Wade’s, Ryan’s, Caitlin’s, & Tammy’s Guide to Tokyo Disneyland




Tokyo Disneyland opened on April 15, 1983, inaugurating the era of Disney’s global domination of the theme park market. Tokyo Disneyland was the fourth Disney theme park, the third “Disneyland-style” park, the first Disney park built outside the United States, & is the third-most-attended theme park in the world. At 114 acres, Tokyo Disneyland is seven acres larger than the Magic Kingdom & second-largest of the “Disneyland-style” parks. Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo DisneySea are the only Disney theme parks not owned by the Walt Disney Company. Tokyo Disneyland Resort is located in Urayasu, Japan (Chiba Prefecture).

The dedication delivered by E Cardon Walker at the park’s opening runs thus: “To all of you who come to this happy place, welcome. Here you will discover enchanted lands of Fantasy and Adventure, Yesterday and Tomorrow. May Tokyo Disneyland be an eternal source of joy, laughter, inspiration, and imagination to the peoples of the world. And may this magical kingdom be an enduring symbol of the spirit of cooperation and friendship between the great nations of Japan and the United States of America.”

Tokyo Disneyland, as a “Disneyland-style” park, shares considerable similarities with both Disneyland & the Magic Kingdom, but is, nevertheless, unique in many respects. Specific differences in construction, design, & layout will be covered in the respective sections that follow. The most significant overall differences are that the majority of guests & cast members are Japanese. Thus, it follows that the predominant language—including the narration of the majority of rides & shows—& cuisine found throughout the park are also Japanese.

In ride construction & park layout, Tokyo Disneyland resembles Disneyland more closely than it does the Magic Kingdom.


Parking Lot/Structure
Entrance
World Bazaar
Central Hub & Cinderella Castle
Adventureland
Critter Country
Westernland
Fantasyland
Toontown
Tomorrowland

Parking Lot/Structure





By some reports, the largest parking structure in the world. I was unable to locate this structure on our 2010 & 2011 visits.


Entrance





Although the flora-rendered Mickey face is present at this park, the familiar facade of the Walt Disney Railroad that marks the entrance to both Disneyland & the Magic Kingdom is absent.



The bronze “Sharing the Magic” statue of Roy Disney & Minnie sits just outside the entrance.



Walk through the entrance, and you will find yourself in the World Bazaar (not Main Street USA).


World Bazaar





On hearing the name of this gateway to Tokyo Disneyland, you might expect a collection of shops reflecting a variety of world cultures in theming, architecture, & merchandise, or at least a more East Asian flavor than Main Street USA. However, World Bazaar is Main Street USA in all but three particulars (besides the name): it has a protective awning covering it entirely, it has no Town Square, & it branches in three directions, leading guests to Adventureland or Tomorrowland, as well as the central hub, whereas Main Street USA leads only to the central hub. For the purposes of this guide, we will begin our tour by proceeding through World Bazaar to the central hub.


Central Hub & Cinderella Castle





189 feet tall, an exact replica of Cinderella Castle, the internationally-recognized icon of the Magic Kingdom, dominates the far side of the central hub. The bronze “Partners” statue of Walt & Mickey sits in the hub before the castle, as at Disneyland & Magic Kingdom, but is much farther from the castle.



Radiating from the central hub, like the spokes of a wheel, are four walkways. The two on the right (counter-clockwise from the point at which you enter the hub from World Bazaar) lead to Tomorrowland. The second walkway on the left (clockwise around the hub) leads to Westernland. The first path leads to Adventureland.



As you proceed toward the first path on our clockwise tour of Tokyo Disneyland, you will pass The Crystal Palace on the left.


Adventureland





Adventureland has three points of entry: from the central hub (above), from World Bazaar (not pictured), & from Westernland (not pictured).



As you proceed down the path, passing the Swiss Family Treehouse on the right, the path opens into a plaza. Directly across this plaza is the Jungle Cruise.



If you turn left, passing Jungle Cruise on your right and proceed through the plaza, you will come upon a region of Adventureland with theming identical to that of New Orleans Square at Disneyland, although it is not called that at Tokyo Disneyland. In this area, you will encounter Pirates of the Caribbean on the right. Pirates of the Caribbean at the Tokyo park is a re-creation of the Disneyland version of the attraction rather than the Magic Kingdom version—having the bayou scene & an indoor restaurant visible to guests riding the attraction.

Now execute an about-face & walk through Adventureland to the initial plaza, passing the Jungle Cruise on your left. Continue forward, and just before you cross into Westernland, you will pass the Enchanted Tiki Room on the left.


Westernland





Westernland has four points of entry: from the central hub, from Adventureland (not pictured), from Critter Country (not pictured), & from Fantasyland (not pictured).



If you proceed from Adventureland and continue straight, then you will encounter the Country Bear Theater on the left & the Diamond Horseshoe on the right.



Proceeding forward, past the Country Bear Theater, you will arrive at an intersection. If you turn right, you will encounter the path leading to the central hub. If you turn left, and walk forward, you will come upon Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.



From Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, if you walk slightly to the right & continue on, you will see the Raft to Tom Sawyer Island.



If you walk back to the intersection, turn left, & proceed forward, you will pass the Mark Twain Riverboat landing on the left. Continue moving forward, and you will soon come upon Critter Country on the left.


Critter Country





One of the two smallest of Tokyo Disneyland’s districts & one of the two that does not communicate with the central hub, Critter Country possesses just one minor attraction, Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes (on the left), & one major attraction, Splash Mountain, which you will encounter on your right, as you proceed through the district.



Head back to Westernland, hang a left, and you will next find yourself magically whisked into Fantasyland.


Fantasyland





Fantasyland has four points of entry: from the central hub (not pictured) either around or directly through Cinderella Castle, from Westernland (not pictured), from Toontown (not pictured), and from Tomorrowland (above).



The first thing you will encounter, upon entering Fantasyland is the Haunted Mansion (oddly, in each park’s incarnation, located in a different land) on the left.

Proceeding, on your right you will see Peter Pan’s Flight, &, a bit farther, Snow White’s Adventures.



Moving inexorably forward, you will come to Dumbo the Flying Elephant in the center of the castle courtyard.

Continuing forward, you will find Castle Carousel. No Sword in the Stone rests before the carousel, as it does at Disneyland & the Magic Kingdom. If you cut between Castle Carousel on your left & Cinderella Castle on your right heading toward Tomorrowland, you will encounter the newly-added Mickey’s PhilharMagic on your right.



Moving on, you will see Alice’s Tea Party, also in the midst of the courtyard. And on the far left—the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall.



Also on the far left, just past the banquet hall, is it’s a small world. The exterior of this ride looks like the original at Disneyland, not the later re-creation at the Magic Kingdom.



Proceeding forward to the very fringe of Fantasyland as it gives way to Tomorrowland, on the right you’ll discover Pinocchio’s Daring Journey & on the far left Pooh’s Hunny Hunt.



If you continue forward, you’ll enter Tomorrowland, but if you turn left, you will enter Toontown.


Toontown





Toontown is one of the two smallest of Tokyo Disneyland’s districts & one of the two that does not communicate with the central hub.



Toontown at Tokyo Disneyland is a mirror image of Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland, another of the many ways that the Tokyo park resembles the original at Anaheim over its successor at Orlando. Touring Toontown clockwise from its entrance, you’ll first discover Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin on the left. As you proceed clockwise around Toontown, next you will see, also on the left, Toontown City Hall. Next on the left, you will find Minnie’s House. Then, on the left, you’ll see Mickey’s House .



Continuing clockwise around Toontown, next you will see Chip ‘n Dale’s Treehouse, Donald’s Boat, & Goofy’s Bounce House—all on the left.

Next, exit Toontown, the way you came, and proceed from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland.


Tomorrowland





Tomorrowland has four points of entry: from Fantasyland, from World Bazaar, & two from the central hub.



Tomorrowland at Tokyo Disneyland has not undergone the “retro-future“ re-theming now displayed by the area at both Disneyland & Magic Kingdom.

As you progress forward you will see the Starjets in the midst of the walkway. Continuing on, you will come upon the Grand Circuit Raceway on your left.



As you press on, you will discover Space Mountain to the left. Turn right at Space Mountain, & you will see Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters on your left.



On your right, directly across from Buzz Lightyear stands Captain EO. From 1997 to 2010, this building housed the Micro Adventure, the Japanese version of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Execute an about-face, walk toward Space Mountain, taking the first available right turn, proceed forward, & soon you will come upon Star Tours on your left. Continue walking forward on the path as it curves gently to the right, and you will eventually find yourself back at the World Bazaar near the entrance. You have completed your clockwise circuit through each land of Tokyo Disneyland!






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