WonkaKid
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2009
Until a few days ago, I could only say that I'd been to every Disney park in the world except for Shanghai. That changed on Wednesday when I had occasion to drop into Shanghai DL. I spent the entire day from open to close there. Here are my thoughts. (Note: any comparisons I make herein are to DL Anaheim -- i.e., the original park).
The good:
Peter Pan: This was my first ride of the day. I went straight there once I was through the park gates. Fantasyland felt largely vacant; there was hardly anyone there. Unlike DL, there’s really only one side and very few rides. It feels a bit like a strip mall. I did the ride twice. It’s modern, cool and much like the original in many ways except updated with better animatronics as so forth. I exited and immediately got back in line. I rode it again in less than two minutes. Unlike DL, this ride queue doesn’t get insane until later in the day (as do all lines at Shanghai DL).
Pirates of the Caribbean: Many of you have likely seen videos of the Shanghai POTC. They’re cool, right? They don’t do the ride justice. When you rise up from the sea floor, you actually feel like you’re in motion! It’s a very cool effect. I did the ride twice. The first time I got sprayed by a wave that resulted from one of the other emerging ships. Overall, I enjoyed the ride and did it twice.
Oddly, you board and exit the ride dry. That is, the boat is on rollers, it’s not in the water like it is at DL. And the boats are five seats wide -- they’re bucketed so each rider sits in a specific spot unlike the ride at DL Anaheim. Also, a lap bar is pulled down by guests to keep them safe/inside.
Shanghai Pirates is definitely shorter than the original and it seems to lack most if not all of its charm. I felt that the effects were meant to bowl me over. While they were cool, I still like the original the best. It’s not unlike dating a model because she’s a knockout versus a woman that you connect with strongly: the model is visually appealing and impressive but the non-model girlfriend makes you feel better. Also, there are no real drops to speak of.
Buzz Lightyear: The idea of the ride is the same as the DL one: you’re in a moving cart and you shoot at targets. But the targets aren’t physical. They’re video. Although I scored well (749,000, 1.2M and 1.4M on my three respective rides), my main problem was that I didn’t understand the scoring. I asked two CMs and they both assured me that all targets held the same value. That didn’t make sense to me because many are smaller or only appear for a short time. What’s cool is that you have a laser site that’s always on (and of a different color than the riders both ahead and behind you so yours is easy to distinguish) so it’s much easier to zero targets. Wherever the laser is, that’s where your shot will go. But, as with all rides at Shanghai, I prefer the original, only in small part because the DL one has a top ten scoreboard at the end of the ride – and I’m usually on it ;-).
Side note: I saw a guest selling knockoff Disney pins -- blatantly -- in the Buzz queue. I also saw another guest doing the same somewhere near POTC.
Tron: the ride was a blast. I only did it once because the line was so long (75 minutes standby, about 45 as a single rider. Fast Pass? Forget it). But it’s tons o’ fun because at takeoff the ride accelerates rapidly. It’s a short-ish journey which lasts a mere 90 seconds or so. But it’s a great 90 seconds. Shanghai DL visitors: don’t miss this one.
The park closed at 8:00 on the day I was there (a Wednesday). Oddly, that’s when the fireworks began. Although it was a great show, it was more castle projections, lights and lasers than fireworks.
Getting to the park was easy via the 11 Metro. Disney Resort was the last stop so it’s virtually impossible to miss. There were several people selling Disney knockoff ears, pins and so forth beginning a few stops from the park.
Side note: The Shanghai Metro is the best I’ve been on in any city in the world (and I've been all over the world). It’s clean, quiet and fast. I never waited more than three minutes for a train. Commonly my wait was less than a minute. I was afraid that getting home from the park would be a nightmare with all of the people leaving at park closing. In truth, it was a breeze. Trains roll in like every 60 seconds. I even got a seat! I love the Shanghai Metro.
The bad:
Getting into the park was like nothing I’ve ever seen. The initial security line wove back and forth at least five times and more likely seven or eight – I didn’t count. It took approx. 40 minutes to get through. That in itself wasn’t so bad. What made it especially challenging was that people in China don’t respect personal space at all (this is an observation, not a judgment). That means that other guests are crushed up against you, front and back and you shuffle along as if you’re on a chain gang. Be prepared for this... if that's possible.
Unlike Anaheim, guests trickle in before park opening so the ones there earliest have an advantage (which I didn't like). Certainly there was no rope drop on the day that I was there.
As in all lines at this park, if you hesitate for even a moment, someone will slip in front of you. This all takes some getting used to and as a Westerner, sometimes it becomes too much to handle. On the Shanghai subway, at least three times I pushed people away and shouted, literally, “Get the f#%@ off me!” Sound harsh? Try Shanghai and see if you don’t react much the same. I’ve been to thirty countries (several two or three times) and have always had respect for cultural differences. This one was the biggest and most challenging I’ve ever faced. Endure it yourself before you judge me or counsel patience and/or tolerance.
The ugly:
Guests bring entire suitcases into the park. The suitcase I packed for Shanghai was smaller than most of the cases I saw guests roll through security. How big were they? Put it this way: any airline would make you check the bag. They were all too big to carry on.
There seem to be far fewer CMs at this park than any other (again, I’ve now been to them all). Even with a map, the park layout was sometimes confusing, there were few signs and I often had to take more time than seemed reasonable to find a CM to ask for help. Moreover, several people told me that the CMs there all spoke decent English. My experience was the opposite. Most spoke little if any English.
Fast Passes are gone for all rides by noon. Here’s the “good” news: guests may buy a FP for any single ride… for only $15. They may also buy a bundle of seven for $110 – twice as much as it costs to get into the park. Bear in mind that Shanghai’s average income is markedly less than those in America. I was told by an American woman who worked for Disney English (an English school run by Disney) that the reason they run out of FPs so quickly is because other guests hoard and then scalp them.
Some rides have single-rider lines. But they’re not much better than the standby ones. For example, when I rode POTC for the first time at around 10:00 a.m., the standby line was 45 minutes. SR was 30. It felt like it was simply a secondary line, not really a SR one.
Line behavior. People push, shove and cut at any and all opportunity. For those that are Shanghai DL-bound, prepare yourself for this. I thought I had. I hadn’t. Being told about it isn’t enough. You have to experience it and try not to lose your temper. It’s often a challenge.
Smoking. There are at least ten designated smoking areas at Shanghai DL. However, most guests that smoke seem to regard these merely as suggestions and smoke wherever and whenever they please. I hate cigarette smoke for three reasons:
In summary: this was my least favorite of all the parks in the world. I wouldn’t return even if offered a free ticket. This is due to three primary reasons:
The park map (outside).
The park map (inside).
On the 11 Metro line a few stops from the park.
The insane security queue.
My second attempt at Buzz Lightyear.
The good:
Peter Pan: This was my first ride of the day. I went straight there once I was through the park gates. Fantasyland felt largely vacant; there was hardly anyone there. Unlike DL, there’s really only one side and very few rides. It feels a bit like a strip mall. I did the ride twice. It’s modern, cool and much like the original in many ways except updated with better animatronics as so forth. I exited and immediately got back in line. I rode it again in less than two minutes. Unlike DL, this ride queue doesn’t get insane until later in the day (as do all lines at Shanghai DL).
Pirates of the Caribbean: Many of you have likely seen videos of the Shanghai POTC. They’re cool, right? They don’t do the ride justice. When you rise up from the sea floor, you actually feel like you’re in motion! It’s a very cool effect. I did the ride twice. The first time I got sprayed by a wave that resulted from one of the other emerging ships. Overall, I enjoyed the ride and did it twice.
Oddly, you board and exit the ride dry. That is, the boat is on rollers, it’s not in the water like it is at DL. And the boats are five seats wide -- they’re bucketed so each rider sits in a specific spot unlike the ride at DL Anaheim. Also, a lap bar is pulled down by guests to keep them safe/inside.
Shanghai Pirates is definitely shorter than the original and it seems to lack most if not all of its charm. I felt that the effects were meant to bowl me over. While they were cool, I still like the original the best. It’s not unlike dating a model because she’s a knockout versus a woman that you connect with strongly: the model is visually appealing and impressive but the non-model girlfriend makes you feel better. Also, there are no real drops to speak of.
Buzz Lightyear: The idea of the ride is the same as the DL one: you’re in a moving cart and you shoot at targets. But the targets aren’t physical. They’re video. Although I scored well (749,000, 1.2M and 1.4M on my three respective rides), my main problem was that I didn’t understand the scoring. I asked two CMs and they both assured me that all targets held the same value. That didn’t make sense to me because many are smaller or only appear for a short time. What’s cool is that you have a laser site that’s always on (and of a different color than the riders both ahead and behind you so yours is easy to distinguish) so it’s much easier to zero targets. Wherever the laser is, that’s where your shot will go. But, as with all rides at Shanghai, I prefer the original, only in small part because the DL one has a top ten scoreboard at the end of the ride – and I’m usually on it ;-).
Side note: I saw a guest selling knockoff Disney pins -- blatantly -- in the Buzz queue. I also saw another guest doing the same somewhere near POTC.
Tron: the ride was a blast. I only did it once because the line was so long (75 minutes standby, about 45 as a single rider. Fast Pass? Forget it). But it’s tons o’ fun because at takeoff the ride accelerates rapidly. It’s a short-ish journey which lasts a mere 90 seconds or so. But it’s a great 90 seconds. Shanghai DL visitors: don’t miss this one.
The park closed at 8:00 on the day I was there (a Wednesday). Oddly, that’s when the fireworks began. Although it was a great show, it was more castle projections, lights and lasers than fireworks.
Getting to the park was easy via the 11 Metro. Disney Resort was the last stop so it’s virtually impossible to miss. There were several people selling Disney knockoff ears, pins and so forth beginning a few stops from the park.
Side note: The Shanghai Metro is the best I’ve been on in any city in the world (and I've been all over the world). It’s clean, quiet and fast. I never waited more than three minutes for a train. Commonly my wait was less than a minute. I was afraid that getting home from the park would be a nightmare with all of the people leaving at park closing. In truth, it was a breeze. Trains roll in like every 60 seconds. I even got a seat! I love the Shanghai Metro.
The bad:
Getting into the park was like nothing I’ve ever seen. The initial security line wove back and forth at least five times and more likely seven or eight – I didn’t count. It took approx. 40 minutes to get through. That in itself wasn’t so bad. What made it especially challenging was that people in China don’t respect personal space at all (this is an observation, not a judgment). That means that other guests are crushed up against you, front and back and you shuffle along as if you’re on a chain gang. Be prepared for this... if that's possible.
Unlike Anaheim, guests trickle in before park opening so the ones there earliest have an advantage (which I didn't like). Certainly there was no rope drop on the day that I was there.
As in all lines at this park, if you hesitate for even a moment, someone will slip in front of you. This all takes some getting used to and as a Westerner, sometimes it becomes too much to handle. On the Shanghai subway, at least three times I pushed people away and shouted, literally, “Get the f#%@ off me!” Sound harsh? Try Shanghai and see if you don’t react much the same. I’ve been to thirty countries (several two or three times) and have always had respect for cultural differences. This one was the biggest and most challenging I’ve ever faced. Endure it yourself before you judge me or counsel patience and/or tolerance.
The ugly:
Guests bring entire suitcases into the park. The suitcase I packed for Shanghai was smaller than most of the cases I saw guests roll through security. How big were they? Put it this way: any airline would make you check the bag. They were all too big to carry on.
There seem to be far fewer CMs at this park than any other (again, I’ve now been to them all). Even with a map, the park layout was sometimes confusing, there were few signs and I often had to take more time than seemed reasonable to find a CM to ask for help. Moreover, several people told me that the CMs there all spoke decent English. My experience was the opposite. Most spoke little if any English.
Fast Passes are gone for all rides by noon. Here’s the “good” news: guests may buy a FP for any single ride… for only $15. They may also buy a bundle of seven for $110 – twice as much as it costs to get into the park. Bear in mind that Shanghai’s average income is markedly less than those in America. I was told by an American woman who worked for Disney English (an English school run by Disney) that the reason they run out of FPs so quickly is because other guests hoard and then scalp them.
Some rides have single-rider lines. But they’re not much better than the standby ones. For example, when I rode POTC for the first time at around 10:00 a.m., the standby line was 45 minutes. SR was 30. It felt like it was simply a secondary line, not really a SR one.
Line behavior. People push, shove and cut at any and all opportunity. For those that are Shanghai DL-bound, prepare yourself for this. I thought I had. I hadn’t. Being told about it isn’t enough. You have to experience it and try not to lose your temper. It’s often a challenge.
Smoking. There are at least ten designated smoking areas at Shanghai DL. However, most guests that smoke seem to regard these merely as suggestions and smoke wherever and whenever they please. I hate cigarette smoke for three reasons:
- It kills people -- passive smokers included.
- It’s selfish for smokers to impose their habit/inability to control their addiction on me and other non-smoking guests.
- I’m asthmatic and sometimes cigarette smoke causes me breathing trouble.
In summary: this was my least favorite of all the parks in the world. I wouldn’t return even if offered a free ticket. This is due to three primary reasons:
- It didn’t have a true Disney feel. It was like an amusement park that didn’t care about its guests like DL Anaheim does.
- The smoking, line-cutting and shoving became too much at some point.
- The lines and Fast Pass situation made wait-times far longer than to which I'm accustomed.
The park map (outside).
The park map (inside).
On the 11 Metro line a few stops from the park.
The insane security queue.
My second attempt at Buzz Lightyear.
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