After a much-needed night of sleep, I popped awake at 7am, showered, and hopped the bus over to Disneyland. Job #1 was to head to the back corner of the park for a ride on Soarin’. I love the difference in theming, reminiscent of the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland park in Anaheim. The ride itself, of course, was a straight duplicate of its other installations, but fun nonetheless. And hey, who can argue with 5 minutes of sitting after huffing it to the point furthest from the gate?

After taking a couple rides on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (because, well, Fastpasses), I spent some time exploring, taking a few moments to look at some of the fun details of the park. I even ran into Winnie the Pooh! Then it was time to head back to my two favorite rides – Tron and Pirates, before heading over to the unsung hero of the park – the Challenge Trails at Camp Disovery.

Now, I have some stress fractures in my foot after a botched surgery a couple years back, so I couldn’t slap on a harness and walk through the trail itself. But the great thing about this attraction is there are plenty of walking trails for guests of all ages (and injuries) to explore! The highlight was a board of newspaper clippings. Exciting, right?! But check out the headlines – “LOST TEMPLE FOUND!” “TRAGIC ACCIDENT AT HOLLYWOOD HOTEL” Pictures of members of the Society of Explorers and Adventures in front of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland, a blurry photo of the yeti from Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom, and Captain Nemo’s vehicle from Journey to the Center of the Earth at Tokyo Disney Sea… this is why I LOVE Disney parks! Hidden references abound, and taking just a bit of time to explore yields such a trip into the story of Disney imagineers and their projects.

After a little lunch, the unpredictable Shanghai weather reared its ugly head, and the heavens opened. So what do you do at a Disney park when it’s pouring rain? Take in the shows! First up was Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration. Despite not knowing the lyrics in Mandarin, I had a blast watching the kiddos freak when their favorite Frozen characters strolled on-stage. I was pretty sure they’d storm the actress when Elsa slowly rose from beneath, but, luckily, the accompanying snow and environmental projection on the walls distracted them just enough to keep her safe and sound. If you have a child who loves Frozen, or, heck, just loves singalongs, I highly recommend it!

Next, it was time for Tarzan: Call of the Jungle. If you’ve seen it at one park, you’ve seen it at them all. What’s nice about this show, though, is there’s little-to-no dialog, so there’s no language barrier – fantastic for someone from another country. While I enjoyed the show, it mainly served as a twenty-minute escape from the rain, and I quickly moved on to the next show.

I’d read a review of Eye of the Storm – Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular that described a relatively boring show that featured dialog and no real stunts, all while the crowd stands trying to get a view of the actors. She eventually left, disappointed and ready to write a scathing review. I wasn’t super excited about it, but, what’r ya gonna do when it’s pouring outside, right? So, I entered El Teatro theater, and, sure enough, we stood for about 10 minutes watching various pirates and damsels in distress run around yelling and firing admittedly impressive cap guns. I sighed and hoped my aching feet would see a bit of relief when the show was finally over.

Then the doors to the theater opened.

Yep, the reviewer didn’t even see the actual show. What followed was quite possibly the best Disney parks show I’ve ever witnessed. Giant cannons exploded from the walls, actors swung around on ropes, and Jack Sparrow himself soared from the back of the theater, making his grand entrance on a zip line. After some sword fights and not a few jokes I couldn’t understand (yes, I laughed anyway, because the actors were so great!), the climax of the show arrived as a raging Caribbean storm spun up. Jack Sparrow and the Royal Admiral of the British Navy jumped off the plank and… soared right into the air! A third of the stage floor had slid away to reveal an indoor skydiving fan! No cables or restraints here, just an epic battle between two insanely talented stunt actors. Various pieces of the pirate ship began to fall and strip away as the storm intensified. Just as Jack defeated his foe the entire theater filled with fog, and once it cleared, the entire set had been reset. I’m telling ya, if it weren’t for Battle for the Sunken Treasure, this would be the highlight of the resort. I only wish mine hadn’t been the last show of the day, because I’d have circled back around the theater for another viewing!

Now, I hadn’t planned for was all the great conversations I’d have in Shanghai! One of them was this cute little guy. Yes, I actually had a conversation with a robot trash can.

I spent the rest of my day just taking it all in. I wandered around the Alice in Wonderland maze in the rain, walked through Toy Story Land, and took final rides on Tron and Pirates (the latter being my take-all-the-photos-and-video ride).

After exiting Pirates for the final time, I slowly made my way toward the gate. But, on my way, I realized I was walking right next to the castle. Now, my first viewing of the castle show was from about 35 miles away, give or take. So, even though I wasn’t facing the front of it directly, I was maybe 100’ to the side, and right in front of a couple speakers. I mean, wouldn’t you stop too?! I took in the castle show for the last time, enjoying it far more than I had the first time.

As I arrived at the Disneytown park exit, I turned around to take it all in, one last time. The Enchanted Storybook Castle, the lights, Tron, Apu Taku… I couldn’t believe I was there. And that’s the thing – I had a ridiculous opportunity to visit one of my dream vacation spots. Honestly, I never thought I’d make it there. The everyday grind of work, family, responsibilities… the travel involved in visiting family for the holidays and special occasions… I can’t believe I was able to make this trip happen. I’m laughably lucky, able to travel the world and have ludicrous experiences.

Next week we’ll take a look at the most important part of Shanghai Disneyland… THE FOOD!

Miss my day 1 recap? Click here to check it out!

Read my review of the Toy Story Hotel at Shanghai Disney Resort!