Tokyo DisneySea
Hi Everyone, my name is Amanda, and my friends and I traveled to Tokyo, Japan and included a full day visit to Tokyo DisneySea in March of 2019. Here are some details about my trip for anyone looking to visit in the future! We were only able to visit the Tokyo DisneySea park, as the Tokyo Disneyland park will have to wait for another time!
We got really excited for our visit when we saw this huge advertisement for the parks at the Tokyo airport!
Pre-Arrival:
The best way to get tickets to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea is to buy them once you arrive in Tokyo. I attempted to purchase tickets online prior to my trip, however, I constantly ran into language barriers and Japan credit card requirements. There are several locations around Tokyo from which you can purchase tickets, including 7-11 and the Disney Store. We stayed in Shibuya, so the Disney store was right down the street from our AirBnb and was the easiest and closest option. At the Disney Store, the ticket counter is located on the third floor and the crazy long line moved very quick and the cast members all spoke English.
Arrival:
We took the train to the park from Shibuya and it was fairly easy to navigate. We took the JR Keiyo Line all the way to Maihama Station. The Maihama Station has a ton of upscale shopping and restaurants, too. From Maihama, you jump on the Disney specific train which will take you to Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort, and DisneySea. The Disney train does require additional fair, so make sure your Tokyo transportation card is loaded with enough money. The Disney train is themed with Mickey windows, Mickey handrails, and different themes (like Pixar) throughout the cars.
We arrived around 10:00am even though the park opened at 8:00 am. Security and ticket lines were short by this time of day, so we got through and into the park very quick!
DisneySea has a nautical exploration theme with seven areas or “ports of call” (and one currently under construction):
- Mediterranean Harbor
- Mysterious Island
- Mermaid Lagoon
- Arabian Coast
- Lost River Delta
- Port Discovery
- American Waterfront
- Fantasy Springs (coming soon)
Rides:
Tokyo Disney is a first-come first-serve basis with FastPasses and all FastPasses typically are gone by noon. Tokyo DisneySea is a relatively small park with only a few rides, so the lines grow quickly and have very long wait times. To combat this, be sure to get to the park as early as possible to ensure you get FastPasses for your preferred rides! We ended up snagging only one fast past for Journey to the Center of the Earth on our visit. Some of the highlights of rides are:
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Raging Spirits
This ride is in the Lost River Delta area. We waited almost 2.5 hours for this ride, and it was a little underwhelming. The roller coaster reminded us of an outdoor Space Mountain with a loop. Overall, we were disappointed we waited over two hours for this one.
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Tower of Terror
This ride is in the American Waterfront area. We waited almost 2 hours for this ride, too. It has a totally different backstory than the American version of Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. The Japanese aren’t familiar with The Twilight Zone, so Disney created a brand-new backstory taking place at Hotel Hightower. A greedy New York archaeologist, Harrison Hightower III, traveled to Africa and stole an ancient statue from a village. Once back in New York, he threw a party on New Year’s Eve press conference party and denied claims the idol was cursed. As he left the party, he mocked the Idol and it came to life, cursing the archaeologist and sending his elevator plummeting to the ground. This was by far our favorite ride, despite the language barrier. The drop pattern was like the American version and the new backstory gave it a different twist! And, they still snap your picture during the drops!
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Journey to the Center of the Earth
We had a FastPass for this ride, so we didn’t have to wait too long. The ride takes place under the giant smoking volcano, Mount Prometheus, at the center of the park. After waiting in line, you board an “elevator” that takes you down to another waiting area and the boarding platform. Once in the ride vehicle, you travel down further into the earth, past colorful crystal, mushroom forests, and creepy crawly insects. Suddenly there’s an earthquake and you’re “off route” through unknown caves. There are giant caverns with lightning and fire, and finally you arrive at the heart of the volcano where a giant centipede monster tries to attack you! Then, there’s another eruption and you’re on a high-speed chase through the caverns and outside around the volcano. The ride structure is like Test Track or Radiator Springs Racers where you leisurely ride through scenes and then you burst into a high-speed whirl.
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
This ride didn’t have as long of a wait as others, but we still waited over an hour to ride it. The ride queues up around the crater lake inside the volcano on Mysterious Island. For this ride, you board a small submarine and explore the world beneath the ocean. At one point, the submarine is attacked by a kraken and you’re detoured through Atlantis, full of mysterious marine life and mermaids that help you return safely back to base. This ride was a little dull, but the underwater effects are pretty cool.
Characters:
We happened to come across Remy while wandering around the park! Disney Sea has a number of characters around the park, so be sure to be on the look out for your favorites!
Like Hong Kong Disneyland you will come across Duffy and his friends all over the park. Duffy is huge in the Asian parks, so be sure to read up on him and his friends before you visit!
Food:
Tokyo Disney is known for their wacky and fun popcorn flavors! There are TONS of different flavors all over the park, and each stand has its own unique souvenir popcorn bucket, too! We were able to try the strawberry and Chinese chili flavors. We wanted to try the garlic shrimp flavor, but the line was way too long! You can also find tons of other food options around the park, so be sure to bring your appetite with you!
Souvenirs
Tokyo Disney has great souvenirs that you can’t find anywhere else! Almost everyone at the park wears ears or hats. Tokyo Disney is also known for their soft plush coin purses (seen in the Remy photo) and their themed sunglasses! Also, be sure to check out all of the unique Popcorn buckets that can only be found in Tokyo when you try some of the unique flavors mentioned above!
I hope this review helps you as you plan your visit to Tokyo DisneySea, and be sure to visit the Disney website to learn even more helpful information!
