Tokyo DisneySea

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Japan Travel Guide
The Yamasa Institute

Edited by: Declan Murphy
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Tokyo DisneySea

To be honest, I'm not much of a Disney fan. Maybe it was from not growing up in America, but I still confuse mouseketeers with musketeers. So it was with some fear and trepidation that I drove a group of Discovery program participants to Tokyo Disneyland and found myself pleasantly surprised. "Best Disneyland in the World" was the feedback from the six American students chatting in the back of the bus - so curiosity picqued, I decided that the next visit would instead be to the mysterious and brand new Tokyo DisneySea.

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Located on reclaimed land in Chiba Prefecture right next to Tokyo Disneyland, this theme park is divided into 7 major areas, each of which are brilliantly designed with wonderful attention to detail.

Entering the park, the first area you will encounter is the Mediterranean Harbour. Apart from the smoking volcano on the other side of the "bay", what struck me was how realistic it looked - several times I found myself touching the "old stones" of the rustic buildings lining the medieval streets to confirm that my eyes were being deceived.

Compared to the first views you encounter when entering the neighbouring theme park, it is simply wonderful. It isn't exactly like Italy, but it is exactly what you can imagine a Japanese person thinking Italy should look like. Visiting parks such as this one, Denpark or Osaka's Universal Studios Japan gives a useful insight into how Japanese people perceive the mysterious gaikoku.

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Finishing my breakfast of croissants, bacon, sausages etc etc (best breakfast I've had in how long?) in the Cafe Portofino (I had walked in expecting tackiness - but it was actually pretty good), I walked around the waterfront to the fortress, clambered aboard a Spanish galleon, marvelled at the brilliance of Galileo and Copernicus, laughed at the attempts of an alchemist to conjure up gold from herbs, and then found myself at the lookout savoring the view of the still-not-so-fake looking harbour. It was only then that I realized I'd spent 2 hours in a Disney theme park without encountering even one all singing all dancing big eared mouse.

It could not last.

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It didn't. Mickey and his friends soon sailed past at full volume. Long before I made my way over the "rustic" bridge and wandered through the backstreets of Venice to the enormous SS Columbia that is "anchored" in the American Waterfront, further boatloads of enforced happiness sailed by with booming loudspeakers.

DisneySea is as the name suggests, a marine oriented theme park. The entire complex is connected (and navigable) by water, and each of the themed areas (Mediterranean Harbour, Mysterious Island, American Waterfront, Port Discovery, Lost River Delta, Arabian Coast, and Mermaid Lagoon) have extensive water features.

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Although the park has a much more adult feel than its neighbour (decent wines and beers can be enjoyed by those who aren't the designated driver - something impossible on the other side of the fence), it is of course very much a kinderfreundlich environment.

Kids have a great time (as does any adult with a modest amount of imagination and/or curiousity. The musicians, street performers, artisans etc are brilliant. If you tire of rides and atmosphere, and tire of looking at tacky glass souvenirs - its easy enough to have a fascinating look at a glassblower or jeweller displaying their skills (albeit in the production of tacky souvenirs).

It is possible to move around the park entirely by boat, however it is quicker to walk. Its a pretty damn big place according to Andrew. There is another problem - if you want to enjoy the rides, you need to be a patient person who doesn't mind standing in a queue for 90 minutes or more for a 5 minute ride. The lines are not as long on weekdays/rainy days etc, though you will probably need to wait at least some time regardless. You may even end up waiting an hour and twenty minutes for a turkey leg interjects Andrew. If waiting in queues is not your thing and yet you still want to enjoy the thrills, spills and splashes then you should make use of the fastpass.

Tired of waiting?

The fastpass lets you receive an allocated timeslot for an attraction, allowing you to visit other parts of the park before returning to the ride for a (much shorter) wait. At the time of writing the fastpass is available for the following 6 attractions:

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Journey to the Center of the Earth

20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Stormrider

Temple of the Crystal Skull

Magic Lamp Theater

Mermaid Lagoon Theater

Tacky souvenirs

You can't have a theme park without souvenir stores, especially in this country where bringing home a souvenir is more a duty than a mere obligation. There are about 30 souvenir shops throughout the park selling just about everything you can attach ears to. Yes they accept credit cards. Yes you can exchange foreign currency or cash travellers checks without needing to leave the park.

Tips:

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Manage your time by avoiding the "rush hours". Queues for food stalls and restaurants seem to be as long as the queues for rides from about 11:45 onwards - so eat a big brunch or take lunch early. Souvenir shops will also be packed from mid-afternoon. The physical distances in the park are considerable, so its worth doing all of the attractions together before you move on to the next area.

Wear casual and comfortable clothing and footwear. Apart from standing in sunshine (or rain) for considerable periods of time, you may get wet on some of the rides. Sunscreen and headgear is strongly advised.

Getting there etc

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Public transport and car access to the parks is convenient. If you drive, the park is only a few kilometers from Urayasu Interchange and parking for the day is 2000 yen. If you travel by train, there are excellent services and connections. The "Disney Resort" is also well served by local bus services so staying in a low cost hotel close to the park is also a viable option.

External Link:

http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp

Photographs and contributions

Do you have good photographs or a story to share about this destination? Please share it with us.

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Opening hours, prices, booking procedures, schedules etc are subject to changes beyond our control. This site is just a guide, and we advise that you always check and confirm in advance. Suggestions, additions and correction of errors are always welcome. Please contact us.

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