Walt Disney Company Gave Glimpse Of DisneySea Theme Park On Wednesday...

[Janet2k]

I just read this about the upcoming DisneySea theme park (it's a Reuters article that I found on the Internet).

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Wednesday August 1, 9:24 am Eastern Time

Disney to open first ocean theme park in Japan
By Kazunori Takada

URAYASU, Japan, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS - news) gave a glimpe on Wednesday of its latest theme park, the U.S. company's first attempt anywhere to lure visitors with the adventure and romance of the ocean.

At first glance, Tokyo DisneySea, built next to the hugely popular Disneyland on the outskirts of Tokyo, could be a port city in Italy. Like Mount Etna in Sicily, a volcanic mountain spews smoke into the air.

But take a closer look and you'll see Mickey Mouse and other popular Disney characters dancing around or posing for pictures.

In a special preview, about 10,000 visitors toured the new park, which is designed to appeal to the senses of an island nation.

``The people of Japan, surrounded all sides by sea, have special feelings for the ocean,'' said Shintaro Mogi, director of publicity at Oriental Land Co Ltd , the operator of Japan's Disney parks.

Hopes are high for the new 338 billion yen ($2.70 billion) playground, despite Japan's gloomy economy and the competing attractions of Vivendi SA's newly opened Universal Studios Japan (USJ) theme park in Osaka, the heartbeat of the Kansai region a couple of hours by bullet train from Tokyo.

``People visit Disneyland to escape from reality so the bad economy won't affect us,'' Mogi said.

DisneySea is due to open to the public on September 4.

``Although we thought USJ would have an impact on us in the short term, the number of visitors from Kansai is increasing. We are not worried,'' Mogi said in an interview.

Universal Studios made its international debut in Osaka, western Japan, in late March and has so far done well, drawing about two million visitors as of June.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

DisneySea and Disneyland are expected to attract 25 million visitors a year. Disneyland alone draws about 17 million people a year, more than any other theme park in the world.

Visitors will pay 5,500 yen for a one-day pass to DisneySea, the same as the ticket to get into the adjacent magic kingdom.

Mogi said each customer is expected to spend about 10,000 yen at the park, which would equate to about 250 billion yen in sales from the two parks.

Disney receives about seven percent of ticket, merchandise and restaurant sales from Oriental Land.

DisneySea's first visitors revelled in its 33 attractions, including the popular ``Indiana Jones'' ride, which is also offered at Disneyland in Los Angeles, and a submarine adventure.

``My favourite was the Journey to the Center of the Earth,'' said Tetsuo Iwa****a, 37, referring to a rollercoaster ride in inside the volcano that ends with a thrilling fall from a hole near the crater.

``There are enjoyable things that aren't offered at Disneyland, such as the atmosphere of the various foreign countries,'' said 30-year-old Kazuomi Miyasaka.

About a fifth of the 176-acre playground is water, and the call of the sea is everywhere. Visit New York; take a gondola rise through Venice; or stroll through an Arabian harbour city.

``I really liked it. I want to come back again,'' six-year-old Ayano Matsuhashi said.

($1 equals 125.07 Yen)

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[Janet2k]

I didn't watch TV on Wednesday, but I'm hoping that someone else here did and they might have caught a glimpse of the Sneak Peak on one of the network TV stations. Did anyone see anything on, say ABC news?

[SpaceMountain_uk]

Here is a link to pictures inside the park http://jtcent.com/disneysea/index.html

It looks absoultly brilliant.Well done Imagineering and well done to Oriental Land Co. for having the sense to invest in such a park!:D :D

[TigerBear]

This park sounds AMAZING! I really wish they would build one in The States or Europe.

[daannzzz]

Try this link as well for some jaw dropping pics inside the park. I have to go to Japan. There is no question about it.

http://www.disneyana-jp.com/

[toefungus]

This parks looks amazing!!! The attention to detail it just incredible.

[Another Voice]

Perhaps now everyone can understand why so many of us are “disappointed” (I’ll be honest and say “bitter”) about California Adventure. Disney is still filled with talented creators who are capable of producing the quality of work we’ve come to expect. The Oriental Land Company requested – and received – that kind of workmanship and their park is an absolute masterpiece. DisneySea has already begun to sell-out; tickets can be purchased up to 30 days in advance and you must specify the date you will go to the park. In other words, the place is so popular you need a reservation. This stands in stark contrast to California Adventure where discounts will be extended for another six months and yet another round of free ticket mailings in the work (more the a quarter million tickets have been GIVEN away so far for this park).

“Rumors” say that a cut-rate version of DisneySea was drawn up for WDW. The Florida version of the park would have been roughly one-third the size of Toyko’s and only featured one of the E-ticket rides (the Indiana Jones Adventure) and four of the smaller attractions. To boost the ride count, the park would have included a Paradise Pier section filled with unthemed, off-the-shelf carnival rides. The drop in attendance at WDW, the serious problems at Animal Kingdom, and Corporate’s canceling of all capital spending in the parks doomed the mini-Seas park. That, I think, is a good thing – either do it right or don’t do it at all.

And don’t expect to see a lot of coverage about the park. Disney does not want this place advertised in the United States. Fortunately we still have the Internet.

Now, what’s the phone number for Japan Airlines….

[hopemax]

I used to think it would be a pipe dream to go to Tokyo, but then I realized...The hotels in Tokyo are the same price as the Deluxe hotels in WDW. The admission price is about the same as WDW. The people on LP that live in Japan say that merchandise and food costs the same as or less than WDW. So I realized the kicker is airfare. I've paid $350 to fly from Seattle to MCO, right now you can get United for $548 from Seattle, so would I be willing to pay an additional $200 to go to Japan for a week...would I pay basically $30 more a day to go to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea...you betcha!

Problem is I promised DH we could go to Scotland next year, so I gotta wait.

[donald@home]

This park looks AMAZING. For the first time in my life I am considering taking a trip to Japan. I would travel halfway around the world just to see this park, and I won't even cross the street to see California Adventure. Sad, isn't it?

[J. Thornhill]

I don't care if I have to promise JAL my First Born! . . . Where do I sign? I'm GOING to see this park. I've been looking for info for the past few weeks, but no one offers packages as far as I can tell. I bet they'll start pretty soon. Nonetheless, I've got to get on the ball with research on a la carte travel.

J.-

[hopemax]

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll see packages just because TDR doesn't need to. Tokyo Disneyland get's $17 million people without trying to make it easy for potential US visitors. I'd just settle for a travel agent that has experience setting up a Tokyo DL trip! Anyone know of any?

[Captain Crook]

Thanks for all the photo's guys. It IS great to know that they (Disney) can still do it. Sadly, I don't see Japan in my future. urther, I don't think we'll see this kind of quality or completeness at an existing American Park but if they(Disney) ever decide to build at a third US location then I think expectations will be of the DisneySeas kind of high!
:smooth: :smooth: :bounce: :smooth: :smooth:

[Mooobooks]

It's real simple to go to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. First, you do not need a travel agent.
You can call the hotels in Tokyo Disneyland directly and make a reservation. Someone will speak English, and they will take your credit cards.
Simply call United, ANA, or Northwest (though I would only recommend the first two, the third is cheapest) and book a flight to Narita airport in Tokyo. An economy fare could cost between $1000 and $1400 dollars. It's a bit less in the winter. A direct flight from the east coast of the United States takes 14 hours. You watch two movies, eat two or three meals, and still have about 9 hours to kill.
You take a bus from Narita airport directly to Tokyo Disneyland.
There are generally always people who speak a little English, and as long as you are patient with people, you will be well rewarded with a wonderful trip.
BE WELL AWARE THAT TOKYO DISNEYLAND IS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS CROWDED, EVEN ON COLD MISERABLE RAINY DAYS IN THE DEAD OF WINTER, SO DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE BOTH PARKS IN TWO OR THREE DAYS.
I've been to Tokyo 14 times--it's a wonderful city and people are lovely.

[swinginevilmike]

:( I don't think we'll ever see anything that good state side...It's almost depressing...:(

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks Mooobooks!

I'm starting to work out a vacation for 2003 to Tokyo!

How many days would you suggest to a traveler who will most likely never visit Tokyo again??

[Janet2k]

I thought I would post a couple of the links that I have for Disney in Japan:

http://disney.go.com/vacations/sneakpreview/tokyosea/index.html
http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tdr/index_e.html
http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tds/e_index.html
http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tdl/index_e.html
http://www.disneyambassadorhotel.com/index_e.html
http://www.hotelmiracosta.com/index_e.html

Here are the links to the “tariff and calendar” pages for the Ambassador Hotel and the Hotel Miracosta:
http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tdr/english/sche/htl_dah_price.html
http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/tdr/english/sche/htl_dhm_price.html

I am now thinking about having a vow renewal in Tokyo Disney. Here’s the link to Disney’s Japan Fairy Tale Weddings website: http://www.disneyweddingsjapan.com/en/index.html

[J. Thornhill]

Thanks for the info, Moobooks!

Thanks for the links Janet2k!

J.-

[Mooobooks]

It depends upon if you want to do anything other than go to Disney while in Japan. You might want to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka and visit the Universal park that just opened (though I don't know if it has anything that's not already in Florida).
Tokyo Disneyland requires two full days at least. It is mostly a carbon copy of Anaheim, with about four attractions that are in no other park, including "Mickey Mouse Revue" (used to be in WDW), Cinderalla Castle Mystery Tour, Meet the World (Japanese Carousel of Progress), and something else I can't remember at the moment.
It's a good park.
DisneySea, with its crowds, would need two or three days. I would say a full week would give you enough time to do both parks very thoroughly.
People generally don't go over there for less than 10 days to two weeks. The 13 hour time difference is a real whack in the head: it's exactly backward.
There's a lot of other great stuff to see and do in Tokyo and the surrounding cities (Mt. Fuji, Hakone--a national forest, Kyoto, etc.). There are lots of good guide books that can give you examples.

[Bob O]

I think the bottom line is that the people in charge of disney are too cheap right now to do anything creative at all. The oriental land company from what ive read paid almost all the money and wanted it done right, not like animal kingdom and apparently DCA. Disney has the creative genuis to do it right if given the money and left alone but in the US they arent allowed so we get carnival rides with a little better themeing but nothing more and defintely nothing ground breaking. Its sad it has to come to this and even with a excellant park like IOA built nearby disney creates nothing exciting to get some buzz.

[SpaceMountain_uk]

Tokyo Disneyland is not a copy of anaheim its a direct copy of Floridas Magic Kingdom. Excepet for afew alterations like there Main Street is covered and is called World Bazar and the Haunted Mansion is in Fantasyland.

[J. Thornhill]

The oriental land company from what ive read paid almost all the money and wanted it done right, not like animal kingdom and apparently DCA.

Bob O,

I 'm not sure I agree with your reference to Animal Kingdom. If you mean to imply that "doing it right" means opening a fully completed park incorporating all extant concepts, then perhaps I can accept that. Animal Kingdom clearly has a lot more growing to do. If you're referring to the level of themeing, innovation or artistry involved, then I disagree. I think what is done at AK, with very few exceptions is done "right". DCA is a very different story.

J.

[TigerBear]

I haven't been to DCA yet, but isn't Soarin' Over California ground breaking? Too bad that bit of genius wasn't carried out throughout the park.

I also think Animal Kingdom is an amazing park - one of my favorite. It just needs time to grow.

[Bob O]

The theming of Animal Kingdom is excellant but the park isnt a whole day park and for the cost of admission more needs to be done. Now if it would have been built like it was supposed to have been with the Beastly kingdom included it could then be a whole day park but disney didnt finish the job properly to save money.

[daannzzz]

I don't think Soarin' Over California is groudbreaking. It is a very, very pleasent ride. I did it four times when I went in March. It is, in my opion, an excellent D-ticket. But it is still just a movie and I am getting tired of movies being presented as big attractions. Perhaps if it had been in 3D I would upgrade it.
For me the difference between DCA and TDS and AK is theme. AK's theme was interesting to me and exotic and somewhat epic in proportion. TDS's theme is what I really like from Disney cause they can do it so well and it takes me away into another world.And talk about epic proportions. At DCA there are a bit of fantasy elements but essentially you are in present day California ( where I already live) and the theme is not exxiting or epic. Even the (should have been) epic Golden Dreams didn't seem so. Paradise Pier is a mixture of time periods so esentially is a presentation of a seaside boardwalk that has been around for along time and kept a couple of its older rides but updated as time passed and is sitting there with its theme in the present. TDS appears that it will take me to worlds that I imagined from childhood and still even today.

[Mickey76]

:)

Janet2K, thanks for the great pictures. The park looks great. I'm disappointed that the new park isn't making it's debut at WDW. Have you heard any rumors about Disney building a park with the same theme at WDW, and if so, what is the timetable for it's opening?

Mickey76:)

[daannzzz]

I don't think Soarin' Over California is groudbreaking. It is a very, very pleasent ride. I did it four times when I went in March. It is, in my opion, an excellent D-ticket. But it is still just a movie and I am getting tired of movies being presented as big attractions. Perhaps if it had been in 3D I would upgrade it.
For me the difference between DCA and TDS and AK is theme. AK's theme was interesting to me and exotic and somewhat epic in proportion. TDS's theme is what I really like from Disney cause they can do it so well and it takes me away into another world.And talk about epic proportions. At DCA there are a bit of fantasy elements but essentially you are in present day California ( where I already live) and the theme is not exxiting or epic. Even the (should have been) epic Golden Dreams didn't seem so. Paradise Pier is a mixture of time periods so esentially is a presentation of a seaside boardwalk that has been around for along time and kept a couple of its older rides but updated as time passed and is sitting there with its theme in the present. TDS appears that it will take me to worlds that I imagined from childhood and still even today.

[olena]

Wow! That sounds so enchanting. It would be excellent if they built one at WDW.

[johare]

Park looks very nice...much better than AK in my opinion. If they aren't expecting visitors from the US, then why are all the signs in English and not Japanese? I've been to Tokyo and most of the signs I saw were in Japanese with small english 'subtitles' below. If you get far from the city, it becomes even harder to find stuff written in english.