KJTex
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
I just realized that I never posted my report from my solo Shanghai Disney from July 2018. So here it is in case it can help others:
I left my hotel in Pudong at 6:30 on a Saturday morning. Disney was supposed to open at 8am that day and I wanted to get there early. Cab ride over was easy. He knew exactly where to go and it only cost 70 RMB ($10USD) for the 20 min ride. I then walk to the front of the park. It is a lot of people, but pretty well organized with barricades forcing lines to get through security checkpoint. There are lots of security guards. Yes, there is litter on the floor while waiting outside the park as people would eat their breakfast in line and then throw the trash on the floor, but I did not see litter inside the park.
I got in line and at 7 and they started letting people through right at 7, so I got through security at about 7:20. Okay, next line was going through ticketing. At this point you choose the line and I chose a line that ended up being pretty slow, but got through by 7:40. I then open the app and decide to splurge and buy the premier fast pass (7 rides, including Pirates, were included).
Once in the park, I just started walking to the left and ended up in Toy Story land. I did Rex’ s racer (30 min wait), slinky dog (30 min wait), and Woody’s ride (60 min wait). The sign for woody’s ride said 30 min or else I would not have waited. For a 60 min wait, definitely not worth it. So at this point it is 10am, and I decide it is time to start using all of my premier fast passes, so I just start walking to see what ride I bump into.
7 Dwarf mine train with fast pass -maybe like a 10 min wait. It was great. The single rider line looked fast too. Then the Winnie the pooh ride was nearby so I did that one next. Again, probably only a 10 min wait. I passed by the Alice in Wonderland maze and decided to walk through. It was a nice walk. I then did Pirates, the Rapids ride, Soarin, Buzz, and Tron. I was so hot and so tired, I decided to leave at about 3:30 . I went over to Downtown Disney area and shopped for a bit before getting a cab back to the hotel. Line for cabs was easy to find and I had the buisness card that had the hotel info in Chinese to give to the driver so no problems. The ride back was 100 RMB, but there was more traffic than in the morning, so it felt fair to pay a bit more.
Overall:
I found very few cast members that spoke English, but they were still willing to try to communicate with me and I would point a lot for things I wanted or they would go get a manager. I found the souvenirs to be disappointing. Pin trading was great. The crowds were crazy and the pushing in line was stressful at points. I would not want to bring my children here until they are older as they would not have enjoyed themselves (even with the premier fastpass), but as a single, I found it easy to hustle and get around okay. The lines are more efficient than in US, because everyone is paying attention and they keep the line moving. They know that if they don’t, they will lose their spot.
I liked all the rides at Shanghai better than the versions in Orlando. I loved the inside parts of the rapids ride and of the mine train ride. But, They don’t seem as fast or to drop as much. Also, Pirates of the Carribean is super cool, but it was one and done for me. I prefer the cheesier-looking version in Orlando as it is the version that I have been going on (with only modest improvements) for 40 years.
One of my biggest stressers was my phone. I had meant to bring an extra power bank, but forgot. My phone was down to 80% by the time I got in line for my first ride. I told myself that I would need to conserve power as much as possible, so it meant no browsing while waiting in line.
Maps -In Florida there are maps everywhere and they eagerly hand them out as you walk in. Not so much here. They have them, but you have to go look for them. And they do not have a printed guide with showtimes.
Walking – It is a lot of walking here. And it is so hot. I have been to Disney in Orlando in the summer, but for some reason this park felt bigger (maybe because I did not know where I was going) and it definitely felt hotter.
Glad I did the trip during my day off from work in Shanghai, but I do not think I need to go back.
I left my hotel in Pudong at 6:30 on a Saturday morning. Disney was supposed to open at 8am that day and I wanted to get there early. Cab ride over was easy. He knew exactly where to go and it only cost 70 RMB ($10USD) for the 20 min ride. I then walk to the front of the park. It is a lot of people, but pretty well organized with barricades forcing lines to get through security checkpoint. There are lots of security guards. Yes, there is litter on the floor while waiting outside the park as people would eat their breakfast in line and then throw the trash on the floor, but I did not see litter inside the park.
I got in line and at 7 and they started letting people through right at 7, so I got through security at about 7:20. Okay, next line was going through ticketing. At this point you choose the line and I chose a line that ended up being pretty slow, but got through by 7:40. I then open the app and decide to splurge and buy the premier fast pass (7 rides, including Pirates, were included).
Once in the park, I just started walking to the left and ended up in Toy Story land. I did Rex’ s racer (30 min wait), slinky dog (30 min wait), and Woody’s ride (60 min wait). The sign for woody’s ride said 30 min or else I would not have waited. For a 60 min wait, definitely not worth it. So at this point it is 10am, and I decide it is time to start using all of my premier fast passes, so I just start walking to see what ride I bump into.
7 Dwarf mine train with fast pass -maybe like a 10 min wait. It was great. The single rider line looked fast too. Then the Winnie the pooh ride was nearby so I did that one next. Again, probably only a 10 min wait. I passed by the Alice in Wonderland maze and decided to walk through. It was a nice walk. I then did Pirates, the Rapids ride, Soarin, Buzz, and Tron. I was so hot and so tired, I decided to leave at about 3:30 . I went over to Downtown Disney area and shopped for a bit before getting a cab back to the hotel. Line for cabs was easy to find and I had the buisness card that had the hotel info in Chinese to give to the driver so no problems. The ride back was 100 RMB, but there was more traffic than in the morning, so it felt fair to pay a bit more.
Overall:
I found very few cast members that spoke English, but they were still willing to try to communicate with me and I would point a lot for things I wanted or they would go get a manager. I found the souvenirs to be disappointing. Pin trading was great. The crowds were crazy and the pushing in line was stressful at points. I would not want to bring my children here until they are older as they would not have enjoyed themselves (even with the premier fastpass), but as a single, I found it easy to hustle and get around okay. The lines are more efficient than in US, because everyone is paying attention and they keep the line moving. They know that if they don’t, they will lose their spot.
I liked all the rides at Shanghai better than the versions in Orlando. I loved the inside parts of the rapids ride and of the mine train ride. But, They don’t seem as fast or to drop as much. Also, Pirates of the Carribean is super cool, but it was one and done for me. I prefer the cheesier-looking version in Orlando as it is the version that I have been going on (with only modest improvements) for 40 years.
One of my biggest stressers was my phone. I had meant to bring an extra power bank, but forgot. My phone was down to 80% by the time I got in line for my first ride. I told myself that I would need to conserve power as much as possible, so it meant no browsing while waiting in line.
Maps -In Florida there are maps everywhere and they eagerly hand them out as you walk in. Not so much here. They have them, but you have to go look for them. And they do not have a printed guide with showtimes.
Walking – It is a lot of walking here. And it is so hot. I have been to Disney in Orlando in the summer, but for some reason this park felt bigger (maybe because I did not know where I was going) and it definitely felt hotter.
Glad I did the trip during my day off from work in Shanghai, but I do not think I need to go back.
