Shanghai Disneyland was the first Disney property to reopen after extended COVID-19 closures back in May. And with CEO Bob Chapek stating that Shanghai is the model for other parks reopening, new developments are always important to watch. Now that the pandemic has seemingly slowed down within China, the Chinese Government is allowing tourism spots to raise capacity from 30% to 50%. As a result Shanghai Disneyland will increase its capacity effective August 24th, and will transition from its current phase of advance reservations to the next phase, according to the official Resort website. This makes Shanghai Disneyland the first Disney-owned park to increase capacity after reopening.
According to Shanghai Disney Resort, this new system will allow Annual Passholders and day guests to visit on any eligible date based on the conditions of their pass or ticket. Guests will still be required to make a reservation in advance, but the process will become much more flexible for both day Guests and Annual Passholders. Let’s start with the new system for Passholders.
Annual Passholders
Beginning August 24, 2020, Shanghai Disneyland Annual Passholders will no longer be required to obtain a visitation spot or choose the arrival time of their visit in advance. Instead, procedures will work as follows:
- Annual Passholders will be able to visit the park on any eligible day, depending on their pass level.
- Annual Passholders will need to make a reservation by submitting their visit date and personal information through the resort’s official online platforms to obtain a Shanghai Disneyland Reservation QR Code prior to their arrival at the park entrance.
- Guests may arrive and enter the park at any time on their selected visit date.
- The current seven-day reservation calendar will be expanded to a 30-day window for Annual Passholders, including for same-day reservations. A 30-day window for Annual Passholders to reserve a visit starting from August 24th will open on August 18th at 1:00PM China Standard Time.
- Annual Passholders will be provided with one reservation per visit per pass, and a new reservation can be made once the current one is redeemed, cancelled or expired.
Annual Pass expiration dates will also be extended for the 212-day period between January 25th and August 23rd, 2020. For passes purchased during that period, the validity period will start counting on August 24th.
Day Tickets
As with Annual Pass holders, General Admission ticketholders and tickets with specific dates will not be required to obtain a visitation spot beginning August 24th. Instead, they will only need to make a reservation by submitting their visit date and personal information to obtain a Shanghai Disneyland Reservation QR Code prior to their arrival at the park’s Main Entrance. Tickets will still not be sold on-site at ticket booths, but they may be purchased through the Shanghai Disneyland website or through travel agency partners.
Like with Annual Passes, General Admission ticket validity will be extended 212 from their original expiration dates. Ticket validity for General Admission tickets bought during the period between January 25th and August 23rd will start counting expiration from August 24th.
It’s interesting to see Shanghai Disneyland pave the way forward. They’ve already resumed parades and fireworks on a trial basis and are well on their way towards normality once again. We can only hope that these changes can safely make their way to Walt Disney World and the other Disney resorts soon enough! In the meantime, stay tuned to WDWNT for the latest news as the Disney Parks worldwide recover from the effects of COVID-19.
