Last year I wrote about Tokyo DisneySea and why it’s the coolest Disney park. This year, I think it’s time to check out another Disney park. Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016 and while it’s only slightly bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, it’s still pretty unique. Let’s check out why Shanghai Disneyland is the coolest Disney park.
When it comes to the classics, sure, Shanghai Disneyland may be missing a few, but they’ve truly got the best of all worlds here. Soarin’ Over The Horizon, Dumbo’s Flying Elephants and Peter Pan’s Flight all point to other classics at Disney Parks around the world.
They also have their own Toy Story Land with original attractions Slinky Dog Spin, Woody’s Roundup and Rex’s Racers.
Innovation
Yeah, this park has some very strong similarities to other Disney parks around the world, but classic rides like Pirates of the Carribean take a twist over here. In Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure, the boat can travel forwards, backwards, and sideways. Along with real-life sets like in the original Pirates attraction, the Shanghai version is a media-based attraction that uses a combination of physical sets, audio-animatronic figures, and giant projection screens. Some of the special effects are something you can only see to believe. SoCal Attractions 360 has a great video of the ride.
Another cool and innovative attraction? TRON Lightcycle Power Run. Guests sit on the attraction like a motorcycle as the ride moves like a Lightcycle from the 2010 film. Music, lights and 3-D graphics enhance the feeling of a wild adventure. This attraction is so popular, even, that it’s coming to Walt Disney World for its 50th anniversary in 2021.
The Castle
Three words: BIGGEST CASTLE EVER. I was in shock when I saw Cinderella’s castle in Florida for the first time. I can’t imagine seeing the Enchanted Storybook Castle in real life. It’s so big that they couldn’t even put the name of one princess on it so they had to use all of them!
The Future
Just because its the newest park doesn’t mean nothing new is coming. Construction has begun for a brand new Zootopia themed land where the world and characters from the 2016 film will come to life. Zootopia broke Chinese box office records when it became the country’s №1 animated feature film in history. This is the first Zootopia expansion at a Disney park.
Do you think Shanghai Disneyland is the best Disney park? Why or why not? Tweet us @BoardwalkTimes to let us know!
Elizabeth Pfeiffer is a columnist for Boardwalk Times
