Must-Visit! A Complete Guide to Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park

**Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park: A Comprehensive Guide for an Unforgettable Family Adventure**

**Duration and Details:**
Our family spent an enchanting 2 days in June at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, with each person’s cost being 500 yuan. This article, published on July 17, 2021, at 21:21, is a treasure trove of information and images that may take some time to load due to their number and quality. For the best immersive experience, it’s recommended to view it on WiFi, which should take approximately 15 minutes.

**The Park Experience:**
The park, with its towering killer whale, is an amusement park centered around ocean culture, primarily designed for children. It features various marine life exhibitions, marine-themed rides, and distinctive marine life performance theaters. Without a well-planned strategy, you might find yourself in long queues, missing show times, or with suboptimal viewing spots, leading to a disappointing experience. This comprehensive guide, combining online summaries with practical experience, covers every aspect with time precision down to the minute. Reading this guide will make your journey half successful, and applying it will earn you the appreciation of your family.

**The Magic of Marine Life:**
Over two full days, we encountered the magical marine life. Transparent jellyfish floated slowly, changing their colors with the lighting. The lazy grouper seemed motionless, as if time had stopped. The white whale played and frolicked around us, and the sea panda—killer whale—with its black and white color scheme, was endearingly clumsy. Interacting with it was healing, making people simple and capable of sweeping away negative energy, instantly restoring spirits. When you feel exhausted, let the super cute marine life save you.

**Preparations:**
1. **Time Selection:** It’s recommended to take two days off on weekdays. The weekend crowd is about 20,000 people, while during our visit, there were only 3,000 to 4,000 people. Park opening hours are from 9:00 to 20:00.
2. **Transportation:** For those within a 3 to 4-hour drive from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, driving is recommended due to other interesting places nearby.
3. **Accommodation:** I booked the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park Resort Hotel family room, which includes two adult two-day unlimited entry tickets, two buffet breakfasts, and two park penguin restaurant vouchers. The hotel price was acceptable on a weekday. Other hotels may not offer as good an experience.
4. **Key Point:** The park guide includes performance times for each theater on that day, which is crucial. Most itineraries rely on the performance schedule, and theater performances are the essence of this park.
5. **Snacks and Outerwear:** Bring some food and drinks, as they will be checked but not strictly. Regardless of the heat, it’s essential to bring a light jacket, especially for children.
6. **Tickets:** Available for purchase on Ctrip.

**Six Major Theaters (Ranked by Viewing Priority):**
– Orca Theater—’Orca Science Show’
– Dolphin Theater—’Dolphin Serenade’
– Iceberg Theater—’Beluga Love Story’
– Sea Lion Theater—’Seal Comedy Journey’
– Volcano Theater—’Mermaid Fairy Tale’
– Underwater Theater—’Dance of the Fishes’

Avoid spending time on other theaters; view them if possible, but do not insist.

**Six Major Animal Exhibitions:**
– Antarctic Penguin Pavilion
– Marine Animal Exploration Pavilion
– Iceberg Arctic Pavilion
– Underwater World Pavilion
– Volcano Shark Pavilion
– Coral Jellyfish Pavilion

Each visit should not exceed 30 minutes.

**Six Major Amusement Rides:**
– Volcano Rafting (we rode it six times)
– Dolphin Coaster (very thrilling, recommended for last)
– Time-Space Cable Car (a panoramic view of the park, skip if there’s a long queue)
– Deep Sea Adventure (play once if time permits)
– Sky Curtain Theater (recommended once)
– Hyper 4D Cinema (not recommended, as 4D cinemas are ubiquitous, why waste time here)

**Conclusion:**
Embark on this journey with a well-planned strategy, and you’ll return with joyful smiles and a memorable family experience. Let’s begin our adventure at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park.I. Preparation Work
1. Time Selection: It is recommended to take two days off on weekdays. For children in primary school, taking two days off is also acceptable. The weekend crowd is about 20,000 people, while during our two-day visit, there were only 3,000 to 4,000 people, truly incomparable.

II. A packed itinerary, precise to the minute for exhibition visits, with thoughtful reminders for preparations you might have overlooked. Unleash your imagination and join us on this fantastical journey. First, let’s share a hand-drawn map by a soulful artist to give you a rough idea of the layout. It’s quite accurate in terms of location.

Duration: 2 days
Time: June
Average cost per person: 500 yuan
With whom: Family
Trip Author visited these places: Shanghai Dishui Lake
Published on 2021-07-17 21:21
This article contains numerous images, which may take some time to load. It is recommended to read the entire article in WiFi conditions, and it will take approximately 15 minutes to browse through.

The killer whale towers over the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, which is a children’s amusement park centered around ocean culture. The park features various exhibitions of marine life, marine life-themed amusement rides, and the most distinctive marine life performance theaters. Without a general understanding before entering the park, you may find yourself troubled by long queues, miss show times, or have poor viewing spots. The disappointed looks of children, the anxious expressions of adults, and your own frustrated demeanor can significantly impact the overall experience, leading to a gloomy return home. This comprehensive and mature guide combines precise timing down to the minute with a summary of online strategies and practical experience. Reading this guide eliminates the need to search for other online guides, as it contains everything available online and more. If you happen to read this article before your trip, congratulations, your journey is already half successful; if you read this article carefully and apply it, you will earn the appreciative glances of your spouse and the joyful smiles of your children, and your status at home will probably feel like the image below. Without further ado, let’s go.

Over two days, encounter the magical marine life. Transparent jellyfish float slowly, changing their mysterious colors with the hue of the lights. The lazy grouper remains motionless, as if time has solidified on it. The white whale, like an old friend, plays and frolicks around you. The sea panda – killer whale, with its black and white color scheme, is endearing to be around. Being with it is full of healing, making people simple and able to sweep away negative energy, instantly restoring spirit. When you feel exhausted, let the super cute marine life save you.

On the first day, we set off at 7:30 AM by car, a two-and-a-half-hour drive, and arrived at the hotel lobby at exactly 10:03 AM. On a weekday trip, we enjoyed roasted chicken and music, with no traffic, but if you travel on weekends or holidays, monitor navigation conditions a few days in advance. In case of severe congestion, consider leaving earlier or staying overnight near Dishui Lake. At 10:30 AM, we checked our luggage and collected our tickets, then entered the park through the ticket checkpoint. They inspect bags and use a glass rod to check inside, but the inspection is not strict; our bulging backpacks were allowed in. Note: The hotel entrance to the park is in the middle of the park (Area B), different from the main entrance (Area A). PS: At this time of entry, you might hear screams because the park’s most thrilling ride, the Dolphin Coaster, is not far from the entrance. You might be eager to try it immediately, but I advise you to stay calm and wait. I worry that the ride might be too intense, and if your child is not in the right state afterward, it could greatly affect their enthusiasm for the subsequent shows. Later, I will discuss this roller coaster. I didn’t dare to go on it, but my wife and niece gave it a try. You can decide when to ride it after reading their experience report.

After entering the park, you can pick up a paper park guide and a performance schedule. I immediately opened the WeChat Haichang Park guide map to check the show times, and lo and behold, they were completely different from the schedule I had planned before! As someone who has mentally toured the park several times, I was not at all flustered and calmed down in 3 seconds. At 11:15 AM, ‘Beluga Love Story’ and at 11:45 AM, ‘Seal Comedy Journey,’ both in Area A, so I decided to head to Area A. The park has twoPark opening hours: 9:00 – 20:00.

Transportation Choice: For those within a 3 to 4-hour drive from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, it is recommended to drive, as there are other interesting places nearby.

Accommodation Choice: I booked a family room at the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park Resort Hotel, which is the park’s themed hotel. It includes 2 adult two-day unlimited entry tickets, 2 breakfast buffets, and 2 vouchers for the park’s penguin restaurant. I booked during the weekdays, and the hotel price was within an acceptable range. If you choose another hotel, the cost will not be much less, but the experience may be much worse. I wouldn’t recommend staying at the park’s hotels during the summer for 2-3 thousand yuan per night due to low cost-effectiveness. If you need other hotel recommendations, feel free to ask privately.

Tickets can be purchased through Ctrip.

Key point: The park guide includes the show times for each theater on the day (weekdays and weekends have different schedules), which is crucial as most itineraries are based on the show times. Theater performances are the essence of the park, especially the killer whale, dolphin, and beluga whale shows, which we watched twice and still found exhilarating.

A brief introduction to the six main theaters in order of viewing priority: Killer Whale Theater – ‘Killer Whale Science Show’, Dolphin Theater – ‘Dolphin Serenade’, Iceberg Theater – ‘Beluga Love’, Sea Lion Theater – ‘Seal Adventure’, Volcano Theater – ‘Mermaid Fairy Tale’, and Underwater Theater – ‘Dance of the Fishes’. Don’t waste time on other theaters; see them if you can fit them into your schedule, but don’t force it. Six major animal exhibits: Antarctic Penguin Pavilion, Marine Mammal Exploration Pavilion, Iceberg Arctic Pavilion, Underwater World Pavilion, Volcano Shark Pavilion, and Coral Jellyfish Pavilion, with each exhibit taking no more than 30 minutes to explore. Six major amusement rides: Volcano Rapids (we rode it 6 times), Dolphin Coaster (very thrilling, recommended to play last), Time Cable Car (overlooking the entire park, skip the long queue), Deep Sea Adventure (play once if you have time), and Sky Dome Theater (recommended once), Ultra 4D Cinema (not recommended, 4D cinemas are everywhere, no need to waste time here).

Bring your own snacks and drinks, as they will be checked but not strictly enforced. Regardless of the weather, always bring a light jacket, especially for children, for reasons that will be explained later.

II. A packed itinerary with precise timing for each exhibit, pre-trip reminders for everything you can think of. Let your imagination run wild and join us on this virtual tour. First, here is a hand-drawn map by a soul artist to give you a rough idea of the layout. For comparison, the location is still quite accurate. On the first day, we set off at 7:30 AM by car, a two-and-a-half-hour drive, and arrived in the hotel lobby at exactly 10:03 AM. On weekdays, the journey was smooth with chicken snacks and music, but if you travel on weekends or holidays, you should monitor navigation路况 a few days in advance. If traffic is heavy, consider leaving earlier or staying overnight near Dishui Lake. At 10:30 AM, we checked our luggage, collected our tickets, and entered the park through the ticket checkpoint. They will check your bags and use a glass rod to inspect them, but the inspection is not strict, and we managed to bring our bulging backpacks in. Note: The hotel’s entrance to the park is in the middle of the park (Area B), which is different from the main entrance (Area A).
PS: Entering the park at this time, you may hear screams. Because the most exciting attraction in the park, the Dolphin Roller Coaster, is not far from the entrance. You may already be eager to try it immediately. But I advise you to be calm and hold back. I’m afraid that if the attraction is too thrilling and your child is in a bad state after getting off, it will seriously affect the enthusiasm for watching subsequent performances. Later, I will talk about this roller coaster. I didn’t dare to go on it. My wife and little niece experienced it. Decide on the time to ride after you read the experience report later. After entering the park, you can get a paper park guide and performance schedule. And I immediately opened the WeChat guide map of Haichang Park to check the theater performance times. Oh no, it’s completely different from the schedule I made in my strategy before! As someone who has mentally toured the park several times completely, I’m not panicked at all. After calming down in threeOn a rainy day with the Antarctic Bridge under maintenance, we had no choice but to walk to our destination. As we passed by, we noticed a group of pigeons beneath the bridge. For 20 yuan, you can buy food to feed them and take pictures, but be cautious as getting pecked can hurt. It’s better to scatter the food on the ground. The pigeon trainer was pecked instead of feeding the pigeons.

At 11:00, we reached the entrance of the Iceberg Arctic Aquarium. Here, adults need to divide tasks. I lined up at the Walrus Theater while my wife took our child to catch ‘Beluga Love’ at the innermost part of the iceberg museum. Theater performances allow entry 30 minutes in advance, and the start time is very punctual, so be aware. The ‘Beluga Love’ performance area is quite popular, especially on weekends or holidays. If you arrive at this time, it might be best to skip it. The air conditioning in the venue is very strong, so bring a thin coat for your child, especially in the Penguin Pavilion, which is extremely cold.

The ‘Beluga Love’ performance began at 11:15 and lasted for 20 minutes, viewable through glass. By then, I had already secured a good spot in the Walrus Theater. After ‘Beluga Love,’ we rushed to the sea lion performance without browsing the iceberg exhibition hall, planning to make up for it later. The ‘Sea Lion’s Adventures’ performance started at 11:45 and also lasted for 20 minutes. We sat in the second row in the middle, which provided an excellent view, almost face to face with the walrus. Avoid the middle of the first row, as we watched them get sprayed by the walrus and get completely wet.

VIP seats are available for orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows. Children under 1 meter enter for free, while others pay a uniform price of 90 yuan per person, with no need to queue. This is an option for those who don’t mind the expense. The sea lion, with its whiskers, is energetic and mischievous, taking pleasure in teasing the trainers. The walrus, with its long tusks, can weigh up to 1300 pounds and enjoys spraying people, making the front row audience’s experience quite challenging.

Don’t leave after the show ends at 12:05; stay to take pictures with the sea lions and grab a bite to eat. The park’s theater performances are scattered, requiring travel between areas A and B. The afternoon highlight, the Dolphin Serenade, is at 14:15 in area B, and the Orca Science Show is at 16:30 in area A. Plan your afternoon itinerary around these two events. If you want to dine at the park’s restaurant, go after the sea lion show. It’s said that during holidays, you might need to queue, and the Penguin Restaurant is recommended. It’s 74 yuan per meal, and you can enjoy watching penguins while dining. Queue for the Dolphin Serenade 30 minutes in advance, as it’s essential.

These three penguin-shaped custard buns are quite adorable. Unfortunately, the penguins are on the other side and none came to disturb our meal. At 12:33, returning to area B from the Antarctic Bridge, the Deep Sea Voyage queue requires children to be over 1.2 meters tall, located next to the Underwater World Pavilion. It takes 5 minutes to queue and 7 minutes to experience. You need to wear 3D glasses and sit in a cart that moves forward, with a 3D screen along the way telling the story of a mermaid chasing a pearl, which is simple and suitable for children. My son (7 years old) didn’t want to play again after one go. If the queue is long, it’s advisable to skip it; such facilities are common outside, and when visiting Haichang, if time is tight, you need to prioritize and make choices.

At 12:45, we visited the Underwater World Pavilion, which was the first pavilion we visited after entering the park. It’s enough to take a leisurely stroll, take some photos, and spend about 20 minutes there. The 13:15 performance, ‘Dance of the Fish,’ lasts 8 minutes. It’s held inside the Underwater World Pavilion, and it’s best to watch it standing, preferably in the first row for the best viewing experience. The lighting effects, combined with the surrounding fish, provide a visual feast.

At 13:30, there’s another分流, I was in charge of queuing for the Dolphin Serenade, while my wife took the two kids to visit the Volcano Shark Pavilion. It’s enough to take a slow look at the shark pavilion for 20 minutes, and the crowd in the afternoon is noticeably larger.PS: Visiting the marine park is an exciting experience, and here are some tips to make the most of it.

For the performances of beluga whales, dolphins, and orcas, it’s definitely worth queuing more than half an hour in advance to secure a good viewing spot. Here, it’s necessary for one adult to sacrifice and queue up.

The service provided by the staff in the park is excellent. If you have any questions, you can ask the staff nearby (including roadside stall vendors). If you don’t know the way, ask quickly to avoid taking unnecessary detours.

At 14:15, the ‘Dolphin Love Melody’ begins. We are at the leftmost position in the third row on the left side of the VIP area. The viewing perspective is not inferior to that of the VIP at all. The dolphins are very well-behaved and will not spray water or splash. The performance lasts for about 20 minutes. The real dolphin sounds are enchanting. They suddenly leap up, drawing a beautiful arc in the air, light and cheerful. Hitting the ball with the tail has astonishing power.

At 14:42, line up for the Volcano Drift, a popular outdoor amusement project. Children must be 1.2 meters tall to play. It is next to the volcano museum. There is water and it is a bit exciting. Children like to play it very much. We lined up for 10 minutes. The entire drifting duration is about 10 minutes. Knock on the blackboard and emphasize the key points: You must buy a raincoat for 5 yuan per set. If you are wearing sneakers, you must buy shoe covers in the park for 5 yuan per set. We wore our own shoe covers which were too shallow. After drifting, our shoes were all wet. After the drifting ends, don’t throw away the raincoat as it will still be useful later. The purchased shoe covers are high-top and can reach up to the knee area. But also pay attention that if there is too much water in the drifting ring, it will still seep in.

At 15:12, return to the hotel to change shoes and take a short break. When the two kids see the bunk beds in the room, they can’t move their legs. Haha.

At 15:45, arrive at the Sea Beast Exploration Hall (Area A). Here there is another diversion. I continue to move forward and line up at the killer whale theater. My wife takes the two kids to visit the Sea Beast Exploration Hall, which takes about 15 minutes.

At 16:00, enter for the killer whale performance. It is best to seize the position on the left side of the VIP area because the interactive performance between the killer whale and the audience is in the left area. We are sitting at the leftmost position in the tenth row on the left side of the VIP area (rows 1-12 will all be teased by the killer whale). Half an hour before the performance, there will be a large-screen interactive activity. Answer five questions. During the intervals of each question, the camera will capture the audience’s shots and project them on the large screen. The lucky ones who are captured and see themselves on TV are still very excited. The camera will only capture the audience in the right area because it cannot turn due to the angle… But it is still recommended to sit in the left area to avoid losing big for small gains.

At 16:30, the killer whale performance begins. About 20 minutes later, a huge black and white creature suddenly leaps up in front of me. Immediately, I become his admirer and cannot restrain the desire in my heart to touch him. The shock brought by watching up close on the spot cannot be compared to that on TV or in movies. This guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes is actually being cute, and my heart melts.

At 17:00, after coming out of the Orca Theatre, we just caught up with the street performance of ‘Dragon Tamer – Viking Warriors’. It’s just so-so. Kids can watch for fun. It’s just a group of guys in Viking battle robes doing a simple street dance.

At 17:20, after the dragon taming performance ends, we take a stroll to the Penguin Pavilion. Cold is the only word to describe it. After strolling for about 15 minutes and standing under the penguin bowl, we admire the flexible swimming postures of the chubby penguins.

At 17:40, a little ahead of the Penguin Pavilion is the Dome Cinema, which is a popular attraction and worth watching. It’s a 360-degree domed movie that lasts for about 8 minutes.

At 18:00, at the strong request of the kids, we took the Volcano Drift again. In the afternoon, the water flow is obviously a bit faster. Anyway, it’s a very exciting drift.

At 18:30, almost all the performances and venues have been visited. There is still a Coral Jellyfish Pavilion left for tomorrow’s visit. At this time, we can boldly enjoy the Dolphin Roller Coaster. The height limit is above 1.3 meters. The whole journey ends in 75 seconds. Anyway, I will definitely not go to play. I’m a bit scared. Under my instigation, my wife and little niece resolutely got on the Dolphin Roller Coaster. She said that there was a man in front of them who kept looking at them. Why? Because they kept shouting and screaming. Even when they returned to the starting point, they were still shouting.We had a great time at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park. On the first day, there weren’t many people. We basically watched and played all the must-see items. At 19:00, we originally wanted to watch the water curtain light and shadow show by the river, but both kids were a bit tired. Without even playing in the children’s park, they were clamoring to go back to the room. With the proud record of 10.42 kilometers and 16,094 steps, we satisfactorily ended today’s play. The takeout we ordered has also arrived. We go back to the hotel to eat, drink and sleep well. The one-day trip ends. On the second day, the schedule is relatively relaxed and casual. We took the space-time cable car back and forth several times, played the Volcano Drift several times again, roughly visited six venues, watched the mermaid performance, watched the dolphin and orca theatres again, and played in the children’s park casually. We ended our two-day trip with deep satisfaction. Due to limited space, a simple introduction to each venue will be in another article. Stay tuned.