Tips to Bypass Long Queues at the Popular Pavilions Expo 2010 Shanghai

The sign of reservation machine

The organizer of the Shanghai Expo 2010 has developed a few systems in the effort to cut down long queues at the popular pavilions. The most famous scheme is to make an appointment for the admissions to the China Pavilion and five Theme Pavilions by drawing reservation tickets from the reservation machines. Locations of the reservation machines are marked on the Expo map which will be distributed to visitors at each entrance gate. The attached photograph shows the eight reservation machines between the food mall and Portugal Pavilion in the Europe Square near the Shibo Avenue MTR Station. Machines are protected by green covers in the evening when they are not in use. In the Expo park, signs are posted to show the direction to the reservation spots. Please note that the reservation machines under the elevated pedestrian walkway in South Xizang Road close to Entrance Gate 2 only serve for the Theme Pavilions but not the China Pavilion. One Expo ticket is entitled to book an appointment for one pavilion. Tickets for China Pavilion usually finish within 15 minutes in the early morning once the gates open. Admissions to the China Pavilion could also be arranged by the Shanghai local tour if people join an one-day tour to the Expo at 200 yuan including coach transport. Both the China Pavilion and Theme Pavilions are permanent projects. Their exhibitions, therefore, will be continued even after the closure of the Expo 2010.

Direction to the reservation machine

Appointments for the Pavilions of Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Portugal, and Sweden can be obtained via the pavilion reservation machines. The Macau Pavilion only allows admissions with appointments through their reservation machines. The ordinary queue channel is closed during daytime. People without an appointment voucher should attend the pavilion before 9:00pm when there are no more ticket holders. Reservation tickets for Sweden Pavilion allow attendees to play their huge slide as well. The two reservation machines outside the pavilion hand out tickets twice each day, with 600 at 09:30am and 200 at 5:00pm. If visitors miss the time slot which is issued on the ticket, they are not allowed to play the slide but still can get into the pavilion through the priority entrance.
The fast track system is another scheme to obtain reservation tickets, through the collection of stamps from the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA), for the admissions to some of the popular pavilions. For methods and procedures, please refer to my previous blogs dated June 12 and July 8, 2010. The fast track system was initially set up for the admissions to the China Pavilion and Saudi Arabia Pavilion. It, later on, also applied to the admissions to the Pavilions of Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. However, the policy changed very recently. It now only serves for the China and Italy Pavilions. Offers for all other pavilions are suspended. This shows that the policy may change from time to time.

Reservation machine in Europe Squar

Fast channel admissions to the Spain Pavilion are granted to those who visit the Spanish Cases in the UBPA of Puxi. After the collection of a total of 3 stamps from the Cases of Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao in the UBPA, attendees have a reward to enter the Spain National Pavilion through the priority channel.  Stamps have to be chopped on the souvenir Expo passport. VIP admissions to the Spain Pavilion had once been offered to the customers who took dinners at the restaurant in the Spain Pavilion at Zone C. However, the policy has just been changed. The VIP admission is now granted to those who purchase a bottle of Spanish wine. VIP access to the Finland Pavilion is offered to the customers who hold the Finnair frequent-flyer membership card or a recent Finnair boarding card.

One may bypass the long queues by making online appointments. Online bookings are available for the admissions to the:
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. general Motors (SAIG-GM) Pavilion at Zone E (www.gmexpo2010.com) - available in Chinese language only
State Grid Pavilion at Zone D (www.magicbox2010.com) - available in Chinese language only
Shanghai Corporate Joint Pavilion at Zone D (www.expo2010scp.com)
Requested information for the online form includes Expo ticket numbers and mobile phone numbers.

The Portugal reservation machine

Reservations tickets for the Shanghai Corporate Joint Pavilion can also be obtained via phone booking by sending SMS to 106575255111 or calling (8621) 55356688 during 9 to 5 office hours. The Finland Pavilion allows phone bookings. One should send a text 85401 plus targeted time slot to the number 1066666620 (e.g. 584010930 for the time slot 09:30am.) A return message will tell whether or not the time slot is available for booking. If available, one should send a second message 01 plus time slot (e.g. 01 + 0930 for the time slot 09:30am). A reservation code will be returned upon successful booking.

During the period from August 22 to 28, visitors can cut in line for the admissions to the Netherlands Pavilion if they purchase a special Green Transport Card at 40 yuan (US$5.85). The card is issued by the Expo organizer, and half of the income will be donated for planting trees in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Pavilions of Spain, Norway, Luxembourg, USA, and Brazil now consider offering fast access to the card holders in September. The sale point of the card is at "We are the Family" Pavilion in Zone C.

People who register with the official Expo online visits will automatically enroll in the lucky draw for the admissions to some of the popular pavilions. The assigned pavilions may vary from time to time. For example, those who visit the virtual USA Pavilion online today (August 13, 2010) between 10:00am and 2:00pm will be entered for the lucky draw to win a fast access to the real USA Pavilion with a free meal at the Pavilion's VIP room.

Some of the national pavilions give priorities to their citizens. Priority accesses to the France Pavilion are granted to the visitors holding a valid French passport. Similarly, the Canadian can go straight into the Canada Pavilion through the priority channel. There are many ways that you could bypass the long queues. Keep an eye on the update information from the official Expo website.