As a seasoned traveler and self-proclaimed Disney enthusiast, I must confess that my recent family trip to Tokyo Disneyland has left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, witnessing the sheer joy on my children’s faces as they experienced the classic rides and saw the iconic castle was priceless. However, on the other hand, as a ’90s kid myself, I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment for not having introduced my offspring to the magic that is Tokyo DisneySea.
The first time I went to a Disney theme park, I was 3. So obviously, I don’t remember anything.
It wasn’t until I returned from my honeymoon at Disney World that I really got to immerse myself in its magic. At the time, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was the latest attraction being built, with no fuss about Splash Mountain or Jungle Cruise. In every sense, Disney World was the must-visit destination, and it seemed like it would remain that way forever.
In the present day, visitors to Disney aren’t always overjoyed with the House of Mouse, but I anticipated my children, aged 7 and 9, would still enjoy it due to their age being ideal for appreciating Disney magic. During our recent trip to Japan, I decided to take them to Tokyo Disneyland since it was their initial visit to a Disney theme park, and I must say, their responses were unexpected. Let me share my experience.
Given How Much I Hyped It Up, They Thought It Would Be Bigger
To start off, let me clarify that I’ve never visited Disneyland before; my previous experiences were limited to Disney World. As a result, I’m accustomed to the fact that there are four distinct parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
Without a doubt, I shared every detail of those experiences with my kids. I enthusiastically discussed the thrilling Expedition Everest ride in Animal Kingdom, hyped up the rockin’ Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith at Hollywood Studios, and just couldn’t stop chattering about Soarin’ over at Epcot.
When I chose Japan as our summer destination, I aimed to accomplish two tasks at once – exploring Japan and visiting a Disney theme park. Upon reaching Tokyo Disneyland, the first words out of my son’s mouth were, “I thought it would be larger.
Certainly, it was my mistake for which I take full responsibility. I’d given them a rather ambitious idea about Tokyo Disneyland, but unfortunately, it isn’t as expansive as Disney World. In other words, the excitement I created might have been a bit too grand for the actual size of Tokyo Disneyland compared to Disney World.
For one thing, it’s only one park. There’s your standard Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country, and Toontown, but you also have World Bazaar rather than Main Street, U.S.A., and Westernland rather than Frontierland. You also have mostly similar rides, with a few variations.
To put it simply, my kids weren’t swayed by the idea of Disney World since they had no other point of reference apart from what I described to them. Yet, my son was underwhelmed. He showed little interest in visiting the castle or the so-called “pod rides,” which I will discuss later on.
Instead of her, however, my daughter adapted to it more smoothly. She enjoyed Fantasyland but felt indifferent towards the other areas of the park. In summary, both of my kids expected a larger park, which was again my mistake. I had given them a glimpse of the world, when I should have given them a taste of the land instead.
My Son Wasn’t Really A Big Fan Of All The “Pod Rides,” But He Absolutely Adored Haunted Mansion
The first “horror” movie my son ever saw was Haunted Mansion, which we called “spooky” and “fun” in our review. I actually didn’t watch it with him since my wife took him to see it, but I remember he had to sleep with the light on that night.
Since then, he’s developed a strong affection for horror. He’s quite fond of the Five Nights at Freddy’s video games, and while he enjoyed the movie, he found it less terrifying because it lacked many jump scares. His most cherished holiday is Halloween, and he’s eagerly waiting for the release of the Poppy Playtime movie.
I’m mentioning this since my son wasn’t fond of many of the “capsule-style” attractions at Tokyo Disneyland, which are the ones where you sit inside a capsule and watch different scenes unfold around you.
Even though it’s on a boat, my son refers to “It’s a Small World” as a “pod ride,” because there are no exciting moments; instead, you just drift aimlessly. Similarly, Pirates of the Caribbean and Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast could also be categorized this way, with the latter being exclusive to Tokyo Disneyland.
It’s no surprise that my daredevil son wasn’t fond of any of these rides. After all, he prefers the adrenaline rush of roller coasters, particularly those that flip him upside down, such as the Ring of Fire.
That said, my son absolutely adored Haunted Mansion, which is also what he’d consider a pod ride.
When I sat next to him, he kept mentioning, “That scene is from the film too, as well as that one. And even this!” It seemed the movie closely followed the ride’s storyline. He also appreciated its eerie atmosphere. Interestingly, my son only enjoys Disneyland because of the Haunted Mansion – turns out he has a taste for the macabre just like me.
Meanwhile, My Daughter Said Pirates Of The Caribbean Was The Best Ride She’s Ever Been On
Instead, my daughter found no appeal in Haunted Mansion; instead, she considered it quite unimpressive.
Although she wasn’t particularly fond of Pirates of the Caribbean initially, it has now become her all-time favorite attraction. Watching her enjoy the ride was more captivating than the animatronics themselves, as her mouth remained agape throughout our adventure on the pirate ship.
She’d actually never seen any of the movies, so she didn’t have a reference point like my son had with Haunted Mansion. But, she just loved the overall spectacle of Pirates.
As a gamer, I found myself immersed in an exhilarating rollercoaster ride filled with booming cannons, splashing water, and even a playful whistle to our furry companion. Every element of the ride resonated with me, and witnessing her sheer joy was beyond words. Truly, that moment was pure enchantment.
Neither Of My Children Were All That Impressed With The Tokyo Disneyland Exclusive Ride, Enchanted Tale Of Beauty And The Beast, But My Wife And I Loved It
Every time I researched videos on Tokyo Disneyland, people only seemed to rave about the enchanting Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast. Intrigued, I decided to see it for myself.
At Tokyo Disneyland, they offer a service called Disney Premier Access, which was previously known as Fastpass but now requires payment (I’m aware it’s not ideal). I opted to purchase this pass to bypass the queue and we hopped on the ride. Interestingly enough, my children didn’t enjoy it at all!
As ’90s children, my spouse and I found great enjoyment in that experience, as it authentically depicted the tale reminiscent of Disney’s Renaissance era. However, our offspring seemed indifferent towards it, labeling it as incredibly dull.
Overall, My Kids Wish I Got Passports To Tokyo DisneySea Rather Than Tokyo Disneyland
Because my kids hadn’t visited any Disney theme park previously, it seemed fitting that they first experience the original one. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the iconic castle and ride on classic attractions? However, in retrospect, I now regret not bringing them to DisneySea instead, and my children share this sentiment as well.
It’s been said that DisneySea has a more mature feel, similar to the atmosphere at Hollywood Studios in Disney parks. However, since DisneySea is exclusive to Tokyo, I may never experience it firsthand, which makes me regret not selecting it over Tokyo Disneyland during my visit to Japan. It’s possible that Japan will not be on my travel itinerary again, making this decision even more challenging.
After watching a feature on DisneySea from our hotel room, both of my children sighed and wondered aloud why I hadn’t obtained passes for that particular park instead.
Apart from its cool nautical motif, Tokyo DisneySea boasts a fresh expansion called Fantasy Springs, themed around Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan stories. The rides in DisneySea resemble what your son anticipated, such as the Journey to the Center of the Earth and Raging Spirits.
Considering the popularity of DisneySea, we likely wouldn’t have enjoyed more than three rides at most. Still, considering its worth, it might have been a delightful experience. Unfortunately, as they say, hindsight is always clearer.
Instead of asking if you have visited Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, how about this: Have you and your children ever been to either Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea? Don’t forget to drop by regularly for the latest updates on all things related to Disney theme parks!
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2024-09-07 16:07