and to a lesser extent Disneyland Paris. I guess Toys are supposed to be exposed to the elements.
Easiest way to get onsite is by taxi from airport. However, these do not have car seats so bring one. There is a rail option, but airport lines are not operational outside normal hours.
BEWARE: The Bus Stop outside Disneytown and the Park is not on Disney property. As a result, the police are unfamiliar with Disney property. Section A and B both say Disney Hotels and Resorts. Section A (closest to Disneytown) is ONLY for Disney-operated Hotels Toy Story and Disneyland Hotel. Section B goes to non-Disney operated Hotels off property.

Our Itinerary:

Stayed at Toy Story hotel to enter the park 1 hour before opening time (8:30am)
Took bus from there to Disney Town at 7:05. We waited in line from 6:45-7:05. There were 20 families already in line.
Dropped off and ‘ran’ to security and then entrance. Felt like a whirlwind.
- At check-in to the hotel you receive 2 key cards. Both function as key cards but one of them is required for entrance and apparently fast pass.
- MUST have a Chinese phone number to access Disney Wifi. Ask a cast member (guest services) to put their phone number in and provide the 6 digit security code.
  - The internet (or data) enables Phone App to complete food ordering, Alipay (payment processing), and all other app required activities like entering the park, map, wait times, select stand by (Mickey show), and purchasing Premier Access. Also need internet for some translation applications.
Once inside, ‘Ran’ to Zootooia to get fast pass. Cast member said not available. Unsure if it’s because before operating hours (8:30) or just doesn’t exist. We rode because it was early. Is a great ride. Uses Ratatouille or Star Wars technology and has a great story. Very fun.
Then ‘ran’ to Soarin for wife to ride. It is 90% the same ride except the last few parts. Wife loves the ride and wouldn’t rccomend. Line itself is so long it takes 10 minutes to walk without any people
We are potty training my 2 year old and found 95% of the bathrooms are clean and even smell good. The family/companion bath rooms are always clean.
You can do child swap
Walked 2 minutes to Pirates of the Caribbean. Due to challenge and uncertainty of Fastpass just rode it. Was 5 minutes. Great ride. Immersive due to technology and huge projection.
Finished all 3 around 830/845 in time for the walk to Meet Mickey pavilion on other side of castle. Opens at 9. We arrived at the pavilion at 850 / 855 and was the 3rd in line. Amazing.
After that it was 915 and we waited for the avenger meet next to the exit. It opens at 930. We were 4th in line and met Spider-Man.
Around 945 we were done with our priorities.
Next we went back to adventure land for early lunch at Barbossa to watch pirate boats go by. It is like Mexico pavilion restaurant but Pirates ride instead of Donald Duck/Coco
Outside Barbarossa is a bathroom and pavilion that sells a chocolate cone with mango sprinkles. It is amazing. But – we found I out how necessary it is for internet because we couldnt order or pay without using mobile app.
The kids meal at Barbarossa is perfect size – large rice, large meatball, Mickey shaped hard boiled egg, and milk box.
Over the next few hours we went to some shows and character greets. Shows: Storybook (need stands by via app), Pirates, and Rythym. Rank them 1, 2, 3. I would say 1 and 2 are necessary and both great value and fun! Pirates is more fun but storybook is Mickey leading you on a visceral stage adventure with beloved songs as he helps Olaf find his correct story before it’s too late. Pirates stunts were good, a bit obviously planned and about 95% speed but at one point they were sucked into a tornado and flying in a whirlwind.
At 6 it starts getting dark and they roped off the castle area. That also is when our 2 year old was tired and cranky.
Around 6:30 we made our way to Dumbo. It said it was closed but there were still people riding. Since it’s next to the castle, we checked to see if there were people lining up – and there sure was! People sitting even. We found a good spot next to dumbo so he could ride and the other parent can stay guard. NOTE people are notorious for encroaching your space or getting in front of you so use a stroller putting horizontal to block your space. Or use elbows and box out (for basketball fans).
The night show is one of the best. The marvel section is the best I’ve ever seen. It is primarily mapping with fireworks sprinkled in. No drones
Day 2 was similar routine. Arrive early to ride Zootopia again, Toy Story area, and Pooh. Register using app to see more shows.

Food

Ice cream is soft serve with delicious cones – some normal or Chocolate with sprinkles in the cone. There are a few stations around selling this with ice cream flavors mulberry (blue berry); peanut butter and chocolate, pineapple, and mango (or vanilla swirl).
Carts sell frozen fruit on a stick. Sounds basic but is refreshing in heat.
Adventure land has best Eastern food with four roasted chicken wraps with peanut sauce at Chipmunk Snacks near water rapids, pan-fried pork dumplings at The Snackin’ Kraken next to Pirates, and churros or pretzel in Fantasyland West on the way from Adventureland. We had taco trio at Tribal Table. You get 3 flour tacos slathered whey avocado, slaw, and protein of pork, chicken, and vegetable potato.

Transport Friendly?

On a map, Disneyland and its Hotels are close to Pudong Airport. Most Asian counties have rail lines and interstates allowing simple transport. However, we found mobility requiring a child car seat difficult.

Arriving flights may come in early or late at night while normal rail or bus into the city are not operating. Alternative is taxi.
The rail line from Shanghai to Disneyland is about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Once at Disneytown take station A buses (to Hotels) to either hotels instead of walking. A taxi is half the time around 30-45 depending on traffic. However, taxis do not have car seats. Receptions states this isn’t a request so we had to pay extra for a luxury van that comes with a car seat. A taxi is ¥50-100 vs ¥300 luxury.
Online, the airport states there is a shuttle bus that drops off at Disneytown but reception at the Disney hotel said there is no shuttle bus to the airport.
You can take the rail line but it takes 1:30-2 hours because you first take the airport line then transfer to the Disney line (line 11, transfer to 16, transfer to Pudong line).

Impression: 6.5/10

It was a good experience but some operational inefficiencies cause discomfort.

Newest global park with a lot of space. But, the park itself is not large. We were able to ride 75% of the rides in one day.
Global best: Zootopia and Pirates rides
Shows are high quality. Many character meet and greets.
Costs are reasonable, excluding flights into country and transport
Operational framework dependent on internet is challenging for foreigners
Wait times get long for everything during normal hours, except food
Challenging to get help with few English speakers