Not Quite a Grand Opening at Shanghai Disneyland - June 2016 Solo PTR

[Bay]

I’ve never done one of these before, and I don't post online much in general, but I’m quite excited about this trip and I think it might be of interest to some people, considering my trip will be so close to the grand opening.

I’ll be going solo, so here’s a bit about me:

I’m in my mid-20s and I currently live in Florida. I’m a big Stitch fan, and my favorite Disney ride is Tower of Terror. I am a WDW annual passholder, but the only other Disney park I’ve been to was the Tokyo one ~7 years ago.

So why Shanghai? Well, I’m typing this from Beijing, China. I’ve got some strange family history here and come as often as I can. I’ve been here about a month now, taking Mandarin classes. I love China and think of it like a second home. That said, my language skills frankly stink. I basically know enough to get me in trouble, and it’s still a relief when someone starts speaking English to me. My last trip to Shanghai was when I was small child (I typically stick to Beijing), so I might end up struggling with the different accent or simple things like understanding the transportation system.

I’m scheduled to arrive on June 21st, 5 days after the grand opening. I expect a little chaos and a lot of crowds. I’m staying at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel for a total of 3 nights, checking out the 24th to move to another more central hotel in Shanghai for some general sightseeing. (For anyone wondering, yes, I was stalking the computer for the release of the hotel rooms and was one of the first to grab one. Probably didn’t need to be so aggressive, but it definitely put my mind at ease!)

I have only made 1 dining reservation, and I actually just made it today! I’ll be eating lunch at the Royal Banquet Hall on the 23rd. They asked for my hotel reservation number in addition to my basic info, which I found a little strange.

Now, for the tickets…I don’t actually have any! As per the website, if you are staying at one of their hotels, you are guaranteed to be able to buy a ticket for that day. However, with all the mistranslations and miscommunications going on with SDL, it’s up in the air if this will actually happen or not. I know a lot of people went ahead and bought their tickets just to be safe. I have decided to take the gamble though, and hope for the best. If they don’t honor that system, this will end up being a trip report of just the hotel and Disneytown! (Pleasedon'tletthishappenpleasepleaseplease)

My loose schedule so far:

6/21
-leave Beijing train station at 9am
-arrive at Shanghai train station around 2pm
-taxi to hotel (it’ll be interesting to see if the cab drivers know enough about Disney and it’s hotels yet)
-check in to hotel and figure out ticket situation
-go to the park and leisurely roam around, taking it all in
-quick service dinner in the park

6/22
-rope drop for Soarin’ fastpass, then straight to Pirates
-try to go to one show and a few rides

6/22
-rope drop for TRON fastpass, then straight to other rides or maybe Pirates again
-lunch at the castle (Royal Banquet Hall)
-try to go the the other show and ride the rest of the rides
-nighttime show?

6/23
-sleep in a bit and check out of hotel
-figure out they will hold my luggage past check out
-roam around disneytown until it’s time to leave

 

[Bay]

So I've gone ahead planned out my "must-do"s. For restaurants: Royal Banquet Hall (already booked), Wandering Moon Teahouse, Barbosa's Bounty, and Tangled Tree Tavern. For shows: Tarzan and Pirates (would also like to see the parade and night time show, but they are less of a priority).

On a side note: I was talking to a Chinese friend today about my trip to Disney, and she was commenting about how expensive the ticket prices were. When I told her they were actually the cheapest out of all the Disney parks, she was really really shocked. Disney is going to have to be very careful about not out-pricing the market. I already seeing complaints from the soft opening about the food being way too expensive. According to their app, the cheapest restaurant category is listed as 0-100 Yuan. For comparison, I regularly eat lunch for 15 Yuan and dinner for around 40 Yuan. 100 Yuan for a normal meal is crazy expensive here!

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

How interesting! I can't wait to see what you think about Shanghai Disney.

Several other people have mentioned about Disney needing to be careful about the price market.

My company regularly sends people to Singapore for work and they come back and say that it is a matter of pride to the people living in Singapore to find and eat the cheapest food possible. Even if it isn't really appetizing or the level of food prep cleanliness is questionable. I know that the people who work for our company get paid relatively decently but most of them are sending money back to their families so I know that to eat cheaper is better but if you get sick you can't work! It seems a little extreme. Is there that culture in China, too?

 

[Bay]

Oh I never knew that about Singapore! I've been dying to go back to Singapore but haven't been in a loooong time. Has your company sent you there yet? I haven't noticed anything quite to that level in Beijing, but I will say they have a more relaxed view of food safety. Getting a bad stomach from food isn't quite as dramatic for them, just means more bathroom trips during the work day.

 

[LinderInWonderland]

Following along! I am excited to hear more of a first hand account of Shanghai Disneyland! I have been intrigued by the design of the park and think the Tron coaster looks fantastic!

A friend of mine who is originally from Amsterdam has been living in Beijing for the last couple of years. He works as an English teacher and translator (usually translating from Russian to English or vice versa). For someone who translates for a living and speaks several languages already, he's been struggling with Mandarin and is annoyed that he's not further along.

 

[Bay]

Wow, I can definitely sympathize with your friend! I should really be further along at this point, too. I just took the official language proficiency test today and was a bit ashamed of my level, but oh well. As long as I'm getting better and not worse!

I have a friend in town now and starting tomorrow I plan to take her around to the sights in Beijing, so probably no updates until I get to Shanghai and finally see everything. I'm trying to figure out if the Grand Opening ceremony will be broadcast here in Beijing, but not having any luck yet. Only 4 days away from the official opening! So excited!

 

[Looptyloo]

Hope your trip is off to a good start. Interested to hear what you think of Shanghai Disney