 The
success of Tokyo Disneyland is unquestionable. For many years, it sat at
the top of the list of the world's theme parks in terms of total
attendance. Based on this success, executives at Tokyo Disneyland wanted
to create a second theme park on the same property. Instead of copying
an existing Disney park however, they decided to create a whole new
experience, one that would not only celebrate the Disney tradition but
also something that all Japanese hold sacred—the sea. Disney Imagineers took this concept and set out to create a park with the
highest levels of elegance, excitement, and attention to detail. They succeeded
brilliantly. The result is Tokyo DisneySea Park.
It's no exaggeration to say that DisneySea is probably the most beautiful
theme park in the world. The design and execution of the theming and
scenery are stunning, and it is immediately obvious that little expense
was spared in the creation of this magnificent park.
Although DisneySea is a new design, parallels can be drawn to existing
Disney theme parks. The Park features seven themed lands, laid out
roughly in a circle around a central hub—although in this case, the hub
is its own themed area (that being Mysterious Island). Like
other Disney parks, DisneySea has an iconic structure at its center, in
this case a volcano named Mount Prometheus. There is
also a wide mix of attractions, some that are based on Disney movies and some
that are purely originals.
I have heard that while Tokyo Disneyland is geared more towards kids (and
the kid in all of us of course), DisneySea was geared towards a more
mature audience. While it is still most definitely a family park, it's
easy to see that they had adults in mind during the design process.
There are more posh restaurants. Many restaurants serve
alcoholic beverages (which are not available at all in Tokyo Disneyland
Park). The shows are also generally geared towards a more mature audience (the Broadway Music Theatre is a perfect example).
One interesting feature of DisneySea is a five-star hotel built right into
the park. The Hotel MiraCosta sits in and around the Mediterranean Harbor area of DisneySea, near the main entrance to the park. The design of the
hotel integrates beautifully with the scenery of Mediterranean Harbor—if
you didn't know about it beforehand you might not realize there was a hotel
there at all. The quality and service match any five-star hotel in the
world, and the hotel features its own gourmet restaurants and a
first-class spa.
Like Tokyo Disneyland Park, DisneySea is spotlessly clean and meticulously
maintained. It's interesting to note that because of the MiraCosta
hotel's location inside the park, any maintenance or construction work
that makes noise has to be done during the day.
Tokyo DisneySea is an amazing place that really has to be seen and
experienced to be believed. If you visit there, don't blindly head off
for rides and attractions. Make sure you take time to slow down and look
at the exquisite details that go into making this park a magnificent,
one-of-a-kind experience. |
