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Waking up in Tokyo Disney
Waking up at Tokyo Disneyland was surreal and exciting. We sprang out of bed that morning for our Breakfast Dining Reservation at Sherwood Garden. Even though we had a dining reservation for 7 AM, we had to wait in line for a few minutes to get seated. We were shown to our table and then let loose at the buffet.
They had many Eastern and Western dishes, and everything was constantly restocked. We found a couple of favorites, and I never realized how much I enjoy starting the day with a salad – who knew?
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After breakfast, we left the hotel’s back entrance to get in line for Happy Entry. For those fortunate enough to be staying at a Disney hotel, a special treat awaits. The ‘Happy Entry’ privilege, exclusive to Disney hotel guests, allows early access to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea through a dedicated entrance. This unique benefit, is available 15 minutes before the General public. However, this benefit is not applicable on the day of check-in.
Happy Entry at Tokyo Disney
The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is just steps away from the entrance to Disneyland Park, so transportation is unnecessary. This made it super easy to use our Happy Entry (8:45 AM Early Entry) and get a 15-minute head start on the public rope drop, plus grab those FREE ride passes!
The line was long, but it moved very quickly and efficiently. We were in the park by 8:55. Most guests ran straight to the most popular ride (Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast), but we had a VP pass for it, so we decided to do one of our all-time favorites first – Pirates of the Caribbean… but in Japan!
We secured our first DPA pass and 40th Anniversary pass on the app while speed-walking through the crowd (I explained these passes in detail here) and then walked right on to Pirates. It was so fun, and once again, we got the biggest kick out of the Japanese narration.
Beauty and the Beast
RIDE SPOILERS: Our first Vacation Package Attraction ticket was scheduled for 9 AM for the park’s most popular ride, Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, so we headed there next. We had heard so much hype about this ride and I was little worried it might not live up to its reputation, but I was wrong—it’s incredible, and yes, I teared up.
First off, the themed town area for the ride is excellent. They have Gaston’s Tavern and a whole village full of gift shops that look exactly like the little town in the opening scene of the 1991 movie. Beasts Castle is gorgeous and has incredible detail. It almost rivals Cinderella’s Castle. As you walk through the ride queue, the story follows the classic Disney movie with lots of audio and visuals that set the tone of the ride. Even though we had a VP pass for the ride, it was still close to a 25-minute wait, but I honestly see why people wait for hours for this one – it’s so good!
If you are familiar with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway, or Rise of the Resistance, this ride is similar in motion and mechanics. Guests are ushered into a giant tea cup for the experience as you are whisked from scene to scene, carrying you through the entire story with all the major movie scenes re-enacted to one of the best Disney soundtracks ever. It was just so well done!
Cinderella’s Castle in Tokyo
It was time for a closer look at the Tokyo Cinderella Castle. It was smaller than WDW but no less beautiful. Part of the castle was covered for refurbishment, but I loved seeing the 40th Anniversary banners still on display. I have always loved the attention to detail that Disney Imagineers pour into the parks, and one of the most striking details is always the mosaics throughout the castles. The mosaics and details on the arches and turrets in the Tokyo Cinderella’s Castle are basically identical to the castle at Walt Disney World – if it ain’t broke, why fix it?!
Splash Mountain in Tokyo
As we entered the park that morning, we got on the Tokyo Disney Resort App and snagged some ride passes. Our first one was under the free 40th Anniversary pass, and we chose Splash Mountain! While in line, we grabbed our next 40th pass on the app. Walt Disney World’s Splash Mountain closed on January 23, 2023 to make way for a new attraction, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. We couldn’t resist the opportunity to see the original again. We were seated behind the cutest little kid who gave us all such joy through his laughter – another great memory.
Alice in Wonderland in Tokyo
I truly love how much Japan enjoys Alice in Wonderland. They have a couple Alice in Wonderland-related attractions and areas, including Alice’s Tea Party – the classic teacup ride. Also, The Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall, a restaurant located in the Queen of Hearts’ castle, that serves Wonderland-themed food. Sadly, this banquet hall was closed and under construction while we were there.
This area of the park had lots of characters out and about, which was really fun. You know I had to buy something from that teapot vending machine, too!
Tokyo Popcorn Buckets
We never thought we’d be two people who collect Disney popcorn buckets, but somehow, it has happened. We do tend to come home with one after most trips lately. Tokyo Disney takes their popcorn buckets to another level, though. We have rarely seen elaborate buckets at WDW, although they are starting to produce some pretty cool, finally.
Popcorn flavors and buckets are wildly popular in Japan. Tokyo Disneyland has a dedicated store called The Big Pop. Here they sell novelty popcorn buckets filled with unique popcorn flavors you can’t find anywhere else. The popcorn bucket options during our visit were Beauty and the Beast, Monsters Inc., Frozen, Small World, and Winnie the Pooh.
Mark knew he wanted the Beauty and the Beast popcorn bucket before we even left the US and got strawberry-flavored popcorn. But for me, it was tough to choose. I decided to go with my roots and pick the most classic and vintage option available—It’s a Small World with cheddar cheese popcorn.
The Beauty and the Beast bucket has a beautiful design showcasing all the characters and even has a light inside to make the stained glass glow. The Small World bucket was just too adorable to leave behind and even has a moving Glockenspiel, and the front door opens to show some of the “children of the world,” just like at the entrance to the ride. (Glockenspiel is the name of the clock tower at the “It’s a Small World”). I love it; it makes me smile whenever I look at it.
Baymax in Tokyo
We had a little time to kill before our next ride, so we explored the park a bit in search of our favorite dude—Baymax. Big Hero Six is huge in Japan and in our hearts, but sadly, they didn’t have a character meeting or much else in the way of a land or immersive area for him. However, they have an adorable ride I could never ride because I am sensitive to spinning in circle rides (no teacups for me either), but it provided a good photo op.
The Haunted Mansion in Tokyo
We then headed toward our second 40th Pass of the day, and of course, we chose Haunted Mansion. Hands down, it’s my favorite US ride; we often go to Magic Kingdom ONLY to ride Haunted Mansion and then leave, LOL. Today, we were going to experience it in Japan. The ride queue and Mansion looked much like what we are used to in Florida. Most of the ride was narrated in Japanese. However, Madame Leota’s whole speech was in English! Obviously, we loved it.
Tokyo Disney Characters
We continued to wander and snack on our popcorn, trying to see every detail of the park. Tokyo has WAY MORE characters out for meet and greets and photos; they are just freely walking around. Everyone was so respectful that the characters never looked overwhelmed; some didn’t even have handlers. They also seem to feature many of the classics, way more than we see at WDW, unless it’s a RunDisney weekend.
Plazma Ray’s
Our first Disney Premier Access (DPA) was for the afternoon parade, Harmony in Color. But we were getting a little tired by now, so we decided to grab a snack and a drink before finding our spot for the parade. We went to Plazma Rays Diner and waited in a very long line to try the famous Green Alien Mochi. Hot Take: It was “just okay,” and I have learned that I don’t like how chewy Mochi is. Oh well, I tried!
If you have followed us for a while, you know we are “Disney Day Drinkers,” Disney food and cocktails are one of the big draws for us at the parks. Unlike Magic Kingdom, there were a few quick service cocktails in Tokyo Disneyland, mostly beer, which we aren’t big on. It took a while to find this drink since all menus on the Tokyo Disney app and website are in Japanese. I’m still on the fence about this drink. We tried the “Sparkling cocktail,” described as plum wine and kiwi, but it tasted like a seltzer with fruit. Another realization I had about myself is that I don’t enjoy fruit in my cocktails unless it’s a garnish or sangria! I guess that’s the whole point of traveling: to learn things about the world and yourself!
Disney Harmony in Color Parade
Right outside Plazma Rays, we saw the DPA entrance for the parade, showed the cast members our mobile app, and were pointed to our parade spot. We loved this option, which made the parade way more enjoyable than we have ever experienced at home. In Tokyo Disney, you can purchase DPA for parades and shows, granting you early access to reserved and assigned seating. During the parades, all guests must stay seated so that no one blocks the view for kids or adults. It was excellent, a super easy process, and worth it.
Disney Harmony in Color is a daytime parade that premiered on April 16, 2023, at Tokyo Disneyland as part of the park’s 40th anniversary celebration. This was a vibrantly colorful parade jam-packed with almost every character you could think of, both classic and modern-day.
The floats were grand, the colors were vibrant, and the music soundtrack was energizing. I really enjoyed watching all the young and old guests around us having an absolute blast as their favorite characters passed by. My face and arm always hurt after a parade from all the smiling and hand-waving.
Mid-Day Break
Once the parade was over and the crowds dispersed, we took a mid-day break and returned to the hotel for some rest and to recharge our phones. You can leave and return to Tokyo Disneyland if you keep your original ticket and get a blue light hand stamp before you exit the park.
We relaxed in the room for a bit but soon got another surge of energy, knowing that our time here in Japan was almost over; we didn’t want to waste a minute, so we returned to the park for round two.
We took our time and wandered around the different lands. They have World Bazaar, Adventureland, Westernland, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Toontown, and Tomorrowland. I wanted to walk through them all and take photos, so we did!
It’s a Small World in Tokyo
The different lands were perfectly detailed. I loved the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves fountain area next to the castle; it’s beautifully done and has many cute surprises.
As we walked around the castle and into Fantasyland, I saw it gleaming in the distance – It’s a Small World. I had my popcorn bucket. Now we needed to ride the attraction! We didn’t have any express passes for Small World, but the line was only about 30 minutes and worth it to ride such a classic ride.
The Tokyo Disneyland version of the attraction is identical in layout to the Magic Kingdom version except for a couple of differences. The façade’s design is an almost complete replica of the California counterpart but with a different color scheme, resembling Disneyland’s 1990s version. Also, the attraction featured 40 characters from Disney properties, including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Aristocats, Brave, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Hercules, The Three Caballeros, Mulan, Tangled, Lilo & Stitch, Frozen, Finding Nemo, and Moana similar to its counterparts in California and Hong Kong.
It’s visually stunning and a huge step up from the WDW one. The one in Florida is the only one I have been on, so that’s all I can compare it to, but I prefer Japan. The outside of the ride was so vibrant, and I loved the Disney characters throughout.
Snacks & Castles
The sun was starting to set, so we took some time before it got dark to eat some snacks and take more castle pictures in the evening light. We had secured DPA passes for the night parade and got another great spot assigned to us for the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade.
Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade
The Disney Electrical Parade and I go way back. My first visit to Magic Kingdom was in 1991, and again in 2016—both were the last weekends the parade was at Magic Kingdom before taking years-long breaks from the Florida parks. So it was nice to see it again after eight years. The music was great, and the floats and performers were fantastic, as always.
Space Mountain in Tokyo
We still had two Vacation Package Attraction Tickets to use, both of which were “eligible attractions,” so we could pick whatever we wanted. Right after the parade, we immediately hustled to Space Mountain, used our VP, and walked straight on to Tokyo’s Space Mountain.
Fun fact: Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland opened on April 15, 1983, the first time Space Mountain had opened concurrently with a park.
In 2022, Oriental Land Company (which owns Tokyo Disney) announced that the current version of Space Mountain would close on July 31, 2024, and reopen in 2027 with an all-new exterior and surrounding area. So, I am really glad we got to ride the original and now have something to look forward to when we go back.
Monsters Inc. Ride and Seek in Tokyo
We used our last VP to ride Monsters Inc. Ride and Seek. The Monsters Inc. movies are one of my favorite Pixar movies, and it was an adorable ride, but more so for children. We had originally planned to ride Big Thunder Mountain, but unfortunately, it was closed for refurbishment. We’ll have to try again next time!
Our Tokyo Disney Vacation Package Itinerary
Mark and I both agreed that we had barely scratched the surface of this park and could have easily spent another day there. Here’s what our day looked like in list form:
Day 2 – Disneyland
Sherwood Garden 7 AM
Rope Drop – Pirates of the Caribbean
Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast 9:30 am
Splash Mountain – 40th
Haunted Mansion – 40th
Harmony in Color – DPA
Small World – standby
Electrical Parade – DPA
Eligible Attraction – Space Mountain
Eligible Attraction – Monsters Inc. Ride and Seek
Tokyo Disney does have a small firework show that lasts about 5 minutes. However, it’s more common than not for them to cancel it for weather and other various reasons. There was no firework show while we were there, but we honestly didn’t mind that. It was the end of the night, and the park was closing, so we redeemed our Vacation Package swag vouchers and bought some Monster’s Inc. merchandise. We waved goodnight to Walt and headed back to the hotel. It was such an incredible, overwhelming, joyous, sensory overload, refill to the soul, 25,000 steps kind of day!
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It’s a good thing that WDW doesn’t have a Big Pop. I would have eaten way too much popcorn over the years. Did Plazma Rays have a Sonny Eclipse? The Electrical Parade turns me into a kid again. I absolutely love it and miss it dearly.
I wanna go!🤣