I visited Shanghai Disneyland on April 16–17 (Thursday–Friday), including early entry on Thursday. I also spent a full day there on Friday arriving around 11am. My home park reference is Disneyland Resort in California.
Here are my post-trip thoughts, experiences, and lessons learned:
Connectivity / Apps
I used AT&T international roaming in China and it was a big mistake
Internet was unreliable and caused issues with Alipay and Didi
This impacted basic things like payments and ride booking
Hotel Experience
Stayed at Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone (~$185 for 2 nights)
Pros: free shuttle to airport, Disneyland, and Bund
Cons: dated rooms, poor lighting, low toilet height, average overall experience
Transportation / Taxi Experience
Took a taxi with hotel address written in Chinese
Driver launched into a long political rant about the US
As a solo traveler, it felt uncomfortable and slightly unsafe
Recommendation: be cautious and prepared for language/political situations
Early Entry Experience
Early entry starts 7:30am, entry scanning begins ~7:15am
QR code needed for early entry, passport scanned at gate
WiFi requires SMS verification (US number worked)
Park Strategy Observations
Everyone rushes Zootopia and Mine Train first
Early entry fills up fast; queues grow quickly
Better strategy would be hitting major rides in order (Tron, Pirates, Soaring, etc.)
Regrets
Did not buy Premier Access in advance
Standby queues were long even midweek
Without planning, you lose time deciding vs enjoying rides
Food / Payments
Alipay worked but sometimes failed due to verification issues
Mobile ordering is separate from main app and requires QR scanning
International cards work but sometimes require manual processing
General Observations
High crowd levels (50–70k visitors)
Lots of photo shoots blocking walkways
Smoking areas not always respected
Toilets are mostly squat style with limited western options
Park feels more chaotic and dense than US Disney parks
Final Impression
Despite frustrations with connectivity and planning inefficiencies, the park itself is still unique and worth visiting, but preparation (especially payments + ride strategy) makes a massive difference.
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