10 Reasons to Visit Shanghai Disneyland Right Now (From Someone Who Just Walked It With the Imagineers)
If you decide to visit Shanghai Disneyland, you should know something before you go: your instincts will not work here. The map in your head, built from years of Walt Disney World and Disneyland trips, simply does not apply. And that is the whole point.
So here is the question worth sitting with. What if there is a Disney park out there that does not just meet your expectations of what Disney can do, but quietly dismantles them and rebuilds them into something bigger? What if you have not actually seen everything Disney is capable of?
Lou Mongello just came back from Shanghai, where he was one of only four U.S. journalists invited by Disney to experience the park’s 10th anniversary celebration. He walked the park with members of the Imagineering executive team. He rode the rides twice. He ate his way through it. And he came home, in his words, recalibrated.
This is his case for why you should visit Shanghai Disneyland, and why right now, during its 10th anniversary, is the moment to do it.
Episode Snapshot
- Shanghai Disneyland opened in June 2016 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary right now, with exclusive shows and a finale added just for this year.
- Lou was one of only four U.S. journalists invited by Disney, and walked the park alongside the Imagineering team.
- This park threw out the Main Street formula entirely, with no traditional hub-and-spoke layout and lands that exist nowhere else.
- Highlights include Zootopia, the Enchanted Storybook Castle you can walk inside, Pirates Battle for the Sunken Treasure, the Camp Discovery ropes course, and the Eye of the Storm stunt show with a real tornado on stage.
- A first-ever Spider-Man land is under construction right now next to Zootopia, with its launch coaster track already complete.
What You Will Discover in This Episode
- Why your Disney park instincts stop working the moment you walk through the gates, and why that is a good thing
- The only place on Earth you can step inside Zootopia’s Tundra Town and Sahara Square
- Why the tallest Disney castle in the world is an attraction, not just a backdrop
- The boat ride some fans call their single favorite Disney attraction, period
- The one land where Disney asks something of you, and rewards you for it
- How a Disney stunt show put a real, raging tornado on stage with live performers inside it
- Why the food might be reason enough to book the trip
- What the new Spider-Man land means for the future of Shanghai, and of Disney
- The question Lou stopped being able to answer after this trip: what is the best Disney park?
Timestamps
- 0:00 – Lou, China is a long way to go for a theme park… let me push back on that
- 2:26 – Reason 1: Shanghai does not feel like a copy of any other Disney park
- 4:52 – Mickey Avenue, the Gardens of Imagination, and a park meant to be wandered
- 7:18 – The feeling of being wonderfully lost, like your first trip as a kid
- 9:37 – Reason 2: Zootopia, the most immersive land Disney has ever built
- 12:04 – Reason 3: The Enchanted Storybook Castle and why it changes everything
- 14:29 – Reason 4: Pirates Battle for the Sunken Treasure, maybe the greatest Disney boat ride ever
- 19:23 – Reason 5: Adventure Isle and the Camp Discovery challenge trails
- 24:08 – Climbing Roaring Mountain and why adults need to do this
- 28:58 – The Junior Explorers Camp and a mountain built for the whole family
- 31:28 – Reason 6: The entertainment, starting with Eye of the Storm
- 36:21 – A real tornado on stage: the Aerodium wind tunnel and 10,000 performances
- 41:09 – Reason 7: Food, a culinary experience unlike any other Disney park
- 45:47 – A food tour, from the Mickey hand bun to the Snackin’ Kraken
- 48:07 – Reason 8: The people, the cast, and an atmosphere you feel
- 53:01 – Reason 9: Shanghai as Disney’s blueprint for the future
- 57:53 – Reason 10: The perfect Asia Disney trip, and the resort hotels
- 1:05:03 – The Spider-Man land rising right now next to Zootopia
- 1:09:50 – What is the best Disney park? Why Lou cannot answer that anymore
- 1:16:53 – Have you been to Shanghai? Call, write, and tell Lou your answer
Expanded Full Episode Summary
Most of us came to Disney through one specific door. Maybe it was your first trip to Walt Disney World as a kid. Maybe it was Disneyland with your family, or a honeymoon, or a trip you took as an adult that made you fall in love with it all over again. Whatever your door was, it shaped how you see Disney parks. It gave you a template, a vocabulary, a feeling you are always a little bit chasing.
Shanghai Disneyland does not use that template. And the first time you walk through its gates, it can feel a little disorienting, because nothing is where it is supposed to be. Then, gradually, something shifts. You stop trying to map it onto what you already know, and you start seeing it for what it is.
That is the thread that runs through this entire episode. Lou does not give you a checklist of rides. He gives you a way of understanding why this park is different, told through ten-ish reasons that he is the first to admit could easily have been twenty.
It Does Not Feel Like a Copy
Every other Disney park in the world shares some DNA with Disneyland. Shanghai does not, and that was a deliberate, courageous decision. There is no real Main Street here. You enter through the vast, open Mickey Avenue, which functions more like a European town square, and then pass into the Gardens of Imagination, Shanghai’s version of a central park, complete with a Fantasia-inspired carousel that exists nowhere else.
The lands do not mirror Orlando or Anaheim either. Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, and Zootopia were all built without equivalents anywhere else in the world. The mandate from the very beginning, repeated by Bob Iger, by Josh D’Amaro at the anniversary, and by the Imagineers Lou walked the park with, was that this park had to be authentically Disney yet distinctly Chinese. Not an American import that had to be translated, but something that genuinely belonged where it stood.
The result is a park you navigate by discovery rather than memory. Lou compares the feeling to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a place meant to be wandered and explored and gotten a little lost in. If you have ever thought you have seen everything Disney has to offer, Lou’s answer is simple: not until you have felt genuinely, wonderfully lost inside Shanghai Disneyland.
Zootopia and the Castle
Zootopia, which opened in late December 2023, may be the most immersive land Disney has ever built. It is not a themed overlay. It feels like a living city, and its anchor attraction, Zootopia Hot Pursuit, uses a roaming “riot” vehicle system that moves dynamically through scenes rather than on a fixed track, so no two rides feel identical. But as Lou points out, the attraction is not the star of the land. The land is the star of the land. Every lamppost and street sign is a photo opportunity, and guests were lining up for the details as much as the ride.
Then there is the Enchanted Storybook Castle. At 196 feet, it is the tallest Disney castle in the world, but the height is the least interesting thing about it. This castle celebrates all of the Disney princesses, blends European fairy tale design with subtle Chinese elements like gold filigree and a jade green roofline, and, crucially, you go inside it. The Once Upon a Time Adventure is a walkthrough experience where you step through the magic mirror into Snow White’s world. The castle is a destination, not just a backdrop, and for the anniversary it is also home to the brand-new Heart of the Magic daytime show.
The Rides That Redefine What a Ride Can Be
Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure is not a variation on the classic. It is an entirely new, original experience that uses trackless boat technology to pivot and spin you through massive projection and animatronic scenes at a scale Lou says YouTube simply cannot convey. Many fans who have been to every park in the world list it as their single favorite Disney attraction, period. If the original Pirates is the song you grew up loving, this is what happens when a master composer builds a full symphony around that melody.
And then there is Adventure Isle, the land where Disney asks something of you. The Camp Discovery challenge trails are a genuine ropes course built into and around Roaring Mountain, taking you over river gorges and waterfalls and up the rock face itself. You choose your path and your difficulty level, get fitted into a harness by a cast member, and go. As Lou puts it: Disney built the environment, you build the experience. The magic here is entirely self-generated, which is rare in a company that is extraordinary at engineering experiences for you. His advice to adults is direct. If you are physically able, do not stand below and take pictures. Go up the mountain. The person who comes down is not the same Disney fan who went up.
The Tornado, the Food, and the People
The entertainment section is where Lou gets the most animated, and Eye of the Storm is why. Performed in the 1,200-seat El Teatro Fandango inside Treasure Cove, this Captain Jack stunt spectacular features a real, raging tornado on stage, built using a custom Aerodium open recirculation wind tunnel, with live performers fighting inside the vortex. No nets, no harnesses. Disney’s creative team said they always wanted to put a real tornado on stage and send live performers into it, and they found a way. The show has run more than 10,000 times since opening day, and the language barrier does not matter, because it is designed to be understood through movement and spectacle.
The food gets its own deep dive, because Shanghai made an early decision not to serve typical American theme park fare. The culinary program is rooted in authentic Chinese cuisine, from xiaolongbao soup dumplings to Sichuan noodles and Peking duck. Lou walks you through the Mickey hand bun, the paw-shaped Pawpsicle in Zootopia, the grilled squid at the Snackin’ Kraken in Treasure Cove, Barbossa’s Bounty, and the signature Royal Banquet Hall inside the castle. Here, food is not fuel. It is storytelling.
And then there are the people. Shanghai Disneyland opened with a cast that, in many cases, had never worked in any theme park before. Disney built its service culture from the ground up, and a decade later the resort has created more than 15,000 jobs and a cast member culture that blends Disney’s service traditions with genuine local pride. On June 16, before the park opened, thousands of cast members gathered for a commemorative photo, and the opening-day cast were brought on stage and thanked in front of tens of thousands of guests. Lou’s takeaway is that the language of Disney is universal, even when you do not share a spoken one.
Where Disney Is Going
Lou closes the ten reasons by zooming out. Shanghai, he argues, is not just a great park. It is a thesis statement about what Disney believes a theme park can be: of its place, built with state-of-the-art technology, and given permission to invent rather than recycle. A hundred million guests in nine years is not an accident. And the future is literally being built right now, with a first-ever Spider-Man land rising next to Zootopia, its launch coaster track already complete.
Deep Context: Why Did Disney Throw Out the Main Street Formula for Shanghai?
The short answer is that Disney decided, very deliberately, that Shanghai had to belong to China rather than be imported into it. (Context: this reflects the “authentically Disney yet distinctly Chinese” design mandate that Disney leadership and Imagineering have described publicly since before the park opened.)
For more than 60 years, Disney parks have leaned on a familiar template: Main Street USA, a central hub, a castle, lands radiating outward. It works, and Disney has used it successfully around the world. When Shanghai was announced, many fans assumed it would follow that formula. Instead, the park opens onto Mickey Avenue, a welcoming town square without the nostalgic American iconography that anchors every other Disney park, and then leads you into the Gardens of Imagination rather than funneling you straight to the castle.
That single decision signals everything. It tells you immediately that you are somewhere new, and it sets up the sense of discovery that defines the rest of the visit. The lands reinforce it. Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, and Zootopia have no equivalents anywhere else, and the storytelling, architecture, food, and entertainment all bend toward the local culture rather than away from it.
Deep Context: The 10th Anniversary, and Why Timing Matters
Shanghai Disneyland opened in June 2016, which makes this its 10th anniversary year. (Context: the park’s grand opening was June 16, 2016, which aligns with the June 16 anniversary celebration described in the episode.) That timing is not just sentimental. It is practical.
Right now, the park is running anniversary-exclusive entertainment that will not be here forever. The nighttime castle celebration is bigger and brighter, with a grand finale added just for this year. The Heart of the Magic is a brand-new daytime castle show that takes you through nine Disney stories, and Mickey’s Storybook Express parade has been reimagined and reenhanced. These are not permanent additions. They are here for this moment in the park’s history, which is a real argument for going sooner rather than later.
Layer on top of that the Spider-Man land under construction, and a visit right now gives you something unusual: the park at a milestone, plus a front-row seat to its future being built.
Deep Context: A New Land, a New Coaster, and the Future Being Built
A first-ever Spider-Man themed land is under construction right now, immediately next to Zootopia, and it will be the ninth themed land in the park. (Context: the land was announced by Josh D’Amaro at D23 in August 2024, broke ground in May 2024, the coaster went vertical in September 2025, and track installation was completed during the anniversary visit.)
The anchor attraction is described as a high-speed launch coaster built around a Peter Parker story, part of the same connected “web” universe Disney has been developing across its parks. Lou even spotted a small but telling detail: the construction cranes were painted red to match the track and blend into the eventual theming. The words “web launcher” appeared on a construction beam, which may be the best accidental spoiler in Disney history, or may just be something someone wrote on a beam.
The point Lou makes is this. If you visit Shanghai Disneyland now, you experience a park already home to some of the greatest attractions Disney has ever built, and you get to stand next to that construction wall and watch the future rise. That is not a reason to wait. It is a reason to book the trip.
Why This Changes How You Experience Disney
Here is the thing this trip did to Lou, and the thing it might do to you. For years, if you asked him to name the best Disney park in the world, he had an answer ready without hesitation: Tokyo DisneySea. He had all the reasons lined up.
After walking Shanghai and then Hong Kong, he is not sure that question has an answer anymore, and he is not sure it ever did. Because the question is missing its most important word. Not “what is the best Disney park,” but “the best park for what?” For thrill seekers. For families with young children. For foodies. For architecture lovers. For solo travelers. For someone who has been to every park and thinks they have seen it all. The answer changes every single time, and that is not a cop-out. It is the most honest and respectful answer there is, because it honors the fact that what you need from a Disney experience is yours, not anyone else’s.
Walt Disney World is still Lou’s home park. Tokyo DisneySea is still, to him, maybe the most complete artistic vision ever executed in a theme park. None of them is simply “better.” Each is the best at something, for someone, at a particular moment in life. Shanghai is extraordinary for its courage, for what it chose to be and what it chose not to be. And visiting it does not just give you a new favorite memory. It gives you a new way of seeing all of them.
Listener Challenge
Lou wants a real answer from you, and he means it. If you have been to Shanghai Disneyland, what surprised you most? What made you stop and think, “I did not know Disney could do this”? And if you have not been yet, what is holding you back?
Here is the deeper challenge. The next time you plan a Disney trip, do not ask “which park is the best?” Ask “what am I looking for right now? What kind of magic am I chasing this time? Who am I bringing with me, and what do they need?” Answer those honestly, and the right destination starts to become clear. Then come tell Lou where it pointed you.
Share your answer in the WDW Radio Clubhouse at wdwradio.com/clubhouse, find Lou on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or call the voicemail at 407-900-9391 (407-900-WDW1).
Links and Resources
- Join the WDW Radio Clubhouse: wdwradio.com/clubhouse
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- Official Shanghai Disney Resort site: shanghaidisneyresort.com
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Call to Action
If Shanghai Disneyland has never once been on your radar, let this be the nudge. And if it has been sitting quietly on your bucket list, this is your reason to move it to the top. Go now, while the anniversary entertainment is here and the Spider-Man land is rising next door.
Then come home and tell Lou what it did to you. That is what this community is for. Come find us in the Clubhouse at wdwradio.com/clubhouse, and thank you, as always, for being part of the WDW Radio family.
Announcements
WDW Radio Community Event at Disneyland – October 25-29, 2026
This is going to be something very special – and very limited. The WDW Radio community is coming together at the Disneyland Resort October 25-29, 2026 for an exclusive community experience unlike anything we have done before. We have secured tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure along with an exclusive VIP area reserved just for WDW Radio community members. And we are hosting a remarkable dinner at 21 Royale – one of the most unique and coveted private dining experiences at the Disneyland Resort. Spots will be extremely limited.
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Momentum Weekend Workshop at Walt Disney World – October 2026
Momentum Weekend is Lou’s annual immersive workshop at Walt Disney World – two and a half days of strategy, storytelling, community, and real work on the thing you are building. If Jesse Cole’s story fired something up in you, Momentum is where we go deeper. Details at LouMongello.com.
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Join us on our WDW Radio Cruise to Alaska 2027!
I promised you a special announcement… and I wasn’t kidding. and this is one I am SO excited about this.
So no fluff, no tease, no build up.
We are going back… to Alaska.
I’m talking about our next WDW Radio Group Cruise – seven nights aboard my absolute favorite ship, the Disney Wonder, sailing May 10th through the 17th, 2027, roundtrip from Vancouver, British Columbia (one of my favorite cities).
This is my favorite cruise itinerary in the world. Glaciers. Bald eagles. Humpback whales. The gold rush history of Skagway, the stunning capital city of Juneau, and the totem poles and fjords of Ketchikan, PLUS a glacier viewing day, and two days at sea – all wrapped in the magic that only the Disney Wonder can deliver.
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The best part? Joining our group costs you nothing extra. You pay for your cruise – and everything that comes with sailing on the Disney Wonder – and you’re part of it.
And if you’ve sailed with us before, you already know – we always have a few surprises up our sleeves. There is so much that we experience and share together onboard, and everyone who joins us gets some exclusive surprises just for being part of our group. We’re talking contests, giveaways… and honestly, there’s more that I’m just not ready to share yet. You’ll have to trust me on that one.
But here’s what I need you to know: space is limited, and this ship will fill up fast. And the sooner you book, the lower your rate – prices only go up from here.
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At LouMongello.com, Lou helps creators, entrepreneurs, and organizations discover how to build better businesses and stronger communities through the power of story, service, and purpose.
As a keynote speaker, Lou delivers inspiring and actionable presentations that teach how to create unforgettable experiences, deepen relationships, and drive results. His signature talks include:
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Through his Momentum series of events, retreats, workshops, and mastermind programs, Lou helps solopreneurs and creators turn what they love into what they do by gaining clarity, confidence, and connection.
He also offers 1:1 coaching and mentoring for individuals who want practical and personalized guidance to grow their brand, audience, and revenue while staying true to their values.
Lou’s content, podcasts, live shows, and community reach hundreds of thousands of passionate Disney fans and entrepreneurs every month. His unique approach blends decades of business experience, the timeless wisdom of Walt Disney, and proven strategies for building lasting relationships, customer loyalty, and brand trust.
Whether speaking on stage, teaching at Momentum, or coaching one-on-one, Lou’s mission is simple: to help you create magic in your business, your content, and your life.
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Thank you, as always, for being part of the WDW Radio family. Remember to choose the good, be kind, and stay hungry! Until next time – See ya real soon!
