It's HUGE!

Did I mention in my last post, how BIG the Plaza area is at Tokyo Disneyland? Today, I'm posting additional photos to try and give a true sense of it's size.

In the photo above, the "center" of the Plaza is actually still behind us. By the way, these photos contain a good view of Tokyo's World Bazaar (their version of Main St.) As you can see, it has a glass roof overhead. This comes in handy on those wet days that Tokyo occasionally has. Okay....not so occasionally.

I am guessing, but I'd have to say that at least two...and possibly even three, of the original Disneyland's Plaza would fit into Tokyo Disneyland's Plaza area.

For my next post, we will be moving away from the Plaza. But we'll be back at a future date to show some of the wonderful displays they erect here for holidays and special events.

The Plaza

Tokyo Disneyland has a HUGE Plaza area. It is kind of made up of three sections. There's the first section that guests encounter when they reach the end of "Main St." (actually called World Bazaar in Tokyo...a subject for future posts). This area is where the "Partners" statue of Walt and Mickey is found. The second section is beyond that and contains a huge central plaza area with a large round floral planter that is also used for holiday and special event displays (the Anaheim equivalent of this planter is where the Partners statue is located).

The third section is a huge paved area that is used to set up seating for stage shows that are held in front of the castle (again...holidays and special events).

The Plaza is SO big, that it contains FOUR of these large stand-alone castle turrets. Two of these turrets contain production booths with spotlights, projectors, etc. for the stage shows. The other two contain equipment for pyrotechnic and fire effects.

The banners and decorations on the castle are in honor of the park's 25th birthday which is being celebrated all year long.

Happy 25th Birthday, Tokyo Disneyland!!!

Fort Wilderness Friday

Okay, so it's not really Fort Wilderness, but it sure looks like it, doesn't it? And no, it's not Fort Siemens although, from the photo above, it looks like the sign could read that way (a pioneer days Innoventions anybody?). It's actually Fort Sam Clemens (as in Samuel Clemens, who went by the pen name Mark Twain and wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer). This fort can be found at Tokyo Disneyland on their Tom Sawyer Island....hence the name "Fort Sam Clemens".

The fort is very reminiscent of Disneyland's old Fort Wilderness. The two doorways on the left in the picture above are "peek-ins". The sign on the wall between them is a little difficult to make out, but it reads "REGIMENTAL HDQRS."

The scene inside is also very similar to the Regimental Headquarters scene of the original Fort Wilderness....minus the wax figures of Andrew Jackson, Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen. Maybe they stepped out for a snack at the Fort Sam Clemens Canteen.


Happy 8-8-08 everybody!

More Tokyo Adventureland

Today we will stay in Adventureland and climb the stairs of the treehouse. Don't worry, there aren't any scary static fiberglass figures of Tarzan and Jane in this one. This treehouse still belongs to the Robinsons!

Let's take a look at the view from the top of the treehouse. The shot below is looking east towards Cinderella's Castle. Below the castle is the Plaza Pavilion restaurant.

In the next pic, we are looking north towards Westernland. In the foreground is Adventureland and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Tokyo Adventureland

This is Tokyo Disneyland's Adventureland. If you look closely underneath the entrance sign, you will see the Western River Railroad station off in the distance. This is because guests board that attraction....not in Westernland, but in Adventureland. It only has one station and from what I understand, that has something to do with the Japanese government regulating any form of transportation if it has more than one stop. The train and the Jungle Cruise share one building with two individual entrances. For the train, guests go upstairs to board, while for the Jungle Cruise, guests queue around underneath on the ground level.

Below is a shot of the train just about to enter the station. Tokyo's train does not circle the entire park. After boarding in Adventureland, guests are taken around the perimeter of The Jungle Cruise, then along the edge of the Westernland River (equivalent of Rivers of America), and then into Primeval World (no Grand Canyon diorama). At the end of the route, it passes by the Polynesian Terrace, a nicely themed sit down restaurant that includes a show with your meal (reservations required).

Just to the right of Polynesian Terrace is The Enchanted Tiki Room. For years Tokyo had the original version of this classic attraction. Then a few years back they updated it with a new show called "The Enchanted Tiki Room - Get The Fever". The new show was done in the tradition of the original. The orginal Sherman Brothers song was still performed, along with some newer songs like "In The Summertime", "Hot, Hot, Hot", and a solo by a female bird singing "Fever". For you purists....it truly was NOT as bad as it might sound. And while I wouldn't EVER want Disney to change the original attraction in Anaheim, it certainly was one hundred percent better than the monstrosity that currently resides in Walt Disney World's Tiki Room ("Under New Mangement"). The "Get The Fever" version however, was just replaced by a newer version that opened last month. Tokyo has now added Stitch to their show and since I have not seen it yet, I cannot comment. I will be posting more Tiki Room pics in the future.

This Here's The Wildest Ride In.....Westernland!

Today, let's mosey on over to Frontier.....uh, Westernland. That's what Tokyo Disneyland calls their version of Frontierland. From my understanding, the name change has something to do with "Western" translating better in Japanese. The photos today show Big Thunder Mt. Railroad. Tokyo's track layout is similar to Walt Disney World's with the exception of a couple extra small twists and turns through a couple extra mine tunnels. Also, Tokyo's version feels like the track is much higher up and that the drops might be a little larger than any other version of this attraction. I'm not positive about this, but after riding Anaheim's Big Thunder MANY times, I definitely feel like everything is taller in Tokyo's version. Hold on to your hats and glasses......

The shot above is a little blurred because it was taken from a Western River Railroad train car while it was moving to the right, while the Big Thunder Mt. train car was moving to the left.

Inside Alice

Yesterday, we took a look at the exterior of the Queen Of Hearts Banquet Hall located in Tokyo Disneyland's Fantasyland. Today's shots are all of the interior of the restaurant, which is just as detailed. Notice the variety of "flower" lights. Let the banquet begin!