Shanghai Disneyland officially opened on June 16, 2016. It was the first Disney theme park in mainland China and opened as the centerpiece of the larger Shanghai Disney Resort.
Construction had begun more than five years earlier, with Disney and Shanghai Shendi Group holding the official groundbreaking ceremony on April 8, 2011.
I first visited Shanghai Disneyland in 2019, three years after it opened. Knowing how recently the park had been built helped explain why so much of it felt different from Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World, particularly the scale, attraction technology and amount of space designed into the park.
| Shanghai Disneyland milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Shanghai Disney Resort groundbreaking | April 8, 2011 |
| Opening date officially announced | January 12, 2016 |
| Shanghai Disneyland grand opening | June 16, 2016 |
| Toy Story Land opened | April 26, 2018 |
| Zootopia opened | December 20, 2023 |
| 10th anniversary | June 16, 2026 |
Shanghai Disneyland Opened on June 16, 2016
The official grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort took place on June 16, 2016.
The Walt Disney Company and Shanghai Shendi Group had announced the date earlier that year, on January 12, with a multi-day grand-opening celebration leading to the arrival of the resort’s first official guests on June 16.
The resort was Disney’s first destination resort in mainland China.
At the time of its opening, Shanghai Disney Resort became Disney’s sixth resort destination worldwide, while Shanghai Disneyland became the company’s 12th theme park.
When Was Shanghai Disneyland Built?
The project officially broke ground on April 8, 2011.
The groundbreaking followed approval from China’s central government and marked the beginning of construction on the first Disney resort in mainland China.
Disney and Shanghai Shendi Group initially planned approximately five years of development before opening the resort.
The original project covered roughly 963 acres and included:
- Shanghai Disneyland;
- Shanghai Disneyland Hotel;
- Toy Story Hotel;
- Disneytown;
- Wishing Star Park and lake;
- transportation facilities; and
- land reserved for future expansion.
If you are interested in the business arrangement behind the project, our guide to who owns Shanghai Disneyland explains the Disney and Shanghai Shendi partnership.
What Did Shanghai Disneyland Have When It Opened?
Shanghai Disneyland opened with six themed lands:
- Mickey Avenue;
- Gardens of Imagination;
- Fantasyland;
- Treasure Cove;
- Adventure Isle; and
- Tomorrowland.
Several of the park’s defining attractions were there from opening day, including Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, TRON Lightcycle Power Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.
The park was not designed simply as a Chinese version of an existing Magic Kingdom. Treasure Cove was a new Disney land built around Pirates of the Caribbean, while Gardens of Imagination replaced the traditional central hub design found at several older castle parks.
Enchanted Storybook Castle also opened as the centerpiece of the park. Disney designed it as a castle representing all Disney princesses rather than attaching it to one princess story.
You can see how the attractions compare today in our Shanghai Disneyland ride list.
Why Shanghai Disneyland Looked Different From Older Disney Parks
One of the things that stood out to me when I visited in 2019 was how much space the park seemed to have.
The walkways felt broad, Enchanted Storybook Castle dominated the center of the park, and areas such as Gardens of Imagination created large open spaces that did not feel like copies of Anaheim or Orlando.
The newer ride technology was also obvious.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure was particularly different from older Pirates attractions because of its ride system, enormous physical environments and integration of projection effects.
That newer design is one reason the park’s opening date matters when comparing it with Disney’s older destinations.
Our guide to how big Shanghai Disneyland is gives more context on the park’s scale.
Toy Story Land Was the First Major Expansion
Shanghai Disneyland did not remain a six-land park for long.
Disney·Pixar Toy Story Land opened on April 26, 2018, less than two years after the resort’s grand opening.
It became Shanghai Disneyland’s seventh themed land and was the resort’s first major expansion.
Disney described Shanghai Disney Resort at the time as its fastest-expanding resort.
Zootopia Opened in December 2023
The park expanded again when Zootopia officially opened on December 20, 2023.
Zootopia became Shanghai Disneyland’s eighth themed land and the first land themed entirely to Zootopia at any Disney park.
The centerpiece is Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, a trackless dark ride surrounded by a fully developed version of the city from the movie.
Our Shanghai Disneyland Zootopia guide covers what was added with that expansion.
Shanghai Disney Resort Turned 10 in 2026
Shanghai Disney Resort marked its 10th anniversary on June 16, 2026.
That decade took the resort from the original six-land Shanghai Disneyland to an eight-land park with two completed theme park expansions and additional resort development underway.
The park’s relatively recent opening also means its history is still being written. Shanghai Disney has continued developing new attractions and resort projects rather than treating the 2016 park as a finished product.
Was Shanghai Disneyland the First Disney Park in China?
Shanghai Disneyland was the first Disney theme park in mainland China, but it was not the first Disney park in China overall.
Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, more than a decade before Shanghai Disneyland.
The significance of Shanghai’s 2016 opening was that it brought a Disney resort to mainland China for the first time.
If you are comparing the two destinations rather than researching their history, see our Hong Kong Disneyland vs. Shanghai Disneyland comparison.
If You Mean What Time Shanghai Disneyland Opens Today
The park’s historical opening date is June 16, 2016, but its daily opening time is not fixed.
Shanghai Disney publishes park operating hours by date, and those hours can change throughout the year.
If you are trying to find today’s opening time rather than the year the park opened, check Shanghai Disney Resort’s official park calendar before your visit.
You can check current operating information on the official Shanghai Disneyland park calendar.
Shanghai Disneyland’s Opening Timeline
The history is easiest to remember as a short timeline:
- April 8, 2011: Disney and Shanghai Shendi Group officially break ground on Shanghai Disney Resort.
- January 12, 2016: Disney announces June 16 as the official opening date.
- June 16, 2016: Shanghai Disney Resort and Shanghai Disneyland officially open to guests.
- April 26, 2018: Toy Story Land opens as the park’s seventh themed land.
- December 20, 2023: Zootopia opens as the eighth themed land.
- June 16, 2026: Shanghai Disney Resort celebrates its 10th anniversary.
For current attractions, hotels, tickets and trip planning rather than the park’s history, use our main Shanghai Disneyland guide.
