In Japan, Disney is kind of a big deal. There are two Disney Parks here, Disney Land (much like it's US counter part) and Disney Sea. Since Disney Sea is unlike any other Disney park out there, we decided to check it out.
Disney Sea is built around a huge body of water and the theme park is divided into 7 nautical-themed worlds or "ports of call": Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon (for The Little Mermaid), Arabian Coast (for Aladdin), and Mysterious Island. Disney spent over $4 billion building this place and it shows. Every small world within the place has been masterfully imagined and built: no detail was spared, from the purposeful cracks and missing tiles around the Tower of Terror building to the Venetian canals, bridges, and buildings in the Mediterranean Harbor. Kris and I loved walking around and just looking at all the amazing detail put into the place. We enjoyed walking around and simply being in the park just as much (maybe even more so) than we enjoyed the actual rides themselves. It's part of what makes Disney Sea so magical -- and trust me, I'm not the type of person to usually rave about Disney.
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| Mt. Prometheus behind Port Discovery |
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| Ariel's Mermaid Lagoon |
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| Mysterious Island |
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| Jules Vernes' lab in the Journey To The Center of The Earth ride. |
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| Kris checking into the Tower of Terror hotel |
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| SS Columbia on the American Harbor |
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| Kris in front of the Tower of Terror |
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| Taking a stroll down old Broadway in the American Waterfront |
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| Mediterranean Harbor -- I LOVED this part because it really reminded me of being in Europe (especially Venice, Rome, and Greece). It felt so real! |
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| Jasmine's Castle as part of the Arabian Coast |
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| Me in front of a carousel ride and fountain in the Arabian Coast |
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| This Aztec temple houses the Indian Jones ride in the Lost River Delta |
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| Outside the Indiana Jones ride in the Lost River Delta |
Though we enjoyed Disney Sea, the trip itself wasn't the best. We did everything wrong -- we went in the high heat of summer, during summer break (when EVERY school has off and EVERY Japanese family goes on vacation), we got there an hour after the park had opened; and to top it off, we bought our tickets ahead of time from a travel agent, thinking that we could just walk right in, but it turns out that tickets bought from the travel agency were only vouchers that had to be exchanged for actual tickets, so we had to wait 45 minutes just to get in the park.
August in Tokyo is sweltering and humid. Kris and I were drenched in sweat all day. Our clothes were soaked. As I looked around at the Japanese women all around me, I was in shock -- the most they perspired was a subtle glistening on the face. I am NOT exaggerating. I don't know how they do it -- I've heard their sweat glands are smaller but I'm not sure if that's true -- but they do not sweat the way Americans sweat -- at least not the way I was sweating. I was so jealous -- and also impressed.
The lines were looooooooong. All day we got on about 5 rides -- and we were only able to do that many because we used a Fast Pass (which ended up being an hour wait instead of a 3 hour wait) for one ride and did the single rider line (a 20 minute wait instead of a 3 hour wait) for another ride. Most of the other lines were a 2-3 hour wait. That was just miserable.
Though we only went on 6 rides, we did enjoy the rides we went on: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Indiana Jones, Ragging Spirits, Tower of Terror, and Disney Steamer Line. What I do appreciate about Disney Sea is, though the lines were LOOOOOONG, many of the lines were in airconditioned buildings or in the shade. It kept us from getting too sunburnt.
Disney Sea is also fantastic for people-watching. The Japanese folks here go ALL OUT when they go to Disney -- they get decked in Disney gear from head to toe. And they LOVE them some Duffy and Shellie May bears! (Don't know who Duffy is? Go here) It's pretty common to see folks treating these beloved bears as children -- decking them out in expensive outfits, taking pictures of them (just the bears) throughout the park, and giving them a seat at the table. Below are two pictures of people decked-out in Disney -- and trust me, there were hundreds of people just like this!
What can I say...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! That's right, we bought a Shellie May (to go with the Duffy my sister bought us). We didn't go to the exteremes that some people go to with their Duffy and Shellie May obsessions. But I'll put it this way: I don't want to have kids for a few more years and we can't have a puppy in our appartment...so I have a Shellie May.
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| So happy to have a Shellie May |
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| We're one of THEM now!!! |
We ended our visit with a magical boat parade/show. It was really awesome! For as much as we had kicked Tokyo's butt site-seeing the previous day
If you are planning a visit to Disney Sea, here are some helpful suggestions:
- FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT GO in August or on a Sunday. It just isn't worth it. You will be in lines for 3 hours.
- Go early and prioritize your rides.
- Buy your tickets from a Disney park hotel to avoid long lines at the main gates.
- Bring a water bottle, as food and drinks are expensive and there are plenty of water fountains throughout the park.
- Learn about the fast pass and use it wisely on the most popular rides.
- If you are trying to decide between Disney Land, Disney Sea, and Universal Studios Japan, go to Disney Sea. It is different than other Disney parks and the value of what you get for your money is higher at Disney than it is at Universal (and currently both cost the same price).
- Check out this blog for better, more in depth tips about visiting the park.
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