Actual Size of Shanghai's Theme Park?

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Disney is counting all the resort land at almost 1,000 acres. But what is the size of just the theme park? Anyone know?

 

[Monty]

287 acres

 

[Animaniac93-98]

287 acres

Does that include Disney Town?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

For Comparison:

Hong Kong Disneyland: 68 acres
Disneyland: "over 100 acres" (thanks to Galaxy's Edge)
The Magic Kingdom: 107 acres
Tokyo Disneyland: 115 acres
Disneyland Paris: 140 acres

 

[RandySavage]

The sizes of parks as determined by using Google Maps acreage calculator is usually much different than what you find published online (wikipedia) or even in official press releases: https://www.inchcalculator.com/acreage-calculator/

This may be because at different times, they're measuring different things: On-show space? unused expansion pads included? Everything inside the Perimeter road? Parking lots? Detached backstage area (e.g. most of MK's Back of House is outside the Perimeter Road, while Shanghai's is inside and adjacent to the on-show areas).

Using the link above and measuring On-Show areas currently occupied by attractions puts MK at roughly 127 acres and SDL at 124 acres, which goes against what many read as Shanghai being a much larger park.

 

[RandySavage]

Here's a ballpark apples-to-apples comparison of Shanghai and MK as far as the parks' comparative sizes that compose the Guest Experience today (i.e., no Zootopia pad for SDL, nor Tron for MK).

MK has some "inner forests" that I've counted as part of the RR/Riverboat experience and SDL's equivalent is the series of of large, empty picnic lawns.

 

[jaxonp]

Here's a ballpark apples-to-apples comparison of Shanghai and MK as far as the parks' comparative sizes that compose the Guest Experience today (i.e., no Zootopia pad for SDL, nor Tron for MK).
View attachment 469804

MK has some "inner forests" that I've counted as part of the RR/Riverboat experience and SDL's equivalent is the series of of large, empty picnic lawns.

Shanghai has paved concrete for days. Fantasland seems huge and empty at the same time. It's a strange use of space when comparing it to the other castle parks.

 

[Robbiem]

Shanghai has paved concrete for days. Fantasland seems huge and empty at the same time. It's a strange use of space when comparing it to the other castle parks.

i cant understand how Shanghai is touted as the largest castle park but actually has fewer attractions than most. I’d have expected more fantasyland dark rides and attractions in tomorrowland

 

[616.1314]

Shanghai has paved concrete for days. Fantasland seems huge and empty at the same time. It's a strange use of space when comparing it to the other castle parks.

Agreed. The park looks so "empty" in real life.

i cant understand how Shanghai is touted as the largest castle park but actually has fewer attractions than most. I’d have expected more fantasyland dark rides and attractions in tomorrowland

They definitely need more rides with HIGH capacity. The current attraction line-up is ridiculously weak and cannot cater the huge crowds at all, resulting in insanely long wait times. Additionally, the hot weather in summer as well as the poor queuing manners of the guests make visiting the park an unbearable experience. I also don't get why they built Toy Story Land as their first phase of expansion. Flat rides with low capacity is not what they need.

 

[lazyboy97o]

i cant understand how Shanghai is touted as the largest castle park but actually has fewer attractions than most. I’d have expected more fantasyland dark rides and attractions in tomorrowland

Because despite spending a lot more, Disney has not really abandoned the strategy that defined Disney's California Adventure, Walt Disney Studios Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney wants you to experience the absolute minimum number of experiences for you to be satisfied with your day and nothing more. Use of space has also become much less efficient.

 

[Robbiem]

It definitely sounds like a rehash of old planning. The park sounds like it really needs more to do. Some high capacity omnimover or boat rides would be a good move - the equivalent of adding a haunted mansion, pirates, small world or mermaid ride to the park, not necessarily with those themes although I believe every castle park needs small world.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Shanghai is the ultimate opposite of Disneyland in the states: there's plenty of room to move, where even when the park is crowded it doesn't feel like it much at all (at least, it didn't the days I was there).

Then you check the app and waits are insane. FPs for Soarin' 15 minutes into Early Entry already at 3 PM and disappearing on you if you can't push the buttons on your phone fast enough. Even Pirates, the only ride without FP, was over 50 minutes most of the time until the evening.

The park needs gobs of ride capacity, and it's needed it for about as long as it's been open. Toy Story Land-esque expansions aren't nearly going to cut it and meet the demand.

 

[jaxonp]

Shanghai is the ultimate opposite of Disneyland in the states: there's plenty of room to move, where even when the park is crowded it doesn't feel like it much at all (at least, it didn't the days I was there).

Then you check the app and waits are insane. FPs for Soarin' 15 minutes into Early Entry already at 3 PM and disappearing on you if you can't push the buttons on your phone fast enough. Even Pirates, the only ride without FP, was over 50 minutes most of the time until the evening.

The park needs gobs of ride capacity, and it's needed it for about as long as it's been open. Toy Story Land-esque expansions aren't nearly going to cut it and meet the demand.

I've never found pirates to be that busy for the parks marquee attraction. Chalk that up to no FP and a ride with pretty good capacity.

And yea.. I'm not sure Zootopia will be enough. Shanghai's growth was moving very fast and the park needs investment to keep the Chinese hunger satisfied.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I've never found pirates to be that busy for the parks marquee attraction. Chalk that up to no FP and a ride with pretty good capacity.

And yea.. I'm not sure Zootopia will be enough. Shanghai's growth was moving very fast and the park needs investment to keep the Chinese hunger satisfied.

I always thought it was weird that Hong Kong and Tokyo are right there announcing grand expansion plans and Shanghai, the park that most transparently has major capacity needs, was silent until they announced Zootopia. Granted, HK needs to convince people to care and TDR has its own capacity issues, but there's just no comparison. There's no way Zootopia is going to be enough.

I may have gotten unlucky with Pirates, and I had heard from others that the waits were often short, but as of Early June last year, either we happened to hit the park on two unlucky weekdays or the park in general had become more popular and the crowds just didn't have any other places to go. But both days Pirates was 50 minutes or above until the evening. It was not what I was expecting.

 

[jaxonp]

I always thought it was weird that Hong Kong and Tokyo are right there announcing grand expansion plans and Shanghai, the park that most transparently has major capacity needs, was silent until they announced Zootopia. Granted, HK needs to convince people to care and TDR has its own capacity issues, but there's just no comparison. There's no way Zootopia is going to be enough.

I may have gotten unlucky with Pirates, and I had heard from others that the waits were often short, but as of Early June last year, either we happened to hit the park on two unlucky weekdays or the park in general had become more popular and the crowds just didn't have any other places to go. But both days Pirates was 50 minutes or above until the evening. It was not what I was expecting.

just imagine how long SHDL version of pirates would be at DL or WDW... it’s a FOP or SWROTR level attraction. 50 min isn’t bad even in a bad day if you think like that.

and agreed HKDL is trying to steel the thunder back from SHDL even though many Mainland Chinese can’t easily visit Hong Kong which presents the main issue for growth. There’s only so much international tourism that can feed that tiny park and that’s why they need it to be, at a minimum, a full day park.

Tokyo, the park that needs more attractions than anyone, has a lot in the works. The OLC knows how to run a park. I wish TWDC would take some notes from them.

 

[BigDlover]

For Comparison:

Hong Kong Disneyland: 68 acres
Disneyland: "over 100 acres" (thanks to Galaxy's Edge)
The Magic Kingdom: 107 acres
Tokyo Disneyland: 115 acres
Disneyland Paris: 140 acres

Is this true? So the Shanghai park is more than double the size of Disneyland or MK? And Paris is the 2nd biggest "MK"? I thought Paris was small.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Is this true? So the Shanghai park is more than double the size of Disneyland or MK? And Paris is the 2nd biggest "MK"? I thought Paris was small.

These are just numbers I was able to find online, as @RandySavage pointed out, Shanghai is not double the size of MK.

Paris is indeed bigger than most Magic Kingdoms. You notice this when walking around the park, especially to the Frontierland RR station or Indian Jones coaster.

 

[PiratesMansion]

These are just numbers I was able to find online, as @RandySavage pointed out, Shanghai is not double the size of MK.

Paris is indeed bigger than most Magic Kingdoms. You notice this when walking around the park, especially to the Frontierland RR station or Indian Jones coaster.

That Frontierland station is practically in the middle of nowhere.

The size really stuck out for me walking from Pirates to Phantom Manor (top left of map to bottom left); you wouldn't think it'd be that far but it takes forever.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

That Frontierland station is practically in the middle of nowhere.

The size really stuck out for me walking from Pirates to Phantom Manor (top left of map to bottom left); you wouldn't think it'd be that far but it takes forever.

But, man, is that walk filled with eye candy!

 

[Robbiem]

These are just numbers I was able to find online, as @RandySavage pointed out, Shanghai is not double the size of MK.

Paris is indeed bigger than most Magic Kingdoms. You notice this when walking around the park, especially to the Frontierland RR station or Indian Jones coaster.

Paris was designed with expansion so the park is larger, it really manages to balance size with charm. Shanghai from what I’ve seen appears to be the opposite everywhere looks spread out with wide walkways between them which takes some of the charm away