The Fugitive Princess of Chongqing: A 3-Day In-Depth Tour of Shanghai Disney Resort, with a Complete Guide to Eating, Staying, Transportation, and Shopping in Shanghai

Yes, I went to Disney again! After Hong Kong, the United States (Los Angeles), and Tokyo, Japan, this time I came to Shanghai Disneyland. I have now completed 4 out of the 6 Disney parks worldwide.
My little dream is to visit every Disney park around the globe. This year, due to special circumstances, I couldn't travel abroad, so Shanghai Disneyland became one of the must-visit tasks on my list for this year.
This time at Shanghai Disneyland, we did our homework well in advance. To avoid long queues, we purchased the Premium Access Pass early and chose to stay at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel within the resort, enjoying the most convenient and comfortable arrangements possible. Compared to Tokyo Disneyland, where we were utterly exhausted, this Shanghai Disney trip was peaceful, comfortable, relaxing, and joyful! This time, we truly treated ourselves like fugitive princesses.
Shanghai has also always been my number one favorite stylish city. Every time I come to Shanghai, whether for business or leisure, I make it a point to visit the beautiful old streets shaded by plane trees and the adorable little cafés one by one. This time was no exception. Some friends said they were waiting for my complete Shanghai guide. All I can say is that it's impossible to visit every café in Shanghai, so I don't think a truly comprehensive guide to Shanghai can exist. In fact, no place can be fully covered in a guide. I can only document the current moment, the place, the scene, and the people—living on the road.
So, for those of you heading to Shanghai Disneyland, this guide isn't exactly budget-friendly, but it is the easiest and most relaxing Disney strategy, and I'm sharing it with all my heart.
About Shanghai Disney Resort: Essentials and Itinerary Planning
Shanghai Disneyland is actually quite large and is not located in downtown Shanghai. It sits in Chuansha New Town, Pudong New District, and the entire area belongs to Shanghai Disney Resort. The resort includes: [1] Disneyland Park; [2] Two themed hotels: Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel; [3] Disneytown; [4] One metro station: Disney Resort Station. All guests entering Disneyland must pass through Disneytown. Between Disneytown and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel lies an artificial lake. Guests staying at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel can take a complimentary shuttle boat (with their room key card) to and from Disneytown. A dedicated pier was built specifically for hotel guests. There's even a small convenience store at the hotel's pier, just for guests who want snacks—truly a VIP experience.
You can also choose the complimentary shuttle bus from the hotel to the park. We stayed one night at each hotel, ensuring we could enter Disneyland as early as possible and rest immediately after leaving the park as late as possible without any hassle. Our luggage was transferred directly from the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel to the Toy Story Hotel by the staff, so we could enjoy the park worry-free. When we returned to the Toy Story Hotel in the evening, our luggage was already waiting for us in the lobby.
At this point, let me share our itinerary:
Day 1: Chongqing → Shanghai, check in at Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, explore Disneytown, enjoy dinner buffet at Lumière's Kitchen
Day 2: Full day at Disneyland, overnight at Toy Story Hotel
Day 3: Metro to downtown, check in at Yinju Hotel, visit Seesaw Coffee, Sihang Warehouse (from "The Eight Hundred"), The Bund
Day 4: Wukang Mansion, stroll around Wukang Road area, Xianwei Noodle Shop, the café from "Nothing But Thirty," Shanghai → Chongqing
Stay: Shanghai Disneyland Hotel
There is no dedicated shuttle bus from Shanghai airport to Disney Resort; you either take a bus or the metro. Since the metro requires multiple transfers, we took a taxi directly to the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel to check in.
We booked one night in advance on the official Shanghai Disneyland Hotel website and checked in at the front desk with our ID cards. The rate was 2,300 RMB per night, including 15% service charge.
The hotel lobby is symmetrical, with a central iconic sculpture of Disney's cartoon superstar—Mickey Mouse and his friends. I think the entire sculpture pays tribute to Mickey's "Mickey's PhilharMagic," as the musical figures are the first element that creates dreams for us.
The lobby has high ceilings, a vintage, symmetrical, and elegant design, styled after "Art Nouveau."
There are two front desks on the left and right, with walls behind them covered in a photo wall of Disney cartoon stars, each different, imitating the compositions of world-famous paintings and recreating them with Disney characters as the protagonists! Absolutely adorable!
Next to the front desk is a small lounge area with a TV playing cartoons on loop, and the benches across from it are tiny—clearly meant for children.
From the lobby, you can see across the lake to Disneytown and the big Cinderella Castle in Disneyland.
After checking in, the front desk staff took our luggage to the room for us. We didn't rush back to the room but waited in the lobby for the Disney character welcome ceremony.
This was the moment my sister was most excited about. As soon as the lobby orchestra began to play, before I could react, she jumped up from the sofa and ran to the center of the lobby, waiting for Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy on the second floor to wave to us.
To the cheerful music, the four cartoon characters waved and danced with the big and little kids in the lobby, and everyone was delighted.
Music plays everywhere in the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, so stepping into the hotel already feels like entering a fairy tale dream. Even the elevator buttons are shaped like Mickey Mouse—Mickey is everywhere.
After happily greeting my beloved Mickey Mouse, we returned to our room.
Before we set off, my sister told me there was a surprise in the room. Even though she already knew about it from her research, it didn't stop her from enthusiastically demonstrating it for me:
I feel the room has a strong American style—not modern or trendy, but more inclined toward vintage castle-themed decor.
Why did we choose to stay at the Disney hotel? Let me summarize the 10 key benefits: [1] Early entry by 1 hour with a dedicated entrance. [2] Free shuttle buses to Disneytown, the metro station, and Toy Story Hotel; hotel guests can also take boats to and from the park. [3] Mickey and Minnie come out to greet guests roughly every hour in the lobby. [4] A unique bedside lighting design reveals a castle and Mickey. [5] Families with kids can stay on the concierge floor, with bedtime stories and Mickey appearing in pajamas to say goodnight. [6] Dining at Lumière's Kitchen offers interactions with Disney friends. [7] Purchases made at Disneytown can be delivered to the hotel for free. [8] Hotel guests can store luggage for free at the Disneyland entrance, while regular guests are charged. [9] Buying next-day park tickets at the hotel includes a free Fastpass for one attraction. [10] The two official Disney cups in the room can be taken home, and room key cards don't need to be returned—they make great souvenirs.
The hotel also has a large outdoor garden, like stepping into a castle garden, also perfectly symmetrical, giving off a meticulous, refined vibe.
Put on your tulle skirt and transform into a fugitive princess here.
In the center of the hotel's fountain stands a distinctive Chinese artwork: a large琉璃 peony sculpture surrounded by classic Disney fairies. This peony—a traditional Chinese flower made in Shanghai—is one of the largest琉璃 floral sculptures in China.
Another reason to stay at the Disney hotel is the buffet dinner at Lumière's Kitchen on the lower level.
Walking down the spiral staircase, you see a classic "Beauty and the Beast" sculpture, making you feel like you've arrived at the "Beast Prince's" castle.
Lumière's Kitchen is a "Beauty and the Beast"-themed restaurant.
It features a spiral staircase identical to the one in the animation.
We reserved a table in advance, and a reminder text was sent when dinner time approached.
At the entrance, there's a live demonstration of traditional Chinese sugar painting, recreating Disney characters—free to take!
Of course, I chose my beloved Mickey Mouse.
The main reason to dine at this buffet is to meet the cartoon star friends. They come around every half hour to greet guests, dance, and take photos. The dining time is limited to 75 minutes, but I managed to see them four times: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto.
Honestly, the variety of the buffet isn't particularly rich compared to the price—it's mainly for the "celebrities."
Of course, many kids are dressed up for the occasion.
The desserts are especially cute, all shaped like various cartoon characters.
The seafood is frozen, not fresh, and quite average.
The dessert area is all Mickey-shaped—I absolutely loved it.
Duffy and friends.
If a child is celebrating a birthday, servers bring out glowing "birthday" letters and sing a birthday song in front of the child, looking delighted.
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