18 Facts Fans Need to Know About Shanghai Disneyland

Instead of sneaking a peek from the tippy-top of Splash Mountain or the highest hills of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at other US parks, you can see it — and a whole lot of it — from everywhere. It's that huge!

Your beloved Disneyland rides like Space Mountain or It's a Small World may appear at Disney parks around the world — but not this one. Being able to walk through and experience familiar but completely new rides feels like unlocking an entirely new Disney experience, which totally justifies the flight.

For Shanghai Disneyland, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and the newly themed Fantasia Carousel were brought out in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle and it works. Something about having them under the gaze of the biggest castle Disney has ever built feels much more majestic and special than being tucked away in separate areas.

Peter Pan's Flight at Shanghai Disneyland utilizes a new ride system to feel even more like you're flying, and Mad Tea Cups gets a Winnie the Pooh overlay with Hunny Pot Spin, which is even more adorable. Pirates of the Caribbean is finally a showstopper again, like it was when it debuted at Disneyland, and while Soaring Over the Horizon offers a near-identical film, its stunning celestial observatory queue is the very best in the park.

Actually, they couldn't be further from it. The Baymax Super Exercise Expo brings kids on stage to get their groove on, and Donald Duck practices Tai Chi with Chip 'n' Dale at the front of the park, along with traditional music and costumes.

Like in Anaheim, there's a Blue Bayou-style setup within Pirates of the Caribbean, but here it's a quick-service restaurant called Barbossa's Bounty, making a memorable dining experience much less expensive.

Because Chinese audiences aren't as familiar with the lexicon of animated classics as we are, their significance isn't as present throughout the park. There is an entire land, Treasure Cove, devoted to pirates, and most princess appearances are contained inside — whether beneath the castle, at character dining, in parades, or on stage at Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration. Even the Alice in Wonderland maze highlights the other characters, like the Queen, in favor of its leading lady.

Things are very, very, very, very spread out here. There are full stretches without stores or attractions, just lightly themed paths that snake around for a while, which add up to topping-out your FitBit like never before. Good news: you'll have even more room to indulge in the park's signature Mickey-shaped treats!

There's no railroad at Shanghai Disneyland, but the entrance facade still touches on nostalgia and appears like there is. Its spirit is embraced elsewhere in the park — somewhat cleverly, it's repurposed as Mickey's Storybook Express, the daily afternoon parade.

Adventure Isle, as it's called here, contains more heights and exploration than either Tarzan's or Swiss Family Treehouse combined. You'll encounter a truly scary reptilian creature in Roaring Rapids, glide over mountains in Soaring Over the Horizon and even traverse one yourself on Camp Discovery's Challenge Trails.

With its curved lines, multiple levels and silver accents, it takes the best of both American Tomorrowlands and tosses in a little dancing water from Epcot to seriously make one feel like they're somewhere transformative.

Only one restaurant within the park accepts reservations, which is a game changer for anyone who typically visits Walt Disney World or has ever tried to grab a table during Disneyland's lunch rush.

Lotso has an entire dedicated shop at the Toy Story Hotel and makes a rare appearance in the afternoon parade, along with Eeyore and Pinocchio. It's also the only park where you can meet Mulan in her own themed room inside a princess castle.

Main Street USA may be gone, but its character is still there. The new themed store facades feel similarly as enticing and special, and while there aren't any Dapper Dans or Main Street Vehicles, there is a wonderful Shanghai Disneyland Band!

Disneytown is home to shops and dining, of course, but it also houses the first-ever Mandarin performance of The Lion King, performed nightly in the Disney Grand Theatre.

Carefree Corner, an original Main Street building, is featured here and the carnival theme of Dumbo the Flying Elephant will bring you right back to your last Walt Disney World vacation. Explorer Canoes are here, too, located inside Treasure Cove, and there's even a little alcove off Mickey Avenue that feels like the narrow walkways of New Orleans Square.

There's no need to rush to the castle for prime sightlines. Shanghai Disneyland is the only park that has a massive dedicated area for viewing stage shows and nighttime entertainment.

There are plenty of instrumental versions of familiar songs playing both in and outside the park, but there's something so bizarre and fun about hearing "Hakuna Matata" and "A Pirate's Life For Me" with lyrics sung in Chinese that makes it super special.