Tokyo DisneySea is a water-themed amusement park in Japan, costing over $4 billion to build. It has 7 ocean-themed areas, including Mysterious Island and Mermaid’s Lagoon. The park is licensed from The Oriental Land Company and recorded over 12 million visitors in 2007.
Tokyo DisneySea is a water-themed amusement park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. The park is the most expensive Disney theme park ever built, believed to have cost over four billion US dollars (USD) to build. Tokyo DisneySea is one of the most successful secondary parks in the Disney world and recorded more than 12 million visitors in 2007.
The idea for Tokyo DisneySea originated with a plan to build a theme park in Long Beach, California next to Disneyland Park in Anaheim and with a nautical theme. This idea was eventually abandoned for financial reasons, and plans for the park, tentatively called DisneySeas, languished for several years. With the success of Tokyo Disneyland, the plan was revived as a second park for that location and Tokyo DisneySea opened on September 4, 2001.
The southern edge of Tokyo DisneySea is bounded by the Disney Hotel Mira Costa. Designed as part of the Mediterranean port park area, this luxurious hotel features Italianate architecture and overlooks the Tokyo DisneySea port area. Rooms start at around $300 USD per night, and packages that combine rooms and park tickets are available.
Like the Disneyland parks, Tokyo DisneySea is divided into several areas called “ports of call,” each featuring a different ocean theme. Comparable to Disneyland’s Main Street in the United States, the entrance area to the park is called Mediterranean Harbour. This area is designed to look like an Italian port and includes the park of traveling gondolas for visitors to ride on.
The Mysterious Island area of the park is located inside a giant volcano called Mt. Prometheus, and is inspired by the adventure stories of Jules Verne. This port is home to two major thrill rides, the submarine 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and a journey into the heart of the volcano in Journey to the Center of the Earth. The architecture in this area has a Victorian feel to it, as Jules Verne’s work is set in that period.
Mermaid’s Lagoon, which uses popular characters from Disney’s Little Mermaid, is designed to look like an underwater castle and filled with rides aimed at young children. At the Aladdin-themed Arabian Coast Harbour, popular attractions include a double-decker carousel and a 3D show featuring Aladdin’s genie.
The Lost River Delta features an ancient Central American theme, somewhat similar to Disneyland’s Adventureland. This area includes the famous Indiana Jones ride, recently reimagined for the latest installment of the Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull movies. Port Discovery features a waterfront of the future and includes several futuristic attractions including StormRider, a simulation ride. The last port of call, American Waterfront, is designed to look like early 20th-century New York and is dominated by a huge replica steamship, called the SS Columbia. This area is home to the famous Tower of Terror ride, which has existing versions at many other Disney parks.
Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland are the only two Disney parks not owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Disney theme is licensed from The Oriental Land Company, not unlike a franchise chain. While this leads some critics to complain that the parks aren’t authentically Disney, the quality and growing popularity of both parks seems to argue that they are exactly what Disney would have in mind.
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