sand2270
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2008
- Messages
- 2,976
Since I had so much fun writing a trip report for my recent trip to Disneyland I decided to write one for my trip to DisneySea last year. My boyfriend was in Tokyo for 6 months last year for work. I was able to visit him twice which was amazing. I loved Tokyo and could write pages and pages on the trip but I will keep the focus of this on DisneySea.
Let me say that while I am a big Disney fan I felt kind of silly flying all the way to a foreign country and than spending a day in a Disney park. Disney to me is such an American icon that I really thought I wasnt taking advantage of being in Japan by spending a day at DisneySea rather than taking in more sights around Tokyo. I felt this way shopping in the huge Gap in Harajuku, but got over it when I was taken in by the amazing Japanese customer service. Boy am I glad I got over that. DisneySea is an amazing park.
My first glimpse of Tokyo Disney was after my flight. Narita International Airport is about a 90-minute bus ride to Tokyo. Except for the signs being in Japanese, I really did not feel like I was in a foreign country. This feeling of not being somewhere foreign only increased when we drove by the Disney resort and I could see the tips of Space Mountain and the Castle from the bus. I started asking myself did I really just spend 14 hours on a plane flying overseas or is someone playing a joke on me. This being my first time in a foreign country (except trips to Mexico) and being slightly nervous, seeing these familiar Disney icons almost gave me a sense of comfort.
I was still going back and forth as to whether I was going to see Tokyo Disney. My fifth day in Tokyo I decided to go. I felt I had done enough Tokyo sightseeing that I could feel less guilty about visiting Disney. I really was conflicted over this so silly. Getting there is a little complicated. I have lived in Tucson all my life so I have never really used much public transportation because frankly it is almost non-existent out here. I have ridden subways in New York City which can be scary.
So when my boyfriend said I had a day to learn the subway system (I arrived on a Saturday night and he had to go back to work Monday, which meant I would be on my own) I was frankly FREAKED OUT. How am I going to learn the subway system of a big metropolis in one day when I havent even ridden a public bus before? Well I have to say they have a great subway system and I felt very safe in Tokyo. Halfway through the first day I had it down. However, going to Disney still requires a few subway changes than changing to a train. Plus I remembered how far away it was from the drive in. I was nervous, but Im a smart girl and I made it.
After you get off the train, you are standing outside the big shopping area called Ikspiari and the huge Disneystore called Bon Voyage. But more on those later. This is where you can also pick up the monorail to go over to DisneySea. You do have to pay to use the monorail and can buy a day pass or a per ride ticket. I bought a day pass just in case. The monorail is great. It has Mickey shaped windows and hand straps from the ceiling. It takes you past Disneyland first than you get to DisneySea.
I bought my ticket and asked for an English map. Before you enter the park you enter an area with a fountain and a huge globe in the center. I remember there were also some characters in this area.
You enter the park through Mediterranean Harbor. All I can say is WOW. As soon as I entered the park any reservations I had were gone. It is beautiful, I was in awe. Mediterranean Harbor is beautiful and when you look out over the water you see the volcano from Mysterious Island shooting out smoke and fire. It was also a clear, beautiful day and the park wasnt very crowded. At this point I got that feeling of excitement I get whenever I visit Disneyland and walk under the train tracks onto Main Street.
Mediterranean Harbor is mainly shopping and dining. Since I was anxious to see what Mysterious Island was all about I headed over there first. Mysterious Island is an enclosed land within the park. There are two rides, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth. I got a Fastpass for Journey to the Center of the Earth and got in line for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea offers a single rider line according to my map. I asked a CM if it was available and she said it wasnt. Probably because the park wasnt very busy. My wait in line wasnt very long. This is a dark ride and you get into these enclosed sub type things. The windows are curved in a way that it gives you the effect that you are under water during the ride even though you arent. The ride was entirely in Japanese so I dont really know what the story was about but it was definitely a unique dark ride. I went back to Journey to the Center of the Earth. This is a roller coaster with a big drop at the end similar to Splash Mountain. Again, it was all in Japanese so I cant tell you what the story was about.
After this I headed over to Mermaid Lagoon. Again, an example of amazing theming. Mermaid Lagoon is kind of like Fantasyland underwater. Well not really underwater, but you feel like you are under water. It is an enclosed land and is inside. I didnt go on any rides here. But at this point wished my DD8 had been with me because she would have loved it. There is a JellyFish ride similar to the one at DCA. My pictures dont do it justice and I couldnt get a good picture of it. It really was amazing and another land that took my breath away. After that I headed back outside and went on Flounders Flying Fish Coaster which is very similar to Gadgets Go Coaster in DL.
I was getting hungry and already knew I wanted to go back to Mysterious Island to Vulcania Restaurant. The Restaurant is downstairs and you are sitting more at water level outside. I also knew from my map they had beer which I wanted. I got potstickers (gyoza) and beer to me a perfect vacation lunch. The potstickers were a rectangle shape which threw me a little. Also being a chopstick novice were a little tricky to pick up but I managed.
I am still kicking myself for not getting a Gyoza Sausage Bun from the cart in Mysterious Island. The line was huge everytime I walked by and I am usually one to avoid long lines. People would just plop down on the ground and eat their sausages. This was a very popular area. Funny story, a few weeks after I left a Japanese family that my boyfriend befriended in Tokyo went to DisneySea. They brought a Gyoza Sausage Bun back for my boyfriend to try and he loved it. But thats ok, I will take my DD someday and we will try them.
It's late and I am getting tired so I may have to finish this up tomorrow.
Let me say that while I am a big Disney fan I felt kind of silly flying all the way to a foreign country and than spending a day in a Disney park. Disney to me is such an American icon that I really thought I wasnt taking advantage of being in Japan by spending a day at DisneySea rather than taking in more sights around Tokyo. I felt this way shopping in the huge Gap in Harajuku, but got over it when I was taken in by the amazing Japanese customer service. Boy am I glad I got over that. DisneySea is an amazing park.
My first glimpse of Tokyo Disney was after my flight. Narita International Airport is about a 90-minute bus ride to Tokyo. Except for the signs being in Japanese, I really did not feel like I was in a foreign country. This feeling of not being somewhere foreign only increased when we drove by the Disney resort and I could see the tips of Space Mountain and the Castle from the bus. I started asking myself did I really just spend 14 hours on a plane flying overseas or is someone playing a joke on me. This being my first time in a foreign country (except trips to Mexico) and being slightly nervous, seeing these familiar Disney icons almost gave me a sense of comfort.
I was still going back and forth as to whether I was going to see Tokyo Disney. My fifth day in Tokyo I decided to go. I felt I had done enough Tokyo sightseeing that I could feel less guilty about visiting Disney. I really was conflicted over this so silly. Getting there is a little complicated. I have lived in Tucson all my life so I have never really used much public transportation because frankly it is almost non-existent out here. I have ridden subways in New York City which can be scary.
So when my boyfriend said I had a day to learn the subway system (I arrived on a Saturday night and he had to go back to work Monday, which meant I would be on my own) I was frankly FREAKED OUT. How am I going to learn the subway system of a big metropolis in one day when I havent even ridden a public bus before? Well I have to say they have a great subway system and I felt very safe in Tokyo. Halfway through the first day I had it down. However, going to Disney still requires a few subway changes than changing to a train. Plus I remembered how far away it was from the drive in. I was nervous, but Im a smart girl and I made it.
After you get off the train, you are standing outside the big shopping area called Ikspiari and the huge Disneystore called Bon Voyage. But more on those later. This is where you can also pick up the monorail to go over to DisneySea. You do have to pay to use the monorail and can buy a day pass or a per ride ticket. I bought a day pass just in case. The monorail is great. It has Mickey shaped windows and hand straps from the ceiling. It takes you past Disneyland first than you get to DisneySea.
I bought my ticket and asked for an English map. Before you enter the park you enter an area with a fountain and a huge globe in the center. I remember there were also some characters in this area.
You enter the park through Mediterranean Harbor. All I can say is WOW. As soon as I entered the park any reservations I had were gone. It is beautiful, I was in awe. Mediterranean Harbor is beautiful and when you look out over the water you see the volcano from Mysterious Island shooting out smoke and fire. It was also a clear, beautiful day and the park wasnt very crowded. At this point I got that feeling of excitement I get whenever I visit Disneyland and walk under the train tracks onto Main Street.
Mediterranean Harbor is mainly shopping and dining. Since I was anxious to see what Mysterious Island was all about I headed over there first. Mysterious Island is an enclosed land within the park. There are two rides, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth. I got a Fastpass for Journey to the Center of the Earth and got in line for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea offers a single rider line according to my map. I asked a CM if it was available and she said it wasnt. Probably because the park wasnt very busy. My wait in line wasnt very long. This is a dark ride and you get into these enclosed sub type things. The windows are curved in a way that it gives you the effect that you are under water during the ride even though you arent. The ride was entirely in Japanese so I dont really know what the story was about but it was definitely a unique dark ride. I went back to Journey to the Center of the Earth. This is a roller coaster with a big drop at the end similar to Splash Mountain. Again, it was all in Japanese so I cant tell you what the story was about.
After this I headed over to Mermaid Lagoon. Again, an example of amazing theming. Mermaid Lagoon is kind of like Fantasyland underwater. Well not really underwater, but you feel like you are under water. It is an enclosed land and is inside. I didnt go on any rides here. But at this point wished my DD8 had been with me because she would have loved it. There is a JellyFish ride similar to the one at DCA. My pictures dont do it justice and I couldnt get a good picture of it. It really was amazing and another land that took my breath away. After that I headed back outside and went on Flounders Flying Fish Coaster which is very similar to Gadgets Go Coaster in DL.
I was getting hungry and already knew I wanted to go back to Mysterious Island to Vulcania Restaurant. The Restaurant is downstairs and you are sitting more at water level outside. I also knew from my map they had beer which I wanted. I got potstickers (gyoza) and beer to me a perfect vacation lunch. The potstickers were a rectangle shape which threw me a little. Also being a chopstick novice were a little tricky to pick up but I managed.
I am still kicking myself for not getting a Gyoza Sausage Bun from the cart in Mysterious Island. The line was huge everytime I walked by and I am usually one to avoid long lines. People would just plop down on the ground and eat their sausages. This was a very popular area. Funny story, a few weeks after I left a Japanese family that my boyfriend befriended in Tokyo went to DisneySea. They brought a Gyoza Sausage Bun back for my boyfriend to try and he loved it. But thats ok, I will take my DD someday and we will try them.
It's late and I am getting tired so I may have to finish this up tomorrow.
. It looks amazing and like a lot of fun. I've heard rumors that there's a 5th park in the works for Disney World and if it's true I'm hoping that they bring Disney Sea or some element of it to Florida...
