As the second Disney theme park to open in Greater China and the third in Asia, the new Shanghai Disney Resort – slated to open its doors to public on 16 June 2016 – will span over 963 acres, approximately three times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland.

Shanghai Disneyland is part of the construction of the resort, together with two themed hotels and other recreational facilities. Two more theme parks will follow in the additional phases in time to come.

Want to know more? Here is a more in-depth look of the rides, hotels and other attractions in the soon-to-be-opened Shanghai Disney Resort.

The actual Shanghai Disneyland theme park is built similarly to Disney’s other Magic Kingdom-style parks and it will have activities and rides catered to accommodate Chinese guests. Two in-resort hotels will launch on the same day as the theme park – Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel – to cater to a more specific demographic.

The entire project costs approximately US$5.5 billion to build, so you can expect state-of-the-art technology and the full ‘Disney magic’ experience here.

HOTELS

In typical Disneyland fashion, a Disneyland hotel will be built right beside the actual theme park so that guests can conveniently check in and out of a room and enjoy a thematic experience altogether. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel will have a total of 420 rooms and guests can take a complimentary water taxi service across the ‘Wishing Star Lake’ to the theme park itself.

What excited us more is the launch of the Toy Story Hotel – a fully themed 800-room hotel that will delight people of all ages. Besides the whimsically-styled rooms, you can also expect themed restaurants and meet-and-greets with the Toy Story characters.

RIDES & ATTRACTIONS

Now, here comes the exciting part – the rides. Whether you are a full-grown adult or a kid, you are never not going to be impressed with Disney’s magical themed rides. There are already so many that got us all excited!

Star Wars fans, be prepared to be swept off your feet with the Star Wars Launch Bay, where you can relive your fantasies of being in the Star Wars universe with interactive displays and more.

Also, Space Mountain ain’t everything now because there will be even better indoor roller coasters to try at Shanghai Disneyland.

Inside the epic and futuristic Tommorowland, the main highlight of the entire area is the TRON Lightcycle Power Run where you can simulate yourself in the world of TRON and race your friends at ‘light speed’.

Marvel is universally-loved and the new theme park will include a Marvel Universe where you can get deep inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While not much has been revealed about this attraction itself, it is still an exciting piece of news following Hong Kong Disneyland’s soon-to-be-launched Iron Man Experience.

Besides thrilling rides, children and the whole family can gather and try out some rides in the Gardens of Imagination or Fantasyland. The latter has rides such as Hunny Pot Spin, Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The Mine Train is a slightly less daunting outdoor roller coaster if you are still looking for your thrill rides.

The Alice in Wonderland Maze is another feature in Fantasyland that is great for the whole family. Experience the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, Alice and more in this exciting maze journey.

Thrill-lovers might also be happy to know that there are more thrilling rides in Adventure Isle, including the outdoor Roaring Rapids and an indoor thrill ride – Soaring Over The Horizon. There are a ton more rides to choose from in the theme park and most of them are one of a kind.

ENTERTAINMENT

The iconic The Lion King Show is said to be made into a Chinese-dubbed one for the audience. And for the little kids out there, there will also be a Frozen Sing-Along show.

Of course, any Disneyland theme park is not complete without the daily magical fireworks display and Shanghai is no exception, with the lights an fireworks showcase – Ignite the Dream – A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light.

All images from Shanghai Disney Resort

So they say, Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth. How do you even start picking on that? It can’t be truer. “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy.”

Upon stepping into Hong Kong Disneyland, you bid farewell to the hubbubs of your typical cosmopolitan city, you bid farewell to all the stress and worries, you bid farewell to all your unhappiness and reality and be enraptured in a magical world where dreams and fantasies come alive and unfold before your eyes.

There are many other theme parks all over the world, but Disneyland is undeniably the most successful.

Back in Tourism school, my lecturers would always use Disneyland as examples and case studies, and even through mere words, Disneyland came alive during lectures and tutorials. The amazement comes from every aspect, and nothing reminds you of the modern world – the decor, the music, the food, the merchandise, the rides, the characters… everything. Yipe, that is the idea Walt Disney had when he first dreamed of somewhere to escape to, so that dreams could be free.

Take a stroll along the classic Main Street USA and be greeted by the well-loved Mickey & Minnie Mouse and their friends – yes, you will be glad to know that photos with them are definitely allowed. Be enchanted by the whimsical array of shops, from baked Disney-themed goodies and an aroma cuppa, to picking up a souvenir from the mind-boggling selection of merchandise featuring all your favorite characters.

Explore the various thematic lands, and the configuration differs in every country. One to highlight is surely Fantasyland (available in all Disneylands) – a favourite among females – because it is where the inner princess in us comes alive. Disney Princesses rest in pavilions for photo-taking and chit-chatting with little girls, and fun is found in the happy Tea Cups and Carousel rides. Of unicorns, balloons, rainbows and everything pink & glittery, it is not hard to spend an afternoon with your Prince at Fantasyland.

Other lands include Adventureland – think Tarzan & Jane in their Treehouse and all the whitewater rafting fun, Toy Story Land (exclusive to Hong Kong Disneyland) with Andy’s toys coming to live and merry-making with you under the sun, and Discoveryland – a futuristic emulation of great visionaries with thrilling roller coasters in the dark and intergalactic adventures.

Don’t miss the daily Parade of Dreams too, where floats will tour the park and all the Disney characters will greet the crowd. A little fun fact about the Parade of Dreams – every float has a hidden Mickey on it, so try spotting the household Mouse!

And the highlight of a day in Disneyland is most certainly the nightly Fireworks Spectacular – the world-famous dazzling display of beautiful fireworks igniting to heart-warming Disney soundtracks at the iconic Sleeping Beauty castle. No trip to Disneyland is complete without this celebration of wishes, dreams and imagination.

Being in Disneyland lets you forget the world and rekindle the child in you, and it is a must to visit with your loved ones at least once in a lifetime. As Walt Disney has said, Disneyland is a work of love.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Words by Melody Yap, photographs by ladyironchef