Tokyo DisneySea Continues to Amaze!

The Port Discovery area is one that stands out for us because we have a good friend that worked here. Our friend Miley worked at the StormRider attraction. Although we wouldn't be experiencing this attraction until a little later, it was fun to see the building in person.

StormRide is the one with the golden dome.

Our eye was also drawn to the visually interesting Aquatopia attraction. Here the vehicles ride or hover on the water's surface as they spin and travel past waterfalls and rock work. The experience has a whole is pretty basic as attractions come, but it looked fun to us. At first glance they appear to be bumper cars. The vehicles don't make any contact with each other. Riders do get slightly misted with water. It is nothing that dampens your outfit or hair. I am sure it feels nice during the hot months in Japan. Eric and I noticed that on the back of each car, a sort of atomic motor can be seen. That was a cool touch to the theming.

We were a little surprised to notice that the area of Port Discovery is occupied by a large sized restaurant. I'm just speculating that the park designers wanted to have a futuristic land, but the other ideas clearly dominate the park.

Shortly after our ride on Aquatopia, it was time for our Tower of Terror fast pass. Again, we weren't entirely sure which other route would take us back to American Waterfront, so we took the same path. This would be our fourth time taking this path today. So, we still hadn't seen other areas of the park. Little did we know that when we exited Aquatopia, The Lost River Delta was to the left and just around the corner.

We did want to secure lunch reservations at the fine dining restaurant called Magellan's. It was about 9:45 AM so we hoped there would be slots left for lunch. As we passed near "Journey", we weren't entirely sure how to get to the restaurant. Luckily we ran into The Brickers of DisneyTouristBlog.com and The Selgas. They too were coincidentally on holiday from The States. Tom thankfully knew the easiest way to get to Magellan's. Since Eric and I were really getting turned around in this park we may have taken the longer route. The six of us made some loose plans to see the other group during our stay, but as you'll see, we ran into them again a bit later.

After taking Tom's directions, we quickly found the restaurant. The Cast Member was quite helpful with helping us choose a time to eat. She spoke great English. We found that if the Cast Member spoke decent English, they were very much excited to try out their skills.

Prior to our trip, Eric and I learned that in the Japanese culture you follow a paraphrased saying:  When you set out to do something, there is no failure. You do it correct the first time while bringing yourself and family honor. So if you're ever in Japan and encounter someone attempting English with you, they really are putting themselves out there. Our friend Miley, who we mentioned lived here for some time, said that the people will either help you with excitement or dash away from nervousness.

As we continued to the American Waterfront for Tower of Terror, we enjoyed seeing the locals enjoy themselves. The people there really let loose and lose all inhibitions. It is very interesting to see a side of this culture that we rarely hear about. We even saw huge character hats on the most serious looking  of people. It is also a big thing in Japan to match your entire group. A group of friends or family would all have the same hat or wear the same outrageous outfit. Many couples roam the parks in themed clothing as well. I wish I had taken photos of certain people, but they are very sensitive when it comes to random people taking photos of them. I imagine we all are. But, even on social media they blur out the faces of strangers. Maybe you will catch a glimpse in our photo backgrounds as these posts continue?

Strolling up to the Tower of Terror fast pass return queue we spot Tom and Sarah Bricker enter the same queue. Who was right ahead of them? The Selgas. I announced our arrival by telling Sarah, "I swear we aren't stalking you folks." We all had fun conversations about our experience so far. And, we also received some tips on what was to come of our time there. The Brickers were thrilled to learn we had tickets for the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku, Tokyo and wanted to join us. They had seen the show before and love it. (more on that later)

Judging by the murals around the lobby, it looked like the owner had many travels abroad, to exotic places. But, in the mural depicting his latest acquirement, the locals were happily ridding themselves of the relic. That sounds like a red flag to me! Speaking of signs, take a look at this damaged elevator shaft.

We were ushered into a small, tiled area where a Cast Member tells us about the frightful night a press conference took place at the tower. Thanks to TDRExplorer.com we know that the hotel owner, Harrison Hightower, was full of hubris. Harrison felt the supposed curse surrounding the relic wouldn't affect him.

Our group of guests were led to the area where the press conference took place. It looked like an office full of Victorian decor and antiques. Sitting in the office was the idol from the mysterious tale. It sat glaring at us from a high mantle. The Cast Member cranked up a phonograph so that we could hear the press conference for ourselves. Although it was in Japanese, there was definitely something that went wrong. Our room darkened, filled with stars, and the cursed relic vanished before our eyes. Harrison is then heard as he warns us to get out of the tower because the relic was coming for us next.

That was when we saw a little boy that had enough. There was no way he wanted to continue with the  tour any further. "I E!" he was yelling, which means "No!". Judging by his intensity, I took it as "Hell no!"

We made our way to the second floor of the queue and start to come across the other antiques we saw in the murals.

The attraction itself is loaded similarly to the US versions. I must point out there is an over the shoulder seat belt that is used. Maybe they don't like the air time that we feel here at home? I feel that is one of the best parts of attractions like this, lacking here.

We do see the relic come to life and in the tower's spooky halls. The idol somehow causes our elevator to go wild and then comes the drops that we all know. The sequence is the exact one from California Adventure's Tower of Terror. But, as mentioned, the over the shoulder belts make it feel less intense.

The best part of this experience was the idol vanishing while we were in Harrison's office. Other than that it wasn't a favorite of mine. We only rode the attraction one other time during our visit at the parks. The costumes are excellent and the design itself is very detailed, like the other versions. But, since this is slightly different, it's a little more interesting to see. I wouldn't at all say to miss this incarnation. It is worth seeing that idol vanish.

Once Eric and I parted ways with the other group we wanted to head in a direction we hadn't seen as of yet. A lot of people have raved about the size of the park's ship, S.S. Colombia for good reason. The ship is basically a replica of an actual boat, The Queen Mary. This fact is no secret to theme park fans, but to see it is to be astounded. What adds to the beauty of this is that the Tokyo Bay sits right behind the boat. It really is almost too perfect for words.

Heading away from the New York City area, and onto a new path for Eric and I, we find ourselves in lush surroundings. Gone is the industrial feel of the city and we can see signage for the Cape Cod area. We know from online that this is also the location of the infamous Duffy meet n greet and the Duffy merchandise. We were on the lookout for Gelatoni and Shellie Mae. Shells has been out for a while now, but Gelatoni is new as of this year. Eric wanted one for himself and we were also picking up a Gelatoni for our friend Jeff.

This area really captures that New England feeling. Looking at the photos, I'd really be stating the obvious as to why that is a fact. I love the vintage looking Halloween decorations that are scattered about the area. The decor for the holiday in the NYC area has a very stylized look for their skeleton promotion this year. But as you can see, in this area there is a very traditional feel to the Halloween motif. 

The merchandise store was all that I heard it would be. I'm here to say that even though Duffy has been present in Japan for a while, there was still excitement for the product. Park attendees were buying Duffy plush like it was going out of style! I must admit that the costumes for all three characters are very cute("kawaii" in Japanese). I even fell under the Gelatoni spell as I bought a charm for my backpack.

At the register, the Cast Member tells you the price and then gestures to the display screen. Once I gave her my yen, she then proceeded to count out what I gave her, then showed what I gave her to me. ("Just letting you know this is what you have given me") She set the bills into a clip attached to the register, as she entered the amount given to her. A second Cast Member asks me if I'd like the price peeled off. ("Should I peel this off because you are giving this as a gift?") I said yes because this little guy was going right onto my bag anyway. As the first Cast Member began to count my change back, the second CM bagged the figure, and then added three other bags into the bag. As the change was counted aloud she fanned out the bills. Then she spread the bills out individually in her hand to show the amount again. As all this happened I could hear the bills snapping like a deck of cards. The second Cast Member then taped the bag shut. I was amazed. I grabbed my bag as I bowed my head and let out a "Arigato Gosaimasu!" That's how the transactions would happen for the rest of the trip. 

Here at DisneySea they have a fun addition to the Halloween offerings. It is very small, but they have Cast Members handing out candy. When they are found you are to approach and say the traditional saying, "Trick-o-Treat!" and they give you a special treat. The park had one of a kind wrappers made for the occasion. We will definitely be holding onto these. We had about an hour before lunch, so we continued on the pathway through Port Discovery so that we could see Lost River Delta. 

When we saw this Duffy/Gelatoni picture spot we couldn't resist the urge to snap a photo.

The Lost River Delta area has a South American influence. It is interesting to see what the latin presence is in this park. I would imagine that Mexico or Latin America in general is such a foreign idea to the people in Japan. I read about the food in this area not being good at all, so we didn't even try it. I need something with a little spice and apparently there isn't any in the "Mexican Food" that Japan has to offer.

The land was covered in Dia de Los Muertos decor. On various light posts they had an image of Indiana Jones, the explorer, as a skeleton wearing his signature hat. Eric and I were definitely getting close to the Indiana Jones attraction. Here the ride is based on the Crystal Skull and has the same track layout as Anaheim. When we reached the queue it listed 30 minutes. Having plenty of time to do that and make it to eat, we got into the queue. 

What's most impressive about this queue is the size of the building. We didn't enter a temple that had any forced perspective trickery. There is a full on pyramid here. When we entered the building it became very believable that we were winding our way through this Mayan temple. Although impressive in size, the queue was lacking the interactivity found in California's version. I don't mean to go back and forth between the two, but I think that's a significant difference. 

The feeling that is conveyed as our vehicle moves through the attraction is one of peril. We really get the sense that there is an evil out to get us. The attraction is blanketed in lighting hues of dark blue, silver, and a spooky green. The crystal skull is stationed throughout the building and its power is radiating from within. There is even a vortex of magic that swirls in the temple's center. From this vortex and the skull, electrical currents shoot out to try and destroy the vehicle. At one point the skull has cut off our path and shoots out a smoke ring of destruction at our group. We seem to avoid it, but then find ourselves in trouble as a large rock comes careening at us! The audio of this mighty force pressing toward our vehicle shakes the entire facility and we see smoke billowing from its path. In a forceful manner, we barely miss the rolling ball as we shoot downward from its path! When it's over we really feel like we survived the danger, but also feel inclined to ride again!

It was now time for our lunch at Magellan's and we were very hungry! I wasn't sure what was going to be on the menu. Would it be traditional Japanese food? Would there be any sort of American food available? Join us next time and you will find out.

Finally Landing in Japan!

The build up finally exploded into shards of happiness as we boarded Singapore Airlines to Japan! I'm normally not an excited passenger on a plane, but we had read many nice accolades about this airline. 

The crew loaded the plane from the rear to the front. Why doesn't everyone else do that? And, they didn't let passengers with seats closer to the plane's nose congregate at the jetway's entrance. Again, a no brainer that no other airline seems to realize. 

For the most part, the flight was as pleasant as the crew. Dressed in two pieced, matching, Asian inspired printed dresses, the flight attendants were beautiful! It had been a while where we had seen a full crew presented without a hair strand out of place and extremely tiny waists. (How do they get away with hiring only a certain sized female?) 

I want to get to the juicy Japan stuff, but I have to mention how good the food was. I had an Indian, vegetarian meal. I didn't ask what it was, but I willingly ate it! It had excellent flavor and packed a punch of spice! 

We also had a Sauvignon or Cabernet Sauvignon from which to choose. I was amused how the attendants were walking around and refilling everyone's wine like it was a party. They'd fill the glass and parted with a simple "Cheers!" I also want to quickly mention that we had a flavorful dessert. 

Upon arrival into Japan we made our way through a quiet set of hallways. Once we saw the "Welcome to Japan" mural, a lot of people became excited. We were pretty exhausted, but also anxious to get the trip started. 

As mentioned in other posts, we booked our accommodations through Airbnb. Our first host was waiting for our arrival near the customs checkpoint. His name is Koji. He seemed relieved to see us as the approaching storm Vonfong would soon arrive. Koji was very willing to help us with our bags. Eric and I were so glad to find out he spoke excellent English and happy we decided to pay extra for him to pick us up at the airport. I know in that tired state we weren't ready to face the transportation system(which ended up not being so bad).

The apartment was very spacious. It had two rooms/living area, kitchen, balcony, and our own Japanese style bathroom. No shoes were to be worn inside, but we had expected that. Eric and I were very interested in getting the full, cultural experience. As we explored the place, the rain was pounding against the windows. We hoped the typhoon would pass befire the following day as we didn't want our first Disney experience in Japan to be during a storm.  

Although there were scattered clouds the next morning, it appeared we were in the clear of the typhoon. It was slightly humid. This structure was at the bus terminal that sat outside the train station. We would take the same bus over the next four days to get to the Disney Resort. Eric and I were very nervous we would get on the wrong bus. I was sweating bullets because we were leaving later than planned and I wasn't sure the driver would take my bills. I was sure they wanted coins. In broken Japanese I asked a street sweeper (like one you'd see at Disneyland) if we were at the correct stop for the parks. He answered me in decent English that we weren't! He pointed us to the correct waiting area and mentioned it would be a pink bus. I'm glad we decided to ask. Who knows what we would've ended up visiting?

When Eric and I joined the queue at the correct stop it became clear THIS was for Disneyland. There were two girls dressed in Sully pajamas. And, there was a guy with a refillable popcorn bucket. Why didn't we catch that before? The pink #7 bus pulled up to the curb and we stepped up into it. 

"Disneyland?" Eric muttered to the driver. He was also a bit nervous. The man motioned to the fare price on the screen. After fumbling with the yen for a moment we both popped our coins into the machine. (It's important to note that we also bowed. This would be the start of many bows to come.) I noticed there was also a slot to insert cash and change could be given. It was all automated. Relief!!! The buses have Japanese and English announcements. That helped a great deal! (Especially when Disneyland was mentioned) It seemed so considerate because I doubt they actually HAD to have bilingual information. Looking around on the bus, Eric and I were the only two that spoke English. 

When the bus pulled up to Disneyland we jumped off with the rest of the people. We didn't realize that the bus was about to then drive to DisneySea, where we wanted to go. Again I started to panic. After the bus ordeal set us back a bit, it was now very close to park opening. So what that meant was we didn't get to queue up for the main gate with everyone else. Our saving grace was that we weren't trying for Toy Story fast passes, like the rest of the attendees. But, with these thoughts shooting through my brain, Eric and I needed to find the Monorail to catch a lift to DisneySea. After close examination, we realized we were at the far left end of the Disneyland entrance. And believe me when I say, VERY CONFUSED of the layout. Once we spotted the Monorail station and figured out how to get up to the platform, we felt we had our structural bearings. 

Yes you can read about it, and watch YouTube videos, but standing there while feeling overwhelmed is very different. And, the clock was ticking. I could almost hear it tapping at my head as the seconds marched on. 

After excitedly using the ticket machines to purchase our passes to the monorail, we quickly boarded the train. Once we were on the move we had a great view of the parks. It was amazing and more than surreal to see these places with our own eyes! Eric and I didn't know where to look. We pointed left and right as we stared in awe toward the parks. 

"FUJI-SAN!!!! FUJI-SAN!!!" We were both shaken violently from our shoulders and spun around as we again heard "FUJI-SAN!!" There was a woman, Japanese I assume, pointed to the opposite side of the train. We peered across and there it was. Mount Fuji! It was far away, looking tiny, but we could see it! In unison Eric and I both exclaimed "aaaaaaah!!" Then the lady started laughing. She said something to her companions in Japanese and they all imitated us. It was a funny moment. That was the beginning to what would be an interaction with some of the most glorious people on earth. 

Mt. Fuji is "center-left" in this pic

We were staring at what was equal to a pool of ice cream and were about to jump into it head first! The gates were open and we were so close to entering! Our hearts were pounding and our minds racing! Would all our homework and gathering of information pay off? We were about to find out! 

"Ohio Gozaimasu! Irashai!" the Cast Member exclaimed as we clicked through the turnstile. 

A lot has been said about DisneySea on many blogs. Eric and I have read them. The best description I can give to you, the reader, is this: If you've been to Disney California Adventure, that dwarfed feeling you get while standing near the bute and rock archway of Cars Land is how the entire park of DisneySea is. It's total immersion! 

This look on Eric's face melts my heart! It is priceless and says everything about how much anticipation had built over the years. We have dreamed for this moment, together, for a very long time. 

Everything at this moment happened so quickly. It was pandemonium as park goers ran, skipped, and even pushed every which way they could. Eric and I were fully prepared for this and joined in the fun! In the U.S. parks an experienced park enthusiast might out wit his fellow attendees. Not here! In Japan all the people attending are professionals and know exactly what to do! 

Eric and I didn't join the rest of the DisneySea universe as they headed to American Waterfront. They were after the coveted Toy Story Mania Fast Pass. Eric and I knew we were headed straight to Journey to the Center of the Earth attraction. We knew the exact route. Our goal was to obtain our fast pass and then ride the damn thing! 

The Mysterious Island area of the park is known to many Disney fans everywhere. Steam is leaking from craters and water is boiling where the lava meets the sea. It had a tone of Victorian influence coupled with obvious steampunk aesthetic. When Eric and I reached the inner part of the mountain it was too much to take in. We didn't fall down and sob, but I think we both felt like it. 

The two attractions here draw sources from the idea that Captain Nemo has burrowed into the volcano to enter worlds not explored by man or woman. He created a drill that could grind the rick like no other machine. With that machine he carved us all a path to the center of the earth. On on the attraction that shared that name, that's exactly where we go! 

Journey to the Center of the Earth is a tour through Nemo's discoveries of the subterranean world, and maybe too deep. After passing crystalized sculptures of light we visit gentle creatures that look friendly. They greet us with nods and "coos" as we roll between the huge, glowing, purple mushroom structures that are their home. It's all very larger than life. But we start to see evidence that we might be going down too deep. 

Our massive vehicle starts burrowing past pods of convulsing eggs. We can see small embryos inside their slimy lairs. And, we can hear a roar from the road up ahead. Where is this metal beast taking us? Did Nemo come across this as well? We reach the source of the roar! A loud alien-like monster with multiple arms and he isn't happy at all that we have found his hiding place. 

We rocket into an upward spiral through a dark tunnel of sparkling mud and oozing barnacles. The speed gets so fast that we start to wonder how it can pick up such energy. I'm not trying to say we were breaking the sound barrier, but for this chunk of metal it was impressive. At the top of this spiral we see daylight for a moment as we plummet, and I DO mean plummet, down a hill. It's one of those drops that you feel deep in your gut. (Seeing the drop from the walkway gives a false sense of how it feels to ride. It feels worse) 

What a way to start the long laundry list of attractions that we would experience! I had read about that downward drop on my friend Jeff's blog of http://lanceandjeff.com but I didn't think it would be that intense. I was wrong! 

As mentioned, the closest attraction to "Journey" is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Sticking with the same theme, the vehicles that take you through liquid space are very impressive. Sitting in groups of two, or small three, we face our own window to view the relics lost at sea. It's all narrated in Japanese, but you still get the sense that although you've set out on a routine exploration, something goes awry! It's especially obvious that control has been lost when our vehicle gets caught in the grip of a larger than normal squid! The captain seems to think quickly on his feet as he electrocutes the beast! But, maybe too much power was used? Our vehicle loses power and sinks further down and we find ourselves amidst the underwater world of amphibious creatures. Judging by the "gliphs" on the wall, this could be The Lost City of Atlantis! Maybe we found Nemo's intended destination after all? The "Atlantians" seem to glow in the dark and have a whole colony of others just like them. Luckily these creatures use a sort of colorfully glowing power to recharge us, even pushing our ship to safety. And then hooray! We make it back to Nemo's seaport, Mysterious Island. 

Here we see the famed Gyoza bun that park goers wait almost two hours, on busy days, to eat. Since it was only 20 minutes into the day, we went straight up to the counter to order. The soft dough has been dyed black for Halloween. I am told that the flavor is similar. It tasted like an egg roll/sesame dressing. It wasn't a highlight of the trip, but since people normally wait so long for it, we felt like we had cheated the system. And look at this! Wouldn't you want to write home about it? 

Seeing that it was time for our Journey to the Center of the Earth fast passes, Eric and I were now able to obtain a second fast pass. We decided to hop over to get Tower of Terror passes. We'd return to this area just after that. Taking a route that in our minds was surely the way to American Waterfront, we went the wrong way. It was still too soon for us to visualize the park in our heads. Eric and I ended up walking into the electrically run land of Port Discovery. 

When we arrived here it was clear we were lost. We're men! Gay men, but still Men. We don't use maps! So we broke down and whipped out the map to find out how many wrong turns we took. It was great to be lost because it was so exciting to be in a Disney park we hadn't visited before. After doubling back through Mysterious Island, we found our way across the park to Tower of Terror. 

I was very amused to hear that the attraction's area music was lifted from the film Psycho. The score to that movie is amazing and sets a very ominous tone. It was perfect! Luckily the fast pass return time was still before 11 AM. There was still so much to see and it wasn't even 9:30 yet, plenty of time!

As we made the long walk back to Journey to the center of the Earth for our fast pass time, we came across a beautiful view of the park. As Eric mentioned throughout our trip, DisneySea is a park begging to be photographed! It's evident that so much thought went into this place!

Something equally as grand are the Cast Members that make this all happen. The standard for service in Japan is high, even at a convenient store. So, here at Tokyo Disney, the service is really more than through the roof. It would appear they have all situations thought out before they happen and they're very informative when it comes to loading/unloading their ride vehicles. And as expected, it's all started and finished with a delicate bow. 

Our second trip through the "Journey" attraction was as wonderful as the first. Eric and I were excited to get back to Port Discovery and see that area in a little more detail. 

Speaking of details, there's so much to recall and so much to share! I think you guys need a break today! I hope you've found this fun and or helpful (if planning a trip) so far. There's a lot more to come!

Scientist Goofy!?! (at least that's what I've called him)