The park currently has eight themed areas: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle, Tomorrowland, Toy Story Land, and Zootopia.

[11] The project is financed by several large Chinese state-owned enterprises in Shanghai forming a joint venture with the Walt Disney Company.

[7] That rose to around US$5.5 billion before delays,[14] which was partly due to more attractions opening to the public on the first day, which added US$800 million to the cost.

Bob Iger, the chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, was joined by nearly 3,000 distinguished guests and celebrities for a showcase of choreography, acrobatics, costumes, and technology on grand scale, with dazzling lights, Disney music, pageantry, special effects, and fireworks.

The historic event included the debut of an original song, "Ignite the Dreamer Within", written especially for the grand opening of Shanghai Disneyland.

Acclaimed composer and conductor Tan Dun, known for his scores for the films Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, led the Shanghai Symphony with an original composition of the new song.

[18] As the opening was met with rainy weather, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang told Iger that the rain is an auspicious sign of dollars and renminbi to come.

IBT notes that "a two-day weekend ticket for two adults and one child comes close to China's average urban monthly wage.

[30] It reopened under strict rules that included, but was not limited to, social distancing, reduced capacity, temperature screenings, and mandatory face masks.

[34] Several staple attractions, such as Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and It's a Small World, are excluded as Disney wanted to avoid criticism of cultural imperialism.

[35] Restaurant seating has been revised upwards after studies found that Chinese guests take longer over meals, and extensive picnic areas are better adapted to extended families with grandparents.

[36][41] The castle is the largest in any Disney theme park and features the Royal Banquet Hall restaurant, a boutique,[38] and Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, a boat ride around and under the castle that takes guests past scenes from films including Tangled, Aladdin, Mulan, Fantasia, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

[38] Attractions include Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Evergreen Playhouse (including For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration), Alice's Curious Labyrinth, a walk-through hedge maze inspired by the 1951 and 2010 versions film adaptations, and the Hunny Pot Spin, a spinning Teacups-style ride themed to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

[38][42] The land's marquee attraction is Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure, a dark ride based on the films.

[42] Guests, riding in magnetically propelled boats, travel past audio-animatronic and projected depictions of Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones as the two battle against each other in attempt to seize the cove's sunken riches.

Unlike the other Tomorrowlands, this version does not have Space Mountain and instead is home to TRON Lightcycle Power Run, an indoor Tron-themed roller coaster.

[45][46] The original plans for Shanghai Disneyland called for a Toy Story area with three rides, two restaurants, a show, and a gift shop.

[50] In August 2024, similar to Avengers Campus land, it was announced that the park will receive an attraction themed to Marvel's Spider-Man.