Prior to my visit to Tokyo Disneyland, I was pretty aware of its reputation as a park with a lot of wide open concrete spaces. As one of the most visited theme parks in the world, it really needed these big pathways to handle the amount of guests that come through the gates. So let me tell you how surprised and pleased I was to find a number of areas offering hidden gems, or a peaceful respite from the crowds. Let’s take a look through some of my favorites.
Pan Galactic Pizza Port and the Upper Level of Tomorrowland
We begin by stepping into one of the most delightful counter service restaurants at any Disney park, the fantastic Pan Galactic Pizza Port, featuring my friend and yours – Tony Solaroni! Above the ordering area, you’ll find this cute animatronic alongside an impressive pizza making machine. Above Tony, a video of pure 90s goodness plays – which really feels like a classic thing out of EPCOT Center. Of course, during peak dining times, the restaurant will likely get pretty busy. But if you head in here during off-peak times, you’ll find plenty of seating on the upper level with a front row view of Tony.
Heading outside, on the upper level of Tomorrowland, you’ll find more seating connected to the exit of Star Tours. As Star Tours sees minimal waits here at Tokyo Disneyland, you’ll never find too many people up here – giving you a great bird’s eye view of Tomorrowland!
The Impressive, Multi-Level Critter Country
In addition to being very pleased to ride Splash Mountain again after its closure in the U.S., I was also impressed by Critter Country as a whole. Splash Mountain forms the basis of all of Critter Country, creating an impressively themed land that also includes Grandma Sara’s Kitchen and the Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes. The lower level of Grandma Sara’s Kitchen has some seating areas that go right up against the flume of SPlash MOuntain, and over by the canoe dock, you can get a truly awe-inspiring view of the Western River Railroad and Mark Twain Riverboat traversing the Rivers of America.
Typhoon Lagoon or Adventureland?
Adventureland was probably the area of Tokyo Disneyland that surprised me the most. I knew of the typical Tiki Room / Jungle Cruise area, as well as the recreation of Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. Perhaps my favorite section was this tropical themed area just by the entrance to Adventureland. Including the China Voyager restaurant and a few stands, this area features similar theming to that of Typhoon Lagoon, with some elements drawn directly from it. It makes for a nice, peaceful transition between the two very different elements of Adventureland.
The Retro Cuteness of Plazma Ray
Another restaurant in Tomorrowland that brought me some joy was Plazma Ray’s Diner. Located in the spot that would be home to the Tomorrowland Terrace in the Magic Kingdom, this somewhat recently remodeled features a retro-futuristic theme with some delightful posters including the cute Plazma Ray character. Unlike the Magic kIngdom, this restaurant is completely enclosed, but you can see how it features essentially the same layout. Another thing that brought a smile to my face was the soundtrack, which consists of an old Tomorrowland music loop from the 90s – including some familiar tracks to longtime Magic Kingdom visitors, such as Vangelis’ “Elsewhere.”
Bird’s Eye View of Fantasyland
At the Magic Kingdom, there’s a restaurant inside Cinderella Castle, but here at Tokyo Disneyland, there’s a walk-through attraction – Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall. Perhaps my favorite part of this experience is the exit, which offers a beautiful second floor vista of Fantasyland and Mount Prometheus in Tokyo DisneySea off in the distance. I quite enjoyed standing up here taking a look at the impressive view.
Funnylookus Tittertwillus
We’ll end our tour of Tokyo Disneyland over at Camp Woodchuck, an expansion to Frontierland which opened in 2016. A delightful restaurant themed to a lodge, the Camp Woodchuck Kitchen, is the main feature, along with a meet & greet area for Donald and Daisy. However, on the route to the meet & greet, there’s a beautiful pathway alongside the Rivers of America. Along this pathway, you’ll come across a giant redwood tree, which features in it a surprise animatronic of the Tri-Crested Tittertwill bird. You’ll hear it snoring, waking up and just enjoying its perch. A wonderful, unexpected place to find a simple animatronic, that brought quite the smile to my face.
