Oppo Review: Shanghai Disneyland

"rctothefuture" (rctothefuture) 11/02/2020 at 12:00 • Filed to: Oppositelock, oppo review, Disney, shanghai, China, VACATIONLOPNIK, vacation, Review

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In my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I covered my trip to China Pre-Covid to visit my fiancée at the time. I covered the auto scene in the little corner of Fuzhou we were in, but a lot of folks were interested in my review and experience visiting the “Happiest Place on Earth” in China.

Shanghai Disney- What is it?

Shanghai Disney Resort (full name) is a 963 acre Disney theme park and hotel resort located in Pudong, Shanghai, China.

The Resort is currently open with 2 hotels (Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel), the Disneyland Theme Park, a full man made lake, train station and Disneytown. The resort was opened in 2016 and has been operating ever since. The park is the latest Disney Resort to open and is preceded by Hong Kong Disneyland. The Resort is designed for the “new century” and for the people of China to have a vacation spot as the middle class continues to grow. Let’s go over the Good, the Bad, and the opinion today on Oppo!

The Good- Hotels

Getting to the Hotels and Resort is extremely easy. There is a dedicated metro line from the airport to the resort. They also offer direct bus rides and shuttle services, on top of pick up and drop off through DD (Chinese Uber).

The Resorts at the Park are both new and are examples of what all hotels in China should be. They are clean, they are well engineered, there is “American” style plumbing (P traps so you don’t have to cover drains to keep bugs and smells out) and it feels like you’re at a Disney hotel anywhere else in the world.

Being that there is 2 hotels, one is the cheaper hotel and the other is the more luxurious option. The cheaper hotel is the Toy Story Hotel

The hotel is designed to look like Andy’s Room on the exterior with it’s sky blue and white cloud motif. It’s almost ironic that you can’t see the clear blue sky through the smog some days...

The rooms are themed around the Toy Story movies as the Pixar films are quite popular with children and teens in China. They are available as dual beds or Suites without a kitchenette. The hotel has a fun and appealing lobby along with little Toy Story Easter eggs throughout the hotel hallways and in the rooms. A great stay for the price.

Across Wishing Star Lake is the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel . This is somewhat similar to the Grand Floridian Hotel in Disney World. The entrance and grounds are a grand, almost mansion like look.

The lobby is extremely exquisite with golden accents and plush carpet throughout. It truly feels like a 5 star experience, and for the price ($350/night ) i t very well should be.

The rooms are available as dual Kings, suites, and suites with jacuzzi. Not as much “Disney” theming in this hotel but they do put up black and white pictures of Mr. Walt Disney throughout as a classed up reminder of where you are.

If you’re expecting the classic Disney Hotel experience where you can have a “hotel day” to relax and enjoy the Resort then I’d like to say you should change your expectations. Both hotels have a pool, but it’s about the size of one at your Motel 6.

Both only have 1 restaurant and bar. I’ve only stayed in a few hotels in China, but this seems to be the norm as space is a high commodity and pools aren’t a necessity to get guests onsite. Still, it’s a breath of literal fresh air to stay at an American style hotel after 2 weeks in China’s finest accommodations.

The Bad- Food

Food is subjective, what I like you may not like and vice versa. That divide only grows when you travel out of your country. Food in China is a Jackson Pollack painting of different tastes, textures, ingredients and textures slapped onto the canvas that is the palette of the average Chinese citizen. KFC here, Burger King here, Shrimp balls there, Hot Pot over there, Chicken and Duck Soup Dumplings down the road and Pizza with Durian behind your apartment.

This means that food can be a hit or miss when you’re there for a short time period. You tend to find what you like and only branch out a little here and there to experience the culture but not be stuck going hungry either. The problem is that Disney doesn’t offer much in Shanghai for the international traveler, in the Park.

The Park has several quick service restaurants along with a few cafe’s and carts of food. You can get your traditional Disney items (popcorn, Dole Whip, ice cream bar, etc.) but these are just snacks. You want food to eat, so you can head to Barbossa’s Bounty and order yourself something off the menu.

Squid pizza, BBQ squid, cold green tea and corn... Good stuff, eh? Now of course, that is being rather picky. Usually a chicken and beef option is available, but they do run out and you may be stuck with these options. There is a burger restaurant available in Tomorrowland, but again you get some strange options.

The food it’s self in the park is lackluster. Little flavor and quality to be found in the food. The issue is though, you’re paying Disney prices for subpar food. I can get a delicious 6 pack of soup dumplings delivered for 30CNY ($6 USD) with a drink and I’m eating good for the night. Paying 100CNY for a burger with some cold fries and no drink, you know you’re getting Mickey’s shaft and it’s not pleasant.

Now I get it, I’m a white guy from Wisconsin flying to China, going to their Disneyland and telling them their food is not good. I understand the elitism of this review, and I apologize if I come off that way. Disney World and Disney Land have some stinkers on their menu. But, they offer some genuinely gourmet food and you feel some what special getting that Disney World plate with Mickey Waffles. That feeling is lost in Shanghai, though I wonder if people from China feel that way at Disney World.

The Good- Restaurants

Now I know what you’re going to say, “RCToTheFuture, didn’t you just say the food sucked? How can the Restaurants be good?!”

Look, the park food is not good. But the surrounding restaurants that are run by Disney are FANTASTIC. Now again, this may be my “living in China” bias here, but getting fresh Tortilla chips and Guacamole in Shanghai is a rarity. My fiancée was so excited to experience Mexican food at the blue frog bar and grill , she almost broke down in tears. Months of noodles, Burger King and other Asiana fare can make even the simplest pleasure of a tortilla chip make you bewildered in food ecstasy.

To experience something outside the fast food/ramen/bbq sphere of influence is rare in China. We ordered Margarita’s and remembered what Tequila tasted like... It was glorious. The restaurants of Disneytown (The Downtown Disney/Disney Springs of Shanghai) are like a portal to the USA. Wolfgang Puck , Cheesecake Factory , Starbucks , it’s all there. You almost feel like you’re in Florida amongst the heat and humidity as you stand in line for a Frappuccino.

The food at these Restaurants are fantastic, as they are outside the control of the park. Quality, care, and time go into all the dishes. If you’re looking to experience the Asian cuisine, there are plenty of restaurants serving up Cantonese, Korean, Chongqing and Ramen style dishes. Again, all high quality but at a higher price then you’d find in the city of Shanghai. It’s a great way to experience the Shanghai culture, if only you planned to never go into the actual city.

Even the Restaurants in the park that offer their subpar offerings are well themed and do meet the Disney standard of immersion. Remy’s Patisserie was especially cute in that there are motifs and Easter eggs to Ratatouille all over the café. It feels like the café at the end of the movie, which is enjoyable as that may be my favorite Pixar film. I believe Starbucks provided the cookies and pastries, so of course they were excellent.

We didn’t get a chance to try the Hotel food or the “sit down” style restaurants in the park but I’d like to give them a try on the next visit. Perhaps the Mouse can woo me back and I’ll change my mind on their in-park food options.

The Bad- Space

Not Tomorrowland or the Final Frontier, I’m talking about actual size. Remember, the resort sits on over 900 acres of land! It’s a massive park. Everything is massive, the castle is full sized, the hotels are built for thousands, even the parking lot is ready for a full capacity park

It goes on for awhile...

When building the park, they planned for full walkways and expansions over it’s life time. Where as Disneyland was built into a corner, Disney World has to build land on swamp, Shanghai Disney has given themselves breathing room for the foreseeable future

The problem is that currently, as a guest, you suffer walking through the park. The average person at Disney World can walk through the front gate, walk to Tomorrowland and then walk to Adventureland in about 15-20 minutes if they aren’t stopping. Walking in Shanghai? Hope you brought some comfy shoes. Just to get from the front gate to Tomorrowland is a good 15-20 minutes. The paths are long, wide, and surrounded by shrubbery.

You have no idea how close you are until you see the tops of buildings and rides. If it’s a slow day in the park, you feel like you’re walking through before it opens as people are sparse and spread out. You get the sense that there is more for you in the future. That some day these shrubs will be gone and you’ll be surrounded by shops and rides. It feels like when you get good at planning in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3, then you save your half built park and just never come back to it...

The space is great as you don’t get pummeled and have people running into you (as is tradition in China). But you really do feel like you’re walking a mile to get on a ride. Late into our day at the park, we seriously contemplated skipping Tomorrowland as we were on the other side of the park and the walk would mean almost 30 minutes of nothing.

The Good- Rides & Attractions

If there is one thing Disney does well, it’s their rides. Everyone has a favorite, whether they’ve been to Disney in the past 5 or 50 years. They are timeless classics that define the company almost as much as their movies. The expectation for Disney Shanghai was high as Hong Kong hasn’t impressed as well as people would hope. With the rest of the Disney Kingdom putting out winners, Shanghai had to do the same.

They’ve delivered (mostly) in spades. Tron Light Cycle, 7 Dwarves Mine Train, Iron Man VR, Pirates of the Caribbean, Soaring over the Horizon, along with most the Disney classics (Dumbo, Peter Pan, teacups, Winnie the Pooh, etc).

Now you might recognize some of those rides from other parks. Disney has a habit of copying rides amongst other parks, especially Soarin’ and the 7 Dwarves Mine Train. Shanghai has/had a few exclusives to the park. Tron Light Cycle (now coming to Orlando), The Enchanted Grotto, Slinky Dog Spin, Pirate’s Battle for Sunken Treasure, and Iron Man VR.

Now I won’t give a review of each ride, but I’d like to point out why they are so great. Tron is a great ride, you’re seated onto a light cycle and shot out into an LED canopy at over 55 MPH in 2 seconds. They lock you in by your calf and back, you just need to hang on, so it’s quite thrilling.

Slinky Dog Spin is special to me as it’s based on a ski adventure ride from carnivals. I would ride it multiple times with my mom and sister, so this was awesome to see and get to ride in China. The g-force given by the centrifugal force is nothing crazy, but still thrilling for kids and families.

Iron Man VR is exactly how it sounds. You get put into a VR Iron Man suit and you get to take out Chitari from the Avenger’s movie. You get to use your arm cannons and chest cannon to get a high score. A great way to experience a Marvel movie and one of the best VR games I’ve played yet.

Pirates is... something else. It’s amazing. The Pirate’s of the Caribbean ride in the US parks are campy, classical, idealistic versions of Pirates. You get into a little boat and ride around experiencing the Pirate’s Life (for me). In Shanghai? Disney went BIG. The boat can fit 7 across and is about 10 rows deep. The boat has drops like in your average Pirate’s ride, but instead of being in a Pirate town, you’re in the middle of a battle between Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones. It’s climatic, it’s exciting, and the animatronics are incredibly life like. If you have time, just watch the video:

The Bad- Experience

For all the praise of the rides, the restaurants, and hotel, I still can’t give Disney Shanghai a great experience tag. The issues are a mixture of culture, Disney’s current decision making, and everything I felt in the time I spent there.

Shanghai, and China as a whole, is a strange dichotomy and in a fast paced transition. If you’ve seen the Grand Tour, you’ll remember that opening in China about how the rice paddies became high rises in 10 years and China is growing by the day. This is incredibly true and it feels like you’re seeing the growth of a super nation. Remember seeing mining towns become sprawling cities in your history book (or PBS specials)? That’s China now.

This means that folks who grew up with towns that were little more than huts and basic living necessities suddenly have electric cars and Disneyland in less than 20 years. The surrounding area of the Park is a mixture of rice fields, manufacturing warehouses and fallen over buildings. This means that people still have their traditional life style, which shines through at Disneyland. I can’t give people a negative for cultural practices, but it certainly can affect the experience from what you expect.

Standing in line to get in? There is no line. China hasn’t figured out the cue. When a door opens, folks mob the entrance as they want to be the first to get in. Standing at a checkout? You may have someone come to the left or right of you trying to get checked out before you, even if you’ve been in line. Folks will light up even though it’s a smoke free park. Kid has to use the toilet? Just pull down his pants and hold him up to a bush or a trash can...

Typical entrance in China

The part that really had me worried was the ground. We hopped into the cue for Pirate’s and we noticed the ground was wet. We knew it hadn’t rained all morning, and we couldn’t understand why it looked washed. We asked a ride worker before getting on the boat why it was wet. She told us that “People spit, people shoot snot, some people pee. We need to keep it clean.” Welcome to Shanghai, folks.

The Experience, Continued-

The other issue that Disney has is that it tries to hard to make the experience as familiar as possible. They have daily parades and shows, as is tradition in all Disney parks. They have a fireworks show at night with a projection onto the castle. They built rides based around their renaissance classics, and built ones with their own themes.

The issue is that they are all subpar, sub-Disney standard. Take the parades, they are nothing more than general floats spaced so far apart you think the show is over before you see the next float and characters. The music and dancing are no where near as energetic as you see at other parts and it seems like most park goers see it as a nuisance rather than a show.

Disney’s nighttime fireworks show is very similar to their Florida show. However where the projection mapping of the castle in Florida looks good due to a large (but manageable) backdrop, China has a full size castle so the mapping isn’t as clean cut or enjoyable to watch.

Disney has implemented a few new ride systems at Shanghai, but a lot of rides at Shanghai are shared with their US counterparts. Winnie the Pooh, Soarin’, Tron Light Cycle, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Peter Pan, and a few other ride systems that we see in the US parks.

Now you could make the argument that Disney does this at every park. Every Disney Park, Shanghai included, has a Main Street USA where you can relive the Americana of the1920's. It’s where you find little shops, handmade treats and a relative theme that connects Walt’s vision. The issue with Shanghai is that it really doesn’t fit the park. You enter a street right out of Magic Kingdom, only to get sent into a new 21st century theme park. The transition is not subtle.

This means that Disney Shanghai suffers from the same problem that Disney Parks suffer from under Bob Iger, shared experiences. If Shanghai offers similar rides and shows to Disney World, why travel there? Sure, the domestic crowd should experience it but if they’ve been to a US Disney Park, why go to Shanghai?

The Good- Disneytown

Earlier I mentioned Disneytown, the Disney Springs equivalent here in Shanghai. Disneytown is probably the greatest example of “How do we make Shanghai Disney just like Disney World?”

Disneytown has a lot of good to offer. The restaurants are excellent, the shops are fantastic, and the entire area feels nothing like a shopping center in Disney. We were there during Halloween and the lights were pumpkins and there were Halloween motifs all over the town.

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They’ve gone out of there way to try and make it an experience, which I feel with a few more shops/ride experiences you really could do so. The Disney store is a great place to get merchandise outside of the park and it doesn’t feel like a merciless cash grab.

Also, they have a giant Donald Duck. Which is cool.

Is it worth it?

Disney Shanghai is a park that brings the experience of an American Disney park to China. You get a few exclusive China themed items, but it feels like Disney is selling the Chinese market an American experience. That is currently what the Chinese are buying, American products at a premium to distinguish themselves and flaunt their ever growing wealth. The Shanghai park almost feels like a simulacrum of Disney Word/Disneyland; it doesn’t toe the line of the culture of the country it’s in rather going for the ideas of what makes American Disney so great.

Looking at other Disney Parks (Japan, Paris, Hong Kong) you feel immersed in a Disney of that country. You feel like you’re in Disney Japan, there is great strides made to make it feel like Disney but in Japan. The cultural norms are there and while you can pet Pluto and hug Goofy, you feel the urge to bow after getting an autograph. At Shanghai, you feel as if you should be wearing a Hawaiian shirt while complaining about food prices and hot Florida weather. The only thing that feels Chinese is the text on the walls, the speaking voices on the rides, and the occasional food item.

it’s an escape for the average Chinese citizen to experience America without making the long trip and still being able to speak their native language. Does that make it a bad thing? I argue no, as that’s what the Disney Parks in the US offer, an escape to a foreign place while remaining grounded and safe with your native language and culture (i.e. Epcot’s World Showcase). So is it worth it for you to go?

If you’re a #Disney4Lyfe type of person, you don’t care about the criticisms I’ve laid forth. You want to go to every park and experience it. If you’re an average tourist who wants to see the world, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re in Shanghai, you’re in China. See the sights, the sounds, the incredible food and cultural differences. Spend your $100 on a bullet train to the Great Wall, spend it on a Hot Pot dinner with hand spun noodles and fresh meat. If you’ve run out of things to do, then do Disney. Experience the interpreted ideas of American exceptionalism, it’ll really make you miss home.

HammerheadFistpunch > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 12:14

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This is an interesting read.  My current boss was the consumer experience director for this park.  How you interact with the park and how to make your experience better. 

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 12:15

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Thanks!

It’s an interesting reminder of just how many “franchises and brands” Disney has gobbled up over the years... And all homogenized into a uniform Disney patina.

Buzz ! yes.

Star Wars! yes

Mickey!

Woody!

Little Mermaid!

My childhood!

fintail > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 12:39

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I’ve experienced Disneyworld, that’s enough for me.

Shanghai has long been on “the list”, but I’d be more interested in the insane recent development, along with the remnants of the old International Settlement.

rctothefuture > HammerheadFistpunch 11/02/2020 at 12:41

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I can tell he tried his hardest in some aspects. I think I may be skewed as I’m an American tourist, and this is really built for Chinese tourists. I’m sure with the way they developed the park, it was designed for the locals and as such I see it in a different light.

rctothefuture > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 11/02/2020 at 12:44

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It’s pretty funny how much Disney rely’s on nostalgia. See how crazy people get for those Funko pops or Spirit Jerseys if it has a 80's-90's Disney character on it.

It’s like crack to these Disney fanatics.

rctothefuture > fintail 11/02/2020 at 12:46

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Shanghai as a tourist destination is one of the most interesting things I’ve ever seen. You fly in and you read magazine articles from local producers about technological advancements and how it’s the city of the future.

Then you get off the plane and walk out of the airport to be surrounded by diesel and CNG fumes, cigarette smoke and sewage. The city it’s self is amazing and seeing massive skyscrapers standing like a foreboding mountain over these 2 story shacks is incredible.

I highly recommend visiting and enjoying the city. You could spend a whole week there and only see a small portion of it all.

Taylor Martin > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 13:09

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What a fantastic write up for a place I don’t think I’ll ever go.   I’m not a diehard Disney guy (even though I live a half an hour from Florida’s park and won’t go anywhere near it because global pandemic), and I’m not a huge globe trotter, but  that Pirates of the Caribbean ride looked too good to pass up. Couldn’t understand the story due to a language barrier, but the special effects were universally cool!

rctothefuture > Taylor Martin 11/02/2020 at 13:16

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If I remember correctly, the story is you’re helping Jack Sparrow find a sunken treasure and you have to battle his most well known foes. Nothing crazy but a fun story you don’t need to know the language to enjoy.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 13:46

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Tokyo Disney Sea is pretty cool, their Disneyland is next door there. I went once when I lived there. I’ve been to an F1 race in Shanghai and saw the sights. 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Taylor Martin 11/02/2020 at 13:46

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They ruined Pirates of the Caribbean with the movie shit. 

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 14:03

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Great review, thanks for sharing! Love the full-size castle—the one in Hong Kong is disappointing .

Over in Hong Kong people had complained for more than a decade about the behaviours of mainland Chinese tourists. As you clearly understand, China bounced back REAL hard after Communism ended and the “software” has been playing catch-up with the breakneck “hardware” speed.

The complaints have tapered off, and anecdotally I can say that tourists are much better behaved than, say, 15 years ago when China first relaxed tourism restrictions ( somewhat coinciding with the HK Disneyland’s opening) .

Say what you want about the Chinese government, but a quarter of humankind is undergoing one of the most incredible transformations in history and it would be folly to ignore it.

Did you spend time in Shanghai itself?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 14:07

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It’s definitely a city of “China’s future ” rather than “humankind’s future,” and I haven’t been to Shanghai since 2006, so it has probably evolved significantly.

Did you observe the local EV market penetration? I have no idea how that’s going, but down south in Guangdong Province, both Guangzhou and Shenzhen have electrified their entire bus and taxi fleets.

Next time I’m in mainland China I’m still expecting the wave of exhaust fumes to hit me the moment I step out of the airport. I need to experience that one last time before they fix it!

rctothefuture > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 11/02/2020 at 14:53

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EV’s were pretty solid in Shanghai, saw a ton of billboards for them and we road in a few DD’s that were electric. Disney’s entire transportation fleet is EV or “Clean” fuel as they call it.

I’ve heard Shenzhen is very heavy on EV usage, would love to get there and check it out!

rctothefuture > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 11/02/2020 at 14:58

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The full size castle is breathtaking. Try going back to Orlando have people tell you Cindy’s castle is big...

I’ve heard that the new generation of Chinese tourists (kids turning into adults) have really made traveling more bearable as they are more understanding of the rest of the world. At least compared to their parents.

When put into that context, it really is amazing that the country can keep it’s self together and do the things it does. Social credit and facial recognition software for a quarter of the world is amazing.

I didn’t spend a whole lot of time in the city. I mainly stayed near the airport for my layovers. I did get to know the metro system well so we didn’t spend a ton of time on the streets. I will say my time in the city was amazing and I was upset I didn’t get to experience more. I spent most of my time in Fuzhou, which felt like a whole different world .

fintail > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 16:03

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90 years ago it was being touted as that “city of the future” as well, before a war and decades of idiocy intervened.   I’m a JG Ballard fan, so I’d like to see some of the colonial invader stuff, I think less of it is being razed now that some locals see the historic value (and that it can lure in tourists).

Chariotoflove > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 16:08

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I had no idea Shanghai has this, and I spent a lot of time talking to a friend who lived for a year in Shanghai. She isn’t a Disney person, so I guess that’s no surprise. Great review. I appreciate how much time you put into it.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 16:23

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This was a fantastic review! I find it very interesting how the park seems to have been built for Chinese tourists to experience an American tourist attraction about experiencing things you otherwise wouldn’t  without actually leaving China. It’s like a third hand world experience mired in interestingly translated consumerism. 

rctothefuture > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 11/02/2020 at 16:53

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Thank you! It’s very much a translated experience for a new market. Kind of like when you eat Mars candy in Europe. You know the flavor, you know Mars, so it’s oddly familiar even though it’s not. 

rctothefuture > Chariotoflove 11/02/2020 at 16:53

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Appreciate the kind words! It’s definitely not on the list of things to do in China, unless you really like Disney.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 17:04

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I wouldn’t know as I’ve never been to Europe and my only experience in foreign candy is some German market Haribo candies some friends would always bring back. I think I still know what you mean though. 

Chariotoflove > rctothefuture 11/02/2020 at 17:23

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I’ve been to Disney in Orlando twice, once as a little kid, and once in high school. My daughter really wants to go, but it’s so darned expensive, I don’t think we can make it after school tuition, etc. I’d love to see Universal and Harry Potter, etc. myself, and see how Epcot has stood the test of time, but adult life intrudes.

But if I were in China, you bet your butt I’d be experiencing the country’s culture and history preferentially over Disney . It was still fun to read your account.