Continued from Day 5: Akihabara and Ikebukuro (Butler Cafe Royal Servant).

Since everyone and their dogs have been to Hong Kong Disneyland (myself included — I love their Halloween celebrations!), ze girls and I have decided to skip Tokyo Disneyland and head straight to DisneySea.

DisneySea is the sister park of Tokyo Disneyland, and together they make up the Tokyo Disney Resort complex. The rides at Sea are more adult-orientated than at Land — notable examples include Tower of Terror, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Raging Spirits.

      

DisneySea is divided into seven sections, each set up to mimic a famous shipping and sailing district: the Mediterranean Harbor, the American Waterfront, the Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, the Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island.

Out of all of them, my favorite is the Jules Verne-inspired Mysterious Island. Featuring lots of Victorian flourishes and steam-punk details, it’s a fantastic place to hold a shoot in — but since that’s not likely to happen, just make the most of its sci-fi themed rides such as the submarine adventure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Even the most kiddy-fied section of the park — Mermaid Lagoon, is pretty neat. It holds a fully functioning theatre that shows an abbreviated version of The Little Mermaid, with Circe du Soleil-style drama and antics. I also liked the Arabian Coast, with its 4D Magic Lamp Theatre and double-decked Caravan Carousel.

      

And my least favorite section? Lost River Delta 😦 I would’ve loved to get on the Indiana Jones thrill ride — but with waits over three hours long it was freaking ridiculous! So protip for you guys: take advantage of the park’s Fast Pass system, to get on the queue of their most popular rides such as Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Raging Spirits, Storm Riders, and Aquatopia.

More protips: at around 7PM and again 8PM there are two separate shows on the Mediterranean Harbor, “Fantasmic!” and “Be Magical” respectively. Make sure you save seats well ahead of time as the harbor will get crowded. Bundle up during the fall, winter, and spring, and bring hand fans during the summer.

Last but not least, stock up on popcorn! Tokyo DisneySea and Disneyland offer a mind-boggling array of popcorn carts all over the two parks. No two carts offer the same flavor, so have fun finding all of them and picking your favorite ❤ While you’re at it, pick up a refillable popcorn tumbler for JPY 2500 (available in a number of designs) — each refill thereafter will set you back just JPY 500.

Continued in Day 8: Shin-Osaka and Doutonburi.