Taking a Halloween-Born Kiddo to Shanghai Disney’s Halloween Season: The Once-a-Year Nighttime Parade Is Not to Be Missed!

Disney brings different surprises with each season, but Shanghai Disney’s Halloween season is definitely a themed season worth marking on your calendar, because it’s the only time you can catch the nighttime float parade.

I’ve always had a soft spot for nighttime parades—at both Tokyo Disney and Shanghai Disney. Sadly, at Shanghai you can only see it during Halloween month. And October is my little girl’s birthday month, so we just had to go.

Our original plan was to leave for the park at 6:30 a.m., but the whole family dawdled until 7:00. By the time we arrived, quite a few people were already queuing, but the crowds were manageable. After the gates opened at 8:30, we got in pretty quickly.

A quick word on ticketing now: after buying tickets, you need to make a reservation through Disney’s booking system. You’ll get a QR code, but don’t bother screenshotting it—the color won’t match. It turns green on the day of your visit, and that’s the one you need to show. On the day you enter, just have the reservation code, your health QR code (a COVID measure), and your ID ready.

You can now bring packaged snacks into Disney, but please remember to clean up after yourself.

With crisp autumn air and golden hues everywhere, Disney was breathtakingly beautiful.

Halloween happens to be our little one’s birthday. The very first thing we did after entering was head to the Guest Services on the right side of the main entrance to collect a birthday badge and a “Let’s Celebrate Together” badge. Some people say they wore the badge but never heard any birthday wishes. Our kid, however, got greeted by several Cast Members. The real perk of the badge is that Disney characters will notice it and give you extra special interactions. So if you’re visiting during your birthday month, definitely, definitely go grab one—and do it right after entering, or you might forget later.

On our way to Treasure Cove, we spotted lots of Disney characters ready for meet-and-greets. Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t get too close, so we just sent our love from a distance. The meet-and-greet spots along Mickey Avenue already had long lines, but I suddenly noticed that the queue for ShellieMay, who’s tucked a bit deeper inside the park, wasn’t too long. We quickly decided to take the kiddo over for a photo together.

Soaring Over the Horizon feels like such a tricky attraction. This time when we entered, the wait was only 15 minutes, but later it jumped to around 90. In the past, we’ve queued so long we nearly cried, so we decisively skipped it this time. Since the Fast Pass has been canceled, if you don’t want to wait forever but still want to enjoy certain rides, your options are: buy an Early Entry Card and hit those rides first, or purchase Premier Access for individual or multiple attractions to skip the queue. Otherwise, waiting that long doesn’t feel worth it.

This area is only open during Halloween—do you know where it is?

We spent the whole morning in Treasure Cove, riding Pirates of the Caribbean three times in a row. The line moved fast and the experience was amazing. It’s absolutely my favorite ride at Disney, and this time we even got two different endings.

The endings are pretty simple, really—it’s just whether Captain Jack gets the treasure or not. It’s only a slight line change and a lighting difference, but the joy is more than doubled.

After that, we grabbed lunch at Barbossa’s Bounty. It usually opens between 10:00 and 10:30. Going early means no queues and your pick of seats.

If you’re not an annual pass holder, remember to buy the popcorn and meal combo for 99 RMB on the official website—it’s a better deal than buying on site. If you spot the new Duffy the Disney Bear glowing drink cup, grab it early. A friend said they went in the afternoon once and it was already sold out.

In the past, our little girl was an Elsa fan. This time, she’s all about the new Duffy plush. Besides the drink, we had to get the new Duffy cake. It wasn’t too sweet and was pretty good.

After we’d done our must-rides and eaten, we just strolled around, going with the flow and waiting for showtimes.

While wandering through Fantasyland, we happened upon an open-air show, so that was another new experience ticked off the list. Oh, and because Barbossa’s opened at 10:30 on our day, we didn’t have time after lunch to catch the 11:30 Frozen sing-along. If your schedule is similar to ours and you eat right when the restaurant opens at 10:00, then after your meal you can rush over to catch the Frozen sing-along.

We made it to Toy Story Land around 11:40. As usual, we only did the two less scary attractions—there’s no way Jiaojiao and I are going on Slinky Dog Spin or the Rex’s Racer. Just like with TRON Lightcycle Power Run, I kept telling Jiaojiao’s dad to ride alone since the single-rider line is faster, but he said he’s not interested in riding by himself. Fine, I guess those two will always remain un-experienced rides for our family.

After finishing Hunny Pot Spin and Slinky Dog Dash, it was 12:50. We had time to squeeze in one or two more rides before heading to the Golden Fairytale Fanfare.

Before this trip, I’d set my heart on trying the internet-famous Stitch ball toss game. It’s located in Tomorrowland. We gave it a try, and boy, was it hard. Now I understand why people who actually manage to get the ball in become online sensations—it’s really tough! But for 30 RMB you get four balls, and even if you don’t sink a single one, you still get a badge. The price on the back of the badge says 49 RMB, and you can later exchange it for another style you like. If you get one or two balls in, you win a shoulder strap. The tall guy in front of me said he plays basketball regularly, and his best record was sinking two balls in one round. You can’t combine scores from different rounds. If you get three in, you win a giant Stitch plush.

I failed at the ball toss and ended up with two badges (which I think are ugly and plan to exchange next time, but Jiaojiao absolutely loves them and insists on keeping them because she earned them herself). We then moved toward the castle. Around 1:45, we passed Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The queue wasn’t long, so we waited about 20 minutes. It’s a pleasant little ride. I remember once waiting over an hour for this at Tokyo Disney—what a feeling that was...

The 2:15 Golden Fairytale Fanfare conflicted with the 2:00 Frozen sing-along. Given the choice, watching more princesses is definitely more delightful. We arrived 15 minutes early and managed to stand right in front. Wearing the badge, even Mickey himself gave us some extra interaction—it was so exciting! The princesses’ performance was as wonderful as ever.

After the fanfare, we went straight to find a spot for the 3:00 parade. By then, loads of people were already waiting, so the best spots were long gone. We just settled for somewhere decent.

I noticed that while people wait, they sit on the ground, but once the parade starts, everyone stands up. At Tokyo Disney, those in the front row must remain seated so they don’t block the view. Actually, sitting gives you a pretty good view too. I stayed seated for the whole parade this time—I wasn’t tired, and I could still call out and interact with the characters.

After the parade, we had to choose between Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the Frozen sing-along. I’d booked the Dwarfs Mine Train a bit late, so I only got the 3:00–4:00 queue slot. In the end, we opted for Frozen.

We were not disappointed. Our Jiaojiao has seen the original show around ten times, and this one now includes elements from the second movie, with double queens appearing. Be sure to catch it—you won’t be let down.

After the show, we’d originally planned to grab a turkey leg or the turkey leg meal deal, but we stopped in our tracks when we reached the turkey wing stand. We tried the turkey wing—it was huge. After polishing it off, we couldn’t eat another bite. So we just picked up some popcorn and got ready for the nighttime parade.

A tip: be sure to watch from right in front of the castle, because the castle light show is already happening by then. We watched from the side and could only turn back to see a lit-up, music-playing castle behind us.

When the parade began, the atmosphere was electric. Several Cast Members and Disney characters interacted with Jiaojiao (playfully startling her)—it was super fun. Later, ShellieMay also came over to interact, which was so thrilling. All of this happened thanks to the birthday badge!

Once the parade was over, Jiaojiao still wanted to do the Alice in Wonderland maze. Unfortunately, by the time we wound our way there, it had already closed. Still, we came away with plenty of wonderful moments. Jiaojiao had been intent on trick-or-treating all day, but only at lunch did a Cast Member kindly give the birthday girl a piece of candy. Other Cast Members we asked simply didn’t have any.

On our way back to the castle, we met a Cast Member standing in a relatively quiet corner. Jiaojiao pitifully went up to her and asked for candy. The young lady said she didn’t have any, but to keep the little princess from feeling sad, she gave Jiaojiao lots of stickers. Our little girl was over the moon. Then she told Jiaojiao to try the shops on Mickey Avenue—they might have a better chance there.

I later found out that the shop Cast Members had already given away all their candy. Just then, I turned and spotted a street-side cart. I encouraged Jiaojiao to give it a shot, and it paid off! The young man who was about to close up gave Jiaojiao several Mickey gummy candies. The “trick or treat” Halloween fun was finally fulfilled.

After that, we hurried to meet up with Jiaojiao’s dad and headed to the spot that’s rumored online to be the best place for fireworks viewing: the left side of Gardens of Imagination. I have to say, unless you snag a front-row spot by the railing very early, this location is actually terrible. Kids can’t see a thing. You’re better off on the nearby bridge, where everyone is required to sit. Even though Cast Members in this area call for the front row to stay seated, once the fireworks start, people up front don’t care at all—they all stand up to get a better view.

So don’t stress about finding the perfect fireworks spot. The secret is just to queue up early, or simply watch from a restaurant with a fireworks view while you dine.

No matter how many times I visit Disney, each trip fills me up with love, and all my worries can be set aside for a while. This is how this mom briefly recharges—a remedy for the parent-child relationship strained by the pressures of schoolwork. Only here can I become that gentle mom, just like Disney, who wishes her child could grow up slowly. Once we leave, I’m back to being the anxious mother urging my kid to grow faster. I really hope our next Disney trip comes soon.

One slip-up this time: Jiaojiao lost her beloved water bottle. I called Disney’s lost-and-found twice but it never turned up. So, when heading out, it’s better to travel light. If something does go missing, there’s still a slim chance of getting it back. You can call 20998001—I know someone online who actually recovered their lost item this way.

And remember to buy tickets early for early-bird prices. You can also message me—Jiaojiao’s mom’s friends get some discounts. Keep an eye on official WeChat updates, too. Coupons pop up now and then. Recently, the 99 RMB and 8.8 RMB food vouchers are a great deal. Of course, if you have the time and inclination to bring your kids to Disney often, the best value is getting an annual pass.

Even at home, these little delightful surprises linger long in our memories. That’s the magic of Disney.