Shanghai Disneyland spurs travel packages, scalpers hike tickets

Customers select toys at the Disney's flagship store in east China's Shanghai, March 28, 2016. Shanghai Disney Resort will officially open and welcome its first guests on June 16. Tickets went on sale on March 28. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

Chinese tourism agencies have introduced new travel packages that include a visit to Shanghai Disneyland. Meanwhile scalpers have hiked up ticket prices to the theme park to 1,000 yuan (about $150), the Modern Express reported.

Chinese tourism service sites quickly offered new routes that highlight a stop at Shanghai Disneyland after tickets went on sale today.

Tuniu.com products include a two-day self-driving journey, a five-day trip to Shanghai Disneyland, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Wuzhen, and an international trip with stops in Shanghai, as well as visits to famous foreign schools. The price of these products range from several thousands to tens of thousands of yuan.

Travel agencies are more willing to promote "package" travel products, rather than simply selling tickets for the theme park, the newspaper reported.

On China's largest e-commerce website taobao.com, a search for "Shanghai Disneyland ticket" reveals hundreds of results, with booking fees ranging from just one yuan to more than 1,000 yuan. One store promised to book a ticket for any specific day for a charge of 700 yuan.

The theme park has urged visitors to only purchase tickets through authorized, official channels, which include the website, its reservation center on 400-180-0000 or 86-21-31580000, and the Alitrip Flagship Store http://shdr.alitrip.com/. People can also purchase tickets through the resort's official travel partners and its mobile app, as well as on site at the resort.

The resort offers regular and peak-priced tickets, with regular pricing set at 370 yuan and peak pricing set at 499 yuan. Pricing during the grand opening period (June 16-30) is set at 499 yuan.

Analysts say the theme park tickets will be date-specific and valid for admission only for the date purchased, so buying tickets from scalpers may not guarantee admittance into the park.