Theme Parks in Shanghai - The 7 Worth a Day Out

Shanghai Disneyland has been the city’s headline park since 2016, and since July 2025 it has had real competition in LEGOLAND, out in Jinshan. Happy Valley covers the thrill-ride end of the market, and the rest are half-day parks for families with a spare afternoon. One old name is missing for now: Jinjiang Action Park closed in January 2025 for a full rebuild, with a Warner Bros. Harry Potter studio tour and a new 118-meter Ferris wheel due on the site in 2027.

The best theme parks in Shanghai, in order

1. Shanghai Disneyland

The flagship. Shanghai Disneyland opened in June 2016 at 310 Huangzhao Road in Pudong and has been celebrating its 10th anniversary with a resort-wide program since March 20, 2026. Its themed lands include Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, Gardens of Imagination and Zootopia, which opened in December 2023 as the first Zootopia land at any Disney park. TRON Lightcycle Power Run, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure and Zootopia: Hot Pursuit are the rides worth queuing for. The resort also has two hotels, the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel, both inside the resort and close to the park gate.

What foreign visitors need to know:

• Tickets are dated and priced by season. Check the price for the day you want, not a headline number.
• Bring your passport. Foreign visitors need it to buy tickets and again at the gate.
• Disney Premier Access is sold separately and skips the line on selected rides and shows.

Getting there: Metro Line 11 ends at Disney Resort station, a short walk from the park. From central Shanghai, allow just under an hour with one change.

Disney plus the Bund?

Families bundling Disneyland with the city’s classic sights can fold it into a private Shanghai tour, where an English-speaking guide handles the tickets, the queues and the transport.

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2. LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort

The newcomer, and the better pick for families with younger children. LEGOLAND Shanghai opened on July 5, 2025 in Fengjing, Jinshan district, as the first Legoland in China. The park has eight themed lands, including one built around Lego’s Monkie Kid series and the Monkey King of Journey to the West, and the resort adds a 250-room LEGOLAND Hotel. It is far from the center: Jinshan North railway station is about 1 kilometer away, and a shuttle bus loop runs from the station to the park.

3. Shanghai Happy Valley

The best pure ride park in Shanghai, and the one locals pick for coasters rather than characters. It has operated since 2009 at 888 Linhu Road, at Sheshan in Songjiang district. In summer it stays open late with night shows and music events, so it doubles as an evening out. Allow about an hour from the center on Metro Line 9 plus a shuttle or taxi.

4. Maya Beach Water Park

Next door to Happy Valley at 1222 Linyin Xinlu, Maya Beach (Playa Maya) is the city’s big outdoor water park: 20 hectares, more than 40 large rides and a wave pool rebuilt for 2026 as a twin-wave “surf beach”. It is strictly seasonal, from mid-June to the end of August. For the indoor, heated alternatives elsewhere in the country, see our guide to water parks in China.

5. Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park

A marine-life theme park at 166 Yinfei Road in Lingang, Pudong, on the shore of Dishui Lake. It opened in November 2018 with five themed areas, from Mermaid Bay to Polar Town, built around large animal halls, live shows and more than ten rides. The orcas are the main draw. Metro Line 16 runs to Dishui Lake station, at the far end of the line.

6. Shanghai Wild Animal Park

A safari park at 178 Nanliu Highway in Pudong, where you ride through the large-animal enclosures by bus and walk the rest. In July and August it stays open until 9 p.m., with an evening boat ride through the forest and lake areas. It is a half-day trip and pairs well with Haichang, since both sit on Metro Line 16.

7. Shanghai Film Park

A working film and TV studio lot in Chedun, Songjiang district, at 211 Cheting Highway, built by Shanghai Film Group. The draw is the street sets recreating 1930s Shanghai, which you can walk through, and on a lucky day a production is shooting on them. It is a two-hour stop rather than a full day, and an easy add-on to Happy Valley, which is also in Songjiang.

Which theme park in Shanghai is worth it?

Pick by age and season. Shanghai Disneyland is the one full day worth building a trip around, and it earns the ticket price for anyone who knows the films. LEGOLAND is the better buy for younger children, and Happy Valley wins for teenagers who want coasters rather than characters. In July and August, add Maya Beach. Haichang, the Wild Animal Park and the Film Park are half days: good with a spare afternoon, not worth a trip on their own.