Day 3 – Disney
April 17, Tokyo
We were more tired than I thought we would be. Second day start out bright and early for Disney. But of course we had to have some kind of hiccup, Nate forgot his jacket and went back to get it, while we continued on to the cafe for breakfast. Remember how I said he was bad at directions? We ordered our food sat down and we’re halfway through before we realize he hadn’t arrived yet. And he wasn’t answering his phone. So I had it going back and go get them. I remember how I said he was bad at directions? Yeah he went to the convention center which is the opposite way of the cafe. But it was fine.. it was a nice day and good for a walk. He got his food to go and we jumped on the train.
The previous day we had to avoided
Rush Hour
Not today. We went in the height of it. It was a sea of men and women. Clad and black suits pouring through to get to jobs and other destinations. Which thankfully, ours wasn’t very popular, and we stood our ground as the throng whirled around us. Though not super packed, there still wasn’t any sitting room on the train. But like old professionals, we stood silently on our phones as we waited to get to our destination.
Elijah made the announcement.
"There's a Mickey train!"
Indeed there was. The train across from us. Had Windows shaped like Mickey ears. We had arrived. We got onto the Mickey train and rounded the bend towards DisneySea. And saw hundreds of people. No, no, thousands.
I used to work at the parks in Florida and don’t ever recall seeing this many people gathered at once. I knew it was going to be busy but had no idea how busy it was.
We jumped across the track and onto the Mickey train. The handrails were also Mickey! We wouldn’t start our day at Tokyo Disney, but Disney Sea. That’s where most of the rides were that we don’t have in the US.
I didn’t think the line could be longer, but it was. Much longer. It took an hour just to get through security. We made the most of it and got water from a vending machine and joked around, but good golly miss Molly!
Julie had to tap out from the day before, so as she rented a wheelchair, I got us fast passes for some rides. But we knew we’d have to bite the bullet for at least one ride, so we picked one to wait out. That ride was 20,000 leagues under the sea. So, if you ever been to Disney world Magic Kingdom main street (or Disneyland proper) it seems like it’s set Americana 1930’s. Tokyo Disney seems like it’s set in the 1800 during the height of all the exploration. Think steam punky and very Jules Vern vibe. It was amazing.
Though we couldn’t understand it, the ride was like haunted Mansion and the way that you were put into the story. We were in a mini Nautilus and we could control the lights to see all of the creatures from deep down within the sea.
We went and browsed the shops while we waited for our next line reservation. Next up… Soaring. We were curious to see if Japan had a different show than the other Parks. Again, the line was themed and that exploration kind of vibe. Period settings and this one, the photos came to life as they explained the rules in Japanese. On the original Soarin’ at Disney world so nothing different there, but the scents were a lot stronger in this ride. Ride. Elijah hadn’t ridden this one as they recently updated the one in Disney world. So it was a new experience for him and a great refresher for the rest of us. Totally worth it.
Ristorante di Canaletto
Next, we had lunch at a fancy Italian restaurant next to the Venetian gondolas. The boat sailed by as we were served a four course meal. We were trying to practice our Japanese on everyone, while the servers were trying to practice their English on us. It was fun. The theme was Captain Hook and so the meals were based around him, his colors, and his favorite food apparently. Scallop and Green Pea Mousse Casarecce with Saffron Cream with Prosciutto and Mimolette. Roasted Beef Sirloin with Lime-Scented Red Wine Sauce and dessert was Cannoli (Pistachio Mousse, Ricotta and Nuts) with Lemon Sherbet and Peach.
Disney Fun
After the meal, we decided to split up and send the boys to Tower of terror (we weren’t about to ride that) and we would go and get some shopping done. Turns out, lunch took a lot longer than any of us thought, so we reconvened the little bit of shopping and headed to Raging Spirits. Spirits. This was our roller coaster for today. Complete with a little loop-de-loop. It was a good one.
While we waited for our next fast pass, we went down into Ariel’s grotto. This one is completely different than it is at Disney world. It’s set underground with a Blue roof so it seems like you are actually under the sea. One of the shops is in a wheel. After some browsing we made our way to the last ride in this park, which was
Journey to the Center of the Earth
We got on and it was set similarly to the other Jules Vern. Strapped in, going down a tunnel and seeing the little critters within the earth. We rolled around a bend and the lights dimmed and the cave shook and the big creature made its way toward us. We rounded the bend to face this giant dinosaur, monster thing and we all cried out in playful terror as it swiped at our train car.
Then the train started going fast. Like, real fast. Deeper into the cave and into pitch blackness. Our screams became panicked. What is going on? Light up ahead. Fastest. Faster. Our panicked screams turned into terror. We shot into the sky and dropped.
Guys, we had NO IDEA this thing was a rollercoaster. And when you’re not expecting roller coaster, even a simple one is absolute terrifying.
So unexpected. We clapped in relief and fun as it ended. It was a perfect ride to end our time at
DisneySea
But we weren’t done yet! We headed off to Disneyland Tokyo to view the lights and see what else there was in this classic part. The castle was very similar but still had a little bit of difference. Main street was more Americana as usual except it was mostly covered….I’m assuming because of the rains they usually have here.
We only had the umph for one ride and did StarTours. It was recently updated with Purgill and Ahsoka. Surprisingly, not popular, but worked for us. We checked one more shop before heading home for the night.
I was absolutely sore. So….it was time for
Onsen
Japanese culture dictates full naked when in the hot springs so naturally, we were a bit weary of it to start. Not tonight. I hurt too much. We headed down and split into gender and to the hot springs.
Boiling. Boiling springs. It’s some kind of mineral water that was absolutely wonderful. The outside ones were even more perfect since it was a cold night. Absolutely divine.
After, we made our way to the konbini…. absolutely full of Star wars fans. I had forgotten. It’s almost time tomorrow! The convenience was filled with fans, including one cosplayer as my favorite character. We got ice cream to end the night.
