For years, the word has been that the best Disney park is one they license: Tokyo DisneySea. Now that I’ve been, I can vouch that it’s uniquely beautiful. That’s before this spring’s opening of Fantasy Springs, which threatens to up the cool. Modeled after ports around the world both real and fictional, the park leans into a rose-colored vision of the early 20th century more inspiring than Main Street U.S.A. It’s a world of what if, and not just because of Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island sitting smack dab in the middle of it.
Once again, in no particular order, I offer a rundown of the attractions I made it onto. And once again, this is from the perspective of a fan who had not been to any Disney parks outside of Anaheim before.
Soaring: Fantastic Flight: More or less the same attraction you can find in Anaheim (and Orlando and…), it’s the presentation that makes it. Set inside the Museum of Fantastic Flight, a beautiful Venetian gallery in the Mediterranean Harbor, “Soaring: Fantastic Flight” uses state of the art visual presentation. Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.) member Camellia Falco refuses to be constrained by her portrait, and her ghost walks guests through humanity’s yearning to fly.
From there as in other Disney parks with this attraction, guests load into rows of benches that lift them into the air. The better to see the high definition film in front of them, of course. But here, the design stays with the overall park theming. Jules Verne could have described these seats called “Fantastic Flyers”, though they also call to mind the original plane of the Wright Brothers. Of course, the film ends at Tokyo DisneySea; otherwise the journey is the same. Yet wherever you are in the world, whichever version of “Soaring” you see remains a beautiful experience. Just as in Anaheim, this one has a huge wait time, so if you can get the Tokyo version of a Fast Pass, it’s worth the cost (which is less than Anaheim).
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Before Anaheim’s submarines found Nemo (the fish, not James Mason), they journeyed into underwater kingdoms. But they still looked like grey submarines. In the heart of Mysterious Island, a replica of Disney’s movie Nautilus lies anchored. But guests board a bathysphere straight out of Verne rather than the full sub. The trick to feel submersion is the same, but it’s a completely different sea. It’s also more compact. If you’re taller than 5’4″, prepare to hunch as you look out the porthole.
This attraction also has a minor interactive addition. You control a searchlight from your porthole, so it’s up to you to capture the wonders of this mysterious deep sea expedition. As you journey through a sunken civilization, somewhat unsettling but curious fish people approach. The Tokyo figures appear more up to date than those in Anaheim, even of the fish and anemones. But the fish people — a couple took me by surprise, so despite the vague familiarity of the ride, I give it points for startling me enough to sit straight up. Overall, I was also reminded me that Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of those novels where we think a lot weirder stuff happens than actually does, because most people haven’t actually read it.
Journey to the Center of the Earth: What? Disney never made a movie out of that! (But they might have bought at least one version in the Fox takeover.) The Mysterious Island features a “live” volcano visible from most places in the park, spitting fire occasionally. At the heart of that volcano runs a steampunk trolley, which luckily can both meander and move like heck.
The queue takes guests past the lab and study of Captain Nemo, not Arne Sacknussen who would have complicated the theming. You’re welcome, fellow pedants. It’s a pleasant meandering through the earth, past glittering jewels and then you notice the giant crawlers. For whatever reason, parent company the Oriental Land Company (OLC) insists on leading the way with audio-animatronics, and we the fans benefit from it. Getting attacked by a giant larval thing works better when it’s really there. Luckily, those trolleys move superfast, giving this attraction a rhythm not unlike Radiator Springs Racers in Anaheim.
Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage: Another attraction unconnected to a Disney IP, you can pretty much walk right on. And that’s a shame, because this dark ride occasionally gets dark. Which may be why it’s not more popular. With the mechanics of “It’s a Small World” and a hero most associated in the U.S. with Ray Harryhausen monster movies, “Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage” admittedly would have been pure nightmare fuel if I rode it when I was 6. And apparently, the version there now is far less terrifying than when it first opened.
I’m doing research. This attraction gets its own article soon, because of course I recorded the whole ride.
Anyway, the figures have a unique look that’s not what you’d expect from Disney, and a song written by Alan Menken that Sindbad sings through the whole ride. No, I don’t know what he’s saying, but it’s all weirdly charming.
Tower of Terror: Just because The Twilight Zone doesn’t have a cultural foothold in Japan is no reason not to have a Tower of Terror. Just write a new backstory and voila! It’s now Harrison Hightower’s famed Hotel Hightower. That’s right. It’s the Harrison Hightower Tower of Terror. Once again Imagineers dipped into the S.E.A. for another member, famed explorer and artifact thief curios collector Harrison Hightower. He looks suspiciously like once and again Imagineer Joe Rohde.
But pillaging world cultures can only take you so far, and one night a curio called Shiriki cursed Hightower for his avarice. You know the rest. For reasons, guests still want to take the elevator up to the penthouse. But we all know it’s a potentially deadly mistake. Though technically “Mission: Breakout” may be a better ride experience, it was great to be back on the classic, even if it isn’t the classic I miss in Anaheim.
Aquatopia: We had some time, so we rode these hydrofoils. They bump a little, they spin, and we are promised they help in oceanic exploration. It’s a kiddie ride, but as with many attractions, they know how to hook you in with presentation.
Nemo & Friends SeaRider: Along with “Aquatopia,” “SeaRider” anchors the land called Port Discovery. Guests enter the Marine Life Institute from Finding Dory, boarding an experimental vehicle designed to blend in with the local sea life. After boarding, the vehicle shrinks down so that we’re exploring in a sub disguised as Nemo himself.
It functions like “Star Tours,” but with Pixar scenes instead, and it’s cute. It’s also all in Japanese, so it’s possible that it’s really educational but… I don’t know.
Because this was February, several attractions were closed for maintenance, including the “Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull.” So I have mixed emotions there — on the one hand that was one I would have really wanted to ride, but on the other, the whole rest of the park was incredible enough.
One more thing…
Believe! Sea of Dreams: Both Tokyo parks have parades, and I tend not to wait for them because it’s a great time to catch a shorter line on an E-ticket ride. But my wife told me I had to see this one. Performing after sunset in the Mediterranean Harbor, the show combines elements of “Fantasmic,” “World of Color,” and the “Main Street Electrical Parade.” What none of those other shows have, of course, is a freaking volcano in the background.
Though Disney’s main characters do appear, the show focuses on Peter Pan and Wendy, just after defeating Captain Hook. With songs weaving in and out of Japanese, other floats feature The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and one that both surprises and delights me: Coco. Whether it’s the music (many bangers) or the Day of the Dead imagery, that Pixar film has struck a chord in Japan.
Of course the show ends with a colorful display of fireworks and a swelling upbeat finale. They take their bows and… they’re kind of stuck on the water. So everyone must politely disperse and look away as the floats get off-stage. But what a final view as you head toward the gift shops — in what is possibly the greatest combination of hotel and theme park in the Disney portfolio, the shops are all under the Hotel Miracosta. It’s not as noticeable on the way in because you’re drawn to the harbor, but this high end hotel is inside Tokyo DisneySea, not adjacent (though still cool) like the Grand Californian in Anaheim.
On June 6, Tokyo DisneySea will open their newest land, a huge expansion called Fantasy Springs that features attractions and restaurants based on Peter Pan, Tangled, and of course, Frozen. Barely visible from the Monorail station, this new land will add at least one more volcano.
So yes, I’ll be going back but probably not for a couple of years. We have to save back up.
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