DISNEY SEA
6:24 PM
For
every Disney kid at heart, Disney Sea is a bucket list must. It is unique as it
is the only one in the world. If you only have one day to visit a Disney park
in Tokyo, I would strongly suggest Disney Sea. The only nautical Disney theme
park - it's divided into ports. Disney Sea is picturesque and can be enjoyed
even by those that won't ride the attractions. This year the park also
celebrates its 15th anniversary "The Year of Wishes" so there are
special decorations, shows, food and merchandise celebrating this occasion. 
Among them is a "crystal compass" Y3000 you can use at the "crystal points" in each themed port. It also lights up when watching the "Fanstasmic!" Show at night.
As you enter the park you are
transported to the Mediterranean coast. The Mediterranean Harbor is where the
big park shows and parades are held.
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| Mediterranean Harbour |
It's like walking in Italy and you can even enjoy a Gondola ride and Venetian views. The Gondola ride is in the inner canal to the side of the Mediterranean Harbour.
Left of the Mediterranean Harbor is
the American Waterfront where you can find The Tower of Terror and Toy Story
Mania. Both Fast Pass attractions, I would suggest getting one for Toy Story
Mania first as this is one of the most popular attractions in the park. They
usually run out of fast passes earlier in the day and lines are usually really
long. Most visitors head to this attraction first.
There is a cute hand washing station which dispenses Mickey Mouse shaped foam.
It is also located at the Waterfront Park.
One of the more popular characters in
Tokyo Disney is Duffy. I've personally never seen this character before I first
visited Tokyo Disney. You'll notice a lot of locals with stuffed teddy bears
around the park. There are photo spots around the American Waterfront where
they place and take photos of their Duffy Bears. There's even a dining option
with the Duffy characters but lines are usually really long for this.
Next is Port Discovery. There are 2
main attractions here - the Storm Rider and Aquatopia. The Storm Rider like
every show is in Japanese. But even if you can't understand the language you
can follow the story through the visuals they show before and during the rides.
Aquatopia was a little dizzying for me. It's fun to watch people ride this
though. One end of the Electric Railway is here so you can take this if you
want a short cut to the other end of the American Harbor. 
If you don't mind not sitting beside
your companions, you can take advantage of the single rider lines of Raging
Spirits and Indiana Jones Adventure. The waiting time is unpredictable though.
Some visits I've gone almost straight to the ride and other times I've been in
line for more than 30 minutes without the line not moving. You can get fast
passes for both rides.
The Mysterious Island has my favorite
ride. The Journey to the Center of the Earth. it's among the most popular rides
in Disney Sea. 20,000 Leagues under the sea usually have short lines in the
afternoon. Don't forget to move the joystick in the ride to move the light on
the ride. It's dark in the ride and a bit of a confined space.
The two other ports are great
especially for adults that grew up with Disney in the 90s. The Little Mermaid
and Aladdin have their own ports.
In the Arabian Coast, enjoy rides like
Jasmine's Flying Carpet and The Caravan Carousel. The Sinbad's Storybook Voyage
is also in Japanese and is like the It's a Small World Ride with Disney's
Animatronics. We initially rode this to avoid the rain but was surprised to
have enjoyed the ride. Look out for Chandi's cute antics.
There is a stall for
Mickey shaped churros close to this ride and Disney Characters can usually be
spotted nearby.
You are then transported to the streets of Agrabah and to the
Arabian Coast by the impressive facade.
When watching the magic show at the
Magic Lamp Theater, you can ask the cast members for device that will have
subtitles for the introduction and show.
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| handy gadget with english subtitles for the show |
My favorite spot in Disney Sea is at
the Mermaid Lagoon. You can meet and greet Ariel at here Grotto. Take photos of
King Triton's castle.
I love the little details like the images of Little
Mermaid characters on the tiles. There are loads of rides for the little ones
at the Mermaid Lagoon. You shouldn't miss show at the Mermaid Lagoon Theater.
As usual it will be in Japanese, but if you're familiar to the songs you can
just sing a long in your head. Taking photos and videos of the shows and the
rides aren't allowed in Disney Sea. There are also character greetings usually
in front of the Sleepy Whale Shoppe. If you're lucky you might even see Prince
Eric.
The big shows in Disney Sea are unlike the parades on other Disney Parks where there is a route. Performances on the Mediterranean Harbour like Fantasmic! are performed on the water or on stages near the shore. As such, finding the perfect spot is a little trickier. As watching from the side will give you limited views. Also watching in the large area in the middle is where most choose to watch where you'll have to stay seated when the show starts. If you'd like to stand a good option is near Cafe Portofino. You can also try your luck by getting tickets by lottery at the Biglitteria
A great option to viewing the entire
park or shortcut to certain ports is the Disney Transit Steamer line. There are
different routes - there are boats that stop at the next ports and ones that go
around the entire route so you will start and end at the same place.
Disney Parks celebrate holidays and
seasons by decking out the park in beautiful decorations, presenting seasonal
shows, and selling themed food & merchandise. So visiting on another season
is like a new experience. Disney Sea and Tokyo Disneyland is celebrating the
"Disney Tanabata Days" until July 7. Starting July 9, Disney Sea will
be celebrating also the "Disney Summer Festival" with themes of
tropical fruit and Latin influence while Tokyo Disneyland will be celebrating
the Japanese summer festival "Disney Natsu Matsuri".
By mailing a postcard from the Disney
Parks, you're mail will have a commemorative stamp from the Disney Park. You
can also get commemorative stamps by mailing postcards at the Wizarding World
of Harry Potter in Universal Studios in Osaka and the Tokyo Tower.
A great option if you're planning on
staying at a Disney Hotel is the Hotel Miracosta which is inside the actual
park. If you get a room with the view of the Mediterranean Harbour you get a
perfect spot to watch the shows on the water.  |
| Fast Pass |
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| Disney Resort Line |
Hours of operation: Varies but
usually 8:30-10:00 PM . Visit www.info.tokyodisneyresort.jp/s/enfor the operating hours and the schedule of shows of your day of
visit.
Website: www.tokyodisneyresort.jp
Entrance:
1 park 1 day: Y6900 / adult (18 & over); Y6000 junior age (12-17); Y4500
Child (4-11)
Closest
Train Station: Take Disney Resort Line to Disney Sea from Maihama
Station.
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