UPDATE (28 June 2010): Since writing this, I've been able to get over to the Expo site a couple of times, road test a few of these suggestions and experience first-hand if it's possible to pay a visit to the home of Haibao and not spend all day standing in line. Want to know how I got on? Take a look for yourself: Togo Anyone? A Queue Dodger's Expo Experience.
My second visit over the weekend also offered this little gem: Take your passport with you. It seems some countries are happy to let their citizens (and two pals) jump the queue. It worked for France and the UK, it may well work for yours.
If you're planning a trip to the Shanghai Expo, you can be forgiven any feelings of trepidation as you try to figure out how to make the most of your time. Reports of 2-3 hour pavilion queues and mixed responses from those brave and patient enough to have faced them have driven many Shanghai dwellers into an apathetic state of "maybe tomorrow/next week/next month..."
Of course, for tourists in China, such lethargy is not an option. With limited time and fear of missing the chance to say "I was there" for one for the greatest shows on earth, Expo is a must, not a maybe.
But don't worry. Whether you're an expat or just in China on holiday, there is help at hand.
Expo Pavilion reservations: Gaming the system
Blogger Baoru over at
cnreviews.com has created
a useful guide to the complicated pavilion reservations system including details on when and where pavilion tickets are distributed. However, due to the fact that designated visiting times for hot pavilions are handed out randomly, it seems even if you do manage to get your mitts on a ticket, you and your buddies may well end up visiting popular spots at different times.
China Mobile: Track queue times on your phone
If all this seems just too much like hard work, you can always stick with good old-fashioned queuing—with one important difference. If you've got a Smartphone, you can use China Mobile's recently launched
online system to get strategic. Details of queue times and the 10 busiest pavilions should be regularly updated at
wap.expo2010.cn (though we haven't been able to connect as yet—any takers?), so you'll know where not to head. (Editor's note: Seems this service is only available in Chinese, but there are regular English updates from loud speakers and on big screens around the site).
Are you really an elderly pregnant amputee? Prove it!
If, like
others before, you have the bright idea of taking advantage of easy access for the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled, beware. Many pavilions are
cracking down on fraudsters and taking granny along with you no longer guarantees jumping the queue.
Virtual reality, actual comfort: Visit Expo online
Still can't quite reconcile yourself to standing in line being an integral part of any Expo experience? Then what the heck, just stay home and
check it out online where the air is cool and no pesky queues stand in the way of working your way around the world.
If you can get past the squeaky voiced Haibao (who'd have thought he'd sound like a twelve-year old girl?) there are some pretty nifty 3D views and though not all info is available in English, it's a good way to figure out which pavilions will be worth the wait if and when you do head over there in person.