Tokyo DisneySea

DisneySea is a park that is unique to Tokyo Disney. We had heard a lot of great things about this park, but it still exceeded our expectations. We were also very lucky to be there on a very non-crowded day. We had 5 minute wait times on almost every ride, even the ones that are usually the most popular.

I feel like every inch of DisneySea is super detailed. I think this is what sets it apart from other parks (including Disneyland) and makes it so memorable.

This gorgeous Italian style building is Hotel Miracosta. Miracosta is the only hotel actually located completely inside a Disney Park. Seth and I now have a life goal of returning to Tokyo Disney to stay at Miracosta. 20th Anniversary Trip maybe?

 I could be happy walking around DisneySea all day enjoying the atmosphere and eating delicious food, without even riding any rides. Rides are fun too, though, and we rode plenty.

Mysterious Island
Instead of a princess castle, the volcano Mount Prometheus is the center focal point of the park. It is home to the Mysterious Island Area.

Mysterious Island is home to the ride 20,000 leagues under the sea, and this amazing replica of the Nautilus.

 A view of Mount Prometheus from inside Mysterious Island. Journey to the Center of the Earth is inside the volcano. You can see the car coming out of the mountain in the top left. 

The entrance to 20,000 leagues

Water fountain. It's details like this that make DisneySea so amazing.

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Because the lines were so short, Seth and I were able to take turns riding Journey to the Center of the Earth. It is mostly a mellow ride, however towards the end there is a pretty scary monster and a fast, steep drop. Seth rode it alone first and decided it was probably a bit much for even Simeon. I definitely had to agree. Even though it was only on drop, I felt a little dazed at the end.

I had to snap these pictures quickly as I walked past. These are located in the standby line area, to keep things interesting while you wait. I didn't have to wait in line but I loved these details.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
This was a fun ride that even Caleb could do. Each car seats 6 so we were also able to ride this one all together. It is a fun ride that makes you feel like you are exploring underwater.

 The captain's cabin can be viewed while waiting in line:

American Waterfront
I love that all the areas in DisneySea are so unique. This area feels so much like you are walking through an old American town.

We rushed over to this area after Mysterious Island. We weren't going to bother with the infamous Toy Story ride, since we heard that even Fast Pass tickets can be impossible to get. Since the park was so empty, we decided to try for it. Even though we didn't go right at opening, we were still able to get Fast Passes for later that day.

The Toy Story area is in a far corner of the American Waterfront. Next to the ride there are a few fun little games. 

Caleb fell asleep when we came back to ride Toy Story Mania, so we took turns using our Fast Passes with the kids.

 Even with Fast Passes, we had to wait a decent amount of time in line. I thought the line area was really fun though: giant coloring pages and kids toys everywhere.

We took our time enjoying the American Waterfront: eating food and relaxing on the classic car ride around the area.

 Because when you are a cute princess, you just need to spin and twirl your dress.

This was definitely our favorite snack in the park. Bacon wrapped rice roll. Mmmmmm. 

 Tower of Terror. 

Enjoying a hot dog before we board the Electric Railway to the next area.

Port Discovery

We rode the Electric Railway from the American Waterfront up to Port Discovery. It was nice be be able to save our feet, and we also have little ones who love trains. 

Aquatopia

Port Discovery is a small area with only two rides. Our kids really liked riding Aquatopia. With no lines, it was very easy to ride it several times.

Mermaid Lagoon

We definitely spent the most time in Mermaid Lagoon. We loved it. 

Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster

Alivia is not the bravest when it comes to rides. This small coaster was just right for her. She did tell me "You have to hold me as tight as you can." But she still had fun and even rode it twice. 

Triton's Kingdom

This is almost like another area inside Mermaid Lagoon. I love the design of Triton's Palace on the outside:

Inside is home to several rides as well as a large play area and the Mermaid Lagoon Theater.

 It is really pretty. Pictures don't do it justice.

We were able to watch the show in the Mermaid Lagoon Theater. Pictures and videos were not allowed. We really loved this show (even though it was in Japanese - we all know the songs and story though). The actress for Ariel is attached to a harness and "swims" over the crowd singing and waving. Alivia especially loved it and waved very enthusiastically anytime Ariel came near. As a long time Little Mermaid fan, I loved it too. 

We enjoyed some rides, including a smaller version of the Teacups. 

Ariel's Playground

This is a play area inside Triton's Kingdom. We spent a lot of time here exploring all the different walkthrough areas. 

 They were all very innocently looking at Ursula's dressing table when Simeon accidentally found a button. I love how much these pictures capture the moment.

 Who wouldn't want to explore Ariel's Treasure room? <3 Like I said, I'm a long time Mermaid Fan. Alivia wasn't the only one princess-ing out in here. I mean look at this stuff! Isn't it neat?

Arabian Coast

Another fun area. I just love how each area captures it's theme so well.

We were able to watch the show in the Magic Lamp Theater, which is a 3D show involving the Genie and a scheming magician. The kids really liked this one, but once again, no pictures were allowed.

Jasmine's Flying Carpets

A ride similar to Dumbo's Flying Elephants, only each carpet has two seats in the front and two seats in the back. The front seat controls the carpet going up and down. The back seat allows the carpet to tilt forward and back. It was a fun little twist on a classic ride. 

Caravan Carousel

A two story carousel with horses, camels, elephants, and even a genie to ride.

Sinbad's Storybook Voyage

This is definitely one of my favorites rides in the park, and also a ride that is completely unique to DisneySea. I have read a lot of blogs wishing Disney would introduce this ride in the States, but I say Disney needs to make this into an animated musical movie. They already have this amazing song, written by Alan Menken. This isn't my video, but it's worth a watch. That song! <3 That voice! <3<3<3

This ride is beautiful, entertaining, and relaxing. Love it!

Lost River Delta
Seth rode both India Jones and Raging Spirits on his own while the kids and I were enjoying Ariel's Playground. Because the lines were short, I took Simeon on Indiana Jones later.

I love all the trees and "ancient ruins" giving this area a Jungle-like feel.

We enjoyed riding the Transit Steamer Line from the Lost River back to the Mediterranean Harbor at the front of the park.

Fortress Explorations

The Fortress is a large castle play area in front of Mount Prometheus. We spent some time exploring the many nooks, but weren't able to explore all of it. The kids spent so much time shooting cannons located in the fortress and on a ship in the Harbor. It was a lot of fun. It was especially fun to explore in the evening and enjoy the lights around the park.

 Ahoy Matey!

The cannons actually make a loud, booming sound and shoot out smoke. Our kids loved them.

 A view of Miracosta from the Fortress. Yup, I definitely want to stay there someday.

In one of the tower rooms we found this cool planetarium room. It had a star map on the ceiling and you could turn handles to make the planets move around the sun. So cool and so pretty.

The Fortress at night: <3

We found more cannons:

The ship and harbor at night with Tower of Terror in the background. So pretty. 

While we were exploring the fortress we had the opportunity to watch the volcano erupt. It erupts all throughout the day, but we happened to be so close during this eruption.

Prometheus at night. So cool. 

Fantasmic

Fantasmic is the DisneySea night show. I believe they also do Fantasmic at Disney World, but at DisneySea the show is done on ships in the Mediterranean Harbor. It was a fantastic show. 

 I love that they incorporate Mount Prometheus into the show.

We definitely enjoyed our trip to Tokyo Disney and especially loved our time at DisneySea. It was a great experience. Our kids loved it too and I think they will remember the fun we all had together for a long time.