The Third Happiest Place on Earth!

Sincerest apologies for my lateness in blogging! I promise I will attempt to recount every detail for you in this entry though it has been a few weeks since my adventure(s) to the Tokyo Disney Resort. I did purposely wait to write this entry though after I had been to both Disney Sea and Disneyland, as I wanted to be able to write about the entire Disney experience (considering the time between my two visits was rather short). One note I do wish to make before I go on with my review: Tokyo Disney is worth every cent and minute of your time. Besides, why would you not want to go to the Third Happiest place on earth (DISCLAIMER: it is only the 3rd happiest place because Disneyland in California is first -- it's the original, i'm a purist -- Disneyworld in Florida is the second -- it's got four parks; hard to compete -- and so Tokyo Disneyland is third -- I haven't been to the Hong Kong park or Paris resort so I can't speak to either of those). Anyway, on with my ramblings!

The Disney Company and Disney characters are very prevalent in Japanese pop culture. Without the existence of anime and Hello Kitty and other cute characters, Mickey and Minnie Mouse could possibly invade every Japanese household. Essentially, Disney has a tight grip on the Japanese consumer goods market. So much that the Tokyo Disney Resort has its OWN STOP on the subway/train lines. The first time I went, I took the subway to Tokyo Station, then boarded a local train to the actual stop (labeled Tokyo Disneyland under the actual stop name...which I can't remember). The second time though, after close observation of the subway and train lines, I took the subway line I take to work, all the way to the end, and then switched lines, and got off two stops later. Basically, Tokyo Disney is SUPER accessible (which could present a problem/dilemma for me...as I've fallen in love with the park).

Disney Sea

Disney Sea is the other theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort besides Disneyland (otherwise known as the Magic Kingdom). California has California Adventure, Florida's Disney World has Epcot, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom, and Tokyo Disney has Disney Sea. I had heard mixed reviews about Disney Sea (many favorable, a few lack luster) so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. All I was hoping was that it wouldn't be another California Adventure (not to hate on California Adventure, but there's not too much to do in the park besides the Grizzly Ride and a few other interesting rides; however, it has been a while since I've been so I may need to visit it once more).

Like Disneyland, Disney Sea has separate areas/lands within the park. There is Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, the Lost River Delta, Port Discover, and the American Waterfront. Now, I know what you're thinking. Out of those names, you can only pick out two that you can immediately identify with Disney: Arabian Coast is obviously Aladdin and Mermaid Lagoon is from the Little Mermaid. This immediate perception may create disappointment for those who think that everything must clearly be connected to Disney, but trust me, this is so vastly far from the truth. I believe that Disney Sea was established with the intention in mind of creating a fantastical atmosphere, building an entire environment that made you forget you were on Earth. Trust me, they accomplished this goal.

When you first walk into Disney Sea (after taking the Disney tram around the resort), you get to see this beautiful plaza. The globe in the center there rotates just like the actual earth. You're surrounded by palm trees. The building directly in front of you is actually a hotel that you can stay at inside the Disney Sea park. From the moment you step off the tram, you've entered another world. How cool is that? The ground even lights up at night so that when you leave the park, it's like you're walking on stars.

Once you finally come into the park, after you wait in a relatively short and fast-paced line and buy your ticket, your entrance is through a tunnel that opens into Mediterranean Harbor. You are immediately greeted by a recreation of Venice, or something like it. The buildings in the plaza are beautiful and straight ahead is a view of the lake area where the night light show takes place. The shops on the side all have "Italian" names. Statues of Greek gods and goddesses are painted on the sides of the buildings. Though I've never been to Venice, I imagine this Disney recreation was very similar to the real thing (this is a not so subtle hint to my mother and the rest of my family that we should take a vacation trip to Italy, specifically Venice, before it sinks or something).

Pictured right is Mermaid Lagoon. It really looks like the Kingdom of Triton in the Little Mermaid, despite its being on land and not under the sea. Honestly, they must have completely modeled it after the concept art or something because I can't imagine a more accurate recreation of the underwater kingdom than this. Prior to coming to Disney Sea, Chelsea told me that this was her favorite land in the park, mainly because of the shopping (though she said there were a few rides in the land that were fun). While I think Mermaid Lagoon was directed more for smaller children, it was still a lot of fun to walk around and see how much detail went into the creation of the Lagoon.

To make you feel like you had actually gone underwater, the majority of the Lagoon is built underground, in a sub area called Triton's Kingdom. A huge stairway takes you down into the main area. My picture here is a bit fuzzy because the area is also dimly lit (and the lights are mostly blue in color) to emulate being underwater. We took a spin on "The Whirlpool", the Disney Sea version of the Tea Cups, flew through the air on the "Blowfish Balloon Race", Disney Sea's dumbo ride, meandered through "The Sleep Whale Shoppe" in search of cute souvenirs, and ate lunch at "Sebastian's Calypso Kitchen". I must say that the food was actually more reasonably priced than in the US, and it was pretty good: I had a sausage and cheese pizza (with the addition of corn pieces...which I promptly removed; I don't know what the Japanese obsession with corn is). But soon Triton's Kingdom was overrun by toddlers and we decided to move onwards in our quest to conquer Disney Sea.

The Arabian Coast is modeled after Agrabah from Aladdin. I think this may have been my favorite land actually because I really felt like I was walking in the streets of the animated city. Everything was so detailed that it was hard NOT to believe you were still in an amusement park. The major pull of this land is its shopping as well. Austen and I spent much time browsing the merchandise in both the Agrabah Marketplace and Abu's Bazaar. However, there is one attraction: Sindbad's StoryBook Voyage. Honestly, I haven't seen Disney's Sindbad film (if you are unaware, Disney did make an animated Sindbad film), and while I don't think this ride had much to do with the film, it certainly made me want to see it. The ride was something like a cross between Small World and the Storybook boat ride in California's Disneyland. The robotics of the figures were very impressive; the dialogue was timed so well with the moving of their mouths that it was almost like they were speaking. Even at the end of the ride, the Sindbad robot's waving good-bye was so very life like. I wanted to take one home with me (not that I don't have enough to fit in my suitcase as it is)! There is also a carousel in this part of the park; I personally love carousels. Every time I go to Disneyland, I make sure I always ride the carousel in Fantasyland; however we ran out of time and weren't able to go on the carousel. But we did eat dinner at the Casbah Food Court, which is basically different types of curry and naan. I was surprised by its level of spiciness and how good it tasted (Japanese people don't really do spice). I was pleasantly surprised though it only whetted my appetite for Indian food (which I've told my parents countless number of times that I would like to have it as my first meal back in the States...or In-N-Out, either will do).

Mysterious Island is at the center of the park. It is home to the Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20000 Leagues Under the Sea attractions, a fancy restaurant, and then Nautilus Gifts. I'm not entirely sure what the connection is between Disney and what is here, but that's beside the point. The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride is basically like the submarine ride in Disneyland in California; you go underwater and travel through the story (and see some things that aren't in the story...like aliens?). It's worth going on once but not worth waiting 90 minutes for (get a fast pass for this one). But Journey to the Center of the Earth...the movie may have been AWFUL, but the ride is TERRIFIC. It's a high speed roller coaster with some drops. Think of Matahorn combined with Splash Mountain but three times faster. It was AWESOME. Probably the best ride in the entire park. We only had time to go on it once, but it would definitely be one to wait in line for and fast pass in the same day. Nonetheless, this area really looks like something out of a science fiction novel.

Port Discovery...I don't really know what it's theme is. The two major attractions in this area are Aquatopia, which is bummer cars on the water (really wanted to go on them but couldn't!!!) and StormRider, a simulator. A word about StormRider: DO NOT GO ON THIS RIDE IN THE NIGHT TIME. It basically places you in the eye of a storm, so you get splashed. It's SUPER COLD inside the simulator, so do this early in the day so you don't have to endure the chills for any length of time. Think Star Tours but with water. Literally, Austen and I walked in, sat down, and both turned to each other, horrified that the seats were wet. Neither of us was prepared to get splashed to the extent we did. Otherwise though, the simulator was amusing. We didn't spend much time in this part of the park otherwise; I will say it's really pretty at night.

The Lost River Delta looks like something out of ruins in Central America. At first, Austen and I thought it was inspired either by El Dorado (another little known Disney film) or The Emperor's New Groove. However, neither film's influence was to be found here...oddly enough. Instead, we found Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. Pause. Indiana Jones is supposed to be in the Magic Kingdom. And it is most definitely NOT the Temple of the Crystal Skull. It is the Temple of the Forbidden Eye! Did you SEE Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? It shamed the Indiana Jones franchise (even if Shiloh Le'Bouff was in it...one cute face can't save a disaster of a script). [So the dork in me just wikipedia'd this and apparently the ride was built before the movie and that neither have anything to do with each other...] Aside from that little rant, Disney Sea's ride is basically identical to the one in California; minor changes will be noted if you are a Disney aficionado but the ride is still fun and worth the wait it incurs. The other ride in this land is Raging Spirits, a roller coaster complete with loops and fire. As I'm not really a fan of loops, we avoided this one, though it did look cool so I encourage you to try it if you're interested. We had ventured through this land during dinner time, but "Miguel's El Dorado Cantina" didn't entice us enough (though the selection of WINES that they had did make us want to come back a little later). The Yucatan Base Camp Grill didn't grab our attention either; personally, I don't think teriyaki fish tacos are really illustrative of authentic central american food.

Finally we have the American Waterfront. There's actually quite a lot in this area of the park. Sub areas include: Biglietteria, Waterfront Park, and Cape Cod. This is mostly a shopping and eating district. However, you can stumble upon the most interesting shows here. Austen and I actually spotted this crazy dance show going on in front of the S.S. Columbia (they have recreated an old steam ship cruiser that sits in the waterfront). We stopped and watched the show for a bit. It was a little scary, how Disney combined old show tunes, disco hits, and newer pop songs with crazy dance beats to create a soundtrack that the dancers could do their routine to. The energy the performers put out was positively scary; I thought they must've all been wired on caffeine or something because their enthusiasm was out of this world. It was also interesting that the songs were in English but the show's dialogue was all in Japanese. And despite the change in language, Mickey still sounded like he does in English. Actually, all of the Disney characters retained their same tone despite speaking in an entirely different language. All in all I was impressed by the show.

In the evening, Austen and I decided to get drinks and watch the night show. So we each ordered a glass of "fruity sparkling wine" from the Barnacle Bill's stand and found a seat overlooking the harbor. First off, since WHEN has alcohol been allowed on any Disney park premise?? In California, there is only one place that serves alcohol in Disneyland. That is Club 33 in New Orleans Square, and you can only get there if you're a VIP or something. Anyway, I was stunned to learn that they sold any sort of alcohol at Disney Sea. AND IT WAS DELICIOUS. While the glass was a bit pricey, it was SO WORTH IT. And I'm so sad that I didn't take a picture of the label of the wine bottle because I have no idea what it was!! The booth closed before we could get another glass and it isn't listed on the Disney Sea website...so I will probably forever ignorant of the name of the delicious fruity sparkling wine I had. *sigh*

The evening show at Disney Sea is spectacular. It really is a performance to behold. The lighting schemes, combined with various fireworks and robotics of the giant dragon thing is so cool. Tokyo Disney really knows how to put on a show and I'm so glad I got to watch it. If there was ever an example of spectacle, this was it. The entire Mediterranean Harbor area was filled with park goers. I doubt anyone in the park missed it.

Overall, Disney Sea is less "ride-focused" and more "atmosphere-driven". The lack of rides may disappoint some, but let me tell you, it is definitely an experience I won't forget and a destination I will come back to in the future. Goal: Stay in the Tokyo Disney Sea Hotel MiraCosta.

Tokyo Disneyland

Alright, the moment we've all been waiting for. My day at Tokyo Disneyland. I had literally been waiting for this day since I set foot in Japan in March. If there was one place I really wanted to go, it was Tokyo Disneyland. And I'm just so thankful that I got to go! Built in 1983, Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney park to be built outside of the US. In 2009, it was ranked the third most visited amusement park behind Disneyland and Florida's Magic Kingdom (so IT IS ACTUALLY the third happiest place on Earth!). So does Japan's Magic Kingdom recreate the magic the original so fabulously introduced to the world? The answer is yes.

Like the original, Tokyo Disneyland has Fantasyland, Toon Town, Tomorrow Land, Adventure Land and Critter Country. They've renamed Frontier Land into Western Land and Main Street is called the World Bazaar (as it's not a straight shot to the castle like it is in California; instead it's a open air arcade mall at the entrance that offers passage to all parts of the park). In contrast to Disney Sea, Disneyland remains to be attraction focused. In fact, there may be more rides at Tokyo Disneyland than at California's Disneyland (I can't really compare it to Florida's Magic Kingdom because I know Florida has more than California also).

(Me in the World Bazaar)

Anyway, I'll talk about the differences between the parks. First, there is NO Matahorn ride. I missed seeing the "snow covered" mountain located between Fantasy Land and Tomorrow Land (which aren't next to each other in Tokyo; Toon Town separates the two). There is no Alice and Wonderland ride. The tea cups exist, but there is no Disney Alice ride. There is also no Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (though I can't say I'm to torn up about that one; the ride at Disneyland is very strange considering it just ends with Mr. Toad going to hell...I'm not sure what the moral lesson in this ride is, nor if it really is child appropriate). Instead, there is the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall, which was a pretty building though we didn't eat there. Pirates of the Caribbean is located in Adventure Land instead of New Orleans Square (which doesn't exist in this park). Haunted Mansion is located in Fantasy Land (I don't understand that change...). The Swiss Family Treehouse has not been changed to Tarzan's Jungle House thing (not that I've gone on that since I've been in elementary school...). And Autopia was called the Grand Circuit Raceway. Otherwise I didn't notice anything else drastically changed and/or missing.

(A Little Statue of the UP movie only in Tokyo Disneyland)

That last paragraph wasn't supposed to be downer; Tokyo Disneyland also has additions to it! There's really cute Winnie the Pooh ride, a Monsters, Inc. ride (which we couldn't go on because the wait for the entire day as 2 hours...), a show called Captain Eo (which stars Michael Jackson, directed by George Lucas...no words here). The Small World ride is also vastly up to date in comparison to its Californian counter part. AND currently Tokyo Disneyland is host to the Electric Parade (the Electric Parade changes location; it is only at one park at any single time). Since childhood, I've never really gone to any of the park shows or parades, preferring to go on the rides while everyone is watching (which has on many occasions proven to be a smart plan). However, I'm so glad that Chelsea insisted on us watching the Electric Parade because it was magnificent. It wasn't very long, but seeing what people could create was just awe-inspiring. I was totally taken back by how cool everything looked.

Without a doubt, my favorite part of any Disney park is the Castle. In California, the Castle is Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and my favorite. In Florida, it's Cinderella's Castle. I didn't know whose Castle it was upon arriving. I found out that it was Cinderella's Castle; while I was a little disappointed (Sleeping Beauty is my all time favorite classic Disney film, maybe even overall favorite Disney film), it was a beautiful Castle. I actually think it was probably prettier than the Castle in California's park, which was just remodeled in the past few years. They have different color schemes etc. but I think Tokyo Disney's Castle may be the prettiest so far.

All in all, I had a fabulous day at Tokyo Disneyland. It made me miss home, but between the nostalgia and bittersweet familiarity, Japan did put its own twist on the Disneyland I know so well. And I'm a big fan of adaptation and re-imagination when done well.

I have no idea how anyone gets out of Tokyo Disney without spending at least $100 on stuff. The amount of merchandise that exists in these two parks combined is RIDICULOUS. Granted, the Japanese have a tradition of giving omiyage whenever they go somewhere and come back, so they have to have stuff to buy. BUT IT'S ALL CUTE AND LEGIT. I've never really spent money on stuff in the Disney parks in the US but here...my wallet hurts now. I mean...it's just unfair! I wish this stuff were available in the US or somewhere online!!

I don't know what it is but Disney makes me fall in love every time. Without fail. I have never left a Disney Park without a smile on my face. And Tokyo Disney was no exception.