The Sky-High Prices At The Newly Opened Shanghai Disneyland Are Less Than Magical

American tourists are used to emptying their wallets when spending money on a Disney vacation, where a simple snack can cost way more than normal. But Chinese tourists were not expecting American-standard prices on food at the brand new Shanghai Disneyland, which just opened last week.

A bottle of water inside the park costs about 10 yuan, or $1.50 USD, and soup dumplings were about $1 each. Although this might sound reasonable, especially by theme park rip-off standards, tourists who have already experienced the park are sorely disappointed. In Shanghai outside the Disney gates, for instance, a soup dumpling would only cost around 15 cents apiece, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Much of the park's aesthetic, food, and entertainment are unique to Chinese culture. Meaning that, yes, you can buy a burger and fries, but most of the food served at the theme park will be more familiar and traditional Shanghai cuisine. But the prices themselves are definitely Western-inspired. Customers were sharing outraged posts on social media showing a receipt with a burger and fries for $11.50.

Shanghai Disney Resort spokesman Murray King told the Los Angeles Times that tickets to the theme park are the cheapest among all Disney parks around the world. A soft run of the park's operations earlier this month was meant to "listen to customers' complaints and correct our mistakes. At the same time, it is also trying to lower public expectations."