[Japan] Tokyo DisneySea!

My family and I spent a day at Tokyo DisneySea. When I was planning our trip, I asked my family if they wanted to go to either of the Disney theme parks in Tokyo. We decided to go to DisneySea since based on my research, adults enjoy it more while Tokyo DisneyLand is more for kids. .

Tokyo DisneySea

And I'm glad we did because for me, Disneysea is the most beautiful theme park I've been to! Granted, I haven't been to many. But I just absolutely love its concept and design. There are several themed ports and the rides in each area tie in very nicely to the theme, making the experience that much better.

Beautiful scenery at DisneySea

The first ride we got on was Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull at the Lost River Delta themed port. It looks spectacular outside but even the inside was very artfully created.

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull

We then made our way to the Arabian Coast themed port. We had lunch at the Casbah Food Court where we enjoyed some delicious and filling curry dishes. 

Caravan Carousel at the Arabian Coast

The sun was blazing so we headed to Sinbad's Storybook Adventure. This was such a pleasant surprise! The sets were beautiful and vibrant and the quality of the animatronics was topnotch. What made the experience even better was the song that played as we went through the ride. It was so inspiring and uplifting that I searched for it online after our visit. It is called "Compass of your Heart" and it was written by award-winning composer Alan Menken. It is also sung by Kenji Sakamoto and he has an amazing voice!

Exit of Sinbad's Storybook Adventure

Mysterious Island is another incredible themed port. It's at the center of DisneySea and the volcano that stands tall here can be seen anywhere in the park.

Fire coming out of the volcano in Mysterious Island

I love the drilling rig that was built into the side of the volcano. It really makes this area look even more interesting.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

There are two popular rides here that are not based on Disney shows or characters and that are not available in any other Disney theme park: Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Journey to the Center of the Earth is arguably the most popular ride here but it was under maintenance for most of the day. We did get on 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. I thought this ride was just okay but it was kinda nice to feel like we were going into the depths of the sea and seeing all sorts of scary creatures.

Mysterious Island

We had coffee and snacks near the entrance and from a distance, we got to see the Duffy and Friends Smile and Fun Show while eating. Before the show ended, my family made our way to the DisneySea Transit Steamer Line boarding area at the Mediterranean Harbor themed port. The show ended just as my family got there so we ended up being in front of the line. It was quite nice to see the theme park from a different perspective.

Duffy and Friends Smile and Fun Show

We then passed by Mermaid Lagoon. Once again, this themed port is very well-designed. From afar, it already looks beautiful.

Mermaid Lagoon

But when you get up close and see the level of detail, it becomes even more impressive. The people who designed and built DisneySea really did a phenomenal job.

Little Mermaid-themed mosaic tiles used at the Mermaid Lagoon

By this time, we were getting quite tired (it was also our 11th day in Japan) and my mom and one of my nephews wanted to head home. However, my other nephew still hadn't gotten on any thrill rides yet so we all agreed that he would go on one more ride. Journey to Center of the Earth was finally operational in the late afternoon but the waiting time was about 2 hours while Tower of Terror had a 90-minute wait. The best option left for us was Raging Spirits which had a 45-minute waiting time. I took my nephew there. Once again, this ride looked fantastic.

Raging Spirits

While he was in line, I went back to  the Mermaid Lagoon to see more of it, take some photos, and check out the souvenir shop. Once I was done, I decided to get on one ride myself: Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster. I'm not really a big fan of thrill rides so this kiddie roller coaster was perfect for me haha. The waiting time when I got there was only 20 minutes long so I would be able to get on it and head back to Raging Spirits to meet my nephew as he exited the ride.

Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster

We might have been able to get on more rides that day if it didn't rain heavily in the mid-afternoon. I actually took my nephew to Raging Spirits then and he was in already the queue when it started pouring. Unfortunately, he was still at the part of the line that wasn't covered so he got drenched. He decided to leave the queue and found me standing under some trees nearby so we decided to look for better shelter. I had our raincoats in my backpack so our upper bodies stayed dry but it was raining so hard that out shoes and socks got soaked. Definitely not the best feeling haha. (Interestingly enough, it rained both times we went to theme parks in Japan.)

It rained heavily in the afternoon

On the plus side, for most of the rides we got on, the lines were not that long. I also love the fact that 2023 is the 40th anniversary of Tokyo Disney Resorts. (Tokyo Disneyland opened on April 15, 1983.)

Happy 40th anniversary, Tokyo Disney Resorts!

I'm really happy that we got to visit Tokyo DisneySea. It is an incredibly beautiful park and it has a great combination of Disney-themed rides and unique attractions that you can only find here. Hopefully, I can visit this place again in the future.

Next: Hunter's Bar, a Monster Hunter-Themed Restaurant