Welcome back to another “Ranked” article here on Laughing Place. A lifelong dream of mine recently came true when I got to visit the “Mecca of the Disney Parks” – the Tokyo Disney Resort. Known for their high-class rides and incredible attention to detail, the two parks of Tokyo Disney Resort are truly unlike any other Disney Parks in the world. Specifically, they’re the only two that aren’t owned and operated by Disney themselves, instead being run by the Oriental Land Company (who seem all the more happy to throw money at the parks).
I’ve already ranked the attractions of Tokyo Disneyland, so it’s now time to focus on Disney fan’s main reason for wanting to make the trip – the absolutely incredible Tokyo DisneySea. Understandably, my expectations for this park were sky high based on everything I’ve seen and heard about the park. Let me tell you, this park 100% lives up to the hype and far exceeds it. It features some of the most stunning detailing I’ve ever seen in a theme park environment. Everywhere you look, there’s layers and layers of details and incredible architecture. So yes, the park is beautiful – but how do the rides stack up? It’s actually more of a mixed bag than I expected…
22. Jumpin’ Jellyfish
We start at the bottom with what I guess it’s technically “the worst attraction” in the park, and that’s Jumpin’ Jellyfish. Similar to the attraction with the same name at Disney California Adventure, this ride is actually a lot less exciting. The vehicles are more enclosed, and the motions are significantly slower, offering almost no thrill to the experience. And while the indoor Mermaid Lagoon is beautiful, there’s little in the way to look at from the dark corner this ride is placed in.
21. The Whirlpool
Francis’ Lady Bug Boogie from A Bug’s Land lives on inside Mermaid Lagoon with this small and simple, yet quite fun teacup style ride. For those that never got to experience that attraction, think of it as a cross between a ride like Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and your classic tea cups. A simple ride that is placed where it is purely due to its nature.
20. Caravan Carousel
Carousels are a staple of Disney Parks the world-over, and yet the Caravan Carousel in the beautiful Aladdin-inspired Arabian Coast is the only double decker one. Set inside this gorgeous structure, the carousel features your typical animals alongside multiple, different colored Genies. As organ-styled music from Aladdin plays, you experience some beautiful views of the wide-open courtyard below.
19. Scuttle’s Scooters
Back over at Mermaid Lagoon, there are also a couple of attractions to be found outside, including this fun little flat ride set right along the water’s edge. Scuttle’s Scooters a simple ride that offers some minor thrills, and added interaction when your vehicle turns backwards to face riders behind you.
18. Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster
Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster is similar to Gadget’s Go-Coaster at the neighboring Tokyo Disneyland, but does offer up a slightly different layout and experience. The attraction is cleverly set down into a lowered area, making it appear even smaller than it actually is – making it a great first-time coaster experience for the little ones.
17. Big City Vehicles
As with the Omnibus at Tokyo Disneyland, the American Waterfront area offers the similar Big City Vehicles. Numerous different styles of vehicles you might have found in New York around the 1930s can be found doing a one-way roundtrip journey throughout the streets, offering a different perspective of the highly themed area.
16. Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival
It pains me to have to put an attraction from the stunning new Fantasy Springs area so low, but I truly was really disappointed with Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival. The build-up to this attraction is pretty great. As you approach Rapunzel’s tower with the mountains behind it, it poses a scale that you think would continue through to the attraction. Sadly, this is one of the shortest experiences of any major attraction at a Disney park – like I’m talking shorter than Na'vi River Journey! What is presented is great, with the signing Rapunzel animatronic atop the tower, and the beautiful finale scene recreating the iconic “I See the Light” sequence from Tangled. But it’s all just so dreadfully short that it really doesn't feel like a complete experience.
15. Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies
Another new attraction is Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies. This attraction is also a short experience, but that is what is expected. It serves as a secondary attraction in the Never Land section of Fantasy Springs, and is entirely outdoors, offering some cute set-pieces themed to the four seasons and realms of Pixie Hollow. It all ends with a surprisingly impressive animatronic, the adorable Cheese the Mouse. Expecting this to be a shorter, less detailed experience actually made me enjoy it more than Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival – hence its placement one spot higher.
14. Nemo & Friends SeaRider
The opening day attraction StormRider was transformed into the Nemo & Friends SeaRider back in 2017, with the building becoming home to the Marine Life Institute. Perhaps my favorite part of the whole experience is the beautiful futuristic building, set alongside the waterfront, and featuring a mural similar to that of The Seas at EPCOT. The attraction itself is a fun simulator ride, set in a much larger vehicle than that of Star Tours. It was enjoyable, but definitely not something I felt the need to ride a second time.
13. Tower of Terror
Unfortunately, something else I didn’t feel the need to wait for a second time was Tokyo DisneySea’s version of Tower of Terror. As a fan of all of the other Tower of Terror type attractions across the world, I was unfortunately quite disappointed by this version. Now don’t get me wrong, the building itself, the queue and even the pre-show are all incredible – offering up the stunning levels of detail expected from this park. But the ride experience itself offered nothing that you can’t get in other Towers, and was significantly tamer than any other – with this version featuring over the shoulder seat belts. With the attraction consistently drawing lengthy waits, I found myself drawn to some of the more unique and impressive attractions the park has to offer.
12. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea harkens back to the classic attraction at the Magic Kingdom, but done in a modern, and far more reliable way. Instead of boarding a near-working submarine, you board a small, enclosed vehicle on a suspended ride system not dissimilar to Peter Pan’s Flight. Bubbles in the windows simulate going underwater, but no actual water is featured in the attraction. The scenery is very well done, but hard to see, which does add to the explorative feel of the attraction. My biggest complaint is really just how cramped it is inside the vehicle, making me enjoy the attraction less than I otherwise would have.
11. Fortress Explorations
Think of Fortress Explorations as this park’s Tom Sawyer Island – and yet, in classic Tokyo DisneySea fashion, it's stunningly beautiful. Here, you can explore the fortress and galleon right up against the beautiful Mount Prometheus. Exhibitions on the study of the planets and the earth's rotation, operating cannons, and various nautical instruments, only add to the spirit of exploration – with something new and exciting to be found around every corner.
10. Venetian Gondolas
This attraction is exactly what you think it is: gondolas, operated by the friendliest cast members, just like you’d find in Venice. But what makes this attraction so great are the stunning views you can get of the rest of the park, from the lowest possible vantage point. It’s worth experiencing alone for those views. Another fun element found here is a queue that is full of benches, allowing guests to sit while they wait!
9. Raging Spirits
Raging Spirits, layout-wise at least, is an exact clone of Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril at Disneyland Paris, but in true Tokyo DisneySea fashion, this version is highly plussed. For starters, the impressive facade beckons guests towards the attraction, with flames creating a fun visual and interesting smell. Even without the Indiana Jones IP, this somehow becomes a more interesting attraction, with impressive theming for this type of coaster. More importantly, this version is far less rough than its Parisian counterpart, making for a much more enjoyable experience.
8. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
Just as at Disneyland, the Indiana Jones Adventure is a world-class dark ride. Within the Lost River Delta, the attraction gets an impressive facade in the form of a giant Mayan temple. Once inside, the queue is equally as impressive as Disneyland’s, but replaces the cramped caves and tombs with a grand feel. The attraction itself is mostly the same, but instead of avoiding the eyes of Mara, we’re searching for the Crystal Skull (unrelated to the movie of the same name). Most of the scenery and effects are the same, with a few differences here and there. The timing felt kind of off here, leading to me preferring the Disneyland original – but don’t get me wrong, it’s still an amazing attraction!
7. Aquatopia
Aquatopia is a strange little ride. As one of the earliest uses of the trackless ride vehicle technology, it does feel somewhat like a prototype – but that’s also part of what makes it fun. The jerky, unpredictable nature is unlike any other ride, feeling like a scenic tour of Port Discovery with a few thrills thrown in. Add some impeccable views, and you get an attraction that I enjoyed way more than I thought I would!
6. Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure
The second main attraction in the new Fantasy Springs expansion showcases what Disney can do with a ride system similar to that of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal Orlando. Following a well-done queue and cute pre-show, guests board their ride vehicles for a 3D motion-based journey to Never Land. The blending between the screens and physical surroundings was very well done, although I would have preferred some animatronics in addition. You truly do feel like you’re about to take flight, and the final scene returning us home from Never Land perfectly recreates the iconic flight scene from the film. A well done introduction to this type of ride from Disney that has me excited to see where it goes in the future.
5. DisneySea Transit Steamer Line
Sometimes the simplest of things can have the biggest impact, and that’s absolutely the case here with the DisneySea Transit Steamer Line. Similarly to my thoughts on the Venetian Gondolas, these boats offer a different way to explore this truly magnificent park. In addition to the relaxing, music-filled journey, this also serves as a transportation option – with three different docks located throughout the park. Those looking to enjoy a round trip can do so from the Cape Cod dock. Don’t skip this simple, yet lovely ride!
4. Soaring: Fantastic Flight
Soarin’ has always been one of my favorite attractions in the U.S. Disney Parks, but one of its biggest drawbacks has been the rather industrial feel of the theater space itself. That is completely fixed here, as guests enter the beautiful Museum of Fantastic Flight, which features stunning decor and artwork. Afterwards comes an impressive pre-show which introduces Camellia Falco and her newest invention, the Dream Flyer, which has a very Leonardo Da Vinci inspired look to it. With this version of Soarin’, even the theater itself is themed – from the floors to the giant beams holding up the impressive ride mechanism. The ride experience itself is almost identical to others, but the added theming and immersion makes this hands down the definitive version of Soarin’.
3. Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey
Once again, the fine folks at the Oriental Land Company took something we’re used to at other Disney Parks, namely Frozen Ever After – and kicked it up to 11! Many of the scenes guests love from that attraction are present here, but here, the entire story of Frozen is told through some marvelously staged scenes and incredible animatronics. Due to its popularity, I was only able to ride this twice, but I would gladly have gone around again and again!
2. Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage
Perhaps my most anticipated attraction in all of the Tokyo Disney Resort was Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, which was closed for a lengthy refurbishment this year, but luckily reopened on my last day here. As I entered the queue, I was greeted by smiling cast members with their adorable Chandu plush, welcoming guests back to this attraction.
I’d often heard this ride described as a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and “it’s a small world,” and after experiencing it, I’d say that is an apt description. Telling a family-friendly version of the tales of Sindbad, this immersive and lengthy boat ride incorporates some stunning scenes, the adorable tiger Chandu and an incredibly beautiful song from Alan Menken, “Compass of Your Heart,” which really brings the whole thing together. This is an incredibly unique ride you’ll only find here, and one you simply must ride again and again on your visit!
1. Journey to the Center of the Earth
And the best attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, the Tokyo Disney Resort, and one of the best darn things I’ve ever ridden, is Journey to the Center of the Earth. Based on the timeless Jules Verne story, this attraction is built within the park’s icon, Mount Prometheus, and the queue truly makes you feel like you’re traveling deep into the earth. After boarding elevators that take you down (but really don’t move at all – like the Hydrolators!), you board your oddly shaped ride vehicle and begin your serene journey. The first few scenes almost feel like something out of Na'vi River Journey, with simple animatronics and stunning scenery. But as these rides often do, you take a wrong turn and are greeted by a lava monster, one of the largest and most impressive animatronics I’ve ever seen. Fire shoots up and you begin to accelerate before literally being blasted out of the mountain, in one of the most thrilling moments of any Disney attraction. My mouth was literally wide open following my first ride, and stayed pretty much the same every time I rode. This is an absolute must-do any time you visit Tokyo DisneySea, even if the thrill element scares you a little, you simply must check it out!
I hope you all enjoyed this ranking of my Top 22 attractions at Tokyo DisneySea. If you want more, feel free to check out our “Ranked” tag for some of our other theme park and entertainment rankings.