Sunny Skies at Tokyo Disneyland!

We were ecstatic to finally have a sunny day to hopefully get some great photos of Disneyland. I practically bounded out of bed, feeling that we had acclimated to the time change, and ready for the day! Even though we had been there two days prior, I knew today would be the day we would see Happiness is Here parade the way it was intended to be performed and Dreamlights too. Of course the excitement for attractions and completing the days “Battle Plan” also were important early morning motivators.

Eric made a gourmet breakfast for the two of us, toast. I don’t know why we hadn’t taken advantage of the food items we had in our kitchenette before now. The owner was nice enough to have water, juices, tea, bread/butter, and a few cereals for us. Feeling a little more at home, we found we had some extra time. Still, we were out the door near 6:40 to hopefully catch the 6:55 bus to the park. Having had the toast, we didn’t see our gal pals at Lawson that morning. I have to say I liked going in there during our morning ritual. Stopping at Lawson caused us to almost feel like we lived there and were a part of the neighborhood. We were really enjoying our Airbnb experience.

I don’t know if it was mentioned in past posts, but Eric and I were amused with the fact that parents drop off young kids for the trains. Our bus station was right outside the train station (those trains didn’t head to the parks). We saw kids around 7 and 10 years old, dressed in their school uniforms (yes like Sailor Moon), being left to take the trains on their own. We were impressed by the independence of the kids and the trusting society. It is a shame that here in The States we usually assume the worst of most people in a city setting. Inn Japan there seemed to be a huge sense of security by all the residents.

Everyone is faceless, except one lady giving us the stink eye!

Arriving at the front of the parks Eric and I were met with the beginnings of a large crowd. Thankfully we strolled up early enough to not be in the back of the crowd. Our place in the queue or crowd was quickly blocked from behind as the wave of guests arrived soon after us. Being slightly farther back from the turnstiles, it was harder for us to see the Disney characters that soon appeared. But, that was okay for us. We had seen Mickey and Donald many times before. The reaction of the crowd around us was so full of excitement, you’d think Michael Jackson himself had been resurrected and was there that day!

We hoped the other guests would head to the newly refurbished Jungle Cruise and not to Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek. I am not sure if our prediction was correct because the crowd for Monsters Fast Pass was still a large one. Eric and I were a small piece of the mass of visitors darting into the covered World Bazaar and made a sharp right into Tomorrowland. The locals are not crazy. This is one of the most memorable parts of this trip, the morning dash into the parks. One has to start strong and keep that momentum going throughout the day! These guests know the system and they are masters of it.

Eric waiting to grab our Fast Passes

Just as we had done the other day, we made fast tracks to Fantasyland toward Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. The sunlight was peeking through the trees and caused structures like the castle to glow. This park doesn’t really have the charm and cozy feeling that Disneyland in California conveys, but the grandeur makes up for that. We were definitely reminded how grand it was as we made our long trek to Fantasyland from Tomorrowland.

Riding Pooh’s Hunny Hunt this second time around was still a surreal experience. As we passed through and saw the fascinating scenes, I wondered to myself if this was the last time. Seeing the honey pots independently make their way through the Blustery Day scene was a thrilling sight. There is so much to absorb all at once. Although you are in this vehicle and watching the story unfold, it feels like you missed all of it. I just wanted to stand in that one room for at least five minutes and watch all the gags take place. By seeing Eric’s reactions and expressions, I knew he was thinking similar thoughts. 

When we exited the attraction the both of us  knew we couldn’t leave it at that. We right away had to grab a Fast Pass for the attraction. With our Monsters Inc. passes still not valid until 9:50 AM, we would need to wait before we could get new one. Straight away we jumped into the queue for Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. Eric had mentioned to me that this attraction was made for this park first. Then, when CA’s Fantasyland was renovated in 1983, they put this attraction in there too. I really liked their attraction façade. The interior was the same experience. It seemed there were a few different color choices made on the inside. For one, the greens seemed to be a little more neon in their hues where in CA we have deeper forest greens.

It was still early enough that we felt Splash Mountain would have a decent wait time. Critter Country is very close to Fantasyland, right next door. So, Eric led the way through the morning hustle and bustle to the land of the critters. What is great about going places with Eric is we are okay to split up. We don’t start to freak out if we are 20 to 30 steps ahead of one another. I haven’t tested this out with other people because I don’t want them to feel I think they are too slow. Maybe we will try it out later this spring when we visit Walt Disney World.

  (So dark in there. Taken without flash on the iPhone)

I can’t recall the posted wait time, but we ended up waiting around 35 minutes. In our opinion that is an excellent wait time for Splash Mountain. The queues we have seen for this attraction at the other parks can reach two hours in length. The queue entry for this version takes guests right into what we are used to being the water mill. (In Tokyo, the watermill is found along the façade toward the exit) Unless there was an outdoor area currently unused, this entire queue was indoors. I wish our queue for this in California took the elements into account as well. Most of the queue at the original is outdoors. Something we found great for the Cast Member is the logs are at waist level. The guests step down, into the logs, but the flume is aligned with the waist of the ride operator. There is no need for them to bend down and they can communicate at eye level with us. Guests or people in general don’t like being looked down upon.

The story was told just like Magic Kingdom’s Splash Mountain, but in Tokyo it was nice to see the animatronics all moving and the gags were successful. A rumor I had heard before traveling to Japan was that locals do not like getting wet. I have read people on Twitter say that they have gotten wet on this ride, but that wasn’t true for us. It may have been our luck (we didn’t want to get soaked) like when one rides a raft ride and only 50% of the riders aboard get wet. Maybe the back half of our log was wet and we just didn’t notice. Can anyone confirm this fact about Tokyo’s Splash Mountain keeping riders dry?

The time was pressing forward and we were getting close to our Fast Pass window for Monsters Inc. This also meant that we could grab a pass for Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. We neared the Hunny Hunt distribution about three minutes early and Eric jumped into the queue. That Fast Pass queue moved quicker than it looked because even when he reached the machine, he had to wait another minute before he could get one to print (no, we can’t outwit the computer). Although it was 9:50 AM, our time to ride Pooh would be at 18:00 that evening. With the way we tentatively had laid out the day, riding at 18:00 would give us enough time to get food and choose a parade spot. Did I mention we would see The Electrical Parade: Dreamlights? (wink! wink! Very excited for that)

    I'm still unsure if I loved the Halloween accents.

As we headed back to Monsters Inc. in Tomorrowland we took the scenic route. 

I am pretty much in love with the Tomorrowland main entrance, but I hated that some of it was under wraps.

Something I noticed about our photos of Disneyland is we didn’t take as many castle photos as I would’ve liked. Besides the varied coloring, it is the same structure that stands at WDW. Visiting Florida over the last 12 years we may have taken so many shots of the Magic Kingdom’s castle that we ignored Tokyo’s.

    More free souvenirs!

This would be the first of two Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek experiences of the day. We rode again after Dreamlights with our friend Chris. I have mentioned him before as the person that runs www.TDRexplorer.com , the English guide to the Tokyo Disney Resort. But, we will get to that as the day progresses.

In the upcoming post we get a last minute viewing spot for the Happy Harvest Parade, experience more attractions, adorably cute food offerings, and the Happiness is Here Parade. Check back with us soon for more Tokyo Disneyland fun. I hope after reading over these posts so far, you’re getting the “itch” to gather together a budget and head to Japan! We never thought we would get there and here I am telling you fine folks about it.

Determined to Find Critter Country

By this time in our day I appreciate the enthusiasm the people of Japan have as they frolic through the rain. I wouldn't say that anyone was literally splashing through puddles, but everyone was very determined to see as much as possible. I've been told that in Japan, dealing with the small, everyday negatives of life can be summed up in one small phrase, "sho ga nai" (show-gah-nigh). It literally can translate to "it can't be helped". In our part of the world we might say, "Don't sweat the small stuff". Whether it was in the city or here in the parks, people accepted busy stores, wet skies, long queues, or sold out fast passes. Disrupting the order can lead to a bad experience for all, and that's not their goal. Only being visitors and not native to the land, Eric and I were convinced this shone through in their excellent service. 

When Eric and I reached the parade route in the Hub area, we saw people waiting for the parade. This was not the normal massive sized crowd. There were less people on account of the weather. I asked Eric if he minded asking a Cast Member whether or not the parade would happen. It seemed to be drizzling a bit, so I was consulting the map to see what we'd do instead. But, Eric came back and he was told the parade was happening. Around that same time we could hear the parade music playing at the Westernland part of the route. I tried to play it cool and not show I was bursting with excitement! Finally, we would see the parade, "Happiness is Here"!

Just like we had noticed with the Halloween parade earlier, the dancers that accompany the floats had been cut for rain. Still, the characters on the colorful floats were enough for these two grateful Californians. I was geeking out as I took photos with both the iPhone and Nikon. 

All suited up in what appeared to be water resistant fabric and of course rain gear! 

The soundtrack for this parade has a very clever concept. Taking direction from the classic Main Street Electrical Parade, there is the main melody that acts as a background for each parade unit.  As the parade moves past a given point, the theme for that unit travels with that section. These musical sections are synced with the main melody that plays on a loop during the show. Although a rainy experience, it was a lot of fun.

By the time the parade ended it was "full on" raining and we didn't see a break in the clouds. From our parade viewing position, staring at us in the face was Cinderella Castle, our next stop. Recently the park opened a walk through where guests get to visit a few rooms of the palace. Although I had seen a few photos and a YouTube video, we weren't exactly sure what happens inside. 

The entrance for the tour is in the exact spot where in Walt Disney World one would enter for the Cinderella's Royal Table restaurant. Here in Tokyp, they used to have a type of mystery tour that would take you deep into the dungeons of the castle. I've seen a very dark video of that and I wish that tour was still there. But, it was gone and we were curious about this. One thing that seemed odd at the start is that we had to wait to ride an elevator to a higher level. I would've been fine taking stairs, which you do use in Florida's castle. 

Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall is seen in the center, even Mt. Prometheus from DisneySea. 

When we stepped off the elevator there is a nice view of Fantasyland. Too bad it was so gloomy this day. I bet the colors really would've "popped" in the sunlight. 

The interior was a mixture of wall murals and small dioramas that retold the story of Cinderella. And of course, the design highly reflected the Rococo era. The small vignettes depicted Cindy's struggle with her horrible family, and then her bravery as she attended the ball. They appeared to have been commissioned by the park, and each one was different. In my opinion it is always cool to see people put a spin on images that we are used to seeing. 

The whole experience was cute, but almost a little too cute for me. I was certain that there would be a meet n greet opportunity with Cinderella, but that moment never came. Besides the murals we had been seeing, there are some fun murals that when photographed reveal a hidden message. 

I had to get my chance at it too! They seemed to come out better with the iPhone's flash. 

We took one last look around and two friends appeared from their secret door. 

Something we did not get a photo of was the glass slipper in the center of the throne room. People were in a queue to snap a photo of them "trying it on". Well, I didn't want to look like some creeper trying to get take a photo of random children, and some mothers, so we opted out of that shot. But, here is the throne of the palace.

While doing research for for our trip, Eric found out that the Snow White Grotto has an odd location. It is near the castle and right across from the Golden Horseshoe. It was just another addition to the list that gave Tokyo Disneyland its internet nickname, "Bizarro Disneyland".

If we turn around.....

Frontierland!

With The Country Bears, singing in Japanese, and performing the Vacation Hoedown, we practically ran to the theater! The waiting area looked very similar to Florida's. One thing I couldn't wrap my head around was this: Why would this audience even care about a show like this? The lobby was full of guests, and so was the theater. I know that Western culture attracts interest from Japan, I'm told. But, this show about country living bears seems far away from the main stream culture. As Americans we understand this part of our culture, but what would Japanese citizens think of this show? I wish I could ask someone's opinion. If the show became unpopular in California, how was it still holding up in Tokyo? And, from what I understand they even change over for the Christmas show!

Throughout the show I could hear the giggles and laughter from the crowd. Because the only Japanese words I could understand were "there", "here", and "look over there", I couldn't tell what exactly everyone found funny. Don't get me wrong, the show is funny. I just wish I knew exactly what the crowd found hilarious. The whole experience of the show being in Japanese and the crowd reaction was cute. Everyone, including Eric and I, really had a laugh when "Achy Breaky Heart" was performed by Trixie. The way that wine sloshed around in her glass, it seemed she had a bad day. So my guess is that just looking at these bears, you can definitely see each one's personality. Maybe everyone here is saying to themselves, "Oh man, I know someone just like that!"

Right near the theater exit was the ice cream window where, for Halloween, they were offering Pumpkin Soft Serve. I had read about this on our friend Jeff's blog so I had to try it. Eric isn't a fan of anything with the word "pumpkin", so he ordered the vanilla. And, just like Jeff's husband Lance said, "Yup, that's pumpkin alright!" There wasn't even a slight hint of pumpkin spice. This tasted like what the canned pumpkin smells like before you add anything to it. I wouldn't say it was awful, but Eric did! He did try it and definitely wasn't a fan. 

And then, because we apparently were starving to death, we also tried the White Chocolate Popcorn. The both of us were fans of this flavor! We decided to try and find a quiet spot to sit and enjoy. In Japan one doesn't walk and eat simultaneously, it is not good manners. I should have also mentioned we stood in one place as we ate our ice cream cones. We hoped to find a place to eat our snack in Critter Country, maybe near a critter or a creek.

In this park, Critter Country is extremely close to Fantasyland. Haunted Mansion marks the end of Fantasyland. As one turns the corner, to the right, away from the mansion, you're in Critter Country. The narrow walkway, that appears to lead no where, will guide you to your laughin' place at Splash Mountain. What we found very different was that while facing the mountain, the trestle where the Steam Train passes is directly behind you. Something else that stood out is the attraction appeared to be flipped. As we watched, the logs left the station like normal, but float from left to right in front of the briar patch. And, the watermill is still on the mountain's left, but the watermill is the queue entrance into the building. We definitely had plans to ride this, but we would wait until our "Day 2" at this park to maybe utilize Fast Pass. (We actually don't end up using fast pass here, but in that post I'll tell you what we did).

Looking behind Eric, you can see the logs cross the opposite direction and enter a tunnel, not the watermill. While you're at it, checkout that cool pumpkin popcorn bucket hanging off that stroller!

Looking the opposite direction, we see the train passing over. 

It took us a bit to find the entire area of this land. We had seen online that there was a path in Critter Country that took guests through a tunnel to an open area. Here was our small dilemma. We saw the Splash entrance, seen here with a cute little door...

But, all the we saw to the right was the exit walkway from Splash Mountain. Being a little nervous on how we would explain this, I tried this door. Maybe it would lead us to that area? JK

After a little debate between Eric and myself, we decided to walk against traffic, toward the Splash exit. We wanted to see if maybe this path would split. It sure did! We found the tunnel that housed a small merchandise cart. As we continued through the tunnel, the area opened up again. Here we found the location where guests purchase their on board photos and a small food location. It was there that Eric bought his Mickey shaped churro. 

I'm glad that we were so determined to find this area because it turned out to be the prettiest area in the park. I can't stress enough that people need to get back into this corner and see it for themselves. The Splash Mountain area really appears to be a dead end, but push on through and you'll find it. 

In the next installment of Tokyo Disneyland Day 1, we will finish out the day with another hidden corner of the park and more entertainment! There are three more pieces of entertainment to be experienced on this day! Is all this too much? It's been great reliving this with everyone and I'll be back again with a lot of more!