Greetings audience! This is Stephen Gaiber: The Autistic Traveler and right now I am going to discuss part II of my Asia Disneyland trip by talking about both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. First let me tell you that the Disability Assistance Card is harder to use in Tokyo than Disneyland or Disneyworld or even Shanghai Disneyland as a lot of people in Japan don't speak English and I had a hard time communicating with them particularly for the Monsters Inc: Ride and Go Seek. They also ask what type of disability you have and because of how hard it is for them to understand it can be hard for them to know that it's just difficult for you to wait in line. They mistook my difficulty of waiting in line and thought I needed someone to go on the rides with me. It's not as disabled friendly as the other Disney parks and it can be exceptionally annoying to show proof of disability, which is not even legal in the U.S. Also the technology isn't great because there's no wi-fi in the park and the app is only for those with a Japanese cell phone. It also is exceptionally crowded. Despite these setbacks, it's a big and fun park with a lot to see.
The park is currently doing a lot for its 35th anniversary and advertising it throughout the park. It opened on April 13, 1983. It has a lot of things that Disneyland and Magic Kingdom have to offer such as World Bazaar, which is the equivalent of Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Westernland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Toontown. There are a lot of rides that, despite being similar to those at other theme parks I've enjoyed, I can't wait to tell you about.
I am now going to talk about the rides and attractions at Tokyo Disneyland that I enjoyed. I liked It's A Small World. For those who don't know, it's a boat ride that shows people from all different countries as well as diversity. In Tokyo Disneyland it also shows characters from different Disney movies, such as Lilo and Stitch, Frozen, Finding Nemo and Dory, and Moana. This ride is a lot of fun and the song "It's A Small World After All" is extremely catchy. You can find the ride in Tomorrowland.
Another one of my favorite rides is Pirates of the Caribbean. Unlike the one at Shanghai Disneyland, this is the same experience like the one at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. It's a boat ride that shows pirates robbing and causing trouble. Throughout the years, they've updated the ride to match the movies, so there are Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbosa and the dog with the keys in the jail scene. This ride is a lot of fun. Another ride that is a lot of fun is Jungle Cruise. It's another boat ride with animatronic animals that act like actual animals, such as hippos and elephants. It also shows Indians. This is a wonderful ride to explore a fictitious jungle.
I also really enjoyed Tom Sawyer's Island, which is a little island where one would have to take a boat to. It's a land full of wonder and exploration where one can take a wonderful walk and site-see what's around the island. I hope one would go exploring there. Even though the attractions are very similar to Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, one would still have fun seeing them at Tokyo Disneyland.
Well, let's now talk about the second Disney park at Tokyo Disney, Tokyo DisneySea. This park opened on September 4, 2001. Let me give you the summary: While I did like the park, I felt it didn't capture the magic of the other Disney parks I have been to. The only two parks I like this better than are California Adventure and Hong Kong Disneyland. I do think it's beautifully scenic and has a lot to offer, such as the canals that represent Venice, the Aztecs from Chichen Itza, and a volcano. It has a lot of Disney attractions, such as Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, and Indiana Jones: The Temple of the Crystal Skull. There are also some different rides, such as Sinbad's Storybook Adventure, Raging Rapids, Nemo and Friends SeaRider, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. This park displays all the water and ocean scene of all the parts of the world.
Well, it wouldn't be a Disney park without meeting some characters and some entertainment. Some of the characters I met include Jafar and Frollo. The Disney parks were prepping for Halloween a month and a half early since they were advertising all the villains. One show to check out would be Happiest Celebration on the Sea to celebrate Tokyo Disney Resort's 35th Anniversary. It was a fun visual boat show lasting 10 minutes. Unfortunately, due to rain, Fantasmic was canceled so I can't compare it to the one at Hollywood Studios.
The main shopping center for the Tokyo Disney Resort is Ikspiari. It's the equivalent of Downtown Disney in Anaheim or Disney Springs in Orlando or Disneytown in Shanghai. Let me tell you, it doesn't feel like a Disney shopping center like the ones in Anaheim, Orlando, or Shanghai. It has restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse and TGI Fridays; it however doesn't have a lot of Japanese restaurants. It has a Disney store and a movie theater. The hotels that are in the Tokyo Disney Resort include Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Disney Ambassador Hotel (in the Ikspiari shopping center), Tokyo DisneySea MiraCosta (located right outside DisneySea and you can see DisneySea from outside your resort), and Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel. These hotels are OK but aren't as focused on the Disney theme as other Disney hotels are. Also a heads-up: Unlike the other Disney resorts, the monorail here isn't free.
Overall I did like the Disney parks in both Shanghai and Tokyo. I felt Shanghai was the best with it being excellent visually and more original than the other Disney parks in Asia, but the rides were hit or miss. I felt Tokyo Disneyland was fun and big, but felt like a copycat of Disneyland in Anaheim. Tokyo DisneySea was visually scenic but didn't feel like a Disney park. Both were better than Hong Kong Disneyland. If one happens to be in both Shanghai and Tokyo for an extended period of time and is a Disney fan, one should definitely check them both out. The difference between Disneyworld and other Disney parks is that the Walt Disney World Resort feels like a big city, whereas the others feel like just a theme park. I look forward to potentially going to the one in Paris next summer and look forward to sharing my new adventures with YOU.
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