Disney dealings

In high school Asian history I was taught that the Chinese were innovators, but the Japanese knew how to take things and make them better. Cars. Game shows. Fast food. So naturally, the big question for me when I arrived at Narita airport was: could Disneyland Tokyo really be better than Disneyland USA?

I grew up on Disney. As a child, my dream career was Disney princess. Pocahantas, Jasmine, and Ariel were my favorites, and beyond being my go-to Halloween costume choices, they were my heroines and imaginary best friends. Gradually, my “Disney phase” ended, but I’ve never forgotten the words to a Lion King song or the memories from our family vacation to Disney World. And living in Southern California has relit the fire—I’m the proud new owner of the Southern Californian Disneyland annual pass and that is a privilege I’m planning on using and abusing.

The big deal in the Japanese world of Disney is DisneySea. Just like California Adventures Park is companion to our Disneyland in Anaheim, and Animal Kingdom is connected to Disney World in Orlando, Disney Sea is a park Japan can call its own. Armed with souvenir popcorn buckets and Mickey Mouse cutout Crocs, Japanese Disney fans brave the sweltering heat of summer and rainstorms of tsunami season to ride on Journey to the Center of the Earth, watch the revamped Fantasmic show, and of course meet Mr. Mickey Mouse. Disneymania is at an all time high in Tokyo, but with a slightly different flavor. Their favorites are Stitch, Mike Wazowski, and Duffy the Disney Bear. As for the last guy, who’s kind of unheard of to anyone outside of Japan, the Duffy craze is a bit out of hand. Duffy is this teddy bear that Minnie gives to Mickey like one time, when he’s going off to sea. Duffy bears, along with his endless wardrobe and pink girlfriend, Shellie May, can be seen on the backpacks of schoolgirls, cuddled by babies in strollers, and on grown women’s cell phones. Easily recognized by his Mickey mouse shaped paws and tendency to wear sailor outfits, Duffy bear has easily become the second most popular symbol of Disney. So DisneySea has its own mascot.

What really sets DisneySea apart is the layout of the park. Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Toon Town are great, but Venice, 1940s American Waterfront, and Agrabah? It’s no real competition. At DisneySea, I can walk from the gelato bar after a gondola ride to a swing jazz concert at New York Harbor. Did I mention that Aladdin is one of my favorite movies? On the Arabian coast, I can take a magic carpet ride, cruise on Genie at the double decker carousel, and visit the Agraban marketplace. And best of all during the summer, underground and air-conditioned Mermaid Lagoon is completely decked out with fluorescent fish, and in Ariel’s playground: both Ursula’s lair and the “Part of Your World” cave. Disney geek heaven.

So for me, as more of a Disney aficionado than a theme park junkie, DisneySea gets high points for style and flair. So what if the scariest ride is Splash Mountain set in a volcano and Mickey speaks Japanese? In any case, for now, it’s better that Disneyland California as close, because I sure as hell can’t afford a 52000 yen annual pass to DisneySea, or a whopping 80000 yen annual pass for the two Tokyo parks. For now, I’m happy to check out Cars Land and the new Carthay Restaurant and Bar. DisneySea: I will return.