Tokyo DisneySea
Encyclopedia
is a 176-acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort
located in Urayasu
, Chiba
, Japan
, just outside Tokyo
. It opened on September 4, 2001. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company
, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 12 million visitors in 2009, making it the fifth-most-visited theme park in the world. In 2010, the park hosted 12.6 million visitors, making it the fourth most visited theme park in the world. Tokyo DisneySea was the second theme park to open at the Tokyo Disney Resort and the ninth park of the eleven worldwide Disney theme parks to open. Tokyo DisneySea was the fastest theme park in the world to reach the milestone of 10 million guests, having done so in 307 days after its grand opening. The previous record-holder was Universal Studios Japan 338 days after its opening. Tokyo DisneySea is also the most expensive theme park ever built, estimated to have cost over U.S. $4 billion. Tokyo DisneySea and its companion park Tokyo Disneyland
are the only Disney parks in the world not owned by The Walt Disney Company
.
. However the idea was scrapped after the company endured financial trouble with the Euro Disney project. Later the idea was passed on to the Oriental Land Company to expand their resort. Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, the overall intention was to create a more adult-themed park, including faster, scarier rides and shows designed more for an older audience. By the time Tokyo DisneySea opened in 2001, its concepts and designs had been in development at Walt Disney Imagineering for well over 20 years.
Mediterranean Harbor is the entrance "port-of-call" and themed as an Italian port city, complete with Venetian gondolas that guests can board and ride. Littered throughout the port are various shops and restaurants. Mediterranean Harbor's layout differs from the entry "lands" of other Disney parks as it is a large "V" shape rather than a main street that leads to a hub (as found in Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A.
or Disney's Hollywood Studios
' Hollywood Boulevard
"). If followed to the right, the path leads to Mysterious Island, while if followed to the left, the path leads to the American Waterfront. Built into the architecture in this port is the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
. The hotel itself serves as a full-scale reproduction of the various buildings of Portofino and Venice's ports. The design choice of combining a real hotel within the themed park areas helps to further the illusion that (as either a park or hotel guest) you are in the actual city; since the hotel is a functioning building (rather than a 'set facade' -- the general standard in theme park designs) the hotel guests that may peek out from the hotel's rooms, balconies, and terraces serve in adding an almost surreal level of kinetic authenticity in passing for an authentic Italian villa for park visitors, while the hotel guest enjoys the harborside views and novelty of location. Additionally, the Hotel MiraCosta also serves as the southern berm (or border) of the park. Mediterranean Harbor also features attractions such as the Fortress Explorations which is a meticulously themed, large-scale interactive play area for guests that features exploration themed activities and attractions, The Legend of Mythica, a twenty-five minute show located on the harbor, and Fantasmic!
, premiered on April 28, 2011, as part of the parks 10th anniversary celebration, "Be Magical!" a nighttime spectacular also situated on the harbor that uses special barges, fountains, pyro effects, Disney Characters and fireworks.
Mysterious Island is a "port-of-call" within Mount Prometheus, the giant volcano that is the Park's centerpiece and most prominent feature. It relies heavily on the storytelling of Jules Verne
and, specifically, the mythology of the volcano fortress mentioned several times in the books called "Vulcania". The Mount Prometheus ride employs technology similar to Epcot's test track. The smallest "port of call", it nevertheless holds two of the more popular attractions: "Journey to the Center of the Earth
", a thrill ride, and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", a dark ride
. While appearing to be a volcano on the water, Mysterious Island is not an island at all. It is instead built into the side of Mount Prometheus, which is part of the show building of the two attractions. The architecture in this port is of Victorian style, as the Jules Verne novels featured here all take place in this era.
. The facade is made to look like the Palace of King Triton and features fanciful seashell-inspired architecture. This "port of call" is unique in that it is mostly indoors and recreates the feeling of being underwater. Most of the rides in this area are geared towards younger children. Attractions in this "port of call" include Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster; Scuttle's Scooters; Jumpin' Jellyfish; Blowfish Balloon Race; The Whirlpool; all of which are meticulously themed children's rides. Also in this area are Ariel's Playground which is a children's playground and extensive walk-through attraction that recreates the various settings in the movie; and the Mermaid Lagoon Theater which is home to 'Under the Sea', a musical show featuring live actors, large-scale puppetry
and Audio-Animatronics
that recreate the story of The Little Mermaid. Visitors can also take photographs with Ariel at
Ariel's Greeting Grotto.
This "port of call", like Mermaid Lagoon, is themed after a popular Disney animated film, this time Aladdin. It recreates an exotic Arabian harbor combined with an "enchanted world from 1001 Arabian Nights". There are three attractions in the land: Sindbad's Storybook Voyage, an indoor boat ride whose art direction seems to be (at first glance) a variation on "it's a small world" (complete with its own theme song, composed by Alan Menken
), but actually (because of newly developed audio animatronics which, despite their miniature scale, have a full range of movement just like Pirates of the Caribbean
's life-size figures) ends up even surpassing the technical accomplishment of the classic Pirates of the Caribbean
; Caravan Carousel, a double-decker carousel
that can hold over 190 passengers; and the Magic Lamp Theater, which houses a combined live-action/animatronic based magic show with a 3D movie featuring the Genie. A large eatery serving Middle-Eastern, Indian, and Japanese style curry, is at the center.
pyramid which houses the E.M.V. attraction Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
. Also located in the Lost River Delta is the DisneySea Steamer Line which transports guests back to Mediterranean Harbor, 'Mystic Rhythms' a live theatrical show that takes place in an abandoned hangar that has been reclaimed by the jungle, and Raging Spirits
, a looping roller coaster situated in the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site.
This "port of call" is hailed as "the marina of the future". It is sometimes called the "Tomorrowland" of Tokyo DisneySea and is somewhat of a cross between the never-built Discovery Bay concept for Disneyland and Discoveryland in Disneyland Park (Paris)
. Home to the fictional 'Center for Weather Control', Port Discovery is home to three attractions: StormRider, a large-scale simulator ride; Aquatopia
, a boat ride that uses LPS tracking (the 'trackless' technology also used in Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt
) to move and spin through a lagoon amid waterfalls and whirlpools, and the DisneySea Electric Railway, an overhead electric 'trolley' that transports riders to and from the American Waterfront.
This "port of call" represents the northeastern seaboard of the United States in the early 20th century. It features two themed areas, an "Old Cape Cod" section, and a "New York Harbor" section with an elaborate backstory. This land is dominated by the large passenger ship, SS Columbia
, which is usually the site for various shows and events. A restaurant is also located within the ship. Guests have the option of riding the area's "Big City Vehicles" which roam the streets of this area. It also features the "DisneySea Electric Railway" which takes passengers from The American Waterfront to nearby Port Discovery. This port is the site for many of the park's live entertainment, among them are the shows staged at the Broadway-themed theater which currently plays the show "Big Band Beat", which features 1940's style swing jazz performed by a 12-piece band, as well as 20 singers/dancers. The port's most popular attraction is a Japanese version of Tower of Terror
, an elaborately themed free-fall E-ticket ride with a unique storyline which is markedly different from other incarnations of the same ride. Recently, a new version of Turtle Talk
has been placed in this land.
for the concept, design, and construction of the theme park. The award was presented at El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, CA.
The park's two symbols are the DisneySea AquaSphere - a water fountain with a large model of the earth - in the entrance plaza, and the gigantic volcano, Mount Prometheus, located in the center of the park. The volcano and Cinderella Castle in Tokyo Disneyland, the other park in the resort, are exactly the same height.
Tokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
located in Urayasu
Urayasu, Chiba
is a city located in the far western corner of northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,822 and a population density of 9530 persons per km²...
, Chiba
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, just outside Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. It opened on September 4, 2001. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company
The Oriental Land Company
is a Japanese leisure and tourism corporation headquartered in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. The company owns the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu. The main shareholders of the company are Keisei Electric Railway and Mitsui Fudosan...
, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 12 million visitors in 2009, making it the fifth-most-visited theme park in the world. In 2010, the park hosted 12.6 million visitors, making it the fourth most visited theme park in the world. Tokyo DisneySea was the second theme park to open at the Tokyo Disney Resort and the ninth park of the eleven worldwide Disney theme parks to open. Tokyo DisneySea was the fastest theme park in the world to reach the milestone of 10 million guests, having done so in 307 days after its grand opening. The previous record-holder was Universal Studios Japan 338 days after its opening. Tokyo DisneySea is also the most expensive theme park ever built, estimated to have cost over U.S. $4 billion. Tokyo DisneySea and its companion park Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland
is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...
are the only Disney parks in the world not owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
.
Dedication
Concept
Tokyo DisneySea has an overall nautical exploration theme to it. The idea for the park can be traced to a proposal to build a second theme park in Southern California called "DisneySeas" in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. However the idea was scrapped after the company endured financial trouble with the Euro Disney project. Later the idea was passed on to the Oriental Land Company to expand their resort. Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, the overall intention was to create a more adult-themed park, including faster, scarier rides and shows designed more for an older audience. By the time Tokyo DisneySea opened in 2001, its concepts and designs had been in development at Walt Disney Imagineering for well over 20 years.
Layout
There are seven uniquely themed areas or "ports of call". The entrance to the park is Mediterranean Harbor, which opens up to six more nautically themed ports: American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island.Mediterranean Harbor
Main Street, U.S.A.
Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many 'Magic Kingdom'-style parks run by The Walt Disney Company around the world....
or Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
' Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
"). If followed to the right, the path leads to Mysterious Island, while if followed to the left, the path leads to the American Waterfront. Built into the architecture in this port is the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
The Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta was the second hotel built at Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. It opened on September 4, 2001 alongside the opening of the Tokyo DisneySea theme park. It was constructed under a license by The Walt Disney Company...
. The hotel itself serves as a full-scale reproduction of the various buildings of Portofino and Venice's ports. The design choice of combining a real hotel within the themed park areas helps to further the illusion that (as either a park or hotel guest) you are in the actual city; since the hotel is a functioning building (rather than a 'set facade' -- the general standard in theme park designs) the hotel guests that may peek out from the hotel's rooms, balconies, and terraces serve in adding an almost surreal level of kinetic authenticity in passing for an authentic Italian villa for park visitors, while the hotel guest enjoys the harborside views and novelty of location. Additionally, the Hotel MiraCosta also serves as the southern berm (or border) of the park. Mediterranean Harbor also features attractions such as the Fortress Explorations which is a meticulously themed, large-scale interactive play area for guests that features exploration themed activities and attractions, The Legend of Mythica, a twenty-five minute show located on the harbor, and Fantasmic!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
, premiered on April 28, 2011, as part of the parks 10th anniversary celebration, "Be Magical!" a nighttime spectacular also situated on the harbor that uses special barges, fountains, pyro effects, Disney Characters and fireworks.
Mysterious Island
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
and, specifically, the mythology of the volcano fortress mentioned several times in the books called "Vulcania". The Mount Prometheus ride employs technology similar to Epcot's test track. The smallest "port of call", it nevertheless holds two of the more popular attractions: "Journey to the Center of the Earth
Journey to the Center of the Earth (attraction)
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, based on Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.The attraction uses similar technology to Epcot's Test Track.-Story:...
", a thrill ride, and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", a dark ride
Dark ride
A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects....
. While appearing to be a volcano on the water, Mysterious Island is not an island at all. It is instead built into the side of Mount Prometheus, which is part of the show building of the two attractions. The architecture in this port is of Victorian style, as the Jules Verne novels featured here all take place in this era.
Mermaid Lagoon
Mermaid Lagoon is home to the characters of The Little MermaidThe Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
. The facade is made to look like the Palace of King Triton and features fanciful seashell-inspired architecture. This "port of call" is unique in that it is mostly indoors and recreates the feeling of being underwater. Most of the rides in this area are geared towards younger children. Attractions in this "port of call" include Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster; Scuttle's Scooters; Jumpin' Jellyfish; Blowfish Balloon Race; The Whirlpool; all of which are meticulously themed children's rides. Also in this area are Ariel's Playground which is a children's playground and extensive walk-through attraction that recreates the various settings in the movie; and the Mermaid Lagoon Theater which is home to 'Under the Sea', a musical show featuring live actors, large-scale puppetry
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
and Audio-Animatronics
Audio-Animatronics
Audio-Animatronics is the registered trademark for a form of robotics created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. The robots move and make noise, generally in speech or song...
that recreate the story of The Little Mermaid. Visitors can also take photographs with Ariel at
Ariel's Greeting Grotto.
Arabian Coast
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards...
), but actually (because of newly developed audio animatronics which, despite their miniature scale, have a full range of movement just like Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a log flume type of dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris theme parks....
's life-size figures) ends up even surpassing the technical accomplishment of the classic Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a log flume type of dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris theme parks....
; Caravan Carousel, a double-decker carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
that can hold over 190 passengers; and the Magic Lamp Theater, which houses a combined live-action/animatronic based magic show with a 3D movie featuring the Genie. A large eatery serving Middle-Eastern, Indian, and Japanese style curry, is at the center.
Lost River Delta
Located at the back of the park, the dominant structure in this "port of call" is a huge, ruined Central American AztecAztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
pyramid which houses the E.M.V. attraction Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull, a motion simulator dark ride adventure, based on the Indiana Jones films, opened September 4, 2001 at Tokyo DisneySea theme park in Chiba, Japan...
. Also located in the Lost River Delta is the DisneySea Steamer Line which transports guests back to Mediterranean Harbor, 'Mystic Rhythms' a live theatrical show that takes place in an abandoned hangar that has been reclaimed by the jungle, and Raging Spirits
Raging Spirits
Raging Spirits is a roller coaster attraction in Tokyo DisneySea, began operation on July 21, 2005. Created by Walt Disney Imagineering, the attraction takes guests on a thrilling, high-speed ride through the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site, visually based on the Incan buildings in the...
, a looping roller coaster situated in the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site.
Port Discovery
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Disneyland Park is a theme park at Disneyland Paris, a resort complex just outside of Paris, in the new town of Marne-la-Vallée, France. The first of two parks built at the resort, it opened as Euro Disneyland on 12 April, 1992...
. Home to the fictional 'Center for Weather Control', Port Discovery is home to three attractions: StormRider, a large-scale simulator ride; Aquatopia
Aquatopia
Aquatopia is an attraction at Tokyo DisneySea theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Chiba, Japan. Located in the Port Discovery area of the park, it is notable as being the second of only two attractions in the world to use a new trackless ride system designed by Walt Disney Imagineering.It is...
, a boat ride that uses LPS tracking (the 'trackless' technology also used in Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt
Pooh's Hunny Hunt
Pooh's Hunny Hunt is a unique 'trackless' dark ride located at Tokyo Disneyland. It is based on the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, and is Fantasyland's most popular attraction.-History:...
) to move and spin through a lagoon amid waterfalls and whirlpools, and the DisneySea Electric Railway, an overhead electric 'trolley' that transports riders to and from the American Waterfront.
American Waterfront
SS Columbia (Tokyo DisneySea)
SS Columbia is a representation of a passenger ship in the Japanese theme park Tokyo DisneySea. It is located in the 'New York Harbor' section of the American Waterfront in the park. The ship was designed as a recreation of a 20th century steam-powered ocean liner.-Origin and design:Tokyo DisneySea...
, which is usually the site for various shows and events. A restaurant is also located within the ship. Guests have the option of riding the area's "Big City Vehicles" which roam the streets of this area. It also features the "DisneySea Electric Railway" which takes passengers from The American Waterfront to nearby Port Discovery. This port is the site for many of the park's live entertainment, among them are the shows staged at the Broadway-themed theater which currently plays the show "Big Band Beat", which features 1940's style swing jazz performed by a 12-piece band, as well as 20 singers/dancers. The port's most popular attraction is a Japanese version of Tower of Terror
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, more commonly known as Tower of Terror, is a drop tower thrill ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios , Disney California Adventure Park, Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park . It is based upon the television show The Twilight Zone...
, an elaborately themed free-fall E-ticket ride with a unique storyline which is markedly different from other incarnations of the same ride. Recently, a new version of Turtle Talk
Turtle Talk with Crush
Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive attraction that has appeared at several of the Disney theme parks. It first opened on November 16, 2004 at "The Seas with Nemo & Friends" pavilion at Epcot, and was duplicated at Disney California Adventure in July 2005. The attraction was open in Hong Kong...
has been placed in this land.
Awards
In 2002 Tokyo DisneySea won a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment AssociationThemed Entertainment Association
The Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...
for the concept, design, and construction of the theme park. The award was presented at El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, CA.
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