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THE POWER OF IMAGINATION at Tokyo Disney Resort
The Year of Wishes: Decorations are placed at the Tokyo DisneySea Park as part of its 15th anniversary celebrations
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The Year of Wishes: Decorations are placed at the Tokyo DisneySea Park as part of its 15th anniversary celebrations. (@Disney)
Stepping into Tokyo Disney Resort is akin to leaving the real world behind and entering a fantasy land.
Walt Disney once said that theme parks ought to be a happy place where adults and children could experience some of the wonders of life, adventure and feel better because of it.
His words ring true.
Inside the amusement park, adults and children delight in adventures alongside their beloved Disney characters — from Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse to Donald Duck and the Genie from the Disney animated film Aladdin.
“My children have been wanting to visit Tokyo Disneyland for a long time. They’re on school break so we decided to come here,” said Dina, an Indonesian mother who visited the amusement park with her husband and two children.
Mermaid Lagoon Theater (@Disney)
The family was visiting the park for the second day and had arrived at 8 a.m. The previous day they had stayed until closing time at 10 p.m.
“We rest only during lunch and dinner,” she laughed when shopping with her children at the Disneyland’s Grand Emporium souvenir shop.
A short trip to Disneyland may prove tough — the variety of activities available at the amusement park is mind-boggling.
Tokyo Disney Resort is a totally integrated entertainment destination that expanded the concept of a theme park into a resort. Opening in 1983, the original Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney amusement park to be built outside the US.
The resort currently boasts a number of new facilities, from hotels, a monorail system and shops to the Tokyo DisneySea Park — the second Disney Park in Japan — which opened in September 2001.
The Tokyo DisneySea Park is currently introducing more attractions as part of its 15th anniversary celebrations. For the event, visitors can expect to be wowed with major celebrations, titled Tokyo DisneySea 15th Anniversary: The Year of Wishes, which runs from April 15 this year through March 17 next year.
Arriving at DisneySea, visitors are greeted by the sight of the Disney Sea AquaSphere — a unique globe-shaped sculpture and fountain which represents the Earth and symbolizes the ocean-themed adventure waiting inside.
From here, there are seven so-called “ports of call” to choose from.
American Waterfront showcases the harbors of New York and Cape Cod at the beginning of the 20th century, while Mediterranean Harbor offers the old-world charm of a romantic southern European seaport.
At night, on the waters of Mediterranean Harbor, a spectacular show, Fantasmic!, entertains visitors with special effects using gigantic water screens, lasers, lights and fireworks.
Ancient perils and hidden mysteries are to be discovered in the jungles of Lost River Delta while an encounter with Aladdin and his playful Genie pal awaits for those whom choose to explore the exotic Arabian Coast.
Big Band Beat (@Disney)
The whimsical world of Ariel from the Disney animated classic The Little Mermaid comes alive in the Mermaid Lagoon and guests will discover portals to fantastic adventures with the legendary Captain Nemo deep within the smoldering volcano of Mysterious Island.
When visitors board the StormRider in Port Discovery, they are met with the thrill of soaring high above the clouds and diving into the eye of a storm.
A true Indiana Jones Adventure, the Temple of the Crystal Skull in the Lost River Delta takes visitors on a perilous journey through the secret corridors of a foreboding Central American pyramid.
Board a boat at the Arabian Coast and join the famous sailor, Sindbad, on a storybook journey of his treacherous travels in Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage.
In Mysterious Island, discover hidden wonders of the ocean in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and embark on a thrilling adventure far below an active volcano in Journey to the Center of the Earth.
According to Munenori Ohsawa, the resort’s public relations, over 30 million people visited the resort last year, mostly Japanese, and only six percent were foreign visitors.
He said most foreign visitors had come from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan.
“We began to provide brochures in Indonesian starting April this year,” he said to a group of Indonesian journalists, including The Jakarta Post, invited on the press tour, also sponsored by Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.
The Year of Wishes Greeting Drive (@Disney)
The Disney amusement parks complement and enhance one another. Tokyo Disneyland remains traditional, full of classic Disney stories of fantasy, dreams and magic, while Tokyo DisneySea presents new Disney experiences based on ocean lore and facts.
Japanese visitor Shoko Kondo found Disney’s charm too hard to resist, making her move to Tokyo from Osaka back in 2009 just to be close to her beloved amusement park. Now, it only takes her 20 minutes by bus to get to the Park.
“Before I had my baby I used to come to Disneyland around 40 times a year,” said the 35-year-old mother of three-month-old girl, Chio.
Kondo said she used to spend the whole day at Disneyland, to have fun and see Mickey Mouse or simply to dine with her family.
Kondo was at DisneySea with her baby and her mother, 61-year-old Yoshimi Kaibori, who accompanies Kondo to the resort at least five times a year.
“I just feel so happy when I’m here,” said Kondo, who has also been to Hong Kong Disneyland. “Now I can enjoy the anniversary celebration with my baby.”
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Fun Facts
Crystal Journey: A new show presented at DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor throughout the anniversary, in which Disney Friends make wishes shine, guarded by their own “crystal of wishes”. Each Disney character has their own crystal — the one worn by Minnie Mouse is red and represents her wish for love; Donald Duck has a blue crystal that symbolizes friendship. The various wishes form a clear crystal worn by Mickey Mouse. There are seven Crystal Point locations in the park. Each emits light and sound when touched with a special merchandise item called a Crystal Compass. The content of the parade will change by season.
New touch: A new version of the popular show Big Band Beat can be seen at the American Waterfront. The show dazzles visitors with swing jazz, the dominant popular music from the 1920s through to the 1940s. The new version features stunning vocals and energetic tap dancing, ending in a climatic drum performance by Mickey Mouse. As the band’s leader, Goofy dances and sings throughout.
Shopping: With some 140 shops and restaurants, Ikspiari, located at the gateway to the Tokyo Disney Resort, just outside JR Maihama Station, is the place to take a break. The venue also offers a state-of-the-art cinema complex with 16 screens and houses a brewery that produces award-winning craft beer called Harvest Moon. (ikspiari.com)
Harvest Moon Brewery at Ikspiari (JP/Stevie Emilia)
