Shanghai Disney Resort Aurora Restaurant Review

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Aurora Restaurant is By Far the Best Restaurant at Any Disney Resort

If your considering dining at Aurora Restaurant do yourself a favor and just do it. Don’t think about the price, don’t worry about whether or not you can fit it into your itinerary, make the reservation. You won’t regret it.

The Shanghai Disney Resort opened just last year, but is already one of the best – if not the best – Disney Parks. There are plenty of places to dine at the new Shanghai Disney Resort, but Aurora Restaurant provides guests with a unique formal dining experience that is unmatched by any other restaurant on a Disney property.

The Reservation Process

My husband and I were visiting the park for the first time, and were stressed by the fact that we couldn’t make dining reservations online. You can phone in your reservation, but it can be challenging if you don’t speak Chinese. If you’ve ever visited Walt Disney World, you know that dining reservations begin to fill up six months prior to your stay. Especially for the resort’s most popular restaurants like Be Our Guest.

We checked in to the hotel during the evening after a long flight, and made our way towards the hotel concierge. We asked if we could make a reservation at Aurora. I expected to be turned away, or given an odd dining time. Much to my surprise, we were given our choice of reservation time. We booked our reservation during the nightly fireworks spectacular so that we could enjoy the show from our dining table.

The View at Aurora

Aurora Restaurant is situated at the top of the Shanghai Disneyland Resort overlooking the bay and the entire theme park. You can see Tron in all its glory, Adventure Isle, and the Enchanted Storybook Castle from your table. The park is magnificent at night, and the view can’t be beat. Not only can you view the fireworks perfectly, but you can hear the musical accompaniment as well. Which allows guests to enjoy the full experience of a nightly fireworks spectacular without having to brave the cold or crowds.

A One-of-a-Kind Dining Experience

We were immediately greeted by first name as we exited the elevator, which was a pleasant surprise. Typically you have to wait in line to provide your name, and wait for the host/hostess to find your name. We were escorted to our table, which was a booth located in a smaller room facing the Enchanted Storybook castle. We couldn’t have asked for a better table. We had two waiters assisting us throughout the night.

When we ordered cocktails a man came up with a small pushcart, and made the drinks in front of our table. Another man went over every ingredient, its flavors and purpose. The menu was varied, which made it easy for both myself and my husband to find something we liked. I ordered the raviolis or “western dumplings” as our waiter liked to call them. The food was delicious, tasting as good as it looked. The service is truly stellar, with wait staff that is personable and eager to give you the best experience.  We enjoyed dessert as the fireworks began to light up the night sky. The perfect place to dine for a romantic evening.

For the personalized service and food quality we received, we were shocked by the price. We ordered cocktails, an appetizer, two entrees and two desserts and paid a fraction what we pay in the states. For a restaurant of this caliber in Los Angeles or New York you would pay $300+. At Aurora, dinner starts at just $72.70.

Aurora Restaurant serves delicious food, with exceptional views and service. For guests traveling from the United States, I highly recommend it. If you’re on a budget, enjoy dessert or drinks at the restaurant and enjoy the view.

Michelle McKinley is a journalist and digital marketer from Los Angeles, CA. She earned her Journalism degree from Pepperdine University, and has been writing for the web since 2003. She’s a life-long Disney fan who travels and writes about her experiences for fun.

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