Is Tokyo DisneySea the World’s Best Theme Park? – Part 1

If you follow Coaster101 on Twitter (which you should), then you may have noticed a few weeks ago that there was some live tweeting from Tokyo DisneySea. DisneySea is regarded by many as the best Disney theme park in the World, maybe the best theme park period, so on a recent trip to Japan I had to visit. Now that I’m back in America and can tell what time it is, I’ll see if I can think of any reasons to disagree with that sentiment, and dive into everything that made me laugh, scream, clap my hands, and scratch my head at this amazing amusement park across the Pacific. Because the park is so giant, I’m going to break this down into two parts. Here in part one, I’ll cover the background of DisneySea, touch on how effective the theming is in the park, and dive into the first few areas we visited, including several of DisneySeas signature attractions. In part two, I go into the remaining lands and the “soft product” of the park; the food, the service, and the merchandise that all make it such a special park.

The entry to the park features explorer Micky and the ships he sails around the world to all of the locations found in the park.

The entry to the park features explorer Micky and the ships he sails around the world to all of the locations found in the park.

The Story of DisneySea

So first a little background on Tokyo DisneySea for those who are unfamiliar. The park is the second theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort, sitting across from Tokyo Disneyland (in the same way California Adventure lies across from Disneyland). The park opened in 2001, so they are actually celebrating their 15th, “crystal,” anniversary this year, with an adventure and nautical concept linking the themed lands. The concept was actually originally intended for a park that was planned in the early 1990s in Long Beach called “Port Disney” that got scrapped, but the idea was suggested to the Oriental Land Company when they wanted to expand the Tokyo Disney Resort. That’s right, DisneySea (and Tokyo Disneyland) aren’t actually owned by Disney, they’re owned by the Oriental Land Company which licenses the Disney characters and themes, and consults with Disney Imagineers (or hires them as contractors to work on the rides). The park has been immensely popular since opening, reaching 10 million visitors faster than park had before it, and based on 2013 attendance numbers was the 4th most visited theme park in world. Luckily, thanks to the incredibly useful Tokyo Disney crowd predictor and a forecast for rain in the afternoon, we were blessed with relatively small crowds during our visit.

The Park and Its Ports of Call

The Layout

DisneySea consists of 7 separate lands, referred to as “Ports of Call”, that all more or less relate to parts of the world, Disney properties, or fantasy/sci-fi. Similar to Disneyland, the park is laid out in a “hub and spoke” model, although there are also paths that go around. The entrance to the park opens into the Mediterranean harbor, a renaissance period Italian/Venetian themed area that includes one of the resorts hotels that is actually INSIDE the park. At the center hub of DisneySea lies the Mysterious Island and it’s towering volcano, Mount Prometheus, an area themed heavily off of Jules Verne style Victorian science fiction and home to the signature ride of the park, Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Tokyo DisneySea map.

The map of Tokyo Disney Sea, showing the wheel like layout of the park.

Clockwise around the Mysterious Island from the park entrance are the American waterfront, themed roughly after early 20th century New York, Port Discovery, a retro-future world in a Tomorrowland vein, the Lost River Delta, themed around the Amazon jungle, and the Arabian Coast, themed roughly on the Sultanate of Agrabah from Aladdin (so basically a medieval-ish Arabic city). Lastly, nestled against the Mysterious Island (and partly inside it, seeing as it’s underwater) is the Mermaid Lagoon, a Little Mermaid themed area.

How DisneySea Makes the Theming at Disneyland Seem “Meh”

Before diving too far into the different lands and attractions, I wanted to give my thoughts on the theming at the park in general.

I love Disneyland and the detail that goes into its design, but, partly because of how compact it is, Disneyland isn’t always as immersive as I wish it could be. The themed areas often bleed into each other, both visually and audibly. From anywhere in the park you can usually see attractions from other lands, and that sort of breaks up the “realism” of the park. DisneySea isn’t like this. I’ve never been in a park as completely immersive as it was.

In part this is thanks to the size of the park, 176 acres vs Disneyland’s 85 acres, but it’s also thanks to careful design and layout decisions to help isolate the different sections. I’ll touch on specifics in the sections below, but in general the park does a really good job of using structures or foliage to hide other areas from you. A good example of this is the Lost River Delta which I’ll go into in the next section, but if you look at the map above you can see that in the part of the delta below the river, the pathway has buildings containing stores and restaurants on the bottom side that hide parts of Mermaids lagoon and the Mysterious Island from guests, while above the river, the bank is completely tree lined to block views of the Arabian Coast or Port Discovery from guests.

Hard to tell you're actually inside a theme park, right?Hard to tell you’re actually inside a theme park, right? DisneySea does an amazing job separating the lands to completely immerse guests.

This kind of visual isolation combines with a well designed sound track that includes both music and sound effects. The best part of this audio design is that there was never any bleed between lands, you couldn’t hear arabian music while you were in the Lost River Delta, or early 20th century jazz from the American Waterfront while in the Mediterranean Coast. As you cross lands you don’t really feel like you’re in the same park, but more like you’ve stepped into a completely separate world. These design details, both auditory and visual, make DisneySea absolutely the most immersive theme park I’ve ever been too.

Ok, onto the good stuff, the lands and their rides!

The Lost River Delta

Following the advice of a friend of ours who had been to the park multiple times, we started off making our way to Journey to the Center of the Earth in the Mysterious Island to get a Fastpass for it. The fastpasses work the same way as at Disneyland, so we had a set return time (which being early in the morning wasn’t too far into the future). From here we made our way to the back of the park, and the Lost River Delta (LRD).

One of the Spanish signs at the Lost River Delta steamer port.

One of the Spanish signs at the Lost River Delta steamer port.

Coming through the Mysterious Island, you enter onto the riverbank opposite the dense jungles of the delta. Here is what I would call an  early/mid-20th century South American port theme. Restaurants and shops line the mountain, as described above, all with signs written in Spanish (and Japanese), and latin music playing. Restaurants include things like the El Dorado Cantina. The river side has the dock for the DisneySea Transit Steamliner, which serves as an excellent way to get around the park while giving some great views. We rode it late in the evening when needing a break, but it is a very handy way to get from the front of the park to the back, or vice versa. Three bridges in the delta area cross the river dropping guests into the Amazonian part of the land.

Indiana Jones' plane. Or, I guess, Jock Lindsey's plane.

Indiana Jones’ plane. Or, I guess, Jock Lindsey’s plane.

From this side of the river, your senses are filled with the sounds of the jungle, like croaking frogs, the smell of grilling and smoking (the smoked chicken legs that I sadly didn’t get to try), and the trees and greenery surrounding guests. First stop for us was Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull ride, the temple of which more or less dominates the LRD.

Temple of the Crystal Skull

Up close at the Temple of the Crystal Skull.

Up close at the Temple of the Crystal Skull. Complete with Japanese Disney fans (they’re pretty much everywhere, duh).

Despite the similar name, the ride is not related to the fourth Indiana Jones movie, which came out 7 years after the ride opened. The ride themes and story differ from those of Disneyland, although the ride itself is nearly identical (with a few noticeable changes). The queue is filled with Aztec (or maybe Mayan?) decorations as guests wander through the temple, where apparently Indy is looking for the Fountain of Youth. One of the downsides to being in an overseas Disneyland is that a lot of the background story is lost on me since I don’t speak Japanese. Still, like the Indiana Jones Adventure in the US, the queue is immensely detailed, filled with little treasures that I could spend probably hours reading and looking through. One of the interesting differences is that the guide for guests here is not Sallah, Indy’s trusted companion, but Paco, presumably Indy’s South American assistant.

Aztec murals and carvings cover the inside of the temple.

Paco, our guide.

Paco, our guide, gives us safety instructions.

Notes and newspaper clippings about Indy's excavations. The details in the queue here might be even better than the Disneyland version.

Notes and newspaper clippings about Indy’s excavations. The details in the queue here might be even better than the Disneyland version.

Creepy.

Creepy. And my next Halloween idea.

As I said, the ride itself mostly follows the design of the Disneyland version, although there some small differences, so skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want details. The early differences are no “three room” effect at the beginning, a large crystal skull is our antagonist, and Indy scolds us in Japanese. Many of the rooms in the ride are identical, like the bugs on the wall, the giant snake, and the bridge, although the Giant skull shoots lightning instead of blasting fire. However, the best effect, and most noticeable difference with Disneyland, comes near the end of the ride where the car encounters a skull like carving. After shouting at us (I assume in Japanese), the skull blasts a ball of fire directly at the car! Not actual fire of course, but mist lit that is blasted as the jeep powers forward. It’s an exciting effect, the kind of thing that makes you flinch or turn your head out of the way even though you know it’s harmless. It was probably the thing on the ride that made it stand out from the California version, but all in all it’s a comparable ride. Which, of course, isn’t a bad thing, the California version is my favorite ride at Disneyland!

Raging Spirits

Burning water falls of the temple excavation for Raging Spirits.

Burning water falls of the temple excavation for Raging Spirits.

The other major attraction in the LRD, and the second ride we hit, is Raging Spirits, a small looping roller coaster similar in design to the Indiana Jones coaster at Disneyland Paris. So, in a way, DisneySea offers BOTH Indiana Jones rides (two birds with one stone if you’re an Indy lover and for some reason can only go to one Disney park). Themed around an excavation of a South American temple, the track twists around the temple structure in the middle, climaxing in a loop at the base of the temple over a mist (and fire) covered pond. It’s a small ride and not too intense, but that’s not the point at a Disney park. The fire and especiallythe steam and mist at the bottom of the ride are solid special effects that make the coaster a unique experience. Would I wait hours to ride it? No. Was I happy I did ride? Yep!

The compact coaster isn't large or too intense, but it has some decent thrills.

The compact coaster isn’t large or too intense, but it has some decent thrills.

The best parts though were the use of effects, like the layer of mist you can see at the bottom of the coaster.

The best parts though were the use of effects, like the layer of mist you can see at the bottom of the coaster.

Mysterious Island

With Indiana Jones and Raging Spirits down, it was time to return to the Mysterious Island for our fastpass. The Mysterious Island is pretty brilliantly designed, as the entire area is contained either under or surrounded by the volcano, so at no point does any other theming interfere with the Jules Verne like decoration. Tunnels that go through the mountain enter into a center lagoon, with a circular walkway around a pool of water beneath. Inside the mountain itself is the signature ride of the park, Journey to the Center of the Earth, while down at the water level is the entrance for the other ride in the area, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Occasionally transit steamers from the Lost River Delta will make their way through the water below, so it’s not just for decoration! Scattered throughout the area are pieces of machinery related to the two rides, whether drilling and mining equipment for Journey, or steam-punky/Vernian submarine equipment. For fans of that style, it’s quite the scene.

The Mysterious Island dominates the park.

The Mysterious Island dominates the park.

Jules Verne inspired equipment and design fills the inside of the island.

Jules Verne inspired equipment and design fills the inside of the island.

20,000 Leagues

Down to the water level we go for 20,000 Leagues!Down to the water level we go for 20,000 Leagues!

The less heralded of the two rides, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is essentially a dark ride that goes through a mysterious under water environment. You’re not actually underwater, though. Riders enter small submarine vehicles which are suspended from an overhead track. The vehicle dives down “into the water” and special effects create the visual sense of being under the sea, primarily through lots of darkness, and bubble effects on the windows of the vehicle. It’s not an exciting ride, per se, but there are neat encounters and the set designs are, of course, amazingly well done. My favorite part, though, was that riders actually control a small spot light shining from each window, which allows them to search the scenes. I can’t imagine how many little objects I missed because there’s only so much light, but I loved being able to “explore” the environment myself, as it were. I actually wish we’d gotten to ride it multiple times in order to try to see what else is down there. There is some story to the ride (I think you’re searching for Atlantis), but again, being all in Japanese I couldn’t really tell what the narration was telling me. Still, if you’re a fan of dark rides, this was one of the best I’ve ever been on, and I loved the interactive element, another unique DisneySea feature.

The background of the ride (and our vehicles).

The background of the ride (and our vehicles).

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drilling machines have paved the way for us to take our own Journey to the Center of the Earth!

Drilling machines have paved the way for us to take our own Journey to the Center of the Earth!

As much as I enjoyed 20,000 Leagues, it cannot compare to Journey to the Center of the Earth. Really, it stands above every ride at the park, maybe every Disney ride I’ve ever been on. There’s no question that it is the signature attraction for DisneySea. As with most Disney rides, especially those with indoor lines, there are details and decorations at every turn in the waiting areas. In the first level are glowing rocks and laboratories filled with treasures and experiments pulled from the center of the planet. Guests then ride a “terravator” “down” to the launch point for their journey into the Earth, although in actuality the elevators are taking you up the mountain. Here you find pieces of machinery chugging along, waterfalls, and steam vents along the switchbacks in the line. Eventually, these lead you to your ride vehicles, “steam powered mine vehicles” that are intended to travel through pre-drilled tunnels, perfect for tourists!

Samples from excavated and stored in the labs inside the ride. I have no idea what the difference between pebbles and gravel is, but I assume there is one.

Samples from excavated and stored in the labs inside the ride. I have no idea what the difference between pebbles and gravel is, but I assume there is one.

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The lab is filled with treasures and materials pulled from the excavations!

Steam vents and pools of water fill the subterranean station.

Steam vents and pools of water fill the subterranean station.

Again, if you don’t want to know the details of the ride, skip ahead. The ride starts with a pleasant journey through magical mysteries of the underground, first the crystal garden, then the glowing mushroom forest filled with all manner of strange creatures. As the vehicle moves forward, some disaster happens. Again, all in Japanese, so I’m not sure what that is, but I think a cave-in of some kind. At this point the vehicle veers off-course, and into a creepy side tunnel filled with egg like sacks (as someone who plays video games, it seemed oddly familiar). Growling and skittering sounds could be heard all around. The car then passes an underground sea and through some kind of underground electrical storm, that includes a terrifyingly loud (and close) bolt of fake lightning along one side of the car. As the riders go deeper, blasts of steam and actual fire, again including one that’s impressively close, surround the vehicle, until riders come face to face with a giant, terrifying lava monster thing whose nest we probably just disturbed. This is one of the most impressive animatronics I’ve seen on a Disney ride, and makes the ol’ snowman in the Matterhorn seem tame. The creature gets real mad, and then the vehicle is launched (or launches itself, unclear) up and out of the volcano. The vehicle emerges from the mountainside and then has a rip-roaring trip around the island before returning back to the station.

To the center we go! Turns out that Japanese writing on the bottom is the name of an insurance company or something that sponsors the ride. Sometimes it's nice to not know the language...To the center we go! Turns out that Japanese writing on the bottom is the name of an insurance company or something that sponsors the ride. Sometimes it’s nice to not know the language…

The vehicles themselves operate on the same type of track system as Test Track at Epcot or Radiator Springs Racers at California Adventure, allowing the vehicles to accelerate rapidly to high speeds and adjust their velocity as they speed through the course. Essentially the entire Mysterious Island volcano is the track for the ride, which gives a great balance of amazing animatronics and thrilling high speed action. If I had one complaint, it’s that the design of vehicles themselves have a lot of visual obstructions. I wish they had been open topped, so I could have more easily looked around at everything. Of course, we rode it three times, so that helped the issue, although I never got to ride in the front, which I think would have made the experience even better. Still, this was quite possibly the most impressive themed thrill ride I’ve ever been on, especially since it made me jump out of my seat multiple times even during the slow parts.

One downside to these ride vehicles? Too many things obstructing the view of the riders. But the design looks really good.

One downside to these ride vehicles? Too many things obstructing the view of the riders. But the design looks really good.

Mediterranean Harbor 

With our Journey complete, we headed to the Mediterranean Harbor area for lunch at the restaurant recommended to us by friends, Magellans. We had to make a reservation for about an hour later, turns out being a full service restaurant they get backed up, but this gave us time to explore this section of the park, and enjoy one of the great walk-through attractions in the park, Fortress Explorations.

Fortress Explorations

The Fortress of the Mediterranean Harbor.The Fortress and ships of the Mediterranean Harbor.

The Fortress Explorations attraction at DisneySea is a multi-level walkthrough of a giant Venetian castle. The rooms contain various interactive displays that are educational, but are mostly related to renaissance area discoveries. Examples include a room with a giant camera obscura that allows guests to watch the streets across the water, or a room with a giant model of the solar system where guests can move the different planets to observe their orbits. The details of the decorations in these various rooms are as good as any, and unlike the theming in queues, here I can actually stare in awe at all of them without having to move. An overall theme joins the rooms, as the fortress is home to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (SEA). The Society actually links different lands with references popping up in attractions like the Tower of Terror (which we’ll go into in Part 2 of our DisneySea review). The Fortress Explorations also provided excellent views including the Mediterranean Harbor and the American Waterfront.

Views of the DisneySea entrance lake from the Fortress.

Views of the DisneySea entrance lake from the Fortress.

The other primary attraction in the Mediterranean Harbor is the Venetian Gondolas. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to ride them due to time limitations and the worsening weather, but I have heard that if you speak Japanese, or get a gondolier who speaks English, the rides can be a lot of fun. Next time.

Magellan’s

The real highlight of the area for us, though, was where we ate lunch, Magellan’s, the full multi-course restaurant in the Fortress. Themed as the club for the SEA, the inside features a huge, two level center room with a giant globe in the middle. The walls are decorated with portraits of famous explorers and artifacts from the age of exploration. I spent a decent amount of time just walking through the dining room after our meal. There is also the secret back dining room, where diners are taken through a hidden door disguised as a book shelf. We didn’t get to eat in the back, but I did see some guests eating in the secret room as servers went back and forth through the secret door.

The giant globe dominates the interior of Magellan's.

The giant globe dominates the interior of Magellan’s.

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And above the globe is a beautiful map of the constellations.

As for the food, it is without question the finest I’ve ever had in a theme park, and while you might expect a three course theme park meal to break the bank, it actually wasn’t THAT expensive for a fixed price lunch. I would absolutely recommend it for at least one meal during a visit to DisneySea, if nothing else than for the opportunity to see the decor of the interior. Try to make a reservation, we were lucky crowds weren’t too large, but I could imagine it getting booked up on a busy day.

There's a Micky on my bread!There’s a Micky on my bread!

With lunch completed, we made our way back out into the park. I’ll cover the rest of the Ports of Call in Part 2, and go into some of the other amazing food that can be found in the park, as well as the amazing level of service from all the cast members in the park. So far though, it looks like DisneySea is making a strong case for the claim of best theme park. I’ve already called it the most immersive park I’ve been to, with the best themed ride I’ve ever been on, and the best theme park meal I’ve ever had. What more could it offer? Find out in part 2!

For now, if you’ve been to DisneySea before, let us know if you agree or disagree with my take above, and share with us your favorite parts of the park in the comments. For more about DisneySea (like hours), check out their official site. For more Coaster101 make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. Finally, if you want to talk about theme parks and roller coasters with fellow fans, head on over and join the new Coaster101 readers group on Facebook!

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