One of the most important parts of planning any international Disney trip is making sure you understand the visa requirements. You don't want to book a trip and then find out when you arrive at the airport that you can't go because you needed to apply for a visa weeks ago.
Here is a quick overview of the visa requirements for U.S. passport holders visiting each of the four international Disney resorts.
Update
With international travel still all messed up, we’re holding off on updating this post for a while. We hope to update it and resume our international travels ASAP.
Disclaimer
Visa rules and restrictions can be complicated and are constantly changing. While this page provides a quick reference for U.S. Passport holders, it’s important that you do research to confirm them before booking your trip. Messing up visa requirements can absolutely mean you simply won’t be allowed to visit, and you may even spend a period of time stranded in a foreign airport.
Shanghai Disney Resort
The newest international Disney destination, and the one with the most complicated visa process, is Shanghai Disney Resort.
The L Visa (Tourist Visa)
Shanghai is a city in China. U.S. passport holders seeking to visit Shanghai Disney Resort will (generally) need to apply in advance for a tourist visa (L Visa). To obtain a tourist visa, you'll need to provide your local consulate with documentation of your hotel stay and your air travel itinerary (including flights from and back to the United States). The fee is $140 (per person), and the processing time is four business days.
The Transit Visa
If you are just passing through Shanghai, you might consider looking into their 144-hour transit visa, but this is only an option if you visit a third region (not your origin or China) after Shanghai. For the purposes of the transit visa, Hong Kong qualifies as a third region, making this a great excuse to add Hong Kong Disneyland to your itinerary.
10-Year, Multiple Entry Visa
Finally, it is probably worth specifying in your visa application that you would like a 10-year, multiple entry visa. When we applied, there was no box for that option on the form, so we had to check "other" and write "10-year, multiple entry."
This is a relatively new offering from China, where for the same fee ($140) you can get a visa that is good for ten years. Once you have the 10-year visa, you don't need to go through the application process every time you're visiting China. You will still need to provide proof of an onward or return ticket, though.
Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo is the capital of Japan. U.S. passport holders can travel in Japan for 90 days without a visa, but they should be prepared to show proof of a return or onward ticket.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is located in Hong Kong, which is technically a "Special Administrative Region" of China. Nonetheless, Hong Kong has its own set of travel/visa rules.
This is nice for U.S. travelers because it is easier to travel to Hong Kong than to China. U.S. passport holders can travel in Hong Kong for 90 days without a visa, but they should be prepared to show proof of a return or onward ticket.
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is located just outside of Paris, France.
Generally, U.S. passport holders can travel in France for 90 days without a visa. However, as France is part of the Schengen Zone of Europe, you can only spend a maximum of 90 cumulative days in the Schengen Zone in any 180-day period. This means if you spent 90 days touring Europe in June, July, and August, you cannot visit Disneyland Paris in October. In that case, you would have to wait until early December.