What is your happiest place? Adventure, entertainment, discovery and imagination – these are the main ingredients our hearts may be looking for in a location to reach the top of our list. Meanwhile, some will consider historical value and aesthetics. Day 6 is all about the happiest place on earth. It was a magical experience!
Tokyo Disney Resort, which is a destination to millions of tourists all year round, is where Disney Sea and Disneyland are situated. The hybrid of amusement parks, hotels and shopping complex was founded over 30 years ago as the very first Disneyland outside the United States. The land area is overwhelming.
You can see from this map alone how big the theme park is. We had to ride a train to get to our first stop, Tokyo Disney Sea.
We were greeted by this gigantic globe over a fountain. As the name suggests, this features a nautical theme for exploration and adventures.
It seemed everyone was set for the Disney experience! Those headbands were so cute, and I was glad the other goers agreed to get their pictures taken with me. We were all game!
Compared to Disneyland, Disney Sea has a more adult element with 7 uniquely designed divisions - Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island. Imagine touring the world’s brilliant places, the great creations in each spot would transport you.
There were a lot of crazy rides as well but because of the long queue, we didn’t get the chance to experience them. So we just continued taking pictures in every spot to capture the moment. The view in any direction I looked was magnificent! It was almost unreal, and the feeling it brought to everyone was untainted joy and pure happiness.
Before we went to our next target, I got the chance to take a picture with the lovely cherry blossom trees. Then, we were off to Tokyo Disneyland. Woohoo!
First to be built outside the US, we can trace back Disneyland’s history to year 1983. It is also composed of 7 distinct regions – World Bazaar, Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country, and Mickey’s Toontown. The attractions were all based from Disney movies and fantasies. Just like Disney Sea, the land area was vast and there’s railroad inside if you want to take the electric train for sightseeing.
It’s been 18 years since I’ve been there last. I had a glimpse of this grand place from the coach, and it brought back a lot of memories. I’m almost emotional but as soon as we got off, my excitement overtook me.
The amusement park also featured a grand parade at the open space, and every expectant, kids and kids-at-heart alike, was waiting for it.
That’s the famous Cinderella Castle, Disneyland’s symbol, and it was the most prominent structure there. Aside from Tokyo Disneyland, this is also found at the center of Disney’s Magic Kingdom in the US. It is surrounded by a moat, and the design was inspired by real-life century-aged castles in different parts of the world. It boasts a total of 27 towers. I was in awe standing right next to it!
These beautiful flowers were all over the place, and they just made the sceneries extra special. I think the weather made this flowers bloom so perfectly. It was very cold that I was shivering the entire time we were exploring the park.
There’s no time wasted while we were there. No wonder, Tokyo Disneyland is the second most visited theme park in the world. I savored everything my eyes perceived. I wished I was with my sons (Ethan and Elijah) because I know they will undoubtedly enjoy this adventure as well. Seeing all of the children in Disney Sea and Disneyland, I missed them terribly.
