Trip Report: “Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure” Day 8 – Tokyo DisneySea with Imagineers

Day 8 of Disney Parks Around The World – A Private Jet Adventure brought another early morning, with breakfast starting at 5:30 am at the Sherwood Garden Restaurant in the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. It was the beginning of a fabulous day at the Tokyo Disney Resort that took us to both parks – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Here is a recap of this wondrous day with Adventures by Disney.

After breakfast, we gathered together and proceeded to the Tokyo Disneyland Station to catch the 6:31 am monorail over to Tokyo DisneySea. Because it has more than one station, the monorail is considered mass transit, and a ticket is required (A 3-day pass is included with our stay). It’s also the nicest monorail of any Disney resort, well-themed inside and out.

We were welcomed inside Tokyo DisneySea starting at 7:00 am, even though the park wouldn’t open to day Guests until 9:00 am (Resort Guests get 15 minutes of early access). We gathered around the AquaSphere where we were introduced to four guest speakers from Walt Disney Imagineering, who started with a group tour before splitting into 3 groups for a pre-selected attraction experience.

Masato Shimazu (Art Director) began by welcoming us to Tokyo DisneySea and offered an overview of the park’s history. Charlie Watanabe (Story Writer) touched on the magic of the park and the special characters he helps create stories for, Duffy the Disney Bear and all of his friends. And Diego Parras and Gary Landrum (Show Awareness Producers) discussed the intricate level of detail we would all see during our time at the park.

We were then divided into groups for a behind-the-scenes experience at either Soaring: Fantastic Flight, Tower of Terror, or Journey to the Center of the Earth, which is what we chose. Diego led our tour around Mount Prometheus, showcasing details in the rock work and the ways Imagineers created transitions between themed areas, like the fortress and Jules Verne lagoon on Mysterious Island. As we got closer to the attraction, Diego drew our attention to wooden supports holding up rock work that was being drilled into. The base of the wooden pylons were scorched by lava flow from the active volcano above. Diego also explained the queue, which showcases some of the scientific research brought up from the world below, foreshadowing the adventure we were about to have. The ride itself uses the Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers technology but with many more peaks and valleys, including a thrilling outdoor drop. The attraction also incorporates several impressive animatronic creatures and lots of special effects (Note: Photos were not allowed inside the park prior to general Guest admission, so we were unable to take photos once the tour began).

We were given lots of time on our own, with reserved seating at Big Band Beat for one of two show times. The spectacle features Mickey Mouse tap dancing and playing the drums with a chorus line of jazz dancers, plus musical numbers from Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck (no photos allowed of the show). Lunch was on our own, but included with the trip. Guests were given an envelope with $100 USD in Disney Yen (similar to Disney Dollars before they were made obsolete by Disney Gift Card).

We had lunch on Mysterious Island in the Nautilus Galley, where we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Tokyo Disney Resort with a strawberry cream cake.

We also snacked on Little Green Men Dumplings. This popular Toy Story dessert is offered in multiple locations and comes in a trio of strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.

Our Adventures by Disney lanyard tag gave us expedited access to any attraction, plus complimentary fountain beverages at select food locations. We experienced the following attractions during our free time at Tokyo DisneySea:

Tokyo DisneySea is so detailed that we spent a good chunk of the day exploring the park’s various nooks and crannies. As a fan of Duffy and Friends, I also spent a lot of time admiring how adorable all of the exclusive merchandise is. The gang is celebrating Tokyo Disney Resort’s 40th Anniversary with the cutest birthday party ever!

It was very hot and humid today, so we took a much-needed break in the afternoon back at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. Unlike Disney Parks in the U.S.A., park tickets at the Tokyo Disney Resort typically work differently. Park hopping is usually reserved for a 3-day pass and only accessible on the 3rd day (eg, only Tokyo Disneyland on day 1, only Tokyo DisneySea on day 2, both parks on day 3). But because Adventures by Disney has pulled out all the stops for this itinerary, we have two tickets for each day, one for each park. In the afternoon, we entered Tokyo Disneyland for a reserved viewing of the new 40th Anniversary parade, Harmony in Color. Our Adventure Guides were waiting for us in a section of reserved bench seating facing Cinderella Castle. They were armed with boxes of popcorn in flavors unique to the Tokyo Disney Resort, like berry cheesecake and black pepper. Guests could either take a whole box of one flavor or take smaller sample cups to try them all. Unfortunately, shortly before the parade was to step off, the park determined that it was too hot for the performers, and the parade was canceled. Thankfully we only spent about 10 minutes waiting for it, versus the hours that Guests typically camp out for a decent view.

We turned lemons into lemonade by entering a shining castle that recently opened. Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast is one of the newest attractions in the park, completely immersing Guests in the story of Beauty and the Beast. Boarding a trackless teacup, Guests wind through musical story moments from the animated classic, including “Be Our Guest,” “Something There,” “The Mob Song,” and the finale version of the title song. With state-of-the-art animatronic figures, spellbinding special effects, and choreographed ride vehicle movements, it quickly casts a spell over all who step inside. We’re eager to experience it again tomorrow with our magic skip-the-line pass.

Taking the Monorail back to Tokyo DisneySea, dinner was held in Magellan’s on the Mysterious Island. Everyone received the same meal, themed to the resort’s 40th anniversary. Guests could choose between a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to accompany the meal, which included:

During dinner, our Adventure Guides presented us with our pin of the day, featuring Chip ‘n Dale on their own adventure in Tokyo DisneySea.

We also learned that there was supposed to be a pin for Day 7, which was given to us during our next activity. It feature emoji faces of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto with the Japanese mid-day greeting “Kon’nichiwa.”

Our final activity of the night was a reserved viewing of the new nighttime spectacular, Believe! Sea of Dreams. We arrived at a roped-off bench-seating area right on the waterfront 10 minutes before showtime, saving the hours that Guests typically spend waiting for such a view. The show was spectacular, with a tower of LED rings serving as the centerpiece. Water floats traveled around the center and carried a variety of characters, with an emphasis on Peter Pan, Tangled, Coco, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen 2.

Once again, we are sufficiently tuckered out after a wonderful day at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Tomorrow, we have opted for a full day in the parks while some of our fellow adventurers head off to Tokyo for a variety of excursions, including a full day of temple and shrine tours or half-day options that explore the city’s architecture, cuisine, and/or gardens. We will join together as a group in the evening for a very special dinner at Tokyo Disneyland’s Club 33. Until then, see ya real soon!

Disney fans will soon be able to travel the globe from the comfort of their homes with Disney Around the World from Ravensburger. We brought along an early review copy of the game and look forward to playing it during downtime on this adventure.

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