Shanghai Disneyland on Christmas Day: Day 1 Itinerary and Wait Times
- December 25 isn't a public holiday in China, so crowds were lighter and DPA wasn't needed
- Waits drop during the parade, so I rode Pirates of the Caribbean right after with a 20-minute wait
- Many leave after the first fireworks, so arriving 20 minutes before the second still got a good spot
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I visited Shanghai Disneyland during the Christmas season (December 25–26). Shanghai Disneyland gets a huge number of domestic visitors, so it’s best to avoid weekends and Chinese public holidays. December 25 isn’t a public holiday in China, though, so it was less crowded than I expected.
Here’s my Shanghai Disneyland trip report ✨ I’ve laid it out in detail based on the actual order I did things and the wait times I had.
※ For reference, I didn’t buy DPA (Disney Premier Access, the paid skip-the-line pass) and still enjoyed the park to the fullest over two days.
8:40 Entering Disneyland
The entrance to Shanghai Disneyland
At bag check, the built-in tripod function on my GoPro Volta got flagged, so I had to go to the storage lockers, which delayed my entry a bit. As soon as I got in, I headed straight for TRON.
8:55 #1 TRON Lightcycle Power Run (about a 40-minute wait)
A roller coaster themed to the TRON films, where you ride a lightcycle and race.
It’s similar to the one at Walt Disney World in the US. This one was built first, so the queue isn’t as impressive and the ride is a bit less thrilling.
(The on-ride photo was low quality and our faces came out washed out, so I didn’t buy it.)
9:35 #2 Jet Packs (about a 20-minute wait)
Next I went to Jet Packs right next door. I thought it would be a gentle spinning ride, but the centrifugal force was surprisingly strong. I didn’t expect much, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.
On the way, I stopped briefly to watch a drum show that was going on, then headed to Toy Story Land.
Into Toy Story Land!
10:20 #3 Rex’s Racer (about a 50-minute wait)
A ride that swings back and forth like a pirate-ship ride. The concept is an RC car driven by Rex, the toy dinosaur from Toy Story. It only goes back and forth about three times, so it feels short, but I still had fun.
11:10 #4 Slinky Dog Spin (about a 15-minute wait)
A cute little roller coaster that goes around a small circular track. It’s for kids, but I liked that you get that special Toy Story atmosphere.
Leaving Toy Story Land, catching a glimpse of the Woody greeting on the way out
12:30 Watching the parade
To ride Pirates of the Caribbean right after the parade, I moved near Pirates and watched the parade from there. This area is the end point of the parade route, so it took about 20 minutes for the parade to reach us.
👉 If you’re watching from the end of the route like I did, you can arrive after the parade has already started.
If you wave a headband or plush of your favorite character, that character often reacts, which makes it even more fun.
Minnie Mouse spotted my Minnie headband and waved hello~
👉 Be sure to bring at least one piece of merch for your favorite character!
The Mulan parade float, only in Shanghai!
Nick and Judy from Zootopia
13:00 #5 Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure (about a 20-minute wait)
Wait times drop during the parade, so I ran over as soon as it ended. A lot of people had the same idea, and the sight of everyone running to Pirates together was memorable 😂
It was in Chinese, so the story was hard to follow, but the ride is long and the effects that make it feel like you’re actually going underwater were amazing. If you’re at Shanghai Disneyland, this is a must-ride.
The shop right out front sells Pirates-themed merch too!
13:50 #6 Siren’s Revenge (walk-on)
An area where you can freely explore the inside of a pirate ship. It’s decorated in the Pirates of the Caribbean theme and fun to look around.
14:20 #7 Pirate stunt show – Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular (walk-in)
I did a bit of pin shopping at a nearby cart, then went in to see the show at showtime.
The pre-show area
There’s a pre-show in the waiting area, followed by the main show in the theater.
The main show begins in the theater
It was a shame that the pre-show and the first part were in Chinese, but Jack Sparrow’s stunt show near the end made it worth watching.
15:00 Pirates-themed restaurant (late lunch)
2–5 p.m. is when waits are longest, so I timed a late lunch for then.
Pork ribs and an assorted fried platter
Shrimp fried rice
The ribs were a bit awkward to eat but tasted fine, and the shrimp fried rice tasted like a soy-sauce fried rice – nicely salty and delicious. It cost about 42,000 won, so Disney prices were as steep as ever 😅
16:10 #8 Mickey’s Storybook Adventure (walk-in)
A Disney musical medley held in an existing musical theater. Olaf escapes from the storybook and starts to melt, and Mickey sends him back to his own page.
It’s performed in Chinese, so the details are hard to follow, but the performers’ singing and the quality of the staging were outstanding – I highly recommend seeing it.
17:20 Christmas tree lighting ceremony
I sat on a nearby bench to rest and watch the seasonal tree lighting ceremony. It’s a small show with songs before the Christmas tree is lit. The “lee-ree-lee-ree(?) Christmas~” song is surprisingly catchy, and Mickey and Minnie as well as Duffy and Friends came out – it was so cute. It was a seasonal event that’s perfect for taking a short break.
18:10 Watching the winter parade
Personally, the winter-season parade was much more spectacular, with better music, than the daytime parade. This time I watched from the starting point of the parade.
18:40 #9 Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue (about a 20-minute wait)
A ride where you become Buzz and shoot the villains. Your individual score is shown at the front of your vehicle, so it’s more fun if you compete with whoever you’re with 😆
19:15 #10 “Once Upon a Time” Adventure (about a 10-minute wait)
A walkthrough attraction where you climb up inside the castle while following the story of Snow White. It was fascinating to actually go inside the castle.
19:15 #11 Peter Pan’s Flight (about a 10-minute wait)
As the first fireworks show approached, the wait dropped to about 10 minutes, so I rode right away.
You fly in a flying ship and follow the story of Peter Pan. It’s a nice, easy ride.
20:05 Mickey character greeting (about a 10-minute wait)
I had some time before the second fireworks show, so I went to meet Mickey. It seemed like the greeting didn’t run during the first fireworks show, and the waiting area is indoors, so I could wait somewhere warm.
20:30 #13 Become Iron Man experience (about a 5-minute wait)
When I came out from meeting Mickey, the Avengers building was right in front of me, so I went in to try it. It’s an experience that reads your body movements so you can shoot like Iron Man.
Iron Man even copies your funny poses 😂
Personally I found it a bit boring, but it’s worth trying once for kids or Marvel fans.
20:50 Projection mapping & fireworks
I visited during the Zootopia season, so before the fireworks there was also Zootopia-themed projection mapping on the castle. Many people left after the first fireworks show, so for the second show, I arrived just 20 minutes before it started and still got a good spot.
👉 For the best fireworks viewing spots, check out the post below.
21:50 Browsing the shops
As the park was closing, I took a quick look around the World of Disney store, but it was so crowded that I decided to come back the next day and left.
Shanghai Disneyland has so much cute merch
✨ Wrap-up
Thanks to making the most of the day from opening to closing, I rode 14 attractions in total and didn’t miss any of the parades, shows or fireworks. For my first day at Shanghai Disneyland, I planned it like this:
✔ Rope drop to tackle the popular rides ✔ From the afternoon, take it easy with parades, shows and fireworks
I visited the Zootopia land on day two, so in my next post I’ll share my Shanghai Disneyland Day 2 (focused on Zootopia) trip report!
I hope my blog helps make your trip a little more magical ✨ If you have any questions, feel free to reach out through the contact page. Thanks for reading!
Dreamer
I've loved Disney and theme parks since I was a kid. Questions? Reach out through the contact page. Contact →
