Nestled on the shores of Tokyo Bay, Tokyo DisneySea is a theme park unlike any other. Combining the magic of Disney with the allure of maritime exploration, this extraordinary destination takes guests on a journey to enchanted lands and fantastical adventures. In this blog article, we will delve into the wonders of Tokyo DisneySea, exploring its unique attractions, immersive lands, and enchanting experiences that await visitors of all ages.
It would be an understatement to say that Tokyo DisneySea (TDS) is excellent. This is the most themed theme park in the world. Every square inch of TDS is themed to the max. You can sometimes walk by attractions and only know they are there with a bit of exploration. Details like this make TDS simply unique. We spent four days spread out over four weeks in Japan at TDS and always enjoyed exploring it. I wonder if this article will do the park justice. That is how awesome it is!
Walking into TDS, you’re instantly transported into its world. The park’s seven themed lands offer a captivating blend of Disney storytelling and nautical exploration. From the exotic Arabian Coast to the bustling streets of the Mediterranean Harbor, each land presents a distinct atmosphere and captivating attractions. Also, as you walk into Tokyo DisneySea, you pass through and under the MiraCosta Hotel, which is 100% inside the theme park.
Tokyo DisneySea is renowned for its unique attractions; Journey to the Center of the Earth takes adventurers on a thrilling expedition deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull invites guests to join Indiana Jones on an action-packed quest. For a more laid-back experience, board the Venetian gondolas of DisneySea Transit Steamer Line and explore the park’s magnificent waterways. Make sure to catch Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage, which has the most catchy theme song.
Each themed land within Tokyo DisneySea offers a unique atmosphere and transports guests to different times and places. Mediterranean Harbor is the park’s entrance and resembles a charming Italian port city, complete with gondolas and a breathtaking view of Mount Prometheus. The Arabian Coast beckons visitors with its vibrant marketplaces and the whimsical magic of Aladdin and Jasmine. The Lost River Delta presents an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure through ancient ruins, while Mermaid Lagoon immerses guests in the undersea world of Ariel and her friends. Each land offers a rich tapestry of sights, sounds, and experiences that captivate the imagination.
We could easily discuss these themed areas, but Mermaid Lagoon is unique. Being drawn into King Triton’s Kingdom, you will be magically transported underwater and treated to an amazingly detailed representation of The Little Mermaid! We loved this area for its details in such an itty, bitty living space!
Given the level of detail Tokyo DisneySea delivers, you can easily spend days there and uncover new information and Disney Easter eggs around every corner. Also, you will notice that guests have lots of plush animals due to the famous resident of TDS, Duffy the Disney Bear. The popularity of Duffy and friends is not something we can describe in words, and once you go to TDS for yourself, you will get it.
Tokyo DisneySea is renowned for its world-class entertainment that dazzles guests throughout the day—the park’s shows combine impressive choreography, stunning costumes, and beloved Disney characters. Be enthralled by the extravagant stage performances of “Big Band Beat” at the Broadway Music Theatre or embark on a seaside musical adventure with the magical “Believe, Sea of Dreams!” nighttime spectacular. We label Believe, Sea of Dreams as a can’t-miss show. What could have been in EPCOT if they budgeted Harmonious the way Believe, Sea of Dreams was built?
Every visit to Tokyo DisneySea is complete with indulging in its delectable culinary offerings. From savory snacks to sumptuous meals, the park’s restaurants and food stalls cater to all tastes and preferences. There are so many nooks and crannies to get different foods from that we couldn’t even begin to cover them all. However, the incredible and very popular Gyoza Sausage Bun is one can’t-miss snack we returned to multiple times. The place that sells this is at the bottom of a staircase in Mysterious Island. Sometimes the line for this snack is over 60 minutes long, but it is worth your effort.
The Gyoza Sausage Bun is just the tip of the iceberg of culinary exploration at TDS. You will want to explore every snack stop you come across. As with Tokyo Disneyland, popcorn is also a massive deal at TDS. Lines for the unique flavors can be as long as the Gyoza Bun. Some of the flavors they had while we were there were shrimp, garlic, strawberry crème, chocolate, and butter. All of which was tasty!
Tokyo DisneySea Strategy
TDS deserves at least two days to visit. As mentioned above, you can easily miss out on details and attractions if you need to explore the park properly. Like a fine whiskey, you want to take it in slowly and not just go point to point with an attraction-based agenda. Allow Tokyo DisneySea to capture your imagination and go with the flow. Now I would be lying if I told you not to at least plan the major attractions you want to go on. This section will help you plan your day, or hopefully days at TDS.
The two most popular attractions at TDS are Toy Story Mania and Soarin: Fantastic Flight. If you are a frequent US Disney park visitor, you can skip these two attractions for the most part. Toy Story Mania is precisely the same as the US parks version. However, you should check out its décor on the outside, which is fantastic!
Soarin: Fantastic Flight is mostly the same as Soarin in the States; however, the queue and special effects added to the line are arguably worth the wait, and a Tokyo-specific scene is added to the attraction. Our only issue with Soarin: Fantastic Flight is the wait is almost always two to three hours long, and if it is that long, by the end of the night, they will cut the line. Our advice is to purchase Disney Premiere Access for Soarin. This, of course, is equivalent to Individual Lightning Lane in the US parks. The price when we were there was 11.95 per person when converted to US Dollars and well worth the purchase once. This will save you a lot of time and leads us to the number one attraction to ensure you get on at TDS.
Journey to the Center of the Earth is our favorite attraction at Tokyo DisneySea. Located inside Mount Prometheus, the park’s central structure takes you on an adventure into the middle of the earth. Utilizing the same ride system as Test Track and Radiator Springs racers, it would be an understatement to say this ride is simply excellent! Out of the four days we spent at TDS, we got on Journey a whopping eight times. Now we had some light rain on a couple of days which scares off the locals, and also, we had some luck it didn’t rain hard enough to close Journey.
Journey also offers Premiere Access. You can always buy that if you want to ensure you get to this beautiful attraction. Now we promised you an agenda of sorts, so here we go. First, a warning about TDS is a massive park and involves a lot of walking like EPCOT, so take advantage of the transportation attractions such as the Steamer Line and the Electric Railway. Both can get you from the front of the park to the back and vice versa.
If you only have one day at TDS, we suggest you arrive one hour before opening time and queue up. We would first have you target Journey to the Center of the Earth and tell you to buy a Disney Premiere Access for Soarin: Fantastic Voyage. Time your Soarin’ Premiere access for after you get off of Journey. After exiting Journey, you can quickly get in line for the Gyoza Sausage Bun if it is open already (hours may vary for the restaurant) but keep an eye on that as the line will get extended. If your time is up for Soarin, go on that as it is close to Journey.
Then we suggest hopping on the Steamer Line near Soarin and taking it to the Lost River Delta. This is where Indiana Jones and Raging Spirits are located. Both of these attractions offer Single Riders, which can save you some time if you are willing to be split up, which we recommend. Indy is almost a clone of its Disneyland counterpart, but different enough, we highly suggest riding it. Raging Spirits is a small but exciting mine cart roller coaster you should experience at least once.
Now that you are in the back of the park, make your way over to the Arabian Coast and walk right on Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage. Sinbad’s is such a wonderful treat and offers a relaxing voyage with a catchy tune. Below is a video snippet of part of the attraction featuring the song “Compass of Your Heart.” Upon exiting Sinbad, you can snake through the surrounding area to Mermaid Lagoon and explore King Triton’s Kingdom in its glory. We suggest you try out Sebastian’s Calypso’s Kitchen.
From Mermaid Lagoon, you can check on the Gyoza Sausage Bun line if you haven’t gotten it yet, or you can head towards Port Discovery which is home to Aquatopia and Nemo and Friends Sea Rider, both of which are worth 20 minutes of your time if the lines are that short. At least stop and watch Aquatopia, a trackless ride in the water!
From Port Discovery, you can either walk via the Cape Cod area (Duffy the Disney Bear’s hometown) to the American Waterfront or take the Electric Railway. The beauty of TDS is the multiple ways to get around it by exploring. At this point of your day, it is probably evening, leaving you with just the Tower of Terror to get on as far as significant attractions go. Also, watch the showtimes for Believe, Sea of Dreams, you want to ensure you see that!
The above agenda skips over many things, but as mentioned, you need at least two days in Tokyo DisneySea to absorb it. We didn’t even touch on, The Teddy Roosevelt Lounge, or the show Big Band Beat, which you should try to do if you have more time at TDS.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Tokyo DisneySea
It is truly hard to put into words how Tokyo DisneySea looks in real life. Even our pictures of it do not capture the amazingness of the park. When asked about our rankings of Disney Theme parks we put this one in second place behind Walt’s original creation Disneyland Anaheim.
TDS is the most incredible themed park we have ever seen, and the balance of attractions, food, and shows brings it all together. Walt Disney Imagineering was allowed to have a proper budget and executed something special with TDS, and you should put this on your list to visit. What do you think about Tokyo DisneySea? Have you been, or are you planning on going? Check our our planning article here for all things Japan! Let us know in the comments.
