Thanks to Disney Insider and the official Shanghai Disneyland website, we now have even more details of what will be awaiting guests when the park opens in Spring 2016.
This land, just inside the entrance to Shanghai Disneyland, is the entrance corridor for the entire park. It’s cheerful, bright, and fun, with an emphasis on the classic Disney characters that audiences around the world know and love.
The Avenue M Arcade will feature the largest selection of gifts and accessories in the park and everything in it is themed to the max, including the checkout area, which is centered around Scrooge McDuck.
The Mickey & Pals Market Café is designed like an open-air market where guests can choose a table in one of four themed dining rooms (Mickey’s Galley, Tony’s from Lady and the Tramp, Daisy’s Café, and the Three Caballeros).
There is also Remy’s Patisserie, a French-inspired bakery based on characters from Brad Bird’s brilliant Ratatouille (be sure to look closely, at the tiny scaffolds and ladders that line the walls, as proof that Remy is hard at work). Finally there is the Sweethearts Confectionary, a sweet shop representing the childhood home of Minnie Mouse.
The first pirate-themed land at a Disney park will feature Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure (a new take on the classic boat ride), as well as Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular. There will also be Explorer Canoes, which will allow guests to take to the water, as well as Shipwreck Shore, a water play area located onboard the remains of a shipwrecked French galleon and the surrounding beach.
Treasure Cove is also home to one of the largest restaurants in all of Shanghai Disneyland, Barbossa’s Bounty. It’s a lively “grog shop,” this specializes in spicy barbeque (the pirate chefs show off in a demonstration kitchen), and guests can dine in a themed dining room of their choosing or inside the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (a la the Blue Bayou at Disneyland). The official site also makes mention of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure’s high tech ride system (premiering in Shanghai). According to the site, the boats are “able to spin, move and react smartly to their position, triggering action and synchronized music as they travel through breathtaking scenes and lively battles.”
Most of what we learned about Tomorrowland was about the TRON Lightcycle Run, and while a Buzz Lightyear ride and Jet Pack attraction were teased, there is now more solid information.
Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue is the next iteration of the popular Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster/Space Ranger Spin system, but with an “immersive, new storyline combined with a new, interactive targeting system.” This attraction also features new ride vehicles (called Space Cruisers), animated targets, LED screens, and real time feedback from the targeting system.
In the Jet Packs attraction, guests will be “strapped into individual Jet Packs, with legs dangling.” At the center of this attraction is some kind of “energy sphere,” which spins faster and faster as the ride progresses. Guests can control how high their jetpack goes and how dramatic the pitch of their vehicles is.
Also in this land is Star Wars Launch Bay, which is a kind of meet-and-greet mixed with a museum, promising immersion into a “state-of-the-art cinematic experience.” The Marvel Universe is a similar experience, with a chance to meet the famous superheroes, as well as being briefed on a “multimedia mission,” while you can also learn to draw some of the characters.
Rounding out the land is the Stitch Encounter, with guests engaging in unrehearsed banter with your favorite cuddly alien and the Stargazer Grill, located at the upper concourse of Tomorrowland. Not only will it be the largest restaurant in the theme park, offering spectacular views of the rest of Shanghai Disneyland, but the design will be incredible, with a curved ceiling and glass orbs of twinkling light. We can’t wait for Tomorrow(land).
Adventure Isle is home to a new variation on the Soarin’ attraction and the Roaring Rapids raft ride, but also the Tribal Table, a festive restaurant that promises guests a “sensory dining experience.” This means that sights, sounds, and smells will permeate the restaurant, modeled after an ancient gathering house in the Arbori village (adorned in murals, artifacts and illustrations).
The most traditionally Chinese, Gardens of Imagination is the place where guests can stop and appreciate the “wonders of nature and joy of imagination.”
We already mentioned that this is the place where guests can ride the Fantasia Carousel and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, wander around seven uniquely themed gardens, and experience both the Ignite the Dream nighttime spectacular and Mickey’s Storybook Express, a daytime parade that will feature the longest route in a Disney park.
The Wandering Moon Teahouse, located along the parade route
This section of the park also features the Wandering Moon Teahouse, a teahouse that honors the restless creative spirit of China’s wandering poets; this quick-serve location will feature Chinese dishes and recreate authentic Chinese architecture.
Fantasyland is the largest land in the park and home to classic favorites like Peter Pan’s Flight (featuring a brand new “inverted-coaster ride system”) and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as well as the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto (an excursion through the waters of Fantasyland, complete with colorful fountains, wonderful music and a spin underneath the Enchanted Storybook Castle) and Hunny Pot Spin, a Winnie the Pooh-themed attraction where guests board whirling honey pots. There will also be an Alice in Wonderland-themed maze (the first attraction at a Disney park themed to the Tim Burton version of the story), featuring delightful surprises around every corner, and “Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration,” located at the Evergreen Playhouse. Maybe most excitingly for Tangled fans is the Tangled Tree Tavern, inspired by the Snuggly Duckling from the recent animated classic.