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Our Final Day in Japan
Welcome to our final blog post about our two-week Japan trip! Incredibly, we’ve reached the final day of our journey, which we spent at Tokyo DisneySea. You can find all the links below if you’ve missed any of our Japan trip posts or Tokyo Disney posts.
It’s been a long but rewarding journey of blogging over the last few months. I’ve shared NINETEEN blog posts about our trip of a lifetime. We’re deeply grateful for all of you who’ve followed along on this adventure. So, let’s dive into our last day at Tokyo DisneySea!
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Full Day at DisneySea
Our last day started with breakfast at Sherwood Gardens, our final breakfast buffet. We had a 7:30 AM reservation, but we were in no rush to leave the comfort of our hotel for rope drop, because it was pouring rain outside. We decided not to use our Happy Entry that day and planned to go with the flow due to the weather.
Around 9:15 AM, we took the monorail to the DisneySea Park. When we arrived, there was still a crowd, and it took about 15 minutes to enter the park. The rain was very light at this point, but it would be persistently present ALL DAY. LONG. I guess the only way Japan could convince us to go home was to make our last day dreadfully gloomy. Luckily, we didn’t let it stop us from having a fantastic day.
Side Note – the landscaping at DisneySea is GORGEOUS. I couldn’t stop taking photos of the flowers, especially the poppies which are a favorite of mine.
Soaring: Fantastic Flight
Our first Vacation Package Attraction of the day was Soaring: Fantastic Flight at 10:00 AM. Fantastic Flight is Tokyo DisneySea’s custom version of the famous ride from Disney California Adventure, Epcot, and Shanghai Disneyland. Soarin in Walt Disney World is one of our favorite rides, and we had heard that it is one of the most popular in Tokyo Parks, too.
Well, we heard right—it’s an incredible ride! Soaring at DisneySea has an entirely different theme and storyline, but overall, it has the same ride structure as the other versions. The inside and outside of the ride and queue are beautiful, a huge step up from The Land Pavillion in Epcot, IMO.
RIDE SPOILERS
The storyline of Soaring: Fantastic Flight – DisneySea’s Museum of Fantastic Flight is about Camellia Falco, an aviation innovator whose spirit guides guests on a flight of fantasy around the world. The ride’s preshow takes place in a queue that circles the museum, which features murals and stonework depicting historical figures and mythical creatures. The preshow also includes a safety spiel hosted by a shaman of the Arbori tribe, who grants guests the ability to fly.
The ride’s main event is a museum tour that culminates with guests boarding the Dream Flyer, a flying vehicle designed by Falco. The ride uses a modified version of the Soarin’ Around the World film to take guests on an imaginative flight over famous landscapes worldwide. The ride is said to celebrate the human dream of flying and the idea that imagination can propel people into the future.
The special effects throughout the queue of this ride were next-level and really freaking cool! Don’t get me wrong, I love Patrick Warburton in the Epcot queue, but this technology and storyline were awe-inspiring and so imaginative. We loved this experience and would do this one again someday.
Rainy Day at DisneySea
After our first attraction of the day, we cashed in our VP free popcorn bag voucher and tried a few new popcorn flavors around the park. Tokyo Disney Resort offers popcorn flavors at popcorn wagons and specialty shops throughout the parks. Popcorn wagons at Tokyo DisneySea offer flavors like milk chocolate, curry, salt, black pepper, garlic shrimp, matcha-white chocolate, roast beef, and caramel. Our favorite was, by far, the curry-flavored popcorn.
The rain continued intermittently, so we used the heavier times to do our last-day shopping to avoid the rain. We stocked up on all the cute and unique Japanese items we wanted and some practical purchases like rain jackets that we know we can use at our home parks.
Arabian Coast at DisneySea
We explored the park in more detail, and I loved all the incredible details of the Arabian Coast and the Mermaid Lagoon. Many rides and shows were closed or delayed due to the weather, so we used this time to stretch our legs, exercise, and soak up all the scenery before our 18-hour journey home.
I absolutely loved the entire Aladdin-themed land and was so excited to see Rajah at the Jasmine Flying Carpets (I love that it’s Jasmine instead of Aladdin here!). Even in the rain, it was a beautiful area with great snacks and shopping.
Snacks and Raging Spirits
At Yucatan Base Camp, we found Mickey-shaped chicken nuggets, wine, and plenty of indoor seating to warm us up. We both laughed about how this meal was the perfect Disney adult lunch, so we went back for seconds.
While in the Lost River Delta area, we managed to snag a 40th Anniversary Pass for Raging Spirits. Raging Spirits is one of DisneySea’s biggest thrill rides. It’s a high-speed rollercoaster attraction racing through the excavated ruins of an ancient ceremonial site. This is the only ride at DisneySea that takes you upside down in one vertical loop. Even though it was raining, it was a lot of fun and definitely spiked our energy levels.
Duffy and Friends
Something you should know about me is that I am a massive sucker for animal plushies. So, I couldn’t leave Tokyo Disney without getting something unique to the Japanese Disney culture. That means I had to get something from Duffy and Friends! Who is Duffy and Friends? Great question, he’s pretty rare in the US – let’s dig in!
Duffy and Friends is a popular Disney franchise in Japan, especially at Tokyo DisneySea! He’s a classic teddy bear with a cute sailor hat and many iconic animal friends.
The History
Duffy was first introduced at Walt Disney World’s (in Florida) Downtown Disney Once Upon a Toy store in 2002. Needing a special item to commemorate their opening, the toy store offered Duffy as Mickey’s special teddy bear. Duffy, the bear, has Mickey’s silhouetted face, plus hidden Mickeys on his feet and left hip.
The Story of Duffy
The first story of Duffy the Disney Bear was that one day, Mickey felt lonely and wished for a best friend. Overhearing his wish, Tinkerbell sprinkled magic dust on Mickey’s bear, Duffy, and brought him to life. The story that was later reimagined and became the official story for Duffy is much more adorable. They say that when Mickey was a sea captain, he often became sad because he missed his friends back home. Wanting to make Mickey happy on his sea voyages, Minnie Mouse made Mickey a special bear and put him inside Mickey’s duffle bag with a note that said, “I hope this bear gives you happiness and luck!” Mickey then decided to name the bear “Duffy.”
Members of The Oriental Land Company (owners of Tokyo Disney) had been seeking new and exciting ideas to promote. With the popularity of teddy bears being very high, they decided to adopt the character in 2004. The creators designed his sailor outfit and crafted his backstory. Tokyo DisneySea Park heavily markets Duffy and his friends, but they just haven’t caught on as much outside of Asia. However, we have been seeing Duffy more and more at RunDisney events over the last couple of years.
Admittedly, Duffy and his friends are among the cutest things I have ever seen. And to say it’s huge in Japan is an understatement. There wasn’t an adult or child that we didn’t see with at least one of the characters on ears, bags, etc. They even have a Duffy and Friends store requiring a queue because it gets so busy. We lucked out and were able to walk right in and browse all the cuteness.
Who are Duffy’s Friends?
I’m glad you asked! We had to do our research before I could choose the one character that I wanted to bring home. Several related characters have been introduced in the parks, expanding into a merchandise line called “Duffy and Friends,” which includes ShellieMay, Gelatoni, StellaLou, CookieAnn, ‘Olu Mel, and LinaBell. The franchise is Disney’s best-selling line in Asia.
LinaBell, a pink fox introduced at Shanghai Disneyland in 2021, is especially popular in China and now Japan. She is the character I chose to bring home as a reminder of our visit and, hopefully, a future visit as we check off from our Disney Parks goal list.
- ShellieMay is a tan female teddy bear with a green bow and a seashell pendant and is known to be Duffy’s best friend.
- Gelatoni is an artistic and creative green tuxedo cat with a blue beret who sees beauty in everything.
- StellaLou is a lavender rabbit with a blue flower, a tutu, and ballet shoes who is determined to become a dancer and doesn’t hesitate to work hard.
- CookieAnn is a yellow dog with a chef’s hat who loves to combine different things to create unique recipes and ideas.
- ‘Olu Mel is a shy turtle who loves making music with his ukulele. He feels very close to nature, and sometimes, he can play music with it.
- LinaBell is a clever pink fox with a purple orchid who loves to solve problems and mysteries by finding clues using her trademark magnifying glass.
- Tippy Blue is a secondary character in Duffy and Friends. He is not a plush toy like the rest of the characters. Tippy Blue is a mailman seagull who, despite his good intentions, at times carelessly makes mistakes.
Duffy photo spots in the park?
Yep! That’s how much they love their Duffy stuffies. Scattered around DisneySea, Fujifilm Photo Spots are set up just for Duffy character photos. They’re elevated to a photo-friendly height and offer a fold-down seat big enough for them to stand or sit on with rear support so they won’t fall over. It’s such an adorable idea!
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Next, we used our second Vacation Package Attraction ticket of the day and took a journey back to my childhood on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Mysterious Land in Tokyo Disney is home to the last 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea worldwide. This classic ride opened in Tokyo in 2001. It’s based on the 1954 Disney film of the same name and is the successor to the original ride that operated at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom from 1971 to 1994. This was such a trip down memory lane. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a perfect fit for this park, and I am so glad they still have such a classic piece of Disney history.
Tower of Terror, again!
We saved our last VP Attraction ticket for our favorite ride at Tokyo Disney. Even though we rode it on our first day at Disney, we couldn’t resist riding the Tower of Terror again. Our previous post explains the full story behind this ride, which is why we love it so much; it is such a unique, culturally interesting concept. You just can’t beat this ride and we recommend experiencing it more than once!
Teddy Roosevelt Lounge
The rain was taking its toll, so we decided to find a cozy place to enjoy a drink and snack. Luckily, we were able to walk right into The Teddy Roosevelt Lounge. On the “C” deck (second floor) of the S.S. Columbia in the American Waterfront area, this lounge is inspired by President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, one of America’s great adventurers and leaders. The lounge serves meals, cocktails, and other drinks in an atmosphere of historic luxury, and the ambiance is ideal for a rainy day.
We enjoyed our drinks, I got the Salty Dog, and Mark got the Moscow Mule. We also loved the Appetizer Plate, which included Scallop Gazpacho, Salmon Confit, Roast Beef Tortilla, and Beef Stew in Pastry. Plus, we shared the Sandwich Plate, which featured a Shrimp and Salmon Trout Sandwich, Fried Chicken, Waffles, and Maple Syrup. It was all delicious, and we were so glad we hit up this spot before heading back to the US in the morning.
Farewell, DisneySea
It was getting dark, so we strolled towards the exit, taking in all the sites one last time. We had to force ourselves to leave with tears in our eyes as the entire trip was ending, and tried to delay the inevitable as long as we could. We made one last stop at Ikspiari, a variation of Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, to carry out something delicious for our last night at the hotel. Of course, it was Ramen!
We spent the next few hours in our Alice in Wonderland room packing our bags to go home the next day. It took us a few hours of organizing and cramming our bags, but somehow, we got everything to fit. The unbelievable exhaustion from the trip finally hit us, and we drifted off to sleep. Thankfully, our flight wasn’t until 4 PM, so we could sleep in and check out by 11 AM the next day.
The Journey Home
We went to Bell Services and booked the airport limousine bus back to Haneda Airport the following day. They loaded our luggage onto the bus, and when it arrived, they picked us up at noon. It was a 45 to 60-minute bus trip back to the airport. We were the first passengers to be picked up, and then we stopped at several other Disney resorts to pick up other guests. It was neat to drive through all the different resort properties, giving us a good look at the various hotels to consider for our next trip.
We want to revisit Tokyo Disney, especially since they opened a new land a couple of months after we were there – Fantasy Springs. Hmmm, maybe on the way to or from the parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai? I can dream, right?!
Tokyo Disney to Haneda Airport
Once we arrived at the airport, we returned our pocket Wi-Fi device to Ninja Wifi (the exact same spot we picked it up), checked our luggage, went through security, had one last sushi experience in the airport, bought snacks for the plane, found our gate, and waited on our flight back to reality. This is when the immense sadness set in, and the only thing that got us on that plane was the desire to squeeze our babies—Mooshi and Commander.
The flights home were less smooth and more comfortable than the flight to Tokyo two weeks prior. Instead of having the two seats by the window to ourselves, they had a last-minute aircraft change, and we ended up with three across, and I was stuck in the middle seat next to a stranger—the worst-case scenario for me. The layover in Atlanta made us cringe; we were already missing the cleanliness and kindness that Japan is well known for, and it was evident that we were no longer in that fantastic country.
The flight home from Atlanta was delayed multiple times, but we finally made it back to Tampa a little after midnight. The craziest thing I have ever experienced was leaving Tokyo at 6 PM on April 4 and arriving in Atlanta at 6 PM on April 4—so trippy! We definitely experienced jet lag, which was way worse coming home than it was when we arrived in Japan. It took us over a week to stop falling asleep at 2 in the afternoon.
Unbelievable Experience
All good things must come to an end – This journey was exceptional, and we were incredibly sad when it ended. We had spent years dreaming, planning, researching, and preparing, and then it was over and back to reality. This trip changed us in so many ways, ways we are still processing. We learned so much about Japan and ourselves and are incredibly grateful to each other for making this once-in-a-lifetime trip a reality when we both needed it the most. We can’t wait to see what the future holds, and we are already planning a return trip to Japan in our minds, and someday soon, it will be a reality. Thank you for following along!
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OMG! What a trip you took me on too! I enjoyed your blog so much. It was informative, funny at times and poignant. Japan is a beautiful country. I had no idea about a lot of the things you experienced. Thank you for posting this blog.
Thank you so much!! That means a lot to us and we really appreciate your kind words and for following along with us!