Amusement Parks in China 2026: Disneyland, Chimelong, Universal

We compare China's amusement parks: Shanghai Disneyland, the Chimelong chain with the world's largest aquarium, Universal Studios Beijing, Window of the World and the Fantawild and Happy Valley chains — what to choose for your route.

China does have a Disneyland, but not where people look for it most often: there isn’t one in Beijing. Two Disney parks operate in the country, Shanghai Disneyland on the mainland and Hong Kong’s in the special administrative region, and in the capital the Universal Beijing Resort has opened. But China’s amusement parks are not limited to two names. Here is the world’s largest indoor theme park, an aquarium with whale sharks, the Fantawild chain that has hardly been heard of outside the country, and dozens of Happy Valley parks. Which of them deserves a day in your route depends on the city: in Shanghai it’s Disney, in Beijing Universal with the Kung Fu Panda zone, in Guangzhou and Zhuhai Chimelong, in Shenzhen Window of the World. Below is how they differ, when it is best to go and how not to spend the day in queues.

Current as of October 2026. Ticket prices are dynamic, look at the current ones on the day of purchase.

Shanghai Disneyland: the Chinese Disney is unlike the others

Shanghai Disneyland opened on June 16, 2016 and became the first Disney park in mainland China — by the size of its territory it is several times larger than Hong Kong Disneyland, the brand’s most compact park in the world. The key difference from other Disney parks is a deliberate Chinese adaptation: the Zootopia zone exists only here, the only one in the world, with the flagship attraction Zootopia: Hot Pursuit, and the walk-through attraction Garden of the Twelve Friends unites the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac with corresponding Disney characters — a detail designed specially as a gesture toward the local culture, not a universal element you can meet in the brand’s other parks.

The TRON Lightcycle Power Run attraction in Tomorrowland was originally an exclusive of the Shanghai park and was positioned as the fastest coaster among all Disney parks in the world; later a similar version appeared at Walt Disney World in Florida too, so calling it an absolute exclusive is no longer quite accurate — but it was in Shanghai that the attraction appeared first. In total the park has eight themed zones, including the pirate zone Treasure Cove, unique for Disney.

According to the TEA/AECOM Global Experience Index for 2024, Shanghai Disneyland received 14.7 million visitors — a record year, which put the park in fifth place among all theme parks in the world and first in China, with the highest growth rate of attendance (+5%) among the planet’s top-10 parks. In November 2025 the park officially celebrated its hundred-millionth visitor in nine and a half years of operation and announced the construction of a fourth themed hotel and an expansion of the shopping and entertainment zone.

Tickets work on a dynamic pricing system 30 days ahead: a one-day ticket in 2026 costs from 425–475 yuan in low season on weekdays to 719 yuan on peak dates — weekends, holidays and summer; the typical price on an ordinary day is about 599 yuan. A two-day ticket will cost 900–1,260 yuan. Premier Access packages, an analogue of a paid skip-the-line for the most popular attractions, add another roughly 1,100–1,400 yuan to the ticket price and are especially justified on weekends and holidays, when queues for the top attractions can stretch to an hour or more. It is worth checking the exact figures directly on the official Shanghai Disney Resort website before the trip, since prices change practically daily.

The easiest way to reach the park from the center of Shanghai is by metro on Line 11 to the Disney Resort station — a direct connection without transfers from most central districts of the city, which makes the park one of the most logistically convenient theme destinations in the country, requiring no separate transfer or taxi.

Chimelong: China’s largest domestic park operator

The Chimelong group is the country’s largest amusement park operator not tied to foreign brands like Disney or Universal: the company runs seven major theme parks, nine resort hotels with more than 10,000 rooms and three circus theaters, receiving over 40 million visitors a year in total across all sites.

Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai (the Hengqin resort zone, at the border with Macao) is the group’s most visited park: 12.6 million visitors in 2024, sixth place among all theme parks in the world according to TEA/AECOM, which makes it the world’s most visited park not owned by Disney or Universal. The park holds five Guinness World Records, including the title of the world’s largest aquarium and the largest single aquarium viewing window — 39.6 meters wide and 8.3 meters high. The main tank holds 22.7 million liters of water and is home to two or three whale sharks, manta rays and hundreds of other species.

Next door in 2023 the Chimelong Spaceship opened — a separate attraction holding the title of the world’s largest indoor theme park (397,064 square meters under one roof, overtaking even Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi). It is important not to confuse these two sites: the indoor-area record belongs to the Spaceship, not to Ocean Kingdom, although both are located nearby and are often visited on the same day.

Chimelong Paradise in Guangzhou (Panyu district) specializes in record-setting coasters: the 10-Inversion Roller Coaster with ten inversions holds a Guinness record and remains the first such attraction in Asia, and the Dive Coaster has been nicknamed “the king of roller coasters” by local visitors. By the park’s own data, eight of its attractions hold world records — this figure should be taken as the company’s marketing claim, not an independently verified fact for each individual attraction.

The same resort complex in Guangzhou includes the Chimelong Safari Park with a safari zone, and the whole Guangzhou — Zhuhai area logically combines with a trip to Hong Kong or Macao: Zhuhai is directly linked to those cities by the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, so Chimelong Ocean Kingdom can realistically be added to a route through Hong Kong and Macao, and not only as a separate trip into mainland China.

Universal Studios Beijing: the brand’s fifth and largest park in the world

Universal Beijing Resort opened on September 20, 2021 and is positioned as the fifth and at the same time largest Universal Studios park in the world, built on a non-standard figure-eight layout. The resort’s total territory, including hotels and the shopping zone, is estimated at about 4 square kilometers, and the total investment in the project grew during construction from the originally declared 20 billion yuan to about 35 billion yuan (roughly 5.4 billion dollars).

The park consists of seven zones: Hollywood, Minion Land, Jurassic World Isla Nublar, Waterworld, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Transformers Metrobase and the zone unique to Beijing, Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness — the only zone in the world based on this cartoon, combining Chinese cultural motifs with an American animated franchise. The zone includes Po’s training camp, a carousel of kung fu heroes and the attraction Kung Fu Panda: Journey of the Dragon Warrior. The Decepticoaster in the Transformers zone deserves separate attention — an outdoor coaster integrated into the zone’s themed architecture.

There is some confusion between sources about attendance: Beijing tourism authorities named a figure of 16 million visitors for the first full year of operation (2023), whereas the independent TEA/AECOM index estimated 2024 attendance at 9.775 million (growth of 8.6% year on year), placing the park 12th among the world’s top 25. The discrepancy may be explained by different counting methodology, and these two figures should not be taken as a consistent trend of one and the same indicator.

Tickets work on a dynamic system: a one-day ticket costs from roughly 550 yuan in low season and noticeably more on peak dates, a two-day ticket from 730 to 1,335 yuan depending on the dates. The park is in Tongzhou district, noticeably farther from the center of Beijing than most city attractions — allow about an hour for the journey from the city center, which makes combining the park with seeing city sights on the same day practically unrealistic.

The second phase of the resort’s development, covering another roughly 165.83 hectares with additional “Chinese” themed elements, is according to official data still in the process of implementation — that is, the park will continue to expand in the coming years, and some of the announced zones may not yet be open at the time of your trip.

Window of the World: the whole world in one Shenzhen park

Window of the World in Shenzhen is a conceptually completely different park format: instead of attractions and coasters, miniature copies of 130 architectural monuments from all over the world are collected here on a territory of about 118 acres, divided into eight themed zones (the world plaza, Asia, America, Africa, Oceania, Europe, a sculpture garden and an international street). The scale of the copies varies — 1:1, 1:5 or 1:15 depending on the original.

Among the most recognizable replicas are the Eiffel Tower 108 meters tall with two working observation decks at 50 and 100 meters (not just a decorative copy but a functioning tower with a real view of the city), the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat. Since opening in the 1990s the park has received about 100 million visitors and today receives more than 3 million guests a year. The park’s format is more a leisurely walk with photos than an adrenaline day on coasters, which makes it a convenient option for families with elderly relatives or for those who want to spend only half a day in the park. The park is in Nanshan district, accessible by metro, and is easy to combine on one day with other Shenzhen attractions, including the neighboring Happy Valley park — a rare case where two completely different forms of recreation are practically within walking distance of each other.

Fantawild: the largest chain of parks that almost no one has heard of

Fantawild is the largest chain of theme parks in China by number of sites, operating, by various estimates, from 30 to more than 40 parks in 16 provinces of the country under ten sub-brands: Fantawild Adventure, Fantawild Dreamland, Fantawild Happy World, Fantawild Water Park, Fantawild Dinosaur Kingdom and others. Yet the chain remains almost unknown to foreign travelers — most reviews and materials about it exist only in Chinese, which sharply contrasts with its real scale.

Fantawild’s main difference from Disney, Universal and even Chimelong is the source of its themes: instead of Hollywood franchises, the company builds attractions based on Chinese mythology, the history of the dynasties, Confucian philosophy and classical literature, and designs and manufactures its own attractions and coaster systems entirely on its own, without Western contractors — a level of vertical integration rare for the industry. By the company’s own data for 2018, the chain received over 42 million visitors in total, being in the top five of the world’s largest theme park operators for several years in a row; no more recent consolidated figures for the whole chain could be found, so this indicator should be taken as an outdated guideline of scale, not current statistics.

Happy Valley: the OCT chain for lovers of pure adrenaline

Happy Valley is the flagship brand of the company OCT (Overseas Chinese Town), present in Shenzhen (the chain’s first and original park, opened in 1998), Beijing, Chengdu (opened in January 2009, the third), Shanghai (opened in August 2009, the fourth), as well as in Wuhan and Tianjin. The Shenzhen park receives about 3.2 million guests a year and by some estimates remains the most popular amusement park in mainland China.

Unlike Chimelong with its mix of marine biology, spectacular animal shows and hotel infrastructure, the Happy Valley parks are designed first of all as classic Western-style amusement parks — the emphasis is precisely on coasters and mechanical rides, not on a broader resort experience. It is also worth knowing an honest safety caveat: the Snowy Eagle coaster at Happy Valley Shenzhen has twice in recent years been the cause of train collision incidents — in October 2023 and in November 2024, the second time with injuries to at least eight people. This does not mean the park as a whole is unsafe, but when choosing specific attractions in parks of this format it is sensible to check the current news before the trip, rather than rely only on the chain’s general reputation.

How to choose a park for your route

Shanghai Disneyland fits logically into any trip with a stop in Shanghai — the park is in Pudong district and accessible by metro on Line 11 without a separate trip out of town. Chimelong (Guangzhou and Zhuhai) combines naturally with a trip to Guangzhou, and thanks to the bridge across the bay also with a Hong Kong — Macao route. Window of the World and Happy Valley in Shenzhen both combine conveniently with a stop in Shenzhen, which in turn is often combined with a short overland trip from Hong Kong. Universal Beijing fits logically into a trip around Beijing and the Great Wall, but it is worth allowing a separate full day for it given Tongzhou district’s distance from the city center.

For families with small children, Shanghai Disneyland (gentle infrastructure, the Toy Story Land zone, a stroller-friendly territory), Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (an emphasis on marine life and spectacular shows rather than intense coasters) and Window of the World (a leisurely, walking format) are preferable. For teenagers and thrill-seekers the priorities are Chimelong Paradise with its record coasters, the Happy Valley chain in general and the Transformers/Jurassic World zone at Universal Beijing, where the intensity of the attractions is higher than the Disney average.

If the trip covers several Chinese cities, it is sensible not to try to visit all the major parks in one trip: each of them is designed for a full day at minimum, and the logistics between Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou — Zhuhai take considerable time even on high-speed trains. It is more practical to choose one or two parks that fit organically into the route stops already planned than to build a separate “park” stage of the trip at the expense of the rest of the program.

When to go: Golden Week and other peaks

The main holiday peak to avoid when planning any park in China is Golden Week, falling in 2026 on the period from Thursday, October 1 to Wednesday, October 7; the working “make-up” days instead are assigned as Sunday, September 20 and Saturday, October 10 — China’s standard system of shifting days off around long holidays. It is the busiest week of domestic tourism in the country: tens of millions of people travel around China at the same time, and queues in parks, ticket prices, airfares and hotels rise sharply. Transport peaks fall specifically on the evening of September 30 — the morning of October 1 and again on October 6–7 with the mass return home, and inside the parks themselves crowds are usually greatest from late morning to late afternoon.

Besides Golden Week, it is worth keeping in mind two more periods of mass domestic travel: the May holidays (early May, about five days) and Chinese New Year (late January — February, about eight days) — both periods are also worth avoiding when possible when planning a visit to any major park in the country. A separate climatic detail: June — August in southern China (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai) is the season of exhausting heat and high humidity, and for families with children in parks like Chimelong or Happy Valley Shenzhen it is sensible to build into the day a break in the shade or at the hotel pool in the hottest hours. In Shanghai and Beijing the climate is noticeably milder, but there too the peak summer heat in July–August should be taken into account when planning long walks across the open territory of parks with no shelter from the sun.

Tickets and practical tips

Practically all major parks in China use dynamic pricing tied to a specific date — it is worth checking the exact cost for the day you need directly before the trip on the park’s official website, rather than going by figures from old reviews. Tickets to Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Beijing for weekends and holidays are sensibly bought in advance, a few weeks ahead, especially if the trip falls in a school holiday period in China itself.

The minimum time for a visit to most major parks is a full day; for Chimelong Ocean Kingdom and Universal Beijing, because of the scale of the territory, it is often recommended to allow a day and a half to two days if the aim is to see the park fully rather than selectively. Window of the World and the Happy Valley parks fit into one full or partial day depending on the pace of the visit.

Visa, payments and connectivity inside the park

Russians do not need a visa for a trip to mainland China for up to 30 days — this time is enough to combine a visit to one or two theme parks with the rest of a route around the country. Inside the parks, as almost everywhere in China, the main way of payment is Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a bank card; cash yuan are not accepted everywhere, especially in drink and snack vending machines, and large international cards like Visa or Mastercard often simply do not work directly at park checkouts without being linked to one of these two mobile wallets.

Mobile internet inside the large parks is needed no less than in Japan: queues for popular attractions at Shanghai Disneyland and Universal Beijing are managed through branded apps with a virtual time-booking system, and without stable connectivity it is almost impossible to book a slot for the most in-demand attractions. It is worth arranging a local SIM card, a pocket router or turning on international roaming with access to local services in advance — some Western apps and services in China do not work without a VPN, which should be considered separately when planning connectivity for a whole day in a park.

Frequently asked questions

In which cities of China is there a Disneyland? In only two: in Shanghai (Shanghai Disneyland, opened on June 16, 2016, the first Disney park in mainland China) and in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Disneyland, opened in 2005). Hong Kong is a special administrative region, so entry rules there differ from the mainland’s. More on each park: Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Is there a Disneyland in Beijing? No. In Beijing the Universal Beijing Resort operates (opened on September 20, 2021) with the Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness zone, which exists nowhere else. Rumors of a third Disneyland in China have appeared, but there are no confirmed construction plans in Beijing. Tickets and tips: Universal Beijing.

Which Disneyland should I choose: Shanghai or Hong Kong? Shanghai’s is much larger in territory and has the unique Zootopia and Treasure Cove zones, while Hong Kong’s is more compact and easier to combine with a short trip around the city. The comparison is in a separate article: Disneyland Shanghai or Hong Kong.

How many Universal Studios parks are there in China? One on the mainland, in Beijing.

Which park in China is the most visited? Shanghai Disneyland — 14.7 million visitors in 2024, fifth place in the world according to the TEA/AECOM index; among non-international operators Chimelong Ocean Kingdom leads with 12.6 million.

Is it worth going to Universal Beijing for Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness? Yes, if this destination is fundamentally of interest — the zone exists only in Beijing and is not found in any other Universal park in the world.

Is it true that Chimelong Ocean Kingdom and Chimelong Spaceship are the same thing? No, these are two neighboring but different sites: Ocean Kingdom is an aquarium and marine park, the Spaceship is a separate indoor theme park, opened in 2023 and holding the record for area under one roof.

Are the Happy Valley chain parks safe? Generally yes, but the specific Snowy Eagle attraction in Shenzhen had two recorded train-collision incidents in 2023 and 2024 — check the current status of the specific attraction before the trip.

When is it better not to go to China’s parks? During Golden Week (October 1–7, 2026), on the May holidays and at Chinese New Year — in these periods the domestic tourist flow across the country is at its maximum.

How many parks can I realistically visit in one trip around China? One or two, fitted organically into route stops already planned — each major park needs a full day at minimum, and moving between Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou takes considerable time even on high-speed trains.

Can I combine Chimelong Ocean Kingdom with a trip to Hong Kong or Macao? Yes, Zhuhai, where the park is located, is directly linked by the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge with both cities, so it is a realistic addition to such a route and not a separate trip deep into mainland China.

Do I need a visa for China for a trip to an amusement park? Russian citizens do not need a visa for a trip of up to 30 days — that is enough for a visit to one or several theme parks as part of a broader route around the country.

Do Visa and Mastercard cards work in China’s parks? Not always and not everywhere — the main way of payment in the country is Alipay or WeChat Pay, and it is wiser to set up one of these services in advance than to count only on a plastic card of an international payment system.

Do I need a VPN to use the parks’ apps in China? Some familiar foreign services and apps are unavailable in China without a VPN — it is worth setting it up in advance, before the trip, since installing VPN apps while already in the country can be difficult.

See also: Disneyland Shanghai or Hong Kong, Chimelong Safari Park, hotels near Chimelong, how to pay in China, China’s high-speed trains, the visa for China for Russians, which district of Shanghai to choose a hotel in.