Shanghai Disneyland is under fire for charging extra fees on top of other fees to reduce VIP visitors’ waiting time to zero, Legal Daily reported on Jan. 28.

Shanghai Disney recently rolled out a new VIP service to cut waiting hours. Each member of the VIP group is charged 2,700 RMB for a three-hour guided tour without waiting time, and 3,000 RMB for a six-hour no-waiting tour, according to the official app. The number of six-hour tour groups is limited to 20 on work days and 30 on holidays.

This service has brought convenience to VIP visitors and also high profits to the entertainment park. VIP visitors can enjoy quicker access to more attractions and the best spots for shows. The increasingly popular no-waiting service has become a new profit point for Shanghai Disneyland, with over 30 specialized staff just for the VIP service on both weekdays and holidays.

However, some visitors are irritated by the “unequal” treatment, calling the VIP group the “cutting-in-line group,” while some expressed their understanding.

The special service is the result of an overwhelming number of visitors to Shanghai Disneyland, said a visitor from Shenzhen. The park should help all visitors save time instead.

Two separate systems should be set for the VIP groups and ordinary visitors. Otherwise, the park could risk violating its contract by satisfying the VIP visitors at the cost of other visitors without any advance notice, said Zhong Gang, an associate professor at Shanghai-based East China University of Political Science and Law.

Opened in 2016, Shanghai Disneyland aims to provide a fun experience filled with creativity, adventure, and thrills similar to other Disney parks. But one of its not-that-fun experiences is the massive waiting times that people have to endure. Lines for a single ride can be 2-3 hours.

Photo: Visitors line up at the entrance of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Shanghai Disneyland. (Legal Daily)