Shanghai Disney Resort celebrates Chinese New Year with a magical twist
Shanghai Disney Resort is ready to bring in the Year of the Pig by celebrating Chinese New Year with a touch of Disney magic.
From Jan. 19 – Feb. 19, guests can experience many offerings and activities that will celebrate Chinese customs and create new memories for everyone in the family. With new seasonal entertainment, exclusive new merchandise, food and beverage offerings and more, there’s something for everyone.
Topping off the celebrations this year will be the Chinese New Year 2019 Firework Celebration: A Feast of Love and Light. On select evenings, special fireworks will light up the sky. In addition, for the first time ever, guests can bring the whole family to enjoy a reunion dinner in Shanghai Disneyland Hotel on Feb. 4-5, and celebrate one of the country’s most important traditional meals while immersed in Disney magic.
Magical Chinese New Year customs
Following the tradition of decorating homes for the New Year, Shanghai Disney Resort will be decked out in festive décor to create the perfect atmosphere, featuring Mickey lanterns, Chinese couplets, floral garlands, peach flowers, paper decorations, and more. Shades of red and gold will be found throughout the park, with Chinese New Year melodies in the air to complete the immersive experience.
Throughout the holiday, Mickey Avenue will be adorned with traditional holiday decorations. There, guests will also have the chance to meet Mickey Mouse and all his pals, as well as Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni and StellaLou – all dressed in their new Chinese New Year outfits. Goofy will also make an appearance in his God of Fortune costume!
To celebrate the Year of the Pig, Hamm from “Toy Story” will be featured throughout the resort. In the Garden of the Twelve Friends, the pig zodiac will be decorated with gold coins and red couplets, creating a unique photo opportunity for guests. The Gardens of Imagination will also feature a themed archway and spinning centerpiece.
Enchanting Chinese New Year entertainment and activities
On Jan. 25-26 and every day from Feb. 4-10 and on the Lantern Festival (Feb. 19), the nightly showing of Ignite the Dream: A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic and Light will be capped off with the Chinese New Year 2019 Firework Celebration: A Feast of Love and Light.
Every morning throughout the holiday season, guests can watch a customary drum ceremony near the Storytellers Statue. At special times throughout the day, Mickey and his friends will gather in Celebration Square to celebrate the New Year with a special performance of Shanghai Swing. This dance moment features characters and dancers in Shanghai-style costumes in a high-energy show that will have guests swinging along.
Over in the Garden of the Twelve Friends, guests can write their New Year wishes down on wish cards and then hang them in specific locations in the garden area.
Guests can also enjoy a special Chinese New Year carnival at the Wishing Star Market in Disneytown, where they can shop and see the assortment of traditional Chinese snacks and ornaments on display. In the center of the market, the Wishing Star Skating Rink will offer fun skating experiences for guests of all ages. Disneytown will also host festive décor and photo locations to commemorate the Year of the Pig.
Shanghai-inspired surprises
Pan Hong, who recorded the Mandarin voiceover for “Once Upon a Time” Adventure, will help spread the holiday spirit with the release of the first-ever Shanghainese narration of the attraction’s opening scenes. On Feb. 4-5, Hong’s voice will be heard as guests begin their Enchanted Storybook Castle adventure.
This month will also see the release of a brand-new Mickey in Shanghai travel collection, exclusive to Shanghai Disney Resort. This collection will feature classic images of Mickey and Minnie alongside reflections of Shanghai’s culture, including city landmarks, popular local snacks, and Shanghainese phrases. The new Mickey in Shanghai collection will include items like totes, travel accessories, apparel, home décor, treats, and more.
Festive flavors for Chinese New Year
The reunion dinner is an important tradition in Chinese culture, and for the first time ever, on Feb. 4-5, Shanghai Disney Resort will host their own reunion dinners in the Cinderella Ballroom at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel.
The dinner will be presented in customary style, with a screening of the Chinese New Year Gala on televisions throughout the ballroom. Kids will have a chance to take a break from the table during the dinner to take part in traditional paper-cutting activities, sugar painting, and even making their own dumplings.
Lumière’s Kitchen in the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel will also host a Chinese New Year Feast from Feb. 3-10. This buffet will include a variety of seafood, meats, traditional Chinese and western dishes and an array of New Year-themed desserts. Throughout the meal, guests will have the chance to take family photos with Mickey, Minnie, and other Disney friends in their authentic Chinese New Year outfits.
In Shanghai Disneyland, Wandering Moon Restaurant will offer a new range of dishes and services for guests. Starting this Chinese New Year, the restaurant will launch a new series of Chinese dishes, including roasted duck, BBQ pork, Mongolian beef, plum pork ribs with garlic, and others.
This year, the Royal Banquet Hall will unveil a festive family reunion feast fit for a king or queen for Chinese New Year. Guests will experience magical delicacies, including golden crab seafood soup, Mickey-shaped braised pork knuckle, braised flounder, and more, all served within the Enchanted Storybook Castle.
Remy’s Patisserie and Il Paperino will also release a new selection of dishes, including Mickey cupcakes, blueberry cheesecake topped with Chinese copper-shaped chocolates, and Mickey cinnamon donuts with green tea and red bean ice cream.
Bring the magic home with Chinese New Year merchandise
This year, Shanghai Disney Resort will celebrate the holiday by releasing over 40 limited-edition Chinese New Year merchandise items. The new merchandise collection is inspired by customary colors and symbols in the Chinese culture.
In addition, Lucky Bags are back and filled with exclusive holiday merchandise inspired by Hamm the pig. Guests who purchase Lucky Bags will have the chance to win roundtrip air tickets to Hong Kong.
Guests can also browse through new plush dolls, including Mickey, Duffy and their friends, all dressed in traditional Chinese costumes. The merchandise line also includes cross-body bags, adult fleeces, New Year Minnie ponchos, brand-new sequined Minnie headbands, limited-edition Chinese New Year pins, red packet sets, home décor, calendars, and more.
Stay in the magic at Shanghai Disney Resort hotels
The hotels are getting in on the Chinese New Year festivities by offering their own magic to guests who book a stay during their visit to Shanghai Disney Resort.
At Toy Story Hotel, character-inspired lanterns will adorn the entryway, lobby and beyond. A sculpture featuring Hamm and a mountain of gold coins will offer a warm welcome to guests.
At Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, guests will be greeted with red and gold lanterns, garlands, firecracker statues, and peach wood decorations throughout the hotel’s entrance and lobby. Surprises include a meet-and-greet with Goofy in his Chinese New Year outfit and other traditional holiday activities. Guests can also choose to stay in themed rooms with decorations inspired by Chinese New Year Mickey and Minnie.
To learn more about Chinese New Year celebrations at Shanghai Disney Resort, or to book your own stay, visit ShanghaiDisneyResort.com/en.
