1. Weren't you annoyed that the park was open every night until 10pm, forcing you to spend your entire day there instead of going off and doing something else?

2. Weren't you annoyed that not one single attraction emptied into a souvenir shop?

3. Weren't you annoyed that there wasn't one place in all of TDS to buy a Big Mac? What was all this pastry stuffed with seafood and draped in a creamy cheese sauce all about?

4. Weren't you annoyed that the entrance to every attraction and restaurant had a smiling CM welcoming you? Whatever happened to slipping in and out discreetly?

5. Weren't you annoyed that after paying for your food at a buffeteria, a smiling CM would carry your tray to a table for you, then thank you for coming? Did they think I was too much of a klutz to do it myself?

6. Weren't you annoyed that after finishing your food and standing up, a smiling CM would rush over and take away your dirty tray for you and thank you for coming? Did they think I was a slob?

7. Weren't you annoyed by the plethora of CMs constantly sweeping up the park, including seperating some lines so they could sweep where people had been standing all day? Don't they realize that a little garbage provides a cushion when walking on cement?

8. And what was with all the smiling and waving, making me feel compelled to reciprocate? What if I chose to be miserable?

9. Weren't you annoyed that the stage shows (ENCORE, Mystic Rhythms and Under the Sea) that you thought you could just see once so could say you saw them were so good that you had to go back and see them again and again? That really messed up my schedule.

10. And finally, aren't you annoyed that as you sleep in the Western hemisphere, half a world away, every seven seconds six people are being chased off by the Lava Monster - and you're not?

Aren't you happy that you live in a country where the standard of living is so high that most anyone can travel wherever they want to in the world to experience the many wonders and pleasures available there?

Believe me, I thought of that often when I was in Japan, and especially at TDS. I was one of the few Westerners and I realized just how fortunate I was to be able to be there, and I made sure I appreciated every minute of it - not that not was hard to do. Although I guess it's possible to enjoy without appreciating.

Whenever I hear people comparing Disney parks and complaining that one is better than the other (and I do this), I think how amazing it is that some of us have been able to visit all the parks worldwide.

I couldn't figure out why the Japanese were so excited about the monorail until I realized that they just got it, and I've been riding one for 15 years.

These are all wonderful things about Tokyo DisneySea. I didn't even notice the thing about none of the rides emptying into a gift shop -- that's class, and I would have missed it if it weren't for you.

The gift shops there were SO crowded anyway that such a trick was unnecessary and would be a fire hazard.

But I do have to say, I still prefer the original Disneyland. There are things I prefer about Epcot and the other Florida parks. Given the choice, I prefer the American parks to the Japanese ones, on a whole.

Remember, they had to wait nearly a decade for an Indiana Jones ride, and Disneyland's is still better. They don't have a Matterhorn, they don't have a StoryBook Land, they don't have Casey Jr, or Alice in Wonderland or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. They didn't have a monorail until just last year. They don't have Fantasmic... And they don't have Maynard! Or Rod Miller. Or a lot of the things that I love about Disneyland.

There are good and wonderful and not-so-good things about the American and the Japanese parks. I still prefer ours, but I love the ability to visit theirs.

Since many of the aspects of TDS have been covered by my esteemed colleague, I shall expand this to TDL as well....


I hated how TDL's Fantasyland was filled with memories for me of the TRUE classic characters-not a Meeko, obscure hunchback gargoyle or Kuzco(no offense Kuzco)in site! I hated that it reminded me of being a kid again and sitting and watching the "Wonderful World of Disney" as a young boy. From the troll guard images from "Sleeping Beauty" in the castle Mysery Tour to the appearance of rare characters like Friar Tuck at the entrance. Terrible thing really, huh? I mean, shouldn't they be appeasing all of those kids? After all, I am ONLY the one that saved fifteen G's for this trip, right? They really have NO obligation to make ME happy, do they?

;)

Originally posted by wtg2000
not one single attraction emptied into a souvenir shop

Wow !

Talk about respect.

Having to wait so long for Kuz's update on Journey to the Center of the Earth ..............

Also at Disneyland Paris no rides empty directly into a souvenir shop (max a photo pic up)......
But TDs is absolutely the most amazing theme park experience i have ever seen....it remeinds me of the beauty and the emotions i felt when visitin gtrhe "old "EPCOT Center" when Horizon's, world of Motion and Imagination represented the spirit of that park..
TDS does the same.....rides like simbad, Journey , 20K etc remind me very much of the beuty of the greates WED/WDI acomplishments!

Mickeyfantasmic

www.dlptoday.com

I cancelled my lodging in the park at my recent stay at WDW and saved by renting a vacation home, needless to say I have over $1600 left over by NOT giving it to Disney at WDW and is currently being put into my bank for my next trip to TDS. If I had knowned that WDW was so intent on holding us hostage at every ride exit to visit their gift shops and the recently known fact that TDS has an opposite philosophy I know I made a mistake going to WDW but now I am wiser and just a little lighter in the wallet. Why can't they at least have an alternative fast exit at the rides at WDW? I too think of the safety factor if everyone had to evacuate and run in a panic into the barricades of fluff-in-junk at the corral chokepoints (yeah its a rant) that I really vocally said aloud when I had to pass through them. Heres to TDS, I may light up a cigar with my WDW PAP on that idea of going there soon, maybe real soon like this next spring.

Originally posted by Kuzcotopia
referring to TDS... Remember, they had to wait nearly a decade for an Indiana Jones ride, and Disneyland's is still better. They don't have a Matterhorn, they don't have a StoryBook Land, they don't have Casey Jr, or Alice in Wonderland or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. They didn't have a monorail until just last year. They don't have Fantasmic... And they don't have Maynard! Or Rod Miller. Or a lot of the things that I love about Disneyland.

Sounds like a comparison of Disneyland and WDW.;)

WDW still doesn't have an Indiana Jones Ride...

WDW doesn't have a Matterhorn...

WDW doesn't have a StoryBook Land...

WDW doesn't have Casey Jr....

WDW doesn't have Alice in Wonderland...

WDW doesn't have Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (anymore, but when it did, it wasn't as good)...

WDW doesn't have Rod Miller (or Alan Thompson, and I enjoy them both!)...

Ok, so WDW does have lots of Monorails and it does have a version of Fantasmic! (but it's not as good as the original)...

Hmmmmmmm

Originally posted by Mr D
... I have over $1600 left over by NOT giving it to Disney at WDW and is currently being put into my bank for my next trip to TDS.

Good luck Mr. D,

The exchange rates between US dollars and Japanese yen is favorable right now to come to TDS! Imagine, with $1600, you can stay for almost a week at the Tokyo Disney Resort!

JoeInJpn
http://www.jtcent.com

Trust me I'm working on it:D but my day job keeps me in reality and still in Alaska. Either I move down to southern Calif for the next winter or spend it on a second vacation whithin a year to Tokyo, I honestly cannot take any heat over 75F and I would do TDS in Feb-April when its cooler, thats a big reason also why I was so bummed out at WDW it was 83-85F everyday, way too hot for me, I daily like today work outdoors all day in -25.

Why would u go to the tokyo resorts if most of the rides are spoken in japanese. Now that really ruins the Magic for me.

JPirate,

Certainly, not being able to speak Japanese does diminish the experience somewhat, especially at TDS where the rides are new and there is no basis for understanding - unlike Jungle Cruise where we all know most of the jokes already.

However, the experience is starting at such a high level to begin with that even in a diminished form it's the best Disney park for me. The rides and shows are just so good that the lack of understanding doesn't matter too much.

I don't think Journey has any dialogue. I know the Indy story so that didn't matter. Stormrider has English subtitles in the pre-show so I knew exactly what was going on, and that Captain Davis is a goof ball. :)

I wish I could have heard 20,000 or Sindbad but I know the stories basically so wasn't completely lost.

The Mystic Rhythms show is all visual, the Broadway show is sung in English. The Little Mermaid songs are sung in English, and again I know the story so I wasn't completely lost on the dialogue.

The other option of course is to learn Japanese, which is what I'm trying to do right now. You'd be amazed at how many English loan words the Japanese use.

<laughs> wtg2000 was about a second away from a new hole tearing. TDS annoying? Couldn't be!

5. Weren't you annoyed that after paying for your food at a buffeteria, a smiling CM would carry your tray to a table for you, then thank you for coming? Did they think I was too much of a klutz to do it myself?

Sounds a bit creepy honestly. A nice gesture though.

I personally would find it interesting to visit a Disney park where I did not speak the language. Part of the power and overall success of the Disney approach (well, at least as it once was in its full flowered version) was the visual imagery and presentation of the attractions which go well beyond the verbal expressions.
Think of attractions such as Indy, Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Haunted Mansion or any of the coasters without sound - they still have a very strong sense of presentation, visceral sensations and imagery.

Maybe some enterprising Disney marketing geek will come up with a tape recording system like they have at the Smithsonian or at many museums to provide headphones and small tape players with various language versions of the ride tracks. The ultimate would be a wireless service which could be dialed on your cell phone but there are probably to many issues with competing frequencies for that to work.

All of this says nothing about the cultural and educational experience you would gain by traveling to Japan. I have visited much of Southeast Asia, been to Russia and China and a trip to Japan is still very much one that I would be looking forward to.

Originally posted by coronamouseman
Maybe some enterprising Disney marketing geek will come up with a tape recording system like they have at the Smithsonian or at many museums to provide headphones and small tape players with various language versions of the ride tracks. The ultimate would be a wireless service which could be dialed on your cell phone but there are probably to many issues with competing frequencies for that to work.

The Disney parks in Tokyo are equipped with something similar to that already. The sets are available in a few different languages but only include information and are a guide to the park and themed lands themselves. They don't have the attraction soundtrack in various languages like you stated, but it would be a good idea though.

JoeInJpn
http://www.jtcent.com

That's true, and all signage is bilingual with English as the primary.

having not been there (I saw some videos)... I'd have to say the most annoying things are

1) I haven't been there
2) It's in Japan.... so far away
3) DCA was built around the same time.... why couldn't they have done this good a job there? I don't see any differences between the parks.... except TDS looks fun.

i'm surprised to hear you say there are still very few westerners there....
i would have thought, what with the way americans get everywhere now, there'd be more..
when we were in TDL in 1984, as far as we could tell there were only two caucasian families in the entire park.....
and both of us were in the tiki room at the same time....
and both of us sang with the songs while the japanese just stared at us in awe....
i know it doesn't sound like anything when i describe it, but i still chuckle at the thought....

we're finally going to get back for a return visit in september...
and of course we're excited about TDS....
as a matter of fact, i'm calling the hotel (whose name escapes me at this moment) today to see if we can make reservations.....otherwise we'll have to make the trek in from our hotel in tokyo....

i'm starting to get excited....despite the long ride in the little metal tube to get there.....maybe i can find a boat...