International Parks Wrap-up – May 2018

Welcome back for your May 2018 update on what’s happening at the International Disney Parks! This month’s update is surprisingly small, as there isn’t much new to report on the four international parks.

Shanghai Disneyland

We’ll start this update with Shanghai Disneyland, which is the only park that is bringing us fresh news! Premiering on June 14, the Mandarin production of the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast will be at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre in Disneytown. The Broadway creative team has been working hands-on with the Chinese cast in bringing this musical to life. Tickets go on sale starting May 24.

Another new announcement out of the Shanghai Disney Resort is that guests staying at an onsite hotel (Shanghai Disneyland Hotel or the Toy Story Hotel) can enter the park 30 minutes early via the Disneytown entrance to the park. In order to take advantage of this special entrance and early entry, guests will need to provide proof of their hotel stay (provided by the hotel), park tickets, and ID at the gate. Bus service is provided by the hotels to the Disneytown entrance.

It is also worth noting that Toy Story Land is officially open at Shanghai! We’ve been reporting out on what this new land would bring us for many months now, and on Thursday, April 26, it officially opened. Here’s what this new land includes:

• Three new attractions: Slinky Dog Spin, Rex’s Racer, Woody’s Roundup
• Meeting Post: a character meet and greet experience
• Al’s Toy Barn: the Toy Story Land shop
• Toy Box Café: a quick-service dining option

  

Tokyo Disney Resort

Now that the 35th Anniversary has officially kicked off at Tokyo Disney Resort, it will probably be a while before there is fresh news regarding this park. Simply put, the 35th Anniversary is an amazing spectacle, and although we’ve been talking about it for months, it just started. For a rundown of what the anniversary includes, check out last month’s International Parks Wrap-Up. (Or go back even further! I’ve been dissecting the offerings for quite a while now.)

A smaller celebration of note that is coming up at Tokyo Disney Resort is Tanabata Days. (Okay, maybe there is a little bit of fresh news outside of just Shanghai…) Disney Parks Blog has not released any information regarding this event yet, but the Tokyo Disney Resort calendar shows that it is running from June 7 through July 7. This celebration marks the Japanese “Star Festival,” which is in honor of two deity lovers who can only meet on the seventh day of the seventh month.

Assuming that the Tanabata Days offerings are similar this year as in year’s past (which is just conjecture, as I don’t know if the 35th Anniversary celebrations will impact it in any way) here is what you can expect:

• Character greetings, with Disney characters dressed in traditional Japanese attire
• Wishing places, where guests write a wish on a card and attach it to the display
• Tanabata Days merchandise, featuring Disney characters in traditional Japanese attire
• Tanabata Days specialty food and drink

Disneyland Paris

The last news to come out of Disneyland Paris was the announcement of the Third Annual Disneyland Paris Magic Run Weekend and the breakdown of the Festival of Pirates and Princesses. As both of those were included in last month’s wrap-up, I’ll direct you there to learn more. As soon as I hear anything new out of Disneyland Paris, I’ll be sure to share it in upcoming wrap-up articles!

Hong Kong Disneyland

This is the second month in a row that things have been quiet on the Hong Kong Disneyland front, and I’m sorry to say that I don’t have anything to share. For a refresher on what’s happening at Hong Kong Disneyland this summer, I’ll refer you to my March article, which details the “Carnival of Stars” offerings. Once anything else official is released regarding the construction and upcoming events at Hong Kong Disneyland, I’ll share it with you!

The final note that I’ll leave you with this month is that I’m looking forward to my first trip to the Disney Asia parks NEXT MONTH! That’s right, I’m hitting Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo over a two-week time period. Hopefully I’ll come back with the inside scoop of some of the goings on in those parks, and I look forward to sharing anything pertinent with you in the July wrap-up. Don’t worry, because even though I’ll be touring the parks when I should be writing the June International Parks Wrap-up, you’ll still be able to get your news right here from the amazing Daisy Lauren!

Are you planning on visiting any of the international parks? Have you been in the past? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences on the Disney Parks throughout the world!