Welcome to the first and, so far, only Zootopia Land – located at Shanghai Disneyland! I watched as this was still being built in November 2019 and then still in September 2023 (when I’d hoped that maybe there would be a soft opening but was disappointed), and didn’t really think I’d see this land anytime soon. But things all aligned and I’m lucky enough to have worked out a schedule that I meant I could see it not that long after opening. The land opened on December 20th 2023 and I visited on the 10th and 11th of May 2024. Let’s take a look inside:
I don’t even know where to begin with this one, it was such an overwhelming experience to see such a new and immersive land – completely unlike anything I’ve experienced before! At least in my opinion, it’s the most immersive and intricately detailed land that Shanghai Disney has to offer. I think it might also be their smallest land, but every inch of space is packed with something creative and thoughtful to the Zootopia world. The land is located to the side of Fantasyland, directly behind Seven Dwarves Mine Train. There are paths to the land at both sides of Mine Train, however there is still a one-way and queuing system – you must enter from the right side, and there is a limit to the number of people allowed in at once still. The longest time I saw it at was 90 minutes, with the wait less during the parade, later in the evening and first thing in the morning in the early entry period for hotel guests. You then have to exit at the left side, and you come out right next to the Winnie the Pooh rides and shop. Because they do limit the numbers entering, it never felt too crowded in the land, probably because most people were in the queue for the ride, Zootopia: Hot Pursuit. The line for the ride generally sat around the 50/60minute mark when I visited, but it was quieter in the evening, and one thing to point out is that there is a single rider line for this, which was only 10minutes in the evening. I didn’t end up going on the ride – as a motion sickness sufferer, I spent a lot of time looking at ride videos online and decided that I didn’t think it was a good idea to ride. In hindsight, I think I could have probably given it a go because I later rode Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland and was completely fine. Think my issue is when you move in all directions and have 3D glasses on for 3D screen components (like in Ratatouille: The Adventure in Walt Disney Studios Park) – this ride doesn’t have the 3D glasses.
Each of the individual buildings have unique designs, every one is completely different to the next, it’s hard to pick a favourite! The iced up one was very cool, but I also loved the ‘gym’ where the life-size giraffe was walking on a treadmill – it’s those little details that make the difference. The billboards above the Nick and Judy meet ‘n greet are very cool, I love these touches, some were screens which changed all the time advertising different entertainment options or advertisements for the city. This also really stood out magnificently at night, it was eye-catching and really drew you in. Across the street from these bright lights, the buildings offer another unique experience, Disney Zootopia Comes Alive. Here, there are several windows on the buildings which open, and there are various different short shows which happen with various puppets of different characters from the world appearing in the windows. I only saw one on my visit, but I checked them all out on videos online and they are super cute. It was tricky to follow along as it’s all in Mandarin (with some you can make a reasonable guess at the conversation), but it was still super cute to see.
The signage along the street of the land was one of the highlights for me – the lamp posts along were adorable, with red/green ‘men’ at different heights and of different animals. This was something that was seen throughout the land, there were tiny little doors and passageways and signs everywhere, for those smaller species^ And the road/traffic signs were also hilarious too, just another immersive detail, it really did feel like you were walking down a main street in some amazing city!
I will say that overall the land did feel quite small, but I think once it’s more open to freely walk in/out that will definitely help with that feeling. It wasn’t very shaded in the land, but there were some trees to shelter under, and there were plenty of places to sit which I’ve definitely found a lack of in other areas/parks.
What to buy
It was clear immediately from setting foot on property that the Zootopia merch was popular, most visitors had on the ears or the shirts or the costumes, or there were fluffy keychains attached to their bags. There is of course the Fashions By Fru Fru shop within the Zootopia land itself, but you can also buy many of the same items in World of Disney in Disneytown and in Mickey Avenue. I have to say, I was very restrained with my purchases and only picked up a mystery pin box (getting a super cute Judy Hopps one) but could have bought many things. I really liked the t-shirt range, they had a good mix of characters, colours and designs. I especially liked the one of Flash the sloth, which came in both English and Mandarin versions. Was also pretty tempted by the headbands, but I felt like I would probably only wear it when there in that specific land, so I didn’t pick one up on this occasion. The Fashions By Fru Fru store is pretty small, the ride exits to here and of course other people are entering to shop, so it always felt very crowded and really difficult to get a good look at things.
What to eat
There isn’t an indoor sit-down or counter service restaurant in the Zootopia land, but there is the order-window Jumbeaux’s Cafe which sells the main snacks and treats, and then also the Zootopia Market stand which has smaller snacks. Both locations are mobile order only – you need to scan a QR code for the order link (a staff member will be at the venue with this on a sign), choose what you want, pay and get a QR code confirmation. Take this to the right pick-up location, they will scan your code and give you your items. I really quite like this way of ordering, it means you can take some time to browse the menu and decide what you want, and for those concerned about a language barrier, it also takes away a step.
Jumbeaux’s Cafe has a range of savoury and sweet items. There are a couple of sandwiches, with the carrot-shaped sandwich being a fun themed item. This is where you can buy the famous Big Donut, or if you prefer the set of 3 Mini Big Donuts – which I picked up and enjoyed (these came in a box, so you can keep some for later easily) – there is also the humungous Chocolate Marshmallow which looks like an ice lolly, but I’m not really a fan of marshmallow so this and the other mallow items didn’t catch my attention. Of course, can’t have a new land without a new themed waffle, this one has Judy on it and there are different topping options, including the new ginger ice cream, which I’m regretting not trying as I think that would be quite nice, but I have experience with soft serve melting very quickly in the heat! You can of course also get the usual soft drinks and coffees here as well. There were a reasonable amount of picnic tables and benches to sit at to eat your treats.
Zootopia Market has a smaller menu but when I was there it seemed to be the more popular location of the two. Here is where you can get the super popular (and super tasty) Pawpsicle, which I’ve since found out is hawthorn flavour, but I didn’t think it really tasted of much, just like a fruit ice lolly. It was very refreshing so it was the perfect first snack after I arrived on my first day. It didn’t melt super fast like the soft serve either, so that was good to enjoy at a more leisurely pace. There are also cute paw and carrot shaped sugar lollies you can get here, plus this is where you can get the corn flavoured popcorn – I’m not a huge popcorn eater, so I didn’t get this (wish you could get like a little sample cup of just a few handfuls to try!), but I’ve heard it’s good and the packaging is carrot shaped which is super cute^
Zootopia around the park
Zootopia-fever has taken over the whole park – there’s plenty to see that’s not in the land itself. The Easter egg decorations also include Zootopia characters, which surround a rotating big donut in one of the flower beds in front of the castle in the Gardens of Imagination. These are cute and were a popular spot for photoshoots. The entrance to the park also had banners up with all the characters, and the front entrance flower bed was all about Judy with a super cute floral design – I really liked that. Plus the entrance tickets have Zootopia characters on them too^ There is also the Zootopia Day Special Pre-Parade which is on just before the main parade. The dancers have very cute animal outfits on, there are a couple of ‘police’ vehicles with Nick and Judy in them, Clawhauser comes along, plus some dancers leading a group of park visitors who are participating in the dance. I thought this was pretty cute and added something fun to the parade (which I’ve seen before). And lastly there is also the Zootopia Celebration Projection which occurs immediately before the fireworks show in the evening – I absolutely loved this, it was so lively and fun with great colours and fountains going alongside projections and Try Everything. I posted a reel of this on Instagram that you can check out.
