Welcome to part four of my Tokyo Disney Resort Summer Trip Report. In this report I am going to discuss Tokyo Disneyland Park, its theming, similarities and differences with the other Magic Kingdom parks, and our overall impressions.
To recap or re-read the previous posts, Part One can be read here; Part Two can be read here; and Part Three can be read here.
I warn you now, this part is especially long, and you may want to return to this when you have time!
World Bazaar (WB) was the Imagineers’ answer to the harsh Japanese winters, and the intense summers. World Bazaar was actually meant to reflect more what its name actually implies. It was meant to be a collection of shops and restaurants that offered a unique insight into countries and cultures from around the world, much like EPCOT’s World Showcase. But for a number of reasons this did not happen, and eventually they decided to go with the more traditional Main Street USA theme, but just enclose it for the climate related reasons I gave above. I have to say that both Jon and I have mixed feelings about World Bazaar, and to be honest we both prefer the Main Street setting much better. It is probably fairly accurate to assume that the Imagineers also realised their mistake with World Bazaar, when they came to designing Disneyland Paris just a couple of years later (TDL opened in 1983, and DLP was began in 1988). How do I know this? Well at DLP Main Street USA is not covered, but the Imagineers installed something that is quite unique, and actually one of my favourite things about DLP - arcades at either side. These covered walkways, that are superbly themed, heated, lighted and offer other facilities too, are behind the main shops and restaurants on Main Street and offer that respite from the hot and cold, as well as a more unique way to traverse the street - especially when busy. So, the street remains open to the air, and offers the more traditional feel, but also can accommodate when the weather and crowds are not good.
So TDL got the raw end of the design deal. Over what would be considered as Main Street is a massive glass housing that takes its influence from the days of the giant Victorian glass greenhouses. The problem with it is that is becomes very noisy underneath it, and when it does rain or get intensely hot, the world and his dog descend upon WB to take shelter from the elements. It also means that the parades cannot travel underneath, and instead take a very different route round the park from Fantasyland, round the Hub and up into Toontown.
There are also no Main Street Vehicles, which is a real shame and really makes World Bazaar lose that flowing, American city feel. They do offer the Omnibus, but only on the Hub, and it literally just goes around the Hub in front of Cinderella Castle! The Omnibus does not make so many appearances any more though, and was not even in operation when we went in peak summer season.
Overall the theming of World Bazaar is similar to that of Main Street, but actually lacks something (besides the vehicles and Town Square). It is very ‘flat’ for the want of a better word. Somehow it lacks in the depth and detail that the others offer. The stores are very basic in design, and the actual street is very bland looking. The fact that you have the giant glass housing does nothing for trying to convince you that you are walking down a real street. Overall though it offers similar fare to the other Main Streets such as an Emporium, a bakery, a corner café and other amenities and services that you would expect.
The unique thing about World Bazaar (besides the roof), if that the streets that cross it aren’t just dead ends like in the US parks, they actually serve as real streets, and access the lands on either side that they meet. To the right you have Tomorrowland, and to the left Adventureland.
We shall continue our tour though the traditional way, and make our way out of the WB canopy, and enter the Hub area of WB.
The Hub area of TDL is enormous. It could easily swallow both Florida’s and California’s Central Plaza’s and probably still has room for more. The idea was that Tokyo is so crowded, that the Disney Parks there should offer some respite from the close city areas. The Hub overall doesn’t offer anything extraordinary, but does have a number of interesting points to note.
There are four turrets around the Hub that all hold lighting rigs and the operations booths for the shows that happen at the Castle. When not in use they look like normal towers, but when there is a show going on, the sides facing the Castle open up to reveal lighting and speakers.
The restaurants around the Hub all take their inspiration from both the US MK style parks. There is a Plaza restaurant (from when DL had one - now an AP office), and a Crystal Palace (MK), as well as a Tomorrowland restaurant that equates to something like Cosmic Ray’s (MK). What is interesting about these restaurants is that they actually “technically” fall into the lands that they back onto, and do not form part of World Bazaar. So despite the Crystal Palace being the same as in the Magic Kingdom, and in the same place on the Hub, it is actually part of Adventureland.
The Hub has a fair amount of activity throughout the day between the numerous Castle shows and the parades passing through. While we were there they had the summer events ‘Naminamina - Disney Kids Summer Adventure’ and the ‘Cool the Heat’ show that happened numerous times per day. Of a night time there was the special summer show ‘Midsummer Night’s Panic’. This was a fast paced show that basically involved Gantu and Dr. Hamsterviel trying to capture Stitch. In the end Stitch basically wins the battle by soaking them with thousands of gallons of water... and the audience too. The Japanese go nuts over shows like this, especially when it involves Stitch and/or water!
Naminamina was in front of the Castle (not on the stage), and involved characters dancing and singing to a very fast soundtrack, dressed in summer camp councillor outfits. The entire purpose or meaning of this show is questionable, as it didn’t appear to serve much purpose, besides rolling out several times a day to mass crowds and asking some kids to join them to dance with them (which does not happen in the other versions across the Resort).
The Cool the Heat show at the Castle stage was basically any given two random characters dancing on the stage, again to a very fast soundtrack, and shooting thousands of gallons of water at the Guests below! The Japanese LOVE the summer water events and shows!
Also in the mornings just after park open, in front of the Partners Statue a group of Hawaiian dancers performed for a short while to some Hawaiian (mainly Lilo and Stitch style) music.
The Disneyland Band also occupied the same spots several times per day.
Overall these three things I mentioned above were not amazing, but included some cute new character outfits and also more unusual characters also (such as the Three Little Pigs).
Moving out of the Hub and heading left towards Adventureland now.
Adventureland in TDL is a combination of a number of elements from the other parks, plus some unique parts too. They have their own version of New Orleans Square (but it is still Adventureland), and have a Jungle Cruise that is more akin to Florida’s (although it runs clockwise in Tokyo), they have a Tiki Room (although a different version from either of the US ones), and a Swiss Family Treehouse like in Florida and Paris. They also have a Pirates of the Caribbean, which is mostly similar to California’s, with a few minor alterations - the main one being the end scene with Jack Sparrow is flipped to the other side. The other main difference is that you don’t travel up a ramp to then be dropped into the water, but instead just get dropped, then at the end travel back up the ramp to the exit dock.
Adventureland also has a neat little area that is made up of a number of juice bars and a Chinese counter service restaurant. It’s set aside from the rest of the land and just breaks up the land a bit more. They also have a stage that is currently playing the incredibly camp, but otherwise entertaining show ‘Minnie Oh! Minnie’.
We really liked Adventureland at TDL and thought that it offered some unique twists on the other Adventureland’s. One thing that is completely unique about it is the Western River Railroad. As I mentioned at the start, World Bazaar does not have a train station. In fact, the park does not have a train that circles it. Instead they have a train, that for the most part goes around Western land (TDL’s Frontierland), but actually begins and ends in Adventureland. It travels around the Rivers of America and through a diorama much the same as California’s.
Moving into Westernland now, TDL’s version of Frontierland. My guess with the name here is that Frontier doesn’t translate so well. Anyway, Frontierland in TDL also can be summarised in a similar way to Adventure land - some elements from the US parks, and some completely unique. Similar areas include a Country Bear Theatre like from Florida (though it was the Summer Vacation version whilst we were there), Big Thunder Mountain, a Mark Twain on the River, a Tom Sawyer Island, and a Diamond Horseshoe restaurant and stage.
Big Thunder Mountain, although overall a very similar ride experience to the US parks (the speed being slow like CA’s), was laid out differently, and looked different from the outside. You had to go up a series of rickety (or seemingly so, wink, wink) ramps through the mine to the loading area. When the train left the loading area, it immediately entered a cavern before proceeding outside. There is pretty much no point in the park where you can see onto BTM, with exception of from the Western River Railroad, which is interesting because in the US parks and in Paris you can quite clearly view the trains thundering round the mountain.
The Country Bears were as dull as ever, though slightly more interesting because it was the summer version. The maintenance and upkeep is much better in TDL though, and the animatronics don’t look like they are about to fall apart, unlike Florida’s…
There was no Haunted Mansion in Westernland, as this is over in fantasyland instead, which I will talk about a bit more later.
There were some really neat walkways and “hidden” areas of their Westernland, which made it feel very different and unique, but also a lot of very open concrete areas, that could do with some planters or water features to break up the vast open concourse look.
Immediately joining onto Westernland, and sitting between WL and Fantasyland was the entrance area to Critter Country. Critter Country in TDL was very neat because again, it offered something a bit different. Some hidden walkways, a fabulous counter service restaurant, some stores, and of course Splash Mountain. Critter Country in TDL far surpasses DL’s Critter Country.
Splash Mountain was very different. The whole queue area was set in a neat cavern. In Florida they are just dark tunnels made of rock, but in TDL they seem to have taken that idea and expanded it, making it better. I can’t really explain why or how, but it was just more interesting, bigger and lighter. The loading area was inside, not open air like FL, and the actual ride experience was just different. Overall I would not say the ride itself was better that Florida’s (California’s is just outright bad), but it just offered something different - a fresh approach to a WDW favourite.
The down side to Critter Country is that despite everything it offers, it can be very cramped, and suffers from mass crowds of people trying to get to Splash Mountain.
Critter Country at TDL also offers the Explorer Canoes the same as Disneyland CA.
Now we continue our grand circle tour, and enter Fantasyland.
There is one down point I need to mention here about Westernland before we continue. Westernland and Fantasyland in TDL basically merge into one. There is no real defined point where one becomes another, and this is really disappointing given the overall great theming of Adventureland, Westernland and Critter Country. There is just a big open area, and the lands just “meet”. What doesn’t help the matter is that in TDL the Haunted Mansion is classed as being in Fantasyland, but sits right on the border between the two lands, making it feel even less like there is a real separation between the areas.
Fantasyland also suffers with the fate of having some of the worst versions of the classic Disney attractions anywhere in the world!
Snow White’s Scary Adventures from start to finish is a grim experience, with very little in the way of theming in the queue, to completely lacking an ending altogether.
Peter Pan’s Flight is not quite as detailed, though the upkeep is better than Florida’s. The queue is also pretty dire. During the ride some of the scenes are a lot closer to you, to the extent where you can touch them (though you’re not meant to of course).
Dumbo the Flying Elephant is the most appalling looking ride you could imagine, and completely lacks, well, anything.
The Tea Cups are overall not worse than Florida’s, but their setting really lacks something.
Then we move onto their “it’s a small world”. Previous to this trip we had experienced three IASW’s (FL, CA and Paris). Florida has always been the worst, with Paris’s being the most visually stunning.
Tokyo’s IASW is miserable beyond comparison. TDL’s IASW is dark, unthemed and pretty empty inside. The outside attempts to resemble CA’s or Paris’s, but that’s about the nicest thing about it. The queue area is a concrete tunnel, and the loading area is an indoor lake with awful murals. The whole ride from start to finish is probably the worst Disney attraction I have ever experienced.
Fantasyland does have just one redeeming point though, and that is Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt I warn you, attracts 200 minute lines from park open to close, and FastPasses go pretty quickly. We were lucky enough to be able to ride twice, and we LOVED it. It completely puts to shame the US versions - especially Florida’s (pre-2010 refurb, though even after that it’s only the queue they have improved, not the ride).
The queue is set in lush green gardens, complete with giant storybook pages. When you get to the loading area you will immediately notice that you sit in honey pots, not bee hives, and that there is no track!
The ride vehicles for PHH are completely free roaming, and their routes through the ride are determined by an intelligent computer. The scenes are bigger, better, more colourful and more interesting. The special effects are far superior, and the ride is longer too. The whole free movement idea allows the vehicles to travel not just forwards, but backwards and sideways too, making the whole ride experience simply wonderful.
The Haunted Mansion’s overall ride experience is just about the same as the US versions (but does not include the newer scenes added to the US ones), but the outside setting is better than Florida’s. The gardens are more unruly, deliberately of course, and the house itself has a few different touches, such as an open, broken window with a curtain that flutters in the breeze.
Fantasyland also includes a Carousel, and a Pinocchio’s Daring Journey which was closed during our visit.
Next we move onto Toontown.
As with the Westernland-Fantasyland border, the border between Fantasyland, Toontown and Tomorrowland is virtually non-existent also.
Toontown in TDL is much the same as the one in California, with two exceptions. One, it is completely the reverse of California (I.e. mirror image), and two, it is bigger with more open space.
Overall Toontown does not offer anything new or exciting that cannot be found anywhere else - with maybe one exception. TDL’s Toontown does feature some more unusual characters from time to time. When we were there in the summer, for example, the Big Bad Wolf was making appearances!
Out of Toontown and almost immediately you enter Tomorrowland. Next to Fantasyland (literally and figuratively), Tomorrowland is the worst area of the park. It only pips Fantasyland slightly because of some of the more interesting attractions on offer.
Tomorrowland seriously needs a massive update, suffering from the Yesterdayland syndrome that the other Tomorrowlands have suffered in the US parks. Big, open areas with no or little theming, and bland white buildings that look like they could quite as easily be offices pretty much sum up Tomorrowland.
The attractions on offer are slightly better though.
Space Mountain is of course the big one, and although no more exciting from the outside than the US ones, at night it is illuminated like the CA one. The entrance and loading areas are different too. The loading area more resembles CA’s, but has a number of cosmetic alterations. There is onboard audio during the ride and the ascent and end to the ride are quite different, offering better special effects.
The Star Jets are just pitiful up on their boring white plinth, and Captain EO and Buzz Lightyear’s ride suffer from the office block look I described above.
Star Tours looks somewhat more interesting with its shuttle hangar entrance area (probably the best bit about Tomorrowland), but past that it is pretty much identical to all the other versions, bar some cosmetic differences in the loading area (and of course the fact that the commentary is in Japanese!).
There is one other attraction (besides the Speedway), and that is Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek.
This ride is probably the most popular in the park bar none, even more popular than Pooh’s Hunny Hunt.
The lines are insanely long, and people will race you to the FastPass line. An hour after park open there will be 200 minute lines and no FastPasses left. We managed to ride it once (thank God for FastPass!!), and I have to say overall it was just ok. Nothing special to be honest. The scenes, though somewhat different, were very similar to the Monsters, Inc. ride over at California Adventure. There were some new scenes though, and the ride is more interactive, as you get a torch to find the monsters during the ride. The problem is that you don’t get a score at the end, which makes you wonder what the entire flash light thing was about.
Tomorrowland does have one very neat counter service place called Pan Galactic Pizza Port, and although it doesn’t serve the best food, the theming inside is neat.
Tomorrowland is also the home to the One Man’s Dream show. A spectacular character filled musical show with all you favourite Disney stars, you have to get in the park early to see the non-lottery showing, or be very lucky and get picked from the lottery (very frustrating and never guaranteed).
Tomorrowland also sometimes has a roaming band called Cosmax, and they also occasionally play before One Man’s Dream starts.
Before I finish up this incredibly long report, I want to mention the parades.
The parades at Tokyo Disneyland are spectacular and well worth seeing multiple times. In Jubilation!, the day parade, the floats are amazingly coloured and detailed, and feature some unusual characters (such as the Three Little Pigs, Mowgli and the Brer’s for example).
Dreamlights, TDL’s night time parade FAR surpasses ANY version of the electrical parades I have ever seen, at ANY park. It is a visually stunning cavalcade of colour and music that will delight and enchant even the most cynical of people. Highly recommended. It also features some interesting characters not normally seen in the electrical parades, from Marie, the Pooh friends and some PIXAR pals.
Tokyo Disneyland Park is well maintained to a very high standard, clean and friendly. There are areas that we really love, especially on the left hand part of the park, and some areas that need improvement, namely Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. I would highly recommend any Disney fan to visit, but just not in peak seasons as the crowds and the weather can be INTENSE.
Ok, that’s everything for Tokyo Disneyland, my next report will be about transport around the Resort, and some other random things. Tokyo DisneySea will now feature in a sixth report! I promise that will be the last one!
Dan.