Articles | Disneyland | Walt Disney World
Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Trip Report: Mad4mky at Disney Sea

  1. #1
    I have no title-I'm a commoner mad4mky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Off to see the Wizard

    Trip Report: Mad4mky at Disney Sea

    To answer my earlier question: YES--lots of women wear shorts to Tokyo Disneyland Resort.

    This is our trip to Tokyo Disneyland Resort--part one. This encompasses our 3 days at Tokyo Disney Sea. I am still working on our days at Tokyo Disneyland.
    This is our link to the pictures--you shouldn't need a password. These pictures do not include our days in the city of Tokyo itself.

    http://peggyandruss.shutterfly.com/

    For my 50th birthday celebration, we decided to travel to Tokyo Disney Resort. Originally, it was just a trip for my husband and me, but soon, our 3 girls joined in on the planning (ages 25, 23 and 18). We live in Northern California, near Stanford University, so we travel to Californias Disneyland often. In fact, we are all Annual Passholders. We also have been to Walt Disney World twice, sailed on the Disney Cruise, and have visited Disneyland Paris. So, I was very excited to add Tokyo Disney Resort to my list of Disney resorts visited. I especially wanted to visit Disney Sea. Our family of five flew out of SFO on May 25th for Narita Intl, Japan.

    We toured around Tokyo for several days before heading out to Tokyo Disney Resort on Friday, May 29th.
    My husband, myself and our 23 year old (who has Down syndrome) left Tokyos Shinjuku station, which was very close to our hotel (Hotel Century Southern Tower) and transferred at the Tokyo Station for the Keiyo line for the Maihama Station, whichis the Tokyo Disney Resort Stop.

    The three of us arrived around 11:00 amand we went directly to the Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center to hand over our luggage, and to check into the Sheraton Grande Hotel at Tokyo Bay.
    Here, we were given our room assignments and bought our 4 day passes to both Tokyo Disney Sea and Tokyo Disneyland.
    Because our room would not be ready for a few hours, and our two other girls wouldnt be out from Tokyo until the afternoon, we decided to get some lunch and look around the Ikspiari shopping mall as well as the TDRs Bon Voyage store.

    At 2 pm, we headed to the hotel via the TDRs monorailwhich was very exciting for me, as it set the tone for the next few days to come. From the Mickey Mouse shaped windows, to the Mickey handles, the clean cruiser is a real treat for Mickey fans!
    Once at the hotel we were guided to our room, and were pleasantly surprised to see we had been upgraded to Concierge Level at the hotel! Now, I had joined the Starwood Preferred Guest club just to get a better rate when I booked the hotel. But to be upgraded to this level was a nice surprise. The Club lounge in the early mornings for coffee and a quiet internet room was nice, but the early evenings to have H'ors deurves, cocktails (noI dont drinkbut if I did.yowza!), and sodas was a nice welcoming when we were exhausted from days at the parks.

    Once the girls arrived we decided we couldnt wait until the next day to go into Disney Seathe MAIN reason I travelled all that way! In the hotel lobby, it was simple enough to by evening passes into the park (Starlight passes). My daughter with special needs decided to stay back in the room to relax, and so four of us headed into the park. We entered Disney Sea at 6:02 pm---and from that moment my jaw stayed dropped until we left the park at 10:00 pm.

    Disney Sea is a feast for any true Disney Fan. No detail is missed. You are truly emerged into worlds and ports that tickle the imagination.
    From walking past the world globe/fountain and under the Disneys Hotel Mira Costa through the shopping way, you emerge into sites that feast the eyes.
    Mt. Prometheus largely looms as huge flames abruptly burst forth with loud booms. The Mediterranean harbor with no detailed missed, reminded me of our trip to Italy and the Italian coast not even two years passed.
    With the four of us dumbstruck at the beautiful scenewe decided to just chart our path quickly and head to as many large attractions as we could, as the crowds that evening seemed non existent. Hence, we headed over to Mysterious Island to ride Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.

    When walking into the volcanic crater of the Mysterious Island, we couldnt stop taking pictures (I took almost 1,000 pictures on this birthday trip). We knew we had to stop clicking away with our cameras if we intended to move on, but at the same time we were awestruck. Travelling without my daughter who has special needs, meant we could travel quite a bit quickerand that meant we could cover more ground.
    I was excited to ride the two main attractions in this area, as I had read so much about them. Our impressions:
    Journey to the Center of the Earth: 10 minute wait. Okaythis attraction was odd (to us). We all thought the ride vehicle was very cool (we loved the umbrella holders in the side of the cars!). We enjoyed how once past the scary earth beast the ride turned dark, and moved quickly as a mild roller coaster. We only wished that portion of the ride would have lasted longer.
    Theming: A+ Attraction itself: B-
    20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea: Walked right on. I know people think this ride is kind of hokey. I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was fun and interesting. I liked how the attraction forced you to feel you were underwater, when only the windows actually filled with water/bubbles.
    Theming: A+ Attraction itself: B

    After this, we headed over to Mermaid Lagoon. Again, so impressive! My oldest daughter would have loved this as a little girl. We didnt ride any attractions (we are a little too old for these)but did enjoy the whole area. The Sleeping Whale store is adorable. We knew that our daughter with special needs would enjoy this area.
    Theming: A+

    Arabian Coast: Another feast for the eyes. I know this is Disneys idea of an Arabian village, but it was just beautiful to behold. The smell of the curry flavored popcorn adds to the reality of it all. After several pictures of the beautiful Jasmine/Genie fountain, we wandered through the streets until we found the Sinbads Seven Voyages. Walked right on.
    I truly expected this ride to be sillyand annoying.
    I was pleasantly surprised. We all thoroughly enjoyed this ride, even though we could not understand a word being sungit was very entertaining.. We loved the tune/song throughout the attraction.
    Theming: A+ Attraction: A

    We wandered over to Lost River Deltawhere my husband and I waited as the girls rode Raging Spirits, a roller coaster with a loop. They had no wait for this attraction.
    I loved the theming, but after riding the Indiana Jones roller coaster in Disneyland Paris, I was afraid my head would jerk so badly, that I would regret it the rest of the evening.
    The girls assured me the ride was extremely mild, in fact, almost boring. I mentioned I would ride it the next day.
    (Later on riding this ride, I have to say, it was very mild as far as roller coasters go).
    Theming: A+ Attraction: D
    The theming here is amazing though. Truly a beautiful thing to view in the evening.

    Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skullbeing from California we have ridden the original Indiana Jones attraction at Disneyland countless times since it opened. But, I was excited to ride this, as our local attraction has a Southeast Asian theme, whereas this one has a Mayan or South American theme.
    We had no wait for this ride, and walked directly onto the ride.
    The theming through the queue was spectacular. We enjoyed seeing the life archeological dig with the South American theme.
    We loved the smoke ringand enjoyed the subtle difference to our Indiana Jones attraction.
    Theming: A+ Attraction: B+

    As we emerged from the Indiana Jones attraction, the fireworks began. We stopped to enjoy the show while on one of the bridges over the Lost River.

    Heading over to the American Waterfront we kept commenting to each other how Disney (well OLC) has outdone itself with this park. We all agreed, that this park is far superior to all the other Disney parks we have attended.

    American Harbor: We headed down the main street past McDucks Dept Storeand enjoyed viewing the store windows, and the Electric Railcar. I loved the Waterworks building which held restrooms. Talk about the ultimate in theming in this area!
    We headed directly to the Hightower Hotelbetter known as The Tower of Terror. 10 minute wait. The screams and flashes of lightening across the front of this impressive building sent shivers down my spine. It was an amazing site to view the first time. The building itself is superb and a massive delight to behold.
    My youngest daughter is not fond of drop attractions, yet we convinced her to go into the attraction. We had a mere 10 minute waitso we didnt get to fully absorb the remarkable theming in the lobby of the building that evening (but would the next day).
    While waiting for the elevator, we were in the queue with the military armor and masks.
    The whole multi tiered storyline regarding Harrison Hightower and the idol Shiriki Utundu, as well as walking through Hightowers impressive storage area really sets up the believability of this attraction. We were all awestruck at the disappearance of Shiriki Utundu while in the library!
    At the rides end you come upon, the Rajahs Bathhouse, a Tower of Terror themed merchandise shop. The detail in theming continued, and did not disappoint. I took numerous photos in this shopas the paintings further impressed Mr. Hightowers eccentric ways.
    Theming: A+ Attraction: A+

    By this time, it was almost 10 pmand we needed to head out to the hotel. We knew it would be an early day, as we wanted to be back at parks opening.

    Saturday, May 30
    I wont go into much detail as I did the previous day, as we repeated many of the attractions.
    Because we attended Disney Sea with a person who has special needs on this day, we moved through the park more slowly, but had the aide of a Guest Assistance Pass (GAC).

    Let me explain, that unless you witness, or are part of the massive push/crowd that awaits the opening of these Tokyo Disney Resort parks, its difficult to really believe. I had read previously about this, but truly was surprised it was as bad as it was on that morning. Especially at Disney Sea (I knew it would be like this at Tokyo Disneyland).
    While the Japanese are extremely polite and friendly in many ways, they can also become pushy, and disregarding of others when it comes to getting where they need/want to go.
    Personal space goes out the window (and we Americans love our personal space).
    The whole experience was very unpleasant. We all agreed, we would not do put ourselves through this againeven at Disneyland come Monday morning when we headed over that way.

    What was also shocking to us, as Disney park enthusiasts, was the massive crush of Japanese who descend on the costumed Disney Characters at the main plaza area of the parks. Later in the day, while in the parks, the guests do line up neatlybut here at the parks opening, it was a massive crush of people. It was disturbing to see. I felt sorry for the costumed cast members as the crush of people pushed towards them and at them. It just seemed a very dangerous situation for everyone there.

    This is when we headed over to the Guest Relations area of the park to inquire of a Guest Assistance Card (GAC). Having a GAC at our California Disneyland is truly a blessing when you attend the park with someone with special needs. I am aware that many people have abused these assistance passes in the past, so Disney has had to modify the uses of such passeswhich is unfortunate. With our family, it is apparent that we do indeed have someone in need of the pass, and Tokyo Disney Resort did not disappoint.
    Their GAC policy is similar to getting a fast pass for attractionswith some modifications.
    How we used the GAC: We located a cast member at the entrance to an attraction, he/she then checks the length of time the standby line is to ride the attraction. He/she will then write on the GAC a return time for us to come back to the attraction (sometimes is was the same time as the standby queue, some times it was the Fast Pass return time. It varied upon attraction).
    Upon returning to the attraction at the time indicated, we then are escorted through a separate entrance into the attraction, and are then able to load into the attraction vehicle with no wait time at all (we did not go through the Fast Pass line). Unfortunately, you will miss the heavily themed queues of the attractionsbut your standing/wait time is nil (and I mean non-existent!)
    This pass allowed us to see every attraction in the park, without any line waiting at all. The caveat, is that you can only have one wait time outstanding on the card, similar to having only one Fast Pass at a time. Even with these restrictions, we were able to go from ride to ride on this particular day with minimal times in between attractions. And, it was wonderful not to have to run back and forth getting Fast Passes for as many attractions as you needed for the day (especially when we were at Disneyland!).

    On this second day, we rode all the previous attractions of the day before, with the addition of going to the Cape Cod area of the American Harbor (and ate lunch at Cape Cod Cook off), and to Port Discovery to ride the Aquatopiano wait and Storm Rider-10 minute wait with GAC. We ate Strawberry popcornand it reminded all of us of the pink popcorn you can get at home. The sea salted popcorn was okay. But, Im sorry, our popcorn at Disneyland (CA) is still the best.

    Our impressions of Storm Rider were: Unusual ridebut none of us were impressed. It just was an odd ride to us. Theming: B+ Attraction: C
    Aquatopia: I know many people are not fond of this ride, but we thought it was a lot fun.
    Theming: A- Attraction: B+

    On this second day, were able to do a lot more exploring as well as snacking and shopping. That evening, after a rest, we headed back into the park. We had dinner at the Teddy Roosevelt Lounge in the USS Columbia. This is a beautiful lounge & restaurant with great pictures and information about this iconic president. Here, if you are inclined, is a full cocktail service bar (a beautiful bar at that).

    On the third day at Disney Sea, Sunday, May 31, it was just my husband, I, as well as our daughter with special needs, as the two other girls returned to Tokyo to go back to Harajuku.
    This day we dedicated to seeing the shows, parades and shopping.
    We went to American Harbor to wait for the Big Band Beat show. After much expectations because of the rave reviews I have read on Mice Chat and other various Disney sites, when the show began, I thought to myself oh no, this is going to be a 2nd rate cruise ship show. 
    Much to my amazement, this show far exceeded any cruise ship show. It was fun and upbeat show with live big band music, great classic songs and lively dances. It was a well done productionwhich surprisingly is done 100% in English. The most impressive entertainer in the show was Mickey Mouse, as he not only could play the drums (yes, he really did play them!) , he could tap dance along with his fellow show mates!. I told my husband the most talented person in the show was the guy in the Mickey costume. He agreed.
    The reviews I had read were correct, and I highly recommend this show to anyone going to Disney Sea. Big Band Beat: A+

    We then headed for Fortress Explorationsto view the hidden treasures of this area. The Spanish Galleon that waits below this area is being refurbished, so it was closed to guests. Between the labyrinths of walkways we found intriguing rooms with old world flair. One room depicts how the early explorers crossed the oceans guided by the stars, while another impressive room includes a large model representation of the planets of the solar system. A guest can turn these planets with cranks at arm level. Another enjoyable room is where a 100 yen coin allows a guest to navigate model galleons in water where you must avoid sea hazards such as serpents, whirlpools and storms. Rating of Fortress Explorations: A+

    We arrived just in time to view The Little Mermaid live show in Mermaid Lagoon. This theatre is in the round, so no seat is actually a bad seatbut we found that the seats we had acquired were actually advantageous as it allowed us to view Ariel from the front as well as the massive Ursula. This show is a cross between the Broadway production of The Lion King and a Cirque du Soliel. It did not disappoint, even though the whole show was in Japanese. It was truly a delight.
    The Little Mermaid Show: A+
    Afterwards we ate lunch at Sebastians Calypso Kitchen.

    We viewed the water show, Legend of Mythicaand enjoyed the costumes and show (even if we couldnt understand it all). Wed rate that show a B.

    Before a return to our hotel for a break, we took the time to explore the MiraCosta hotel. What a beautiful hotel. Id love to be able stay here. In the gift shop, my husband bought me a Disney Kitamura handbag (famous Japanese handbag designer) for my birthday.
    After our rest at our hotel, we headed back in the evening to view
    Bravisimothe evening water show. This show, again in Japanese, depicted a love story between water and fire. The fire in the water was impressivebut overall, it isnt any Fantasmic (the California version), not by a long shot. By the end, it was so smoky, I could barely breath (we watched from the Ponte Vecchio bridge). I was kind of disappointed in the whole show as it was built up to be a spectacular spectacle on water. Our rating: B-
    Our impressions of the whole park are this.its the best Disney non-Disneyland park in the world. It is better than any park at WDW, certainly far superior to Disneys California Adventure, as well as the Walt Disney Studios park at Disneyland Paris Resort.
    This park is beautiful, with amazing and impressive details in every corner.

    Next review: Tokyo Disneyland!

    Psthe ratings are mine and my family members. You may not agreebut this was a collection of how my family felt about attractions and shows. Every guest sees things in different waysand this is just our opinion.


    Thanks--Peggy


  2. # ADS

    Join Date
    Location
    Posts
     

  3. #2
    I have no title-I'm a commoner mad4mky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Off to see the Wizard

    I thought I should come back to add--that you short start at about picture 175 to see our days at the parks...(sorry about the pictures before hand. I just haven't had the time to clean them up)


  4. #3

  5. #4
    I have no title-I'm a commoner mad4mky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    Off to see the Wizard

    Trip Report Part 2-Mad4mky at Tokyo Disneyland

    Tokyo Disney Resort
    Tokyo Disneyland
    June 1 & 2, 2009

    I have decided to change my format of my trip report. No one wants to hear two long days at Tokyo Disneyland in detailso I am combining the two days as much as possiblewith some general observations and reviews for those rides that are unique to Tokyo Disneyland. I am sorry this has taken so long to get posted.
    MondayJune 1-- We arrived at Tokyo Disneyland around 9:20 am. The crush and frenzy was still in full swing. We decided to go for itand just pushed our way through. Re-grouping after the turnstiles, we again noticed the mad crush of people at the characters. Its disturbing to seebut since it is the norm thereits tolerated. The park was extremely crowded all dayuntil late in the evening when my husband I went back and could stroll around with ease.
    Tuesday, June 2nd, the park was much less crowdedand we walked into the park with ease at 9:15 am, and had a much more enjoyable day with fewer crowds.

    World Bazaar-(kind of like Main St. USA)
    Monday (6/1/09) It was difficult to move down into the World Bazaar. The place was packed-- Fighting our way down the World Bazaar was difficult. Its a great set up for Japan thoughas it rains often there. World Bazaar is basically like our Main St section of Disneylandonly at Tokyo Disneyland, the street is wider and covered like a glass pavilion. There are no curbsand no parades that come down this pedestrian only promenade. With the early morning large crowds under the coveringthe loud din of voices and yelling is unbelievable. It made finding our way to go more confusing because of the noise. Later in the day and evenings its far less crowded, and the bazaar is pleasant for a stroll through the shops. (Tuesday was much more quiet under the pavillion)
    The stores are mainly souvenir and omiyage (gifts to take home) shops. They do have some full service restaurants therebe we did not eat in any of those. We loved the balloons and balloon vendor on the main thoroughfare. Their old fashioned costumes, and the colorful balloons were a great addition to this wide street. The rolling Piano manwas out on the bazaar on both afternoons, and the Japanese gather around him in large crowds to hear him play. We didnt stop to listenas we were either coming or going someplace.
    Spying Cinderellas Castle through the World Bazaar coveringwas a real treat. You see itbut it still seems so far awayuntil you actually can emerge from the covering. The loud din disappearsand there it standsbeautifulcalling you to come and enjoy.

    Tomorrowland
    The first day we visited Tokyo Disneyland was a Monday (6/1/09)and the park was extremely crowded. With our handy GAC (Guest Assistance Pass) in hand already (you can use the same GAC at both parks)we went off to look for the newest attraction at Disneylandthe Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek. Its not hard to missas the majority of the crowd seems to push their way to this location. Hence, we just followed along. We located the appropriate cast member, who radioed to another cast member about the GAC. Here we were escorted through a side door(we went past both the main queue and fast pass lines, but we could still see the queue area in the main buildingand wow, that was really well done. It truly looks as if you are in the Monsters, Inc buildingready to go to work with Mike and Sully! ), where we were brought to the front of the line area, and were boarded in 2 minutes!
    The attraction was cute, and enjoyable.but you really dont need the flashlights for the attraction. And, after unloading from the ride, my husband said, If I had waited in that line for over an hour, I would have been pissed!we all concurredDisneys CA Adventure Monsters Inc attraction is a better ride.
    Theming: A+ Attraction: B-
    Star Tours where there was a 5 minute wait.
    The Star Tours attraction itself is the same as ours here in Californiaits just done in all Japanese. The queue had some interesting items that were fun, such as two robotic vultures above, watching you as you enter the boarding area. The exit was a long trek, where you end up in front of a Audio Animatronics Alienwho seems to be commandeering the Star Tours? We werent quite sure what/who he wasbut I thought it was cute, and took pictures, whereas my girls said, Thats weird. *sigh*
    Space Mountainwas closed for refurbishment
    Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters5 minute wait. Same basically the exact ride as in DisneylandCalifornia, but still my daughter with Down syndromes favorite attraction.
    We did not do anything else in Tomorrowlandother than eat an early lunch at the Tomorrowland Terrace. I am not a fan of the big loop Autopia (they have the same layout in WDW)the one at Disneylandis more creativeand interesting. The rockets frighten me, and Im not one to have to play arcade games. MicroAdventurewell, again, to us it is a repeat attraction. We felt our time would be better spent on the items we really wanted to see. OverallI found Tomorrowland a little outdated. My girls always enjoy it though, as they didnt obviously grow up in the 60s or 70sso they feel its retro cool.

    ToonTown
    I dont like ToonTownso I avoided the area. Had the Roger Rabbit attraction been open (it was closed for refurbishment)I would have gone down that way. My daughters went into Toon Townand mentioned it looked the same as the one in California. I smiledsaid, okayI can pass.

    Fantasyland
    Cinderellas Castle and areaSo pretty! Although this is a replica of the castle in Florida, I found this one to have more grounds detailing. I loved the sea monster on the side of the castle in the gardensand enjoyed viewing the details of the area, such as the Cinderella garden gate. If they have that at WDW, I dont remember seeing them. The only thing that distracted from this beautiful castle was the large stage set up in front with the big sign that said Club Monsters coming soon.
    Poohs Hunny Huntwith GAC5 minute wait (my husband and I rode without the GAClate on Monday evening, waited 15 minutes even with the sign stating it would be 50 minutes). This attraction did not disappoint us at all! The ride was fun, smelled like honey throughout, and it amazed us. These innovative honey pots moved freely without a track and without bumping into each other. The beautiful walk through the gardens, playroom, and the larger than life book pages really built up the excitement to finally ride on highly touted attraction. I only wish the attraction could be longer, as it was so much fun to ride
    Theming: A+ Attraction: A+
    Its a Small World-no waitwe walked right onto the attraction. The loading area is like Disneyland Paris and WDW (indoors). Their faade is painted pastel colorswhich was pretty, because it was actually very clean and well kept. The attraction was funand I enjoyed hearing the song (I know, everyone hates that song, but its fun when you are on the attraction)sung in Japanese. My husband was seated next to two women, who loudly spoke through the whole attraction. That annoyed him, but I calmly reminded him that he hates the song anywayso having them chitty chat through the attractionbenefitted him. I was surprised though, that there was no reference to the USA (at Disneyland Paris, there is a whole room dedicated to the states) other than a cowboy and Indian right as you leave.
    The Haunted Mansion-10 minute wait with fast passes. I love seeing classic attractions in other languages so this did not disappoint. This attraction faade as well as the ride itself was similar to WDWs version. There were a few other added features that were fun to seelike the portrait, and the pages in the book turningbut its basically the same.
    Peter Pans Flight-with GACno wait (my husband and I rode without the GAC waited 20 minutes late in the evening). Nowone would assumethat if you are using the similar technology as the Haunted Mansion Doom Buggies to load people into ride vehicles, the line would move faster, than if the ride had to start and stop like in CA Disneyland. Well, not at Tokyo Disneyland. It took longer to get onto the Peter Pan attraction than it did for Pooh. I still cant figure out why that loaded so slowly. I can only assume its because they keep slowing the moving ramp down to a snail pace for almost everyone to load. I really enjoy all the Peter Pan attractions at each park I have visited (as does everyone I meet). There is something about flying above London and Never Never Land that is so much fun. This attraction is somewhat different than Californias-and my girls mentioned they liked Tokyos better than Disneylands.
    Snow Whites Adventures-In Californiathis attraction is called Snow Whites Scary Adventuresand I wonder why they changed it herebecause I felt as if this attraction was far scarier. I loved it. I loved the longer forest scene, and the scary other details. The only difference is here the Dwarf scene is at the end of the attraction vs. at the beginning.
    We did not ride on Alices Tea Cups, Dumbo or on the Carousel.
    Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall-Themed Restaurant. We ate here on our second day in Disneylandand had so much fun! What a great themed restaurant. With lamp posts that look like towering flowers, benches that are large daisiesand heart shaped foodyou are in Wonderland with Alice! The food was very good here as well--;-). I had the beef, while my children had chickenand a heart shaped hamburger patty. We arrived at the restaurant near the opening time, so crowds were not a problem. By the time we left, the place was quite busy. Theming: A+ Food: A-

    Westernland

    The Country Bear Jamboreewaited 7 minutes for the next showing. We all miss this attraction at Disneyland. We loved it in Japanesewith some songs being in English. The best partthe bears looked clean and well maintained, unlike the California version towards the end of the attractions days.
    I did some shopping in Westernland (love those Mickey Mouse cowboy boots. Too bad they were 40000+ yen!).
    Westernland Shooting Gallery-My husband and girls enjoyed doing this while I did that shopping. They had a great timeand you actually will get a prize if you get a high enough score! Alas, they came away with some pretty low scores.
    Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Very elaborate with great theming from the outside but the ride seems just the same as the version we ride all the time in California.
    We did not go onto the Canoes (I refuse to go on that attraction anywhere. I had a bad experience one timecured me from ever going again. We did not go on the Mark Twainor over to Tom Sawyer Island (but I am glad they kept it as it was originally intended).

    Adventureland

    Pirates of the Caribbeanno wait with GAC (10 minute wait on another occasion without the GAC). Same basic ride as Californias Disneylandonly one drop though. Again this attraction was mix of Japanese and English.
    I found it interesting that while Tokyo Disneyland doesnt have a New Orleans Squarethe whole area around the Pirates attraction was done as if it was a New Orleans Square. The area is very pretty with very ornate ironwork and lovely details everywhere.
    Blue Bayou-We dined on the 1st early evening at this iconic restaurant. As we walked back by the New Orleans area, we noticed no lines at all at The Blue Bayou restaurant! No crowds, no lines=why not go in? We were seated immediately, one table over from the water. It was a nice relief to sit down in the cool, calm restaurantas it was warm, humidand extremely crowded in the park. We all enjoyed a nice late lunch, with excellent service (my new favorite drink: Hi C Grapefruit! I havent found it here in the stores yetbut I am trying!). To find no crowds clamoring to get into the restaurant at the California Blue Bayouis a rarity, so to see no crowds herewas a treat.
    The Enchanted Tiki Room which has been updated to be Stitch Presents Aloha E Komo Mai!10 minute wait. The Japanese love Stitch-eand Hawaii, so this is perfect for this park. The show was cutemuch better than the version with Iago that WDW.
    Theming: A+ Attraction: B-
    The building that houses this attraction is beautiful, as is the whole area of Adventureland.
    We did not go onto The Jungle Cruise or The Swiss Family Robinson Tree house (although I am thrilled that they kept this iconic attraction true to the original concept).
    I loved the Adventureland at Tokyo Disneyland. I thought the whole area was amazing. The New Orleans Square area was just so detailed and well thought out. It was beautiful. The tropical areas of the land were lush with trees and foliage and had waterfalls and waterways that added to the overall theme. It was a delight.

    Critter Country
    Splash Mountain-No wait with GAC. We actually bypassed all lines, and were taken through a back area that almost seemed as if it could have been a Cast member staging area. We were immediately loaded onto the attraction once we came out of this side door. Unlike the California version where you seat people directly behind one another in one long row, these seats sit two by two (like WDWs version). I find it is just a much more comfortable ride this way. This Splash Mountain is much longer than the one we are used to in Californiaand is more lush with trees and greenery. The drop didnt seem as steep as the version we are used to---but the splash at the bottom isnt as bad either. There are some different small drops insideand we loved being surprised at each corner, with some new scenes. Bottom line---we loved it! All of us agreed, of all 3 Splash Mountains we have been on, this one is the BEST.
    This Critter Country had some fun diversions for the younger setand we enjoyed the creative detailing the country has such as a cute car as well as a squirrel holding well. The themed restaurant, Grandma Saras was so darned cute. Its like a hidey-hole mole restaurant tucked right inside the mountain! Had we not already eaten at The Queen of Hearts Banquet Hallwe would have chosen this cute place.

    Tokyo Disneylands Electrical Parade
    We loved it. I filmed the whole paradeand it was beautiful!. The parade was longer than the versions at Disneys California Adventure---and it had great new floats, and whimsical features that we just loved. For my girls to actually stopand watch a show/parade is amazingyet all 5 of us stood there transfixed. It was great!
    FireworksAgain, like in Disney Seathey just arent the best fireworks show weve seenbut somehow, watching a fireworks show in Disneyland is always magical. I miss the music accompaniment that you get at the US parks though.

    Our thoughts:
    We were astounded at how many cast members there actually working in the parks! Everywhere within the park there are an abundance of cast members. At almost every register, at every attraction entrance, at every attraction unloading areaat every turn in the parka cast member! The Guest Service is actually amazing at this park. If you need helpor have a question, there was always a cast member to ask.
    Personal attention and politeness is very important to the Japaneseand this is true at these amazing parks. We discussed how this guest service can be good and bad for guests. Its great for individual guest servicebut its terrible at getting guests on and off attractions in a quick manner (or standing in line for popcorn), especially when the parks are very busy. The cast members take so much care and time with one guestthat things quickly back up.We think this may be one reason why the park has so much charm---and so many long lines. But, its the Japanese wayand it seems to be working for thembecause just look at the crowds in the park!
    We loved the monorail system. Even though it costs to ride, it is very efficient, always on timeand saves your feet/legs that much more walking! We loved that it was a working travel system vs. just an attraction.
    Cleanest parks we have ever seen. Really. If we think our parks are clean here in the USyou need to go to Japan. Their restrooms are so cleanthat you almost think you are in a 5 star hotel (I wont mention about how dirty Disneyland Paris was the time we visited). I saw one cast member actually get down on the ground and pick up 5 pieces of sticky rice that a little girl dropped-which he couldnt get swept up!

    OkayI know this was long. Ill just close and tell you we had a glorious timeand I would love to go back! My girls have mentioned they would pass on going back to Japanbut I would go back in a heartbeat. It wont be for a while though, as my husband is eyeing The Great Barrier Reef for diving on our next adventure (I dont dive---but heck, its Australia!)

  6. #5

    Thanks for the report, it's so rare to see one. I had pretty much the same impression when I went back in '05. Although I never really saw that crush in the morning, because I arrived later in the day (stayed in the city).


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •