Presenting Shanghai's latest only-to-be-enjoyed-ironically amusement destination: The Family Dream Park. Recently opened at Fisherman’s Wharf, the facility allegedly boasts a 13-15 million USD price tag, and houses a much-anticipated "Rain Room" attraction, which is actually an imitation of the legit one from Random International.
But that's not all: It's also got an ice world, a game zone, 4D theater rides, and all sorts of VR interactive stuff, and a nebulous "more". So much "more" that it's actually kind of fascinating that the indoor park ends up being an air conditioned semi-circle of disappointment. Less "family dream" really and more weekend at dad’s new apartment post-divorce.
Like: “Hey, kids—check out this sheet—you can make a shadow with it… that’s fun right? That’ll keep you busy?”
Read on for the tour!
The Audacity of Hope
We all come into this world innocent. This was my first "dream park" experience, and boy was I excited. I had heard lots about the "Rain Room", imitation or not, and had seen pictures of bumper cars on ice and the Labyrinth-esque mirror maze. I was super jazzed about the winter room. Snow in July? Sign me up. A 4D roller coaster experience? I’ll be the first in line. A rock climbing wall with river views? I’ll make it to the top no problem.
But what are dreams if not wishes your heart makes when it forgets how much reality sucks?
We’ll go in chronological order:
Ice World
Ice World is a very cold room at the front of the park. You stand in line and get a big red parka, then an employee slides open the portal to the arctic world complete with a dramatic gust of wind. Very theatrical. And very cold. There are colored ice statues everywhere, but be careful not to touch -- the color will come off and stain your hands. There's an ice bar with no alcohol (?!) and a gap in the ceiling where fake snow floats unceremoniously to the ground like dandruff.
There are, however, two totally awesome kid-sized slides.
Okay, I kinda love this room. Redemption!
... And then we saw that the bumper cars-on-ice were roped off and not to be used. So close, yet so far. Are they any good? Who can say? Not this traveller in the land of dreams.
Then things really started to break down.
Next stop: The infamous Rain Room, or as they like to call their version...
The Magic Rain Zone
So the main conceit of the Rain Room is that it's a big room with continuously falling rain. And wherever you walk in said room, the rain above your head ceases. Which sounds like it could be pretty neat, right?
The rain room at the Family Dream Park is situated the center of the park. When you walk into the all-black room you see the rain against a bright light. I step into the display, under the impression the rain where I’m standing will stop as if by magic.
It doesn’t.
Eventually it does, but not before properly soaking me. A child comes out of nowhere and offers me a yellow poncho. I couldn't look him in the eye. I put the poncho on and stand under the simulated rain. Finally, a place in Shanghai where you can pay to get rained on.
The 4D Theater
About half of the entertainment in Family Dream Park is tech-based. There are dancing robots (sounds cooler than it is), some VR experiences, and a couple of 4D theater rides. These all seemed like they could be condensed into one section because they're all pretty repetitious. There was a 4D roller coaster that was an underwhelming runaway railroad type thing that just felt like five minutes in an overzealous massage chair and a shooting werewolf game which was pretty alright, because it was amusingly not good.
The "VR experience" -- I'm not even sure if it qualifies as an experience. I think it was supposed to be some kind of race on another planet in bubbly Jetsons-like spaceships. Worst of all, the VR technology was a bust; you'd look around and the scene didn't change to fit your new vantage point. Isn't that the whole point?
Mirror Maze
Ambitious. A lot going on here and not a lot of it coherent or necessary.
The "maze" starts off promising with a Van Gogh-inspired mirrored-hallway -- itself perhaps not the most original thing in the world -- which leads to a smudged mirror room. This area had 5 stamp stations to find, and though I'm not their target demographic it was waaaaaaaaay too easy to find those stations.
The rest was sort of a string of glorified hallways/rooms:
A short hallway with LED string lights.
A room with animals in neon paint.
Mummies.
And this...
Game Zone
Less a "game center" with actual "games" and more a line of those machines with claws where you can win small stuffed animals. I'd usually walk right past this room and never look back, but at Dream Park they give you tokens to play. So hey, what do I have to lose? Besides time, innocence and dignity.
Okay I'm gonna preface this by saying I grew up near a beach town. I've played these machines -- or rather these machines have played me -- my whole life. So when I got a panda on my first try, I lost my shit. But as the cursed claw was mere inches from deliverance it opened wide and my panda was lost.
The man who had given me the coins gave me a knowing look.
"It's not so easy," He smiled.
Not so easy? NOT SO EASY? Not. so. easy. I know a rigged game when I see one.
Now I was more determined than ever to win a small animal.
And they gave me so many coins.
I developed a strategy.
And...
I got myself a polar bear.
So... jokes on you, Dream Park.
Food
All this gaming sure can make a girl hungry. But make sure to pack something when heading to Dream Park. Their cafe, aptly named "Aftertaste Wharf," is not yet open.
Ed's Note: Best name ever.
There's a smaller cafe at the front of the building that serves fruit, boxes of lettuce, and macaroons. Not really sure what's going on there. I don't think they know either.
The Rock Climbing Wall
The Rock Climbing wall is good (hey!) and included in your ticket. There are a few different levels (kid friendly, medium, difficult). I went for medium, and it was pretty easy, there were a lot of rocks, it almost felt like climbing a ladder. I felt really brave. Then it was time to come back down. The rope holding you is attached to the ceiling, there's no one spotting you, and I haven't been rock climbing in a few years, so this was new and terrifying to me.
Just jump off, I heard below me. I heard what they were saying and understood perfectly but it felt like the rope had a lot of give to it. I didn't sign a waiver. Bury my bear with me.
I jump off and the rope catches and I go slowly and safely back to the floor level. It was all fine.
And this was the anti-climatic end. The rock climbing wall is just after the exit of the park. I take off the harness, put my sandals back on.
I guess I just go home now?
Thoughts, Feelings, and Logistics
It wasn’t great. It was less than amazing. I’m unsure what all that money went towards. One thing's for sure they should’ve spent a little more on was the RAIN ROOM. My shoes are still wet and I'm still bitter. The biggest playground in the place was reserved for kids 6 and under. So it might be good for really young kids, but all the other stuff would be lost on them. I think the only other real kid-friendly thing was Ice World. Other than that the kids there seemed happier on the sidelines eating chips than they did participating in any of the attractions.
Also the staff there... minus the guy who gave me the coins, everyone was on their phones and seemed really annoyed to be there. And it just opened.
I mean if you like still want to go…
The Family Dream is open daily from 10am to 9.30pm. General Admission costs 198rmb for adults and 188rmb for kids on weekday. 248/228rmb on weekends. You can pay individually for each attraction (59-89rmb each)—but that seems silly. Go big or don’t go all the way out to Fisherman’s Wharf.
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Family Dream Park is at 615 Anpu Lu, near Jiangpu Lu in the Yangpu District.
