The opening act of Shanghai Disneyland is certainly daring enough. Here is the only castle park in the world without a Main Street U.S.A. or railroad attraction, as part of its first act. Mickey Avenue is often described as something more fitting for Toontown than anywhere else, and it is obvious why. The land is full of buildings “inhabited” by Mickey and his pals, with nods to various classic Disney films and landmarks. There are many of the usual offerings of other first acts: plentiful retail, lots of entertainment, and a fantastic bakery. Meet and Greets abound as well, with a spot even dedicated to the extremely popular Duffy and Friends. It’s a well done area, but it has a couple of major flaws. First up: the gorgeous train station façade – with no train. It’s hard to describe just how much of a void this really is, but a Disney park without a train is really just a big miss. Second, the size of Mickey Avenue is about half that of other opening acts, and just as you are beginning to take in the immersion along your journey down the street – it ends, and opens up into the Gardens of Imagination area. It really should be longer, and feels very half-done. Still, despite its literal and figurative shortcomings, it doesn’t let up on the fantastic Disney details, and while it sits rightfully in last place on our list, its still a fitting entry to the newest Disney park in the world.

To be fair, Gardens of Imagination is an interesting idea in concept: large green, open areas with many cultural nods and touches to the home country of China. The land sits in front of Enchanted Storybook Castle, and like the rest of the gigantic park, feels wide and expansive. Scattered across Gardens of Imagination is the classic Dumbo attraction, along with an original take on a Disney staple: the Fantasia Carousel, where characters from the 1940 Walt Disney film Fantasia take the place of traditional horses. Gardens of Imagination also contains the gorgeous Garden of the Twelve Friends, with murals using Disney characters paying tribute to the signs of the Chinese Zodiac. Finally, there is the Wandering Moon Restaurant, an authentic and classy Chinese restaurant housed within an absolutely jaw-dropping building situated along side lily pools, with integrated pathways surrounding it. Quite possibly the best – and certainly the most high-end – of all the dining establishments inside the park. Overall, Gardens of Imagination is a handful of simple, yet delightful offerings, but with no headliner attraction to speak of, it feels a bit hollow. To be fair, this land is probably the most authentically Chinese land in the park, and may resonate differently with foreigners used to lands being attraction-centric. Regardless, it is a unique and beautiful place, really worth some time and attention, and it lands in sixth place our list.

There’s not much to set Shanghai’s Toy Story Land apart from its cousins in Hong Kong and Paris. Here is much of the usual: a heavily themed area with a handful of attractions – mostly geared toward the smaller set. Slinky Dog Spin is a nicely done, if too-tame, family-friendly spinner. Woody’s Roundup is the most unforgivingly adorable version of the attraction in the world, with catchy tunes sung in Mandarin, and fantastic detail. And the land is anchored by Rex’s Racer, an Intamin half pipe shuttle coaster that packs a decent punch even for adults, but is far too short in duration. Food offerings include the well-themed Toy Box Café, a counter service eatery with great details, and mostly decent food offerings. And finally, Al’s Toy Barn is the perfect retail compliment to the area. The land is covered head-to-toe in fantastic details and theming. The problem here is the lack of anything really substantive…it’s a wonder that a clone of the insanely popular Toy Story Mania didn’t land a spot here, or even a version of Florida’s Slinky Dog Dash coaster. As it stands, it’s just a handful of very basic rides. And as a result, Toy Story Land feels like a bright, shiny package with a very “meh” gift inside. Overall though, it’s hard to argue with how well the land is designed and themed, as it really is oozing with details and nods to toys and games from generations of youth. As a result, Toy Story Land sits comfortably in fifth place our list.

Much has been said about Shanghai Disneyland having too much open space, being too spread out, too much land and not enough substance, etc. While quite a bit of this is overblown, nowhere does this ring truer than in the park’s Fantasyland. The amount of open, unused space here is almost astonishing, and it feels as though somehow along the way attractions or offerings must have been cut out of this land. Anchored by the stunning Enchanted Storybook Castle, Shanghai’s Fantasyland is a smattering of attractions and entertainment that span from the great to the ho-hum to the just plain strange. Here is the world’s best version of Peter Pan’s Flight, an amped-up version of the classic attraction, with incredible effects and a lengthy ride. The land also contains a standard version of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, as well as the neighboring Hunny Pot Spin – a fun and unique take on the teacup attraction found in other parks. A carbon copy – though a few theming corners were cut – of the wildly popular Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is also found in the land. The Fantasyland Theater plays home to Frozen: A Sing-Along Celebration, housed in an elaborate building. The land also contains an Alice in Wonderland walk through maze, themed to the live-action versions of the film. Finally, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto is perhaps the most unique and odd attraction of the bunch, best described as a full-sized Storybookland Canal Boats, with a finale under Enchanted Storybook Castle that is among the strangest (and arguably least “Disney” things) to be found anywhere. But that castle…to see and experience Enchanted Storybook Castle in person is to truly be transported to among the best that Disney has to offer – full of retail offerings, food outlets, walk-through attractions, and a plethora of details both inside and out. Overall it’s a great land anchored by an even greater castle, and as a result, Shanghai’s Fantasyland earns itself fourth place.

Contrary to popular opinion, not every Disney theme park Tomorrowland is an outdated, clashing mess, desperate of a refresh. Shanghai’s Tomorrowland is the newest in the world, and as a result, is the most consistent, most futuristic, most untouched and unaltered, anywhere. From its stylish entrance, the land is full of sleek curves and angles, with a fresh two-story design centered around fantastic water features and an outdoor sci-fi amphitheater of sorts. The land is among the smallest in the park, yet it contains some of the park’s strongest attractions. Jet Packs is hands down the fastest and best Tomorrowland spinner in the world, with great views, and an even better ride experience. The best Buzz Lightyear attraction in the world can be found here in Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue – and after experiencing this one, it’s hard to go back to any of the others around the world. Finally, there is Tron Lightcycle Power Run. The e-ticket attraction for Tomorrowland that dared take the place of Space Mountain lives up to the hype and then some. The high-speed launch while seated on a Lightcycle is unmatched anywhere in Disney, especially at night as the LED canopy dances overhead. The ride building is full of great visuals and effects. And the Daft Punk soundtrack that accompanies it is simply perfect. This one has a “coolness” factor that is off-the-charts, and while slightly on the short side, justifies its cloning in Florida (and anywhere else that can find the space and budget). Cap this all off with the best Tomorrowland eatery in the world, and its easy to see why the land ranks so highly…a strong third place for a Tomorrowland that truly feels like the future.

In general, it is a risky business to build an entire land around an Intellectual Property (IP). Sometimes it works and can hold its own indefinitely, and other times, it can quickly feel stale and dated, and desperately needs a replacement or major refresh. The dice were rolled with Treasure Cove, based completely on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, which is equally if not more popular in China as it is in the rest of the world. And because this land clearly got the budget it needed, it is a roaring success. Treasure Cove is what happens when immersion and detail is allowed to permeate every aspect of a land. Here, the Siren’s Revenge is a brilliant walk-around full-sized pirate ship, with tons of interactive features, and the neighboring Shipwreck Shore is equally as impressive and fun to take in. The shops and streets are lined with amazing detail, as well as some great offerings at Barbossa’s Bounty, a counter service restaurant with what feels like dozens of individually unique seating areas, including one that sits alongside the flagship attraction. Entertainment is also fantastic here, with Eye of the Storm: Captain Jack’s Stunt Spectacular providing a great show which permeates the language barrier with its strong storyline and incredible effects. But of course, the real talk of this area is the mind-blowing Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. The hands-down greatest Pirate attraction Disney has ever done, with cutting edge technology, big thrills, and complete and total immersion, this one lives up to all of the hype. It is hard to do justice via words, pictures, or video, and it is absolutely worth the trip to this park just to experience this attraction alone, with many arguing it to be the best Disney attraction in the world. It’s the only true “ride” in this land, but its strength, coupled with the land’s overall immersion and details, help Treasure Cove justify its IP-based approach. It’s a fantastic land, among the best Disney has ever done, and as a result, it earns second place.

At the top of the list is Shanghai Disneyland’s answer to Adventureland, Adventure Isle. To sum it up: this jungle-themed land is the perfection of incredible headliner attractions built within a robust and immersive land, all tied together with a compelling and effective backstory. Here we learn of the native Arbori tribe, who’s traditions and history tie into the land, along with their respect for the centerpiece Roaring Mountain, and the legends of a ferocious beast that dwells inside. At some point in this history, the League of Adventurers discovered the land and its people, and learned to live and work with them to help settle and develop the land. As guests, we now have a chance to explore and learn from both groups. This leads to a trio of fantastic attractions: Soaring Over the Horizon, a Soarin’ attraction with a unique backstory tied to the Arbori shaman. Challenge Trails, a multiple path ropes course attraction that winds over, under, around, and through Roaring Mountain, with several nerve-wracking moments of peril. And Roaring Rapids, Disney’s best whitewater rafting ride, with a journey that leads into the depths of the mountain, and an encounter with the terrifying monster Q’araq. These three attractions are all top-tier, and balance each other out fantastically, but Adventure Isle doesn’t stop there. Tarzan: Call of the Jungle is one of the best live shows in any Disney park, incorporating Chinese acrobatics at their most impressive. Explorer Canoes is the best Canoe ride Disney has ever done, wandering through the jungles of Adventure Isle, and even heading out in open waters to travel alongside the ships of Treasure Cove. Tribal Table provides a great counter service offering with a massive building and heavy theming. As a whole, it’s one of the most thorough, consistent, and magical lands Disney has ever created, and it’s easy to see why its headliners command some of the longest waits in the park. Adventure Isle is among the best of the best, a fully realized masterpiece of Imagineering – the single best land in Shanghai Disneyland park.