Shanghai DIsneyland Railroad

[IDMT129]

Mongolian Pirates of the East China Sea

[tj reger]

Finally got to see a map of Shanghai Disneyland and there is no railroad. It looks like they built a station at the enterance of the park just above the floral mickey but it says this building is only a locker rental place. Too bad, Walt would be so disappointed. Any one know the reason for no railroad, cost or area regulations?

[IDMT129]

Official Web site here: https://www.shanghaidisneyresort.com/en/attractions/

Pretty cool attractions. They get Star Wars first it appears. I am excited about Tron Lighcycles!

[Locoboy5150]

Some of my in-laws have already been to Shanghai Disneyland as they knew some Cast Members that had tickets to the soft opening days. They posted some photos but they didn't say anything about the park yet. I will be seeing it for the first time probably next fall when I visit Shanghai again. Until then I don't have too much faith in finding any even decent reviews of the park, including the first person opinions from my in-laws.

This is an issue that comes up with any of the Disney theme parks in Asia. The people there don't have a lot of experience with the other Disney theme parks and theme/amusement parks in general so they have nothing to compare with. Their perspective is completely different compared to one of us or any other US Disney fan that has been to Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World numerous times. Thus the people over there in Asia think that Space Mountain at Hong Kong Disneyland or Toy Story Mania at DisneySea are incredible "MUST-DO" attractions that are not to be missed. To any US based Disney fan, they're exactly the same as the versions at Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World and can be skipped to save time for seeing more unique attractions over there. (From personal experience, definitely go see Journey to the Center of the Earth a few times while all of the Japanese folks stampede over to Toy Story Mania when DisneySea opens. Trust me on that!)

When I was researching my first trip to Hong Kong Disneyland a few years ago and my most recent trip to Tokyo Disneyland, almost all of the Asian visitor websites were pretty much useless in terms of good reviews of anything because their authors were not well versed in all things Disney at all. Almost to a "T," none of them had been to any of the Disney theme parks besides the one that they were writing and/or posting (in message boards) about. Only the websites from Disney fans based in the US that had been to numerous Disney parks were worth reading.

Anyway...just my two cents in case anyone is planning a visit to Shanghai Disneyland. I can't wait to go there as after my recent trip to Tokyo Disneyland, I have a much broader perspective. Also, that park and DisneySea have *completely* re-written my theme park book and every single park that I visit from now on (yes, even my beloved Disneyland) will have a much higher standard to live up to to get two thumbs up from me. I'm certainly not the only Disney park fan to feel that way too after a visit to Tokyo Disneyland. Yes, the parks over there in Japan are *THAT* good!

[Locoboy5150]

Here's an article about the latest Disneyland park, which is scheduled to open to th epublic on 6-16-16:

http://micechat.com/127863-shanghai-dis ... gner-look/

Here's the closest thing to a train at Shanghai Disneyland:

[TFN5459]

Too bad, Walt would be so disappointed. Any one know the reason for no railroad, cost or area regulations?

And besides the railroad, or the lack there of, my biggest complaint about Shanghai is the lack of attractions and the lack of staples like It's a Small World, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Mansion etc. The only two things that stand out as being amazing to me about the resort so far are the Tron Lightcycle Powerrun and the Pirates: Battle for Sunken Treasure, other than that I'm less than impressed with what they turned out over there.

[Locoboy5150]

And besides the railroad, or the lack there of, my biggest complaint about Shanghai is the lack of attractions and the lack of staples like It's a Small World, Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Mansion etc.

Here's the thing that most Americans don't understand as they look at Shanghai Disneyland through a microscope with the eyepiece over here in the US - the Shanghai Disneyland customers/guests won't care about that. As I mentioned in my previous post, they don't have *any* clue about the "classic" Disney theme park attractions that you listed because to them they aren't "classics." They have never been to the other Disney theme parks where those attractions are "must-dos" and have achieved legendary status amongst fans, casual visitors, and even theme park industry veterans.

Simply put, they won't even notice these attractions missing from their "home park" because they don't know that they even exist.

It's hard to explain in words without actually going to China and mingling amongst the local populations, but over there Disney theme parks basically don't exist. Sure there is Hong Kong Disneyland, but most people from Mainland China (the people that Shanghai Disneyland is trying to attract) don't visit it. They have heard of the various Disney theme parks, but they don't know much about the details like the attractions or restaurants inside them. Remember that in China, 99.99% of the internet websites from free countries like Japan and the US are blocked by the government. Video sharing sites like Youtube and Hulu are also blocked. Facebook and Twitter, where people can post pictures and descriptions of their vacations to Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Walt Disney World, are also blocked.

To the outside world like the US, the Chinese government is really pushing the rosy image that they are becoming more Westernized and free but once you go there and scratch the surface a little bit, the country and its population really live in a dark cave with only a candle in front of them to illuminate what's out there. It has "improved" a bit (I put that in quotes because whether it has improved or not is 100% subjective and from this American's point of view) but it's nowhere near as free or as open as the Chinese government portrays to the US.

[tweetsie190]

Here's an article about the latest Disneyland park, which is scheduled to open to th epublic on 6-16-16:

http://micechat.com/127863-shanghai-dis ... gner-look/

Here's the closest thing to a train at Shanghai Disneyland:

Good Point, but there is also the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from what I saw, so, yeah. I'm just so dissapointed about this, considering the fact the Railroad's one of the most important aspects of the Parks in my opinion.

[Locoboy5150]

Good Point, but there is also the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from what I saw, so, yeah. I'm just so dissapointed about this, considering the fact the Railroad's one of the most important aspects of the Parks in my opinion.

I'm reserving my opinions of Shanghai Disneyland until after I actually go there for the first time, which will be in a couple of months. As a life-long Disney train fan, I have to admit that I must overlook and accept the fact that there will not be any train riding while I am there. Not only that, unlike all of the other Disneyland style parks, Shanghai Disneyland also has absolutely no transportation rides either. I think that that is a glaring oversight in a park as huge as Shanghai Disneyland but I will find out for myself soon.

I'll get my fill of both train rides and other transportation rides a few days later though when I go to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea after leaving Shanghai. This is strange, but I have to admit that I'm a little more excited about returning to the two Tokyo parks compared to visiting Shanghai Disneyland for the very first time. I should be as excited about visiting Shanghai Disneyland for the first time as I was when I went to Tokyo Disneyland for the first time in 2016 but I am not. Maybe the lack of a train is behind that feeling or maybe it's because Shanghai Disneyland is *so* different compared to all the other Disneyland style parks...I really don't know.

I am anxious to see if the newest Disneyland park can overcome the hurdles that it has been stuck with due to its initial design. I'll find out soon.

[Cory Gross]

(From personal experience, definitely go see Journey to the Center of the Earth a few times while all of the Japanese folks stampede over to Toy Story Mania when DisneySea opens. Trust me on that!)

Thanks for the tip! The last time I was there was pre-Toy Story, but my wife has never been to Japana nd we're looking at going. Journey and 20,000 Leagues are tied for my favourite Disney ride, so anything that diminishes the crowd is fine by me, even if it is Toy Story.

...I'm certainly not the only Disney park fan to feel that way too after a visit to Tokyo Disneyland. Yes, the parks over there in Japan are *THAT* good!

Yes and no. DisneySea is spectacular... So much so that it gives Tokyo Disney the opposite problem of the American parks and Paris. Everywhere else, the second gates look poorer in comparison to the Magic Kingdom park. In Tokyo, it's the other way around. To me, Tokyo Disneyland was "another Disneyland" while DisneySea blew me away. It even has, as I said, my two favourite attractions in any Disney park, anywhere. But that said, I still rank it lower than Disneyland USA and Disneyland Paris, just by virtue of being SO different from a Magic Kingdom park. For me it doesn't evoke quite the same feelings.