Back in 2017, Stella and I visited the Tokyo Disney Resort. It was our first time traveling outside the United States together and also our first time visiting an international Disney resort. Prior to the trip, our Disney experience included multiple visits to Disneyland and two visits to Walt Disney World. With that experience, it was time to visit a different resort.
The Tokyo Disney Resort seemed like the logical pick. Friends and family raved about the awesomeness of Japan and its culture. Additionally, every travel blog I followed raved about the Japanese parks. It all seemed too good to be true. Could Disney’s first international resort really be better than its two stateside parks?
I’ll go into specifics another time, otherwise this analysis will be way too long. Instead, I want to focus on Tokyo DisneySea, a park not a lot of Disney fans in the United States are aware exists. As Americans, our experience lies with Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, plus those all so great Michael Eisner parks, California Adventure and Hollywood Studios (I’m kidding).
The Tokyo Disney Resort is different. The resort, like Disneyland in California, consists of two theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The resort also includes four resort hotels, a Japanese shopping district and an area for good neighbor hotels. Its nowhere as large as Walt Disney World and is more in line with the size of Disneyland.
Tokyo Disneyland opened first in 1983. It was an instant success (unlike Disneyland Paris, another Michael Eisner park). In 2001, when Disneyland received California Adventure, the Japanese resort received Tokyo DisneySea. As Disneyland more or so themed itself to land, DisneySea would be the opposite, themed to the sea.
When we first arrived at the park, I didn’t know what to expect. How would this sea concept work in reality? Instead of themed lands, the park has themed ports of call. Guests can walk to each port of call, but they can also take a boat (instead of a train) to each port of call. Instead of focusing on fantasy, the park focuses on romanticized, exotic locations, along the lines of Adventureland, but much more developed.
We arrived an hour and a half before park opening. The place was already a zoo. Be warned, the Japanese take Disney seriously.
Whereas in the US guests like to sleep in or finds ways to be late, the Japanese show up on time and early. And if this is the best theme park in the world, it would most definitely be worth it.
And unlike the US, the park does not open thirty minutes early to allow guests to roam around the shops. The park opened precisely on time without a second to spare.
It still took us a bit of time to scan our tickets and the crowd was already off to the races, literally running to secure all available Fast Passes.
Once we were inside, we were in a kind of lobby area for the park. Nothing fancy. It reminded me of the area in front of the train station at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. We still weren’t part of the show. Instead of the train station as the curtain, a massive hotel played this role. Yes, the park includes an actual hotel in the park. The Grand Californian is always bragging it’s in the park, but let’s be real, a tiny piece is inside and who wants to spend boatloads of money to look at Mr. Eisner’s California Adventure.
No, this hotel, Hotel MiraCosta, is very much apart of the park’s atmosphere. Imagine if the buildings along Main Street, USA where actual hotel rooms. That’s the best way to summarize the effect of Hotel MiraCosta. Themed as an Italian building in the park’s Mediterranean Harbor, it fits perfectly. Fancy a stay here? At least $500/night for a room without a view. And you thought the Grand Floridian was bad.
As I gazed upon the beauty of the hotel and considered selling a kidney for a one night stay, I looked around and saw something. At all the castle parks, the saw it moment is looking at the park’s castle. At other parks, not much really stands out. There’s the Tree of Life and EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth and that’s about it. No other park really has an icon, a landmark that really stands out.
Well, Tokyo DisneySea surely does. As I looked from the Hotel MiraCosta, I saw a massive volcano positioned beyond the harbor. Tall, mysterious and foreboding, it just stood their motionless, like it was tempting me to challenge it. I walked closer. Nothing. I took another step. And boom! A massive ball of fire erupted.
And to think this park was pitched to execs at Disneyland and they went with California Adventure. Why is life so cruel?
It was awesome. Hands down the coolest park icon in Disney and theme park history. But wait, there is more? Do you really think it just erupts? Nah, it also has a ride. Heck, it anchors its own section of the park. Sure beats Superstar Limo, an attraction designed and built around the same time as the volcano, Mt. Prometheus. Oh yeah, it has name. And it deserves your respect.
I headed to Mt Prometheus, attracted to its power. Once I arrived at its base, I was standing in Mysterious Island, a section of the park themed to Jules Verne. Mt. Prometheus hosts Journey to the Center of the Earth, a unique attraction in which guests board “subterranean” vehicles and dive deep underground. Outside the ride entrance is the Nautilus, Nemo’s submarine.
From there, guests board their own submarine and dive deep into the ocean for the port of call’s second attraction, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Remember when California Adventure opened and we got a swing ride inside of an orange? God, I wish I was at that meeting when the brain trust signed off on that one.
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an amazing attraction. The ride system is identical to Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers. But thematically, its completely different. We’re led to believe we are truly thousands and thousands of miles below the surface of the Earth. However, things go wrong and before we know it, were shooting out of the side of Mt. Prometheus. Time it right and you can see the volcano erupt as you exit. It’s amazing.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a slow-moving ride themed to exploring the ocean. The ride isn’t actually underwater. Its kind of like Peter Pan in reserve. Instead of flying high above London and Neverland, you’re down below, searching the depths. It’s a nice slow ride but nothing like Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Outside of Mysterious Island sits the American Waterfront. Instead of the cartoony and punny California (Burrrrrrbank Ice Cream anyone?) we vomited to at California Adventure, American Waterfront is themed to early 1900s New York City. The port of call includes a clone of Toy Story Midway Mania. It also includes its own take of the tower of terror. Instead of a forgettable Twilight Zone story, this tower is full of mystery.
Standing high above the American Waterfront stands Hotel Hightower. Owned by famous explorer Harrison Hightower III, the tower has fallen into disarray due to his mysterious disappearance after bringing home a mysterious idol. Could the idol be cursed?
As guests, were invited to tour the hotel by the New York Preservation Society, years after Mr. Hightower’s disappearance. As we wonder the grounds and learn of the damage, what could possibly go wrong? Well, things begin to take a turn for the worst when we step into Mr. Hightower’s office and hear from the idol itself. From there we’re escorted to the elevators. You yell to the idol Mr. Eisner isn’t in charge anymore, but your fate is no longer in your hands.
DisneySea’s version of the Tower of Terror is superior to the stateside and Parisian versions. The ride itself is identical to the California and Parisian versions, but again it’s the story and theme. I could care less about the Twilight Zone. Not once did I feel like I was being transported to another dimension.
But at Hotel Hightower, I really felt a wealthy man visited exotic locations around the globe and stole cultural relics. When you see the idol for the first time in the preshow, it has one of the coolest effects I’ve ever seen. And after I left the attraction, I could still feel the idol’s green eyes glaring into my soul. Storytelling is everything.
Outside Hotel Hightower stands the 20th Century steam-powered ocean liner, SS Columbia. And boy is she a beauty. Themed to look like an actual ocean liner (the Queen Mary in Long Beach was the inspiration), she houses a full-service restaurant, Turtle Talk with Crush (in Japanese!) and The Teddy Roosevelt Lounge. As a fan myself of the 26th President of the United States, we naturally had to make a stop (we went twice).
The bar screams Teddy Roosevelt. It is detailed with rich woods, upholstered booths and pictures of the man himself. The bar itself is long and deep with big game animals scattered throughout the lounge, as Teddy was an avid big game hunter. And as a classically themed lounge, bourbon is on the top of the menu. And yes, the Old Fashioned is worth it. And it didn’t cost an arm and a leg like Carthay Circle Lounge. Plus, it’s on a ship. How cool is that?
Mysterious Island and the American Waterfront make up my two favorite sections of the park. But the park has so much more to offer. And I mean so much more. Beyond Mysterious Island lies the Lost River Delta. Two Indiana Jones attractions call this area home.
Whereas Adventureland tries to make you feel lost in the jungle, the Lost River Delta takes you right out of one of the most densely populated cities on Earth and into a far away and unknown jungle. Be careful, or you might not make it back.
From here, we can visit the Arabian Coast. Imagine Aladdin with his own land. But the premier attraction is themed to Sindbad. The ride, Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, is a boat ride.
Far less annoying than “it’s a small world”, this attraction takes guests on a voyage through the adventures of Sindbad and his tiger, Chandu. An original song was written just for this attraction and its great. It is easily one of the best dark rides Disney has ever created.
From the Arabian Coast, we can visit Mermaid Lagoon. The lagoon is themed to the Little Mermaid and is entirely inside. It is the kid’s area of the park and features attractions based for small children. We did not ride any attractions here (think the former Bug’s Land) but walked through it. With it entirely inside, it was impressive and a nice break from the sun.
These ports represent the majority of the park. The Mediterranean Harbor now has Soarin: Fantastic Flight, a copy of the same Soarin from California, Florida and Shanghai. Although an extra scene was added to the Japanese version. And with its popularity, we will give Michael Eisner and California Adventure this one. Congrats. You made one good attraction.
Shows are crazy popular in Japan and DisneySea hosts Big Band Beat. During the show, you can watch Mickey himself play the drums, not jump out of a 1920s streetcar and cry about newspapers. However, its so popular you need to scan your ticket in a lottery system and hope to be picked. We’re we picked? Of course not. Add it to the insane number of reasons I NEED to go back.
The food is amazing. Whereas in the US we get chicken nuggets and fries, in Japan, we are treated to pork buns, different flavors of popcorn, curry, more curry and Chandu tails. Life is great in Japan. Plus, all of that costs less than your chicken nuggets. And it tastes a lot better.
Stella and I spent two full days at DisneySea. We arrived well before it opened and didn’t leave until the park closed. To date, I’ve never spent that much time at once in a Disney park. DisneySea demands that respect. And did we see everything? Absolutely not. The park holds so much more mystery. So much more discovery. DisneySea is a true theme park. A true marvel of engineering and Imagineering.
The Oriental Land Company (OLC), the company that owns and operates the Tokyo Disney Resort, told Disney Imagineering to build something great. They didn’t care how expensive the potential park could cost. Quality in itself will pay back the costs. And OLC made a fortune off this place.
At the same time, Michael Eisner built California Adventure for $680 million. It was a flop and a mess. Bob Iger had to invest $2 billion dollars to fix the park in 2012. Imagine if they just used the money correctly the first time. Imagine if they followed OLC’s model.
The same can be said of Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney Studios Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. All built for cheap, all currently under massive reimagining. As far as I know, the first real expansion to DisneySea is happening now, in time for the Tokyo Olympics. And frankly, it would be just fine without it.
Leave the US. Visit Japan, an amazing country. From Tokyo to Osaka to Kyoto, Japan is wonder. And when you’re in Japan, DisneySea is just outside of Tokyo. DisneySea reflects the wonder of Japan. The park is God’s gift to mankind. It is not to be missed. Once you walk through its gates and gaze upon Mt. Prometheus, you’ll forget about the rest of the world and become an explorer in a new reality. A reality you’ll never want to leave.
Thoughts?
Thank you for reading! Please check out our Tokyo DisneySea One-Day Itinerary HERE and our Tokyo Disneyland One-Day Itinerary HERE!
What do you think is the best Disney theme park in the world? How does DisneySea compare? How does California Adventure compare to DisneySea? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!
