Main Street Cinema Attraction Poster- Tokyo Style!

After decades of denial, its seems like real Disney theme park fans are finally beginning to acknowledge the truth:  When it comes to the same high standards Walt Disney believed in, be in stunning new attractions, guest value, or park and attraction maintenance, the Tokyo Disney Resort is the new gold standard. The love, attention to detail, and money the Oriental Land Company pours into the place is obvious! 

This includes honoring Imagineering history and their wonderful park attraction posters. Here's a great one for the Main Street Cinema! The star of the show is front and center- Mickey Mouse himself. Disney's reliable, ultimate leading man- and corporate symbol- graces the front against a nice golden yellow backdrop. 

Just a little image with a big grin to warm up a winter's day.

Perhaps the Cutest Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Ever

Let me get one thing straight: "Cute" is not a term I use often. That said, this exact word was the very first thing I thought when I saw this image of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in front of a depiction of Cinderella Castle. I'm not even a big character guy, but there you have it. Where did I see this? Leave it to none other than Tokyo Disneyland to come up with the cutest Mickey and Minnie ever. Not only do they arguably have the two best theme parks in the world - and in top working order- they know how to make guest satisfaction priority number one. 

Where was this image? Inside the main queue area for It's A Small World. And that is just the beginning...

Wreck It Ralph to Replace Buzz Lightyear!

Refreshing Disney attractions and reusing current spaces versus mostly building new ones means constant changes. But will the pending removal of a Buzz Lightyear attraction create a stir and disgruntled guests to the castle parks? Who knows. But Tokyo Disneyland is taking out Buzz and replacing him with a new shooter attraction based on the fun film Wreck It Ralph. Nice concept art, by the way. Maybe the other parks like Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom will follow suit. He's already gone in Hong Disneyland. Oh, those Imagineers! What will they do next. D23 cannot come fast enough!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company)

New Fantasy Springs Ad for Tokyo Disneysea Expansion

Just take a look at this! It's been appearing in multiple places all over Tokyo- a brand new ad for the Fantasy Springs expansion at the  already beautiful Tokyo Disneysea. Areas devoted to Peter Pan, the Frozen gang, and Rapunzel and friends will make for a very popular addition. 

Looking at the art, you can see the hotel in the background as well as Rapunzel's Forest, Peter Pan's Never Land, and Frozen Kingdom.

Will you even be able to get in? I don't know as it seems to be a tough thing to do unless you pay mega-yen to stay at the brand new Fantasy Springs Hotel or have some insider connection. If you want more news on the expansion from a great guy who lives in Japan, go no further than the You Tube channel of 8-Bit Theme Park Japan. They broke the news on this ad, and they will be a surefire source of all the latest information.

(Art copyright Walt Disney Company and Oriental Land Company.)

Now I Know Why I'm Addicted to Disney Parks

Have you ever wondered why you just can't stop going to Disneyland for the day or taking those one or two week long vacations to Walt Disney World? Perhaps you long for a trip to the gorgeous Disneyland Paris. Maybe you're a Disney park addict! If Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland or Shanghai Disneyland seem to be calling you, this article from the Los Angeles Times will explain why you just can't help yourself. See this: Scientific Reasons You Can't Stop Going to Disneyland

A Look at Tokyo Disneyland's Proposed Tomorowland Version of Tower of Terror

Is it the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios that's the best version of the drop ride? Maybe it's California Adventure's reworked Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout? Could it be the one at Disneysea? Well, how about the version at Tokyo Disneyland? No, not the one at Tokyo Disneysea, but the one at the first Disney park in Japan.

The TDS version concept art is one of my favorite pieces ever!

At the top is the concept art for the sure to be incredible Tomorrowland version. While we know the stories of the other attractions, what would the tale be for this drop tower experience? My bet is on some version of Alien Encounter. Imagine discovering a creepy hidden lair of a creature that would terrorize whoever discovered him. Whatever it would have been, of course, it would be incredible- it's in Tokyo! They do it all very, very well. 

What they did choose is to put the Tower of Terror in the American Waterfront section of Tokyo Disneysea. With a very different theme from the other parks, the story and special effects are top-notch. It's story is like Mystic Manor but with an evil, terrifying twist riders never forget.

In contrast, the California Adventure concept is one of my least favorite pieces.

When it comes to the Tokyo Disney Resort, the Disney Imagineers are given full freedom to dream. The Oriental Land Company chooses the best of the best to guarantee their parks remain the premier destination it is- and it certainly is!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.) 

Tokyo Disneyland Gives Guests More Than They Deserve- Again!

Tokyo Disneysea is just the tip of the iceberg! Long considered the best Disney theme park ever, the Tokyo Disney Resort notches it up again with a brand new, rebuilt, and fully reimagined Space Mountain for the original Japanese Disney park, Tokyo Disneyland. Is it not enough they already have the Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, the original trackless vehicle E Ticket in Pooh's Hunny Hunt, and soon the only park to feature a full blown Tangled attraction? Apparently not. 

In contrast to Walt Disney World where they are continually nickel and diming customers, the Oriental Land Company continues to give guests groundbreaking attractions, top notch service, and great value for what is spent. This is the kind of experience Walt Disney wanted all his guests to have. And the Japanese resort continues to have great financial reports year after year after year. Does anyone see the correlation? 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Don't Go to Tokyo Disney Resort

If you are a Stateside Disney theme park fan, I would advise you to not go to Japan and see the Tokyo Disney Resort. You'll be disappointed. Very, very disappointed as you explore these two parks, the first overseas Disney park, Tokyo Disneyland, and its newer sibling, Tokyo Disneysea.

As these screenshots show (from Disunplugged), if you are visiting the first park, all you will get is a knockoff Cinderella Castle. You'll also get a Winnie the Pooh attraction that would be an "E Ticket" in any other park, and a whole series of well known and loved attractions that are in tip top shape. Starting next year, you'll also get a brand new Beauty and the Beast themed land with a full size castle and a new headliner ride, "Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast”.

Things go from bad to worse over at Tokyo Disneysea. There, you'll find entire new ports of call not duplicated in any other Disney park. An entire award winning playground filled with new takes on world class attractions, all surrounding a shimmering lagoon with an active volcano... and in 2022, that Tangled boat ride fans of the film have wanted. All for less than a one day ticket to Florida's Magic Kingdom.

Do you want to be even more disappointed? Go to this series of posts by our own Len Yokoyama (that's part one of five) as he explores the Japanese parks and shoots gorgeous photos of the place.

Time for a Fresh Look at Shanghai Disneyland

Time for a bit of Disney in Shanghai. If you're like me, Tokyo Disney Resort is the first choice of locations to visit after the Western parks. I've always thought of Shanghai Disneyland as poorly designed and overbearing. Anyway, I could be wrong. Very wrong. What convinced me to reconsider?

Tangled makes its way to China.

A little bit of the Pirates themed land.

Read the detailed report on the Shanghai Disneyland Park here. Trip report and photos by Clyde Birdbrain on the WDWMagic Boards.

Disney's Dirtiest Secret of All

The Walt Disney Company has a dirty little industry secret. It's certainly not one they want people to know about. Guests and consumers have to be kept in the dark about it all, so they are very careful not to share it. Discretion is of the utmost importance.

Want to go overseas - say to Shanghai Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort, or perhaps go to Hong Kong Disneyland or Disneyland Paris - to photograph Disney Parks and get paid to do it? This happens more often than you would think! 

It goes beyond invitations to special events and lots of giveaways. Owners of key websites, bloggers, and other influencers are often paid, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, to travel and tell others about the great times they had at the parks, what the latest food trends are, and how newer expansions are just the most exciting events to happen in the World. Sure, some folks do this work all on their own as a true labor of love, but others have the Walt Disney Company bankrolling it.

How can you tell who they are? It's tough, but I'd look for consistently positive reviews in new movies, park events and merchandise as a place to begin. There's also little objective criticism, and praise is doled out for each and every new product. Is Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge the best thing Disney Imagineers have ever built? Is the newest cupcake, T-shirt, or $200 piece of merchandise worth its cost? What about that overseas trip to experience it all? These well paid folks will tell you all about it and provide photos to boot. 

Not this guy- no strings attached here.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Oriental Land Company Makes Me Cancel My Plans Once Again

The Oriental Land Company has once again put an end to my plans to finally visit Tokyo Disney Resort. I'd been carefully, mentally, patiently, looking at an opportunity to go when the Beauty and the Beast mini-land made its debut at Tokyo Disneyland. Now, the announcement of their new addition to Tokyo DisneySea will make me delay my plans for even a few more years. Why? 

Can't wait to experience the lantern scene myself.

I just love Tangled. It's my second favorite animated film after Beast. There's certainly no more beautiful animation art in any Disney film than the lantern scene. The attraction itself should be amazing. And finally Rapunzel's tower leads to a real ride and not just to a couple of restrooms!

C'mon everybody...

Plus I can't wait to see what they do with Peter Pan and a whole new Neverland. It's a very charming yet thrilling piece of property at Disneyland Paris, but my bet is this next generation version takes it even further. 

Yo Ho!

An early rumor even suggests Shanghai Disneyland's Pirates technology could be used here. No matter. This expansion will further cement Tokyo's place as the primary leader in the Disney world.

I bet this attraction is a genuine E Ticket!

Frozen land should proves itself interesting on a grander scale than what the Imagineers were allowed to do when they brought the film into Epcot's Norway pavilion. (More on that next post on our trip.)

The choice of where to stay will now be more difficult.

I'll still writing the next chapter post about our Disney World trip. yet, even my wife had to ask this morning upon hearing the expansion news, "Why does Tokyo seem to do things so much better?" Wise woman.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Japan 2017 Trip Report - Part Five

I apologize for the longer than anticipated installment of my Japan trip. After blazing though the first part featuring Disneysea, I admit to hitting a writer's roadblock when discussing Tokyo Disneyland! Possibly due to similarities to the USA parks, I found it hard to talk about things that haven't been discussed a million times before. Nonetheless, I'm heading out for a week's vacation and wanted to get at least one installment done before I leave. I'll probably pepper this post with a bit more photos than usual, so pardon me for the imbalance of words to pictures.

The first thing that will hit you as you enter into TDL is the roof over World Bazaar (Japan's version of Main Street USA)! It's a serious aberration that breaks the illusion so carefully crafted in the American parks. I understand it was done as a means of dealing with Tokyo weather, but the cost is high. World Bazaar never really recovers from having a ceiling, feeling more like an indoor shopping mall than a stroll down a small town. Once you get over the initial shock, the theming and attention to details on Main Street still retains the high standard set by the Japan parks. There's an abundant amount of Disney performers and cast members here, more so than other areas. It's always a little jarring to watch a performance with cast members speaking in Japanese, but the level of exuberance and energy makes up for the language barrier.

Cast members here are super friendly and helpful, but I would not say that it's a big leap over the states. I was scolded a bit more this time around for not understanding their photography rules better, but that's part of their jobs.  

Christmas decorations are a little more pronounced here as opposed to TDS. The obligatory Christmas Tree stands majestically near the entrance, grabbing a large amount of attention and selfies. Even after park closing, I found it hard to photograph the tree without any people in the shots. I should have taken multiple exposures and manually remove them in post, but I actually don't mind it as it gives a better size perspective. 

The roof definitely has a visual impact on photos, but I do like the texture it gives to the sky (and with Tokyo being overcast much of the time, this can be a good thing). The above image of the cast member holding the "walk" sign reminds me of how the Japanese will initiate a "fast walk/close to running" movement as they enter the parks. The internal struggle between following Japan social rules v.s. the need to get to their destination of choice as fast as possible is quite amusing. In America, guests will pretty much run full tilt, disregarding pleas of safety from cast members...LOL!

Main street stores have the same attention to detail one expects, but there seems to be a little something "extra" when it comes to the window displays. Can't quite put my finger on it, but I sense a little more pride and personal touch coming from the artists and set designers. 

One of my favorite places to eat at World Bazaar is the Center Street Coffee House. I found it quite by accident during my first visit in 2002 (internet wasn't quite up to snuff and info on TDL was very difficult to find). My first meal there was for breakfast and I had ordered a set menu consisting of a Mickey waffle, eggs, and a yogurt. After taking a bite, I immediately wanted to order an extra yogurt...never having tasted something so creamy, smooth, and delicious. I called over the waitress and asked her for another serving, followed by a look of bewilderment on her face. She could not understand someone wanting to order an extra of something on the menu and ended up asking another waitress, who called the manager, and proceeded to have a mini conference. After much debate, they informed me that they would have to charge me extra. Totally embarrassed by all the fuss, I smiled and said "Wakarimasu" (I understand in English). I've made it a point to always eat at Center Street whenever I visit, but I now stick to the menu and abolish any thoughts of special orders!

All photographs copyright 2018 by Len Yokoyama

To be continued...

Japan 2017 Trip Report - Part One

Aloha Insights and Sounds readers! This is a voice from the past...coming back to regale you with tales of triumphs, tragedies, and heroic endeavors! Okay, not really...it's just me (Len) with a long overdue trip report of my visit to the land of the rising sun. Being as how this blog slants towards things Disney, this article consists mainly of my adventures at the Tokyo Disney resorts, followed by a brief stop in Kyoto and my final stop at Universal Studios in Osaka. This will be a multi part series with many trivial comments and meandering thoughts so be sure to have a large pot of coffee brewing before delving into any of these posts!

A little background first...this was my 3rd time visiting the Tokyo parks. My first trip was in 2001, the year Disneysea opened. While the parks look pretty much the same, there has been some major and subtle additions / subtractions over the years which I'll cover as we move along. Suffice to say, one of the biggest changes has been the generalization and an overall sameness to much of the merchandise. During my first two trips, I was constantly amazed at the variety and creative designs of park products. I remember picking up an Uncle Scrooge type PEZ dispenser which contained candy resembling silver dollar pieces. Or a Magical Aladdin Genie Bank that gave the illusion of your money disappearing as you dropped it into a slot. The package designs for food products were unbelievable! Specially commissioned artwork that saw a life span of 2-3 months before being rotated out for new designs were common and expected. Alas, all good things come to an end and the imaginative spark of creativity that was a hallmark of Tokyo merchandise has succumb to a plethora of Duffy toys and a more generic vanilla approach found at the USA parks.

Sad to say too that like the American parks, Tokyo is closing down or moving away from original unique attractions (ex: StormRider - one of the coolest attractions at DS replaced by Nemo & Friends SeaRider) to make room for rides that tie into Pixar/Marvel movies.

But all is not doom and gloom. Disneysea still remains the pinnacle of Disney imagineering at its finest. The parks still maintain high levels of customer service, quality food, and cleanliness. So sit back, relax, and come along with me as I relive my journey to Japan!

I arrived a little after 10:00 pm at Haneda Airport, so transportation already became a slight issue due to the late hour. Disney bus service ends at 8:00 pm so I was forced to take a private van to the Disney Celebration Hotel. It cost me $110.00 for a one way trip...pricey, but worth it since I didn't want to hassle with the trains after an 8 1/2 hour flight. My driver was waiting for me at the baggage carousel and kindly helped take my bags to a Mercedes Benz van. As I was the only passenger, we quickly departed the airport and made our way to the hotel. Even with little to no traffic, the ride took approximately 50 minutes. 

Big caveat here if you're thinking of staying at the Disney Celebration. While an official Disney hotel, it is NOT located on or near park premises! Had I know this before booking (and done a little more research),  I would not have stayed here. My initial logic for booking was my interest in checking out Tokyo Disney's newest resort and also saving a little money (since it's their only designated "value" resort). Turns out the savings wasn't substantial (maybe $40.00 less than the Disney Ambassador, once a value hotel, but upgraded to "deluxe" status upon the debut of Celebration). I would much rather pay a little less to stay at one of the "good neighbor" hotels like the Hilton or Sheraton and be much closer to the parks. I will concede that transportation service from Celebration to the parks are excellent, and they have buses leaving every 10 minutes. However, it's almost a half hour ride and should definitely be considered if booking here.

Celebration is comprised of two separate buildings with specific theming...Wishes and Discovery. I chose Discovery as it has more of a western frontier aspect. From the outside, the hotel is rather unimpressive with a "cookie cutter" look to it. You do know it's a Disney hotel the moment you enter the lobby, but like Paradise Pier, it comes across as major plussing rather than a hotel organically designed from the ground up (ala Hotel Miracosta). 

Being such a late arrival, I walked up to the front desk with no one in front or behind me. Besides the frontiersman Mickey statue, and a large couch designed as a canoe, not much else gave me a feel of discovery.  There were display cases with maquette of various Disney attractions and the obligatory Christmas tree or two. 

Christmas decorations at both the hotels and parks are very conservative and subtle (especially when compared with the USA parks). I wonder if part of it is the Japanese not really understanding the true meaning behind Christmas. Not that decorated trees and lights symbolize the birth of Christ, but it's an understanding that really makes this holiday more important than the others (to me at least). After checking in and taking a few photos, I headed up to my room. I was impressed with the colorful artwork covering the interior elevator doors...each elevator showcasing a different area of the parks. 

The room itself was clean and comfortable. The large wall diorama adds a lot to give the room a "Disney" feel, although like the overall hotel, it still feels tacked on. 

The amenities were of the usual high standards I associate with the Tokyo resorts. In fact, unlike the move towards generalized merchandise, the hotel toiletries are still hotel specific. And this is the only hotel that had Mickey Mouse house slippers available (a generous amount of four pairs in cello wrap were mine for the taking, but I showed some restraint and packed just two!).

I headed to bed a little after one, but found myself tossing and turning...first night before entering the park jitters. I got up early and decided to have breakfast since I knew it was going to be a two hour wait for park entry. In Japan, everything is vending machines! In order to participate in the morning buffet, you need to buy a ticket from a machine right outside the restaurant's entrance (the cost comes to roughly $13.00 an adult) You hand it to the cashier and you're off to find a table (since tipping is not allowed in Japan, there are no cash transactions inside the restaurant). Since it was early, the place was nearly empty so I had my choice of seating. Once at the buffet station, I marveled at the selection and quality of food. Japan's dining sensibilities are a little different from America, so seeing pasta as a main entree surprised me not the least. Croissants, and pastries in general, are a lot lighter and not as sweet or sugary.

I enjoyed the fare so much that I made a repeat appearance the following morning! Heartily satisfied, I left the dining
area to catch the bus for my first day at Disneysea!

To be continued...

All photos copyright 2018 by Len Yokoyama