How Many Days to Spend at Shanghai Disneyland

HKDL Trip Report 2023 Part One Introduction (78)

Shanghai Disneyland is a behemoth of a park. It’s Disney’s largest castle park and one of Disney’s largest parks in general. It has 8 themed lands, including the world’s only Zootopia themed land, that are filled with tons of rides, restaurants, shops, and other experiences. If you’re planning on visiting, no doubt you have asked yourself the question of how many days to spend at Shanghai Disneyland. The answer to this question might not seem as straightforward as you might think, and your visit length will depend on a number of factors.

Given its size, it’s only fair to assume that Shanghai Disneyland as a park will take longer to experience than say Hong Kong Disneyland. On my last trip to Shanghai Disneyland, I spent 3 whole days at the park and even then I didn’t feel like I had enough time. But of course, other than how long it takes to see the park as a whole, there are other things to consider like your budget, interest in Disney, and other factors that might come into play. So I thought I would write this post to help you figure out how long to spend at Shanghai Disneyland.

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

This post contains affiliate links. We receive a small commission for purchases made after clicking on these links at no extra cost to you.

Click the links to buy discounted tickets to:

Disneyland

Walt Disney World

Tokyo Disney

Disneyland Paris

Hong Kong Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland

Like me on Facebook at The Disney Specialist, and follow me on Instagram / Twitter / Tiktok!

Check out these helpful posts to plan your Shanghai Disneyland trip!

Table of Contents

How Many Days to Spend at Shanghai Disneyland

After deciding on when to go, the next thing you need to ask yourself is how many days you should allocate to visiting Shanghai Disneyland. Of course this answer will vary depending on a variety of factors, so I came up with categories of people and assigned them a length of time to visit Shanghai Disneyland based on their specific interests, needs, and budget. Hopefully I covered all the bases with this post, but if you think I didn’t then feel free to reach out on my socials!

1 Day

Families with Younger Kids Visiting their First Disney Park

I will admit, having Shanghai Disneyland be your first Disney Park is a bit crazy, especially for younger kids. The park is just so large and the attractions skew more to adults in my opinion. But if you’re bringing your family to Shanghai Disneyland and it’s going to be your kids’ first Disney Park experience, I would only bring them for a day.

I know, you may be thinking “why would I bring my kids to Disneyland for just one day if it’s their first Disney theme park experience?” Well, there’s no guarantee that your kids will like the Disney theme park experience. Sure, they may enjoy the Disney movies you’ve shown them, but they need to know that the parks are another being unto themselves.

Your child might not like standing in line, or they may get fussy after being out for so long. There’s a lot of kids who love the Disney theme parks, but there’s a fair share of them who don’t love them too. If you’re not sure if your child will like theme parks, then play it safe and buy a 1-day ticket. If they end up loving it then hopefully you can rearrange your trip a little bit to accommodate a second day. But if your child has shown signs in the past that theme parks might not be for them, then 1 day is enough.

Travelers Who Have Never Visited a Disney Park Before

Similar to my reasoning for the families of younger kids visiting their first Disney Park, I would recommend travelers who have never visited a Disney Park before to only visit for a day. It’s crazy to have your first Disney Park experience be Shanghai Disneyland, but if that’s how it’s worked out for you then I would recommend visiting for just a day.

Similar, again, to what I said earlier, if you’ve never been to a Disney Park before, you aren’t 100% sure you’re going to like the experience. While the chances of you having a good time are larger than you not having a good time, I would just caution you that the Disney theme park experience isn’t going to be for everyone. And just in case it’s not your thing, at least you aren’t stuck going for a second day because you already paid for it.

I would allot time if possible to go a second day if you do end up liking the experience. Shanghai Disneyland, I believe, is best seen and experienced in 2-3 days, so if you end up enjoying yourself then carve out some time to go back and do the rest of the rides, shows, and experiences you missed out on during your first day. If you hate it though, then it’s no big loss since you at least tried it and gave it a shot, even if it wasn’t for you.

Travelers With Limited Vacation Time

Now some travelers don’t have the luxury of time when they’re on vacation. Maybe they’re going to other nearby cities or can only go for a long weekend. If you’re pressed for time, then definitely go for one day if you’re mulling over how many days to spend at Shanghai Disneyland.

Like I mentioned in the previous section, I think 2-3 days is the optimal amount of time to visit Shanghai Disneyland. The park is sprawling and you’ll need at least 2-3 days to experience it all. However, if you’re short on time, then one day at the park is enough. You’ll be able to hit the highlights and discover some of the park’s hidden gems. As I always say, 1 day is better than no days. If you only have time for a day, I’d say it’s still worth experiencing.

If you can only visit for a day though, I would go all out. Buy Early Park Entry Passes and Disney Premier Access (DPAs) for everyone in your party so you can save time and skip the lines at the most popular attractions at the park. Early Entry will also give you an extra hour of park time so I highly recommend doing that as well. Make your one day at Shanghai Disneyland as efficient and fun as it can be, and as long as you can afford it, go buy these extras to enhance your day.

Travelers Who Don’t Like Theme Parks

If you’re traveling with someone who doesn’t really like the theme park experience in general, or maybe doesn’t like the Disney theme park experience, then definitely only go for 1 day. I wouldn’t want to be in a place that I don’t enjoy for more than a day, so the best compromise to make between someone who wants to visit Shanghai Disneyland and someone who doesn’t is to just meet halfway and only do 1 day at the park.

Shanghai Disneyland is the kind of park, however, that could convert a Disney hater into a casual Disney enjoyer. Thrilling and immersive rides, impeccable theming and placemaking, and an overall joyous park experience could turn even the staunchest of disbelievers in the Disney magic. It’s truly a special place, but again, if someone is really Disney parks averse, then it’s probably best to only go for 1 day.

2 Days

Families Who Have Visited a Disney Park Before and Their Kids Like It

Now we’re getting into the kinds of travelers that I think should visit the parks for 2 days. At the top of my list are families who have visited Disney Parks before and their kids love it. The adults may like the experience as well, but the kids are definitely the biggest Disney lovers in the family. Which isn’t a detriment, if anything it makes it more fun as they’ll be really into the whole experience.

If your kids like the other Disney Parks found around the world, I can guarantee that they’re going to love Shanghai Disneyland. So when asking yourself how many days to spend at Shanghai Disneyland, definitely consider adding a second day to your time at the park. Unlike with the first scenario in the 1-Day section, if you’re sure that your kids love and can handle the Disney theme park experience, it’s a low risk decision to add an extra day and make it a 2-day visit.

If you do decide to visit for two days, I would recommend staying at one of the Disney resort hotels. The one I would recommend most is the Toy Story Hotel. It’s full of cute details and the design and vibe of the hotel is perfect for families. When I stayed there in 2019 I had a fantastic time. If you can afford it, I’d highly recommend it.

Travelers Who Like Disney Parks and Have Been to a Disney Park Before

These are the people who like Disney Parks, and enjoy going to them, but they are a couple of steps below a full blown Disney adult. They appreciate Disney, but they aren’t the rabid fans buying 12 pairs of Minnie Ears or a thousand pins. If this describes you, I would recommend you visit for 2 days.

I know what you’re thinking: if someone isn’t that big of a fan, why would they visit for 2 days? Well, there’s really only one reason: so you can see and experience everything. Even if you aren’t the biggest Disney fan, Shanghai Disneyland has loads of lands, rides, and shows to experience that it’ll seem like a half-baked experience to only go for 1 day. I mean, you know you like the Disney theme park experience, so why not go for 2 days to really soak everything in, go at your own pace, and appreciate all the details in the park.

This is especially true if you’re going during a busy time of year. Shanghai Disneyland’s biggest rides usually command 90-minute to 2 hour waits on most days. Sometimes you might even need to line up just to enter specific lands. If you visit for two days, you will have a higher chance of being able to see and do everything you want to do in the park at least once, as well as re-ride a bunch of your favorites.

First Timers Who Want the All-Out Disney Experience

If you’ve been dreaming about a Disney vacation for a long time and this is your first experience, I would 100% go all out and do two days at the park, especially if you like theme parks and have just never been to a Disney Park. Shanghai Disneyland isn’t the most beginner-friendly Disney Park (the most beginner-friendly park would have to be Hong Kong Disneyland), but that shouldn’t stop you from giving it a try.

I would say if you can, really go all out when you visit the resort. Stay at one of the two hotels. Buy Early Park Entry Passes and Disney Premier Access passes. Book character dining meals at the park or at the hotels. Ride every single ride and see every single show. Play the various games you can find around the park. There’s a lot of things to do at Shanghai Disneyland. Your first Disney Parks experience should be memorable, so definitely make sure you go all-out if you’ve been wanting to do this for a while.

3 or More Days

Diehard Disney Fans

Now we’re getting to the people who (like me) would visit Shanghai Disneyland for 3 days (or possibly even more). It goes without saying that, if you’re a Disney diehard like myself, then definitely go for 3 days or more. Shanghai Disneyland is probably the most unique castle park, and its vibe and atmosphere may take some getting used to if you’re used to the US parks. But trust me, you’ll be glad you went for 3 days, because there is just an overwhelming amount of things to see and do at the park and resort.

It will take you probably one day to adjust and two days to really soak up the park. Shanghai Disneyland might come off a bit weird to some Disney Fans given how different it is, but it definitely merits more days than say Hong Kong Disneyland, mostly for its gargantuan size. I’m not kidding you when I say it takes 20-30 minutes to walk from one side of the park to the other. Going for three days decompresses your days, allows you to take in the attractions more thoroughly, and gives you the opportunity to explore the other parts of the resort such as DisneyTown and Wishing Star Park.

You’re also going to want to do the rides multiple times, particularly Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, Tron Lightcycle Power Run, Peter Pan’s Flight, Soaring Over the Horizon, and Roaring Rapids. Shanghai also has some unique walkthrough attractions, the best of which are the Challenge Trails and the Once Upon a Time Adventure. There’s so much to see and appreciate as a Disney fan, so if you’re like me and are a huge fan, definitely go for 3 days or more.

Klook.com

Those Who May Not Come Back to Shanghai Disneyland

This might be a sad statement to make, but Shanghai isn’t the most convenient Disney Park to get to. Aside from having to spend thousands to fly a family of 4 there, you also need to handle the visa situation, as well as having to deal with the lack of access to some internet apps in China and other potential concerns. So if you’re doing this trip to tick a castle off your list and will probably never come back, I’d say stay for a while.

Also, just like the first-timer in the previous 2-day section, I would go all out. Book a hotel stay, early park entry passes, DPAs (although if you’re staying for 3 days you may not need this), and character dining. Be in the parks from park open to park close. And if you can’t realistically do that anymore, at least you have a hotel nearby to rest at. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, then better to go all out and make sure it’s a truly memorable one. And hopefully it’s so memorable that you’ll want to go back.

How Many Days to Spend at Shanghai Disneyland Final Word

In terms of how many days to spend at Shanghai Disneyland, I hope this post was able to clear up some questions you may have had about the length of your potential visit to the park. Remember, even 1 day is better than no days, so if you’re planning a trip to Shanghai and are wondering if you should go to Disneyland too, my advice is a resounding YES! If you have any more questions, feel free to message me on my socials!

Like me on Facebook at The Disney Specialist, and follow me on Instagram / Twitter / Tiktok!

If you enjoyed this How Many Days to Spend at Shanghai Disneyland post, consider subscribing to my newsletter and bring the Disney parks to your inbox. Whether you’re planning your first trip or your hundredth, my newsletter is your ultimate guide to the magic of the parks.

🌟 What You’ll Get: