 It's
a well known fact that Walt Disney loved railroad trains. Indeed, from its
very inception, Disneyland (in California) has featured steam-powered
trains running on a track which circles the perimeter of the park. The
Western River Railroad is Tokyo Disneyland's version of the steam-powered
railroad, but there are several noticeable differences which separate it
from its counterpart in America.
Unlike Disneyland in America, the trains in Tokyo Disneyland do not run
around the entire park. The train tracks in Tokyo Disneyland run primarily
through Westernland, with parts of the track running through Adventureland
and Critter Country. Also, while Disneyland in California has four train
stations (the most prominent of which is located at the main entrance to
the park), Tokyo Disneyland has only one, found next to the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. Herein lies another difference: with only one station,
Tokyo Disneyland's railroad can't be used as transportation from one area
of the park to another.
I actually prefer Tokyo Disneyland's format for the railway over
California's Disneyland. In the countless times I visited Disneyland in
California, I never got used to seeing the turn-of-the-century locomotives
pull into Tomorrowland. On the other hand, seeing the train station as you
first walk through the main gates of Disneyland in California is a iconic
site that I do miss at Tokyo Disneyland. |
