Shanghai Disney Apologizes, Refunds Early-Entry Passes After Ride Delays

Shanghai Disney Resort has apologized and begun refunding paid early-entry passes after visitors complained that several attractions were not operating after they entered the park ahead of regular opening time.

The dispute surfaced on Chinese social media on Wednesday, when visitors said they had paid 199 yuan (US$28) for Shanghai Disneyland's Early Park Entry Pass but found multiple attractions closed after entering the park more than an hour early, Shanghai Legal Daily reported.

Videos posted online showed crowds waiting near attractions including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, with some visitors shouting for refunds. Some posts said popular rides such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Zootopia: Hot Pursuit had drawn the largest crowds but were not open at the time.

Shanghai Disneyland's official app showed the park's regular opening time that day as 8:30am. The Early Park Entry Pass allows guests with valid park tickets to enter up to one hour before the published opening time on the date of their visit, subject to availability and park operations.

The product description says attractions that may open early include Soaring Over the Horizon, TRON Lightcycle Power Run, Peter Pan's Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure and other rides. It also says the number of available attractions may change because of scheduled maintenance or other unforeseen circumstances.

A Shanghai Disney customer service representative said that some attractions experienced short temporary shutdowns on Wednesday morning because of technical issues, affecting normal operations in the park.

The representative said the resort had handled the issue and would automatically refund guests who bought and redeemed the Early Park Entry Pass. Annual pass holders who had redeemed the early-entry benefit would have the entitlement automatically returned, the representative said.

The incident came shortly after Shanghai Disney Resort marked the 10th anniversary of its opening. The resort remains one of Shanghai's most popular tourist destinations.