LP Lotion: Tokyo Disneyland - Unlock Your Dreams
Page 1 of 10

Tokyo Disney Resort is driven by special events. A significant number of the 25m guests that flow through the turnstiles at the two parks annually are repeat visitors. Therefore it is critical that the resort offers seasonal events to encourage that repeat visitation. Typically both parks will present four or five seasons per year including spring and summer themes alongside the mainstays such as Halloween and Christmas. 2008 is no exception but it isn�t the norm either. 2008 heralds the quarter century mark for the first Disney park in Asia.

1998 was the breakthrough year for Tokyo Disneyland. That year the park celebrated its 15th anniversary with a year-long celebration based on the theme of Disney Carnivale. The park broke up the anniversary year into seasons with different parade and show offerings throughout the period to encourage repeat visitation. It worked � guests became hooked as they celebrated the high-energy castle stage shows like Viva! Magic and the parades Disney Carnivale and Caliente! Caliente! That year set a new high watermark for attendance that has not been matched since � nearly 18 million guests (to put that figure in perspective the combined Tokyo Disneyland/Tokyo DisneySea attendance figure for the year ended 31 March, 2008 � a decade later - was 25.4 million). The 20th anniversary did not achieve the same heady heights reached five years prior � although the parade (Disney�s Dreams on Parade) was well-received the general perception was that the castle shows and the overall theme were disappointing. The first park also had to contend with its new baby brother next door that had only opened 18 months earlier. Therefore guests� expectations for the 25th anniversary were elevated. Surely the Tokyo Disney Resort could pull out all of the stops to make the quarter-century milestone one to remember?

The 25th anniversary theme had a protracted development. The original conceit was shaped around the notion that Tokyo Disneyland is a treasure trove of special experiences and that guests should unlock those precious moments � hence the original tagline of Treasure The Moments. Unfortunately it transpired that Japanese culture associates the concept of treasure with pirates (and therefore that rather un-Disney-like action of theft). Ultimately the idea of unlocking those moments was retained but transposed onto one of the elements from the park�s main tagline (Kingdom of Dreams and Magic) to become Unlock Your Dreams. Each of the characters was provided with a special key (embossed with the 25th anniversary logo and the key itself is shaped like Cinderella Castle) to help guests unlock their dreams.

Unfortunately the changes to the marketing message occurred late in the design process for the parade which was to be the centerpiece for the celebration. Treasures on Parade morphed into the linguistic-amalgamation - Jubilation! (Tokyo Disney Resort has a penchant for slamming two words together to create a fictional word that Japanese guests can pronounce like Fantillusion!). However the parade�s creative director Steven Davison and songwriter Matthew Gerrard (High School Musical and High School Musical 2) had already written the theme song for the street spectacle entitled Treasure the Moment and the ditty stuck.

Although the parade is a sumptuous visual spectacle the rest of the park is relatively understated for the anniversary (in comparison to previous anniversaries). Guests disembarking from the Disney Resort Line can make out the 25th anniversary logo over the entrance to World Bazzar with a three-dimensional Tinker Bell. The floral bed at the entrance to the park has been replanted to form the numbers �25� and a sculpture of the Fab Five (plus the ever-popular Chip �n� Dale) has been erected as a photo opportunity for guests. The location is unusual as typically special event sculptures are located either alongside Partners (at the exit from World Bazaar) or surrounding the gigantic Central Plaza in front of the castle. However for this anniversary the park opted for two photo-mosaic montages to flank Partners (along similar lines to the kind that were scattered throughout Disneyland Resort for the 50th). The giant images are comprised of cast members rather than guests although the second phase of the montages will feature guests. The concept is called The Art of a Million Smiles.

World Bazaar itself is under-dressed for the anniversary � the park decided to forgo the centerpiece to the covered structure that has been a staple of many celebrations. The main entrance to Grand Emporium has been decorated with the logo and a Tinker Bell figure. All of the shop windows have been redressed for the birthday though. Walking beyond World Bazaar and Central Plaza looks barren without the usual trappings. The park has set up the usual booths hawking anniversary merchandise and food souvenirs. This year a giant key-shaped keychain is the essential souvenir for all guests it seems.

The castle is also understated for the anniversary although the design is significantly more elegant than the glitzy and garish crowns used for Disneyland�s golden jubilee. Only the two front turrets have been dressed in purple and blue drapes and spiraling coronets have been added. A duplicate of the Tinker Bell (with the key to reinforce the theme) from the entrance to World Bazaar has been mounted on the left turret. The only other decoration can be found in the form of lamppost banners flanking Central Plaza.

Sadly the park opted to drop the castle show (one of the biggest complaints from regular guests) in favor of a small Anniversary Greeting each morning. A single float featuring the Fab Five traverses the parade corridor before idling in front of Cinderella Castle for a small show. The show itself is largely forgettable with a series of songs but you will rarely hear a louder collective gasp and subsequent scream as the show reaches its conclusion. For the finale literally dozens of characters flood out of the castle to mingle with guests. Character interactions are a critically component of any day at Tokyo Disneyland and the opportunity to see so many in one location is rare at this park. The float also passes along the parade corridor several times daily to provide another opportunity for thousands of guests to interact with Mickey and the gang.

On July 8 the park will commence the second phase of the anniversary with a host of summer offerings namely:

Summer Nighttime Entertainment �Starlight Dreams�
A new Summer Nighttime Entertainment �Starlight Dreams� will be held at Cinderella Castle from July 8 through August 31, 2008, and will feature special effects including fire and water for a dramatic show against the night sky. The star of the show is none other than Cinderella Castle, the symbol of Tokyo Disneyland since the Park�s grand opening. The show opens with the arrival of the Disney friends, and Cinderella Castle begins to change its appearance in remembrance of the numerous shows held at the Castle over the years. Suddenly, the tone of the music changes and Cinderella Castle becomes enveloped in flames as the Disney villains come on the attack. The show reaches an exciting climax as Mickey Mouse and his pals join hands to save the Castle.

Water Program �Cool the Heat� (ends August 31) is a lively and uproarious show at Cinderella Castle featuring the Disney friends and huge amounts of water shooting up all around. This year, the mischievous alien Stitch also joins the melee for more wet fun.

Along the parade route, Goofy�s �Raincloud Recycling Machine� has collected a little too many rainclouds and is about to explode in the Water Program �Goofy�s Cool Panic.� The perplexed Goofy and the machine repair team go around showering tons of water, providing guests with a quick cool down in this light-hearted mini-parade.

There will also be six �cool spots� in the Park where guests can cool down under a refreshing mist of water. Restaurants and shops within the Park will also offer special menus and merchandise only available during this summer period.

Tokyo Disney Resort signage at the entrance to the car toll plaza.
Click here for a larger version of this picture (1024 X 681, 1,014,051 bytes)

25th logo on the key.
Click here for a larger version of this picture (1024 X 681, 630,679 bytes)

Pluto's dogtag.
Click here for a larger version of this picture (1024 X 681, 484,416 bytes)

Donald on the Floral Mickey sculpture.
Click here for a larger version of this picture (1024 X 681, 455,841 bytes)

The key and Chip 'n' Dale on the Floral Mickey sculpture.
Click here for a larger version of this picture (1024 X 681, 572,614 bytes)