Have you been to the only DisneySea in the world?
I'm not a super fan of Disney, though I have watched a few of their films and even have a Disney+ account that I barely use. But I guess going and experiencing the Disney theme parks is something magical that will make you feel overwhelmed, whether you are a fan or not. I'll share a secret of mine: I even got teary-eyed when I entered Disney Sea!
Last week was super busy. We have guests in the house and my VIP guest brought me with her to Disney Sea.
It's her first time, and I don't mind returning there again. Yep, I've been to Disney Sea before with a friend, though we didn't take any rides, we just roamed around and watched shows and that was before the pandemic. I couldn't even remember the attractions we went to. So going back there with my VIP guest seems exciting. I wouldn't go there if I'd been on my own. Why? Because there's no one to share the joy with! Going with someone or with a group is more fun!
We went on a weekday, which means I took a vacation leave from work just to go to Disney. What a dedication, right? I didn't mind, as long as my VIP guest would have loads of fun. Going to Disney Sea on a Thursday was a great choice. The weekend would be full of people so the queues would surely be a minimum of an hour. On this day, there were still lots of people but falling in line and waiting for our turn didn't have to be that long.
We arrived early, just in time for them to open their gates. We figured the earlier, the better.
Take Me To Disney Sea
From Tokyo station, we had to walk far to get to the platform where the train would take us to Maihama Station, and from Maihama, we would be taking the monorail serving the entire Disney paradise.
The monorail we rode was Disney-themed, making us more and more excited for what was about to happen. Even the straps are so cute!
Apparently, Disney Sea is the last stop of the monorail so we were able to see the entire place - from Disneyland's entrance to the hotels around it.
When we reached Disney Sea, there were already people lining up at the entrance gates. It didn't take long to get inside.
The Magic Begins
This big globe is like the signature of the Disney Sea. It's the first thing one would see when you enter the park gates. And yes, it's turning! Fascinating, isn't it?
On both sides of the pathway going further inside the park are the souvenir shops. Even in the morning, it's already packed with people. I guess they're buying wearables so they could roam around the park wearing those. I see lots of people with cute headbands.
We're so overwhelmed on where to go so I suggested we should just take a boat ride. In less than 5 minutes, we're already on the boat, touring Disney Sea through the waters.
Ancient Ruins And Tropics?
Our stop was in the Lost River Delta area. It's like The Jungle Book - but I'm not entirely sure what this area is really based upon. I just thought of Jungle Book but I totally forgot the movie already! Oh no! 😅
We met a character named Jose. He's friendly and he danced with the VIP. 😆
There's an extreme ride here, a rollercoaster that would turn 360. I am no fun in these extreme rides so fortunately we couldn't ride it because the little one couldn't. How convenient for me! I just enjoyed myself looking at the fiery pyramids.
Later at noon time, we had our lunch in one of the restaurants here. The name was Miguel's El Dorado Cantina and they serve a sandwich-like roast beef, a chicken leg, and a pork rice roll aside from a few sides like potato fries. I got the chicken leg set meal which wasn't a fully packed meal as I'd thought it would be. It's a lonely piece of chicken leg, little fries, and a drink. The next time I go to Disney Sea, I won't dine in this restaurant - maybe other restaurants have more enticing menus.
Grant My Wishes Genie!
We reached the Arabian Coast - and this was where we did most of our initial adventure.
There were no crowds yet so we were able to ride Jasmine's Flying Carpet twice. Yes, twice! The little one was so thrilled that she wanted another round. It was a bit of torture for me as I'm afraid of heights! Yikes! 😂 She even wanted a third round but we convinced her to explore more.
Sinbad's Storybook Voyage was the name of the area where you'd be seeing lots of stuff. It's a walking passage, good for photos. The design of the items here was like you're really in the film Sinbad or Alladin.
The little princess was so playful, especially when she saw the fountain.
The carousel nearby was almost empty and because it's like a "must" ride attraction for kids and kids at heart, we rode it. We didn't have to wait long and we could choose where to ride. There are 2 floors and we picked the ones on the lower floor.
It's a bit dark on this side, probably because it's beside the wall..?
We went inside The Magic Lamp Theater not knowing what to expect. We didn't know what the show was about, we just came in because there was no waiting crowd. We were redirected to a waiting area inside, where after a few moments, a narration of the story began. It's all in Japanese but you can probably guess what's it's about because there were animations on the screens on the wall.
It was a 3D show, and I won't say anything related to the story so you can go and experience it yourself. A hint: you'll see Genie in the show. 😉
Up to this area, you can take photos, inside when the show starts, no more photos and videos.
After the show, we saw Genie outside surrounded by many! We just saw him on the show and now he's here outside. He's such a busy man.
Going Underwater
Crossing the bridge from the Arabian Coast would take you to the Mermaid Lagoon. It's where you would find a whole new world. We didn't meet Ariel but we saw her statue in here.
We first rode The Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster. If I knew it was a roller coaster ride, I wouldn't enter. LOL But since we're already here, waiting in line, I had to prepare my heart: try not to get scared and calm my nerves.
Good thing this roller coaster ride only took seconds, and it's not super high but definitely, I let out a scream. 😅 And oh yes, the little one wanted to ride it again so we had to convince her we would meet Ariel in her hometown to not think of riding the coaster again.
Going inside you would be taken to what's like it underwater. It's Triton's Kingdom but we didn't see him here, nor his daughter Ariel who's probably in land. We saw Ursula in a scary area for strolling.
We didn't miss riding all the attractions in the underwater, which afterwards I didn't want to ride again. I wasn't so scared now of heights but my head was spinning from The Blowfish Balloon Race with a combo of The Whirlpool. The Jumping Jellyfish was a bit relaxing.
We should've dined in the restaurant here. I think there's fish on the menu but I wasn't so sure.
Ariel's Playground was fun for kids. It's an exploration area and like a maze. I'm probably still a young kid because I enjoyed exploring and investigating here.
I was looking forward to watching a musical show in the theater here but it's suspended for the time being.
We went back to land for a while to walk to the Port Discovery area. I don't know what's our privilege, seems like a priority pass, so we're able to skip the long queue for Nemo And Friends Sea Rider.
We're on board the Sea Rider in which we would be able to experience what's it like in the sea. Nemo and his friends were our tour guides. Because we're on the sea, we got a little wet. This is one of the attractions I would surely come back for more!
More Walking
The next stop was the Mysterious Island but in this area, we only enjoyed the views. The only attraction here is the Journey To The Center Of The Earth which is an extreme ride. I'm happy we didn't ride it. 😆 But thrill-seekers shouldn't miss this!
We didn't bother checking out each attraction in the Mediterranean Harbor. We just enjoyed walking and taking breaks, while people watching and observing the surroundings.
The little one craved popcorn and the flavor near us at that time was caramel. There were other flavors but it depends on the location of the popcorn stand. So while people watching, we had popcorn. We're not watching a movie, just the scenes in Disney Sea. 😅
We thought it would be a good idea to take a break while riding the gondolas but the little one saw big and classic vehicles passing by. You'd really get curious because they stand out. So instead of the gondolas, we explored the American Waterfront to look for the boarding area for those interesting vehicles.
A little detour and photo talking here and there and we finally reached the attraction area. We were kinda surprised we couldn't find a queue but there were guests talking to the staff. Turns out, they've stopped the operation already. We came too late!
Waiting For Fireworks
It's getting dark. Sunset in the American Waterfront area is great but we didn't bother going near the shore. At this time, my foot was already screaming in pain but I had to pretend nothing's wrong. I wanted the little one to enjoy and not hold back just because her tita was being an old tita.
There's still 2 hours til the fireworks show so we went to see the Turtle Talk. In the waiting area inside, there were a bunch of displays and information about sea creatures. It's so informative!
It's so awkward to be sitting in front. So in Turtle Talk, kids get to sit in front while the adults at the back. We couldn't find empty seats for the 3 of us but the staff pointed seats in the front rows. Good thing they're on the ends, or else we would be blocking everyone of the view. 😅
Turtle Talk was fun - if you understand Japanese. The turtle and the audience would be striking up a conversation. Not all in the audience get the chance to talk though. The little one wanted to ask the turtle a question but she wasn't able to. I could catch what they're talking to, a few only, so I could laugh with the crowd. It was nice to have a conversation with the turtle. It's so funny a teenager asked something about life and relationships. Too early for other kids! 😅
After, we went to the Toy Story Mania attraction but the waiting time was about an hour. By the time we're inside the attraction, surely the fireworks would already go off. So we just enjoyed ourselves with the lights in the surroundings.
Then we went to the harbor to get ready for the fireworks. Many people were on their mats by the harbor. We couldn't think of anywhere else to sit and wait than in a restaurant. I grabbed hot drinks for us since it's getting cold already.
The Autumn breeze was so strong that the much awaited fireworks show was canceled. Almost everybody was waiting for it but our night ended with no Sky Full Of Colors to see.
We wrapped up our Disney Sea adventure by buying souvenirs and taking photos of the globe. It was such a great adventure. The fireworks were a bit unfortunate but I truly enjoyed every bit of my day! Did my dreams come true? Probably! I didn't have one - except to just have fun on this day with my companions.
Recommendations
If you're planning to visit Disney Sea, here's a summary of my personal recommendations. Take note, this is just a suggestion - it's still up to you if you want to follow.
- Buy your tickets ahead of time.
- Download the Disney app before your visit.
- Register for shows ahead of time. If getting a slot is by lottery, just pray. LOL
- Plan your visit - I mean, where you want to ride first. Basically the itinerary. It's a long walk getting to different areas.
- Prepare your heart, mind, and soul. If you're like me who's afraid of heights, prepare yourself to overcome them.
- Dress up for your adventure! Be comfortable with casual wear or stand out being a Disney character.
- Don't bring too much stuff inside the park. There are coin lockers for your bags in the monorail station but it could get full.
- Get souvenirs! It's not all the time you're in Disney Sea. A memorabilia of your epic day~
- Bring snacks and water or you'll be hungry or thirsty. There are snacks in corners though but most of them are popcorn.
- Have loads of fun!
Closing Credits
Before we were about to board the monorail, I forgot my backpack!!!! OMG!!!! 🤣 Not again!!?
Good thing my wallet with airTag was inside, besides that, I put another airTag in the backpack. Wait, I think it's not a good thing my wallet was lost together with my backpack. 😂 I wasn't really panicking but I was too sleepy and my companions were so okay, I was a bit alarmed. 😄
Don't worry, I got my backpack back. I tried to go back to where I knew I lost it, also confirming the airTag's location. The moment I arrived there, it's already in the information station. Nothing was lost - thank you Japan and thank you Disney Sea. 😌
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね!
With love,
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.