Here’s something I’ve wanted to share for quite some time now – it’s a video that made the rounds on the Disney fan circuit years ago, and is still some of the best documentation out there of Tokyo DisneySea. This spectacular park – Tokyo Disney Resort’s “second gate” – opened in 2001, and is world-renowned as perhaps the most detailed and elaborate theme park ever made. In this video, you’ll get a sense as to why theme park fans revere its name.
The park overall has a nautical theme, with areas evoking ports of call from around the world as well as from the pages of fiction and fantasy. You can visit Renaissance-era Italy, or Captain Nemo’s mysterious volcanic hideaway. There’s turn-of-the-century New York City, the lost ruins of South America, and the exotic bazaars of Arabia. There’s even an undersea playground for aspiring mermaids. At the park’s entrance is the Hotel Miracosta, Disney’s most ornate and luxurious hotel.
One look at the video and you’ll understand why stateside fans clamor for a trip to Tokyo. It’s a shame so little documentation of the park is available here in America – the park’s many DVD and CD releases are only available for exorbitant prices on the secondary market, and there are no books or magazines available in English. An “art of” book for the park would surely do well sales-wise among fans worldwide.
This video was made in the park’s early years, so later additions like the park’s magnificent version of the Tower of Terror are missing. Of note is ride Sindbad’s Seven Voyages, which would go on to be completely reimagined in 2007 as Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage. The attraction’s overhaul saw it transformed into a more whimsical musical adventure, made much more “cute” to appeal to local sensibilities.
Hopefully the park will see some equally impressive expansions in the future, but for now sit back and enjoy the unparalleled beauty of Tokyo DisneySea.
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