A Trip to Disney
I woke up early in the morning, too excited to go back to sleep. The forecast said cloudy and moderate temperatures, so I put on a jacket. And that jacket turned out to be a lifesaver—by evening, it was barely above 10°C and the wind was biting. I packed light, just a small crossbody bag with a disposable raincoat inside. No umbrella; I took a wide-brimmed canvas hat that could double as sun shade and rain cover. From Beijing, I’d brought a water bottle, because a friend told me Disney has plenty of drinking water stations. I skipped breakfast and went straight to the hotel lobby to wait for the shuttle. Everyone else was in groups or pairs, but I was alone—and honestly, I didn’t feel lonely at all.
In under half an hour, the shuttle dropped us at the Disney parking lot. The driver pointed out the meeting spot and schedule, and we scattered. Walking over the bridge toward the park, the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack filled the air, and my heart was pounding with excitement. Then I got to the entrance queue, and it was like a bucket of cold water—so many people!
I waited ages to get through security, then another line to get my ticket, dodging scalpers and line-cutters the whole time. I later calculated that from arriving at the entrance to my first ride (Soaring Over the Horizon), it took over two and a half hours. Once I had the ticket and was officially inside the park, I linked it to the Shanghai Disney official app to get FastPasses (you can draw up to three per day). By then, all the Soaring FastPasses were gone, but I snagged one for TRON Lightcycle Power Run, for the 9:30–10:30 a.m. time slot.
Since I had a little time, and the app showed the Soaring wait at less than an hour, I decided to queue up there first—surely I’d make it to TRON in time. In the Soaring line, you could scan QR codes on the wall to play trivia games and even pick a team to join. Indoors, the high walls projected each team’s progress. I chose Team Snake, which felt oddly like stepping into the world of Harry Potter. The questions were tough, but I ended up in third place for my team—fun little diversion. Finally, it was my turn. A cast member first showed a video about the Shaman, then we filed into the huge ride chamber. Rows of seats rose, and I was assigned to the very back. As we lifted, the enormous curved screen wrapped around us. It blends sight, sound, smell, and touch—I won’t spoil it, because you really have to experience it yourself. But I’ll say my fear of heights and deep-sea dread both nearly kicked in (even though there’s no literal ocean scene). And since I hadn’t eaten anything, I stumbled off feeling queasy and fighting the urge to retch.
After that first ride, I realized I wasn’t going to make it to TRON before 10:30. So I decided to take it easy, wander, snap photos—and realize my meticulously planned itinerary was basically useless. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure is one of the most popular rides, so I headed to the Pirates area and got in line. Though it looked long, I waited only about twenty minutes. Compared with Soaring, that felt incredibly generous. While queuing, I also grabbed a FastPass for Roaring Rapids, with a time slot around 3:30–4:30 p.m. I absolutely loved the Sunken Treasure adventure—Captain Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl, Davy Jones and the giant Kraken; it felt like I was right in the middle of a fierce sea battle. And by the way, there’s a little surprise just before the end.
Still buzzing, I moved on. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon the Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration just as the show was about to start. Being solo, I squeezed in right at the tail end. Even though I ended up way in the back, and the show wasn’t quite as spectacular as I’d imagined, the kids were absolutely into it. They belted out the songs, and little ones in Elsa costumes twirled up to the stage, led by the performers. Watching their joyful interaction was heartwarming and a bit enviable.
Now for the ride I loved and regretted the most—TRON Lightcycle Power Run. By then I was seriously hungry, but found myself near Tomorrowland. I hesitated: partly because it looked intense, and partly because I was afraid I’d actually throw up afterward. But remembering the boasts I’d made to a friend, I queued up anyway. I’d seen pictures online and thought the setting looked familiar—I’d watched TRON: Legacy in high school, and the whole vibe is so cool, with a hint of cyberpunk.
My friend had mentioned there’s a single-rider line for this ride. Sure enough, while the regular queue snaked along, I walked almost straight to the front. Only two people were ahead of me. The Lightcycles seat two per row, so staff fill empty seats from the single-rider line. I was incredibly nervous; my palms were sweaty, and with no one beside me, it was the second time that day in Shanghai I felt genuinely alone.
The regular wait was about 45 minutes, but I got on in maybe fifteen. The ride was a blur—I was cheering as we shot into the finale. It’s such a rush, perfectly balancing thrill and fun. I once rode the world’s fastest roller coaster at Ferrari World, and that was terrifying—nonstop speed and zero-gravity feeling, my soul lagging behind my body. TRON, though, brilliantly combines speed with light effects, so the weightlessness is mild. With wind roaring in my ears, I felt like I’d truly blasted into the future.
Hoping to ride TRON again in the afternoon, I went to Disneytown for a quick, simple meal. A side note: there are plenty of restrooms in the park, but later that evening, when I desperately needed one, I struggled to find it. Next, I visited the Marvel Universe. They had a cast member dressed as Captain America for photos, but I wasn’t too interested. Iron Man’s suit of armor, though—so shiny, I took a bunch of pictures. I’m actually a fan of the Avengers, but the Marvel area here wasn’t that impressive. Coming back out, a light drizzle had started. My wide-brimmed hat handled it just fine, and I even felt cozy. I soon found myself near the Disney castle. The terrace in front was nearly empty, so I snapped some panoramic shots. Pity the sky was overcast; it gave the scene a slightly melancholic feel.
I checked that the afternoon parade wouldn’t start until 3:30 p.m., so I had time for another ride. Back in the Pirates zone, I explored the Siren’s Revenge, the ship with the giant mermaid figurehead. Then I finally found the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and queued for about an hour. During the wait, the sun came out and warmed things up a bit. On the ride, I kept my eyes wide open and screamed the whole way. It’s fairly standard for a theme park, but with the Dwarfs theme, a dose of nostalgia made it extra special. Great fun, and really suitable for kids.
On my way to the parade route, I took a quick detour through the Alice in Wonderland Maze. It’s easy—hedges are low—and more a small attraction than a real challenge. The Queen of Hearts statue stands inside, making for great photos.
I got to the parade route about half an hour early, but both sides were already packed. I found a spot with a decent view and guarded it against anyone blocking my sight. To the tune of “Happily Ever After,” float after float passed by with beloved Disney characters and huge props. Everyone had phones up, recording the joyous moments. Rapunzel and Flynn looked so happy; Elsa was gorgeous; Mulan on horseback was mighty; the flag-waving dancer was just adorable...
The parade ended close to 4 p.m., and I didn’t want to miss my FastPass time. I hurried to Roaring Rapids, putting on my disposable raincoat while waiting. Only then did I discover the hood was torn (it was a freebie from a charity run the year before)—great. The raft ride itself isn’t very thrilling; everyone in our boat was chatting and laughing. Then right at the end, a small drop sent a gush of water right into my seat, soaking me to the skin. My hair was wet and my shoes filled with water. At least the sun was still out, so I could dry off a bit.
I noticed a ropes course near the artificial mountain and waterfall and was tempted. But I really wanted to ride Sunken Treasure and TRON again, so I moved on. I headed back to Pirates and experienced the sea battle once more—again, only about a twenty-minute wait. This time, the girl next to me was clearly startled by the giant Kraken, but I didn’t feel my thalassophobia at all. After that, I was torn: I really wanted to do TRON again, but I also wanted to try the ropes course I hadn’t done yet. I made a decision I’d regret—I chose the ropes course.
I waited over an hour to get on. As soon as I reached the elevated walkway, I regretted it. I’m terrified of heights. Even the widely spaced pillars were intimidating; the swaying wooden planks and rope bridges were out of the question. I stuck to the safer side path. But seeing kids from my group scramble over the rope nets, I decided to challenge myself. Trembling, I stepped onto the rope net—I took one step and realized I couldn’t turn back. I’m short, and the safety tether was short, so when I slowly made my way to the middle, I felt like a dangling piece of bacon, totally stuck.
With no one to encourage me, I suddenly envied the groups and couples. I’d fallen behind my session, and I didn’t want the next group to see me immobilized. So I gripped the safety line with both hands and inched my way across. After that, I played it safe, staying on the solid path and marveling at an agile guy who breezed through the trickiest rope parts. This challenge is tailor-made for adrenaline junkies but a nightmare for anyone with acrophobia. To this day, I still regret picking the ropes course—I could have ridden TRON twice in that wait time. I made a silent vow that next time, I’d ride TRON at least three times to make up for it.
And then came the grand finale—the nighttime castle show. It was set for 8:30 p.m., but by 7:00 I was hunting for a spot. Many people had already staked out prime ones, all standing, so I didn’t dare sit down for fear of being stepped on. As I waited, every part of my body ached. I tallied it up: from the moment I’d arrived at the park entrance, I’d spent more than six hours just standing in queues. Honestly, if you add every tiny wait, it probably topped seven hours. The show was breathtaking and, as someone who’s seen many Disney films, I was truly moved. Online videos capture it well, but only being there lets you step into that beautiful dream. I really love Disney. I want to visit every Disney park in the world.
After the show, as the crowds thinned, I took a few more photos of the illuminated castle and the carousel. The temperature had dropped and the wind was picking up. Since our hotel shuttle wasn’t coming until 10 p.m., I browsed around inside Mickey’s shop. The merchandise was pricey, and the quality a bit disappointing, but window-shopping was nice. The parking-lot attendant holding the directional sign was so dedicated. We caught the last bus back to the hotel, ending a full day at Disney. I had some warm food at a convenience store, and with that warmth, I drifted off into sweet dreams.
