Disney Sea

Today I went to Disney Sea with Yumi (my head teacher). It was a great day! It got a bit cold after dark, but the day was sunny and clear.

Now, Tokyo has two Disney theme parks, right near each other: Disney Land and Disney Sea. Let me tell you, there is definitely a market for two Disney parks. Disney is hugely popular here, and on the weekends there are always hordes of people. Accordingly, we went on Monday, and it generally wasn't bad (though a couple of rides perpetually had 90 minute waits, this is still nothing compared to peak times!).

Anyway, Disney Sea is quite different from the traditional Disney Land. Two of the 'lands' are overtly Disney - one themed on The Little Mermaid (and it was amazing!!!) and the other on Aladdin (also really cool!). The other lands are various water-based places - a land themed to look like Venice, one like old-style New York, one like a mysterious island, etc.

The best thing about Disney parks is that as soon as you get there, you feel like a kid again.

I ate a lot of food and went on a few rollercoasters and lots of other rides. We rode on gondolas, went 20,000 leagues under the sea, survived the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, passed through the eye of a storm, and various other adventures. Indiana Jones was probably my favourite ride. We got our photos taken with Aladdin, who surprised me by being American and greeting us in perfect, American English. Hahaha...

We also got to see several shows, including an amazing big band cabaret show, and an equally amazing fantasy show on the lake involving loads of enormous decorated boats, dancers, kites, fountains, Disney characters, and fireworks. If you've never been to a Disney park before, it's hard to believe how lavish it can all be. No expense is spared, it seems.

The strangest show was one we accidentally happened upon in Aladdin's world. Imagine you are in an Arabic-themed 'town'. A bunch of Japanese guys in shiny Arabic clothes are playing a face-shredding 'Smoke on the water' interspersed with 'Prince Ali' (from Aladdin). A bunch of cute Japanese girls in harem-y clothes have brought some guys up from the audience, given them random implements, and told them to play air guitar along to the music. So one guy is 'playing' a sword, another is playing a lamp, and the third is playing a rug. The girls are belly-dancing, and the Japanese dudes are playing electric guitar with a Middle Eastern wail. Very surreal.

At the end I bought 'omiyage' (souvenir gifts) for my co-worker whose birthday it was recently. Now, Disney did a very wise thing coming to Japan. Nobody buys merchandise like the Japanese do. You get a combination of the 'omiyage' culture (where everyone has to buy gifts for their co-workers, friends, family, dog, etc), and a 'willing to buy anything as long as it's vaguely cute' culture, and it must be very lucrative indeed.

It never ceased to astonish me (and I have lived in Japan over a year!) just how many people were walking around wearing Mickey (or other character) ears, hats, bows, etc; walking around with popcorn buckets around their neck, carrying Disney bags, etc.... even so many guys wearing Stitch heads or Genie hats or whatever...

Japanese girls are the main target. And it's Valentine's Day soon, so there were loads of Valentine's-y souvenirs, for example matching Minnie and Mickey toys/keychains/t-shirts/handkerchiefs/etc where you buy the 'set' and each member of the couple keeps one of them. I think a lot of men were forced to accept Mickey paraphernalia today.

I admit though, the main Valentine's image they used was so cute even I bought a little photo album with the picture on it... cast ye not stones... hahah...

Speaking of Disney Land, I have one student, a girl about 20, who goes every week. I'm not kidding. Every week. She has a yearly pass. She has been there at least 40 times. I know!!

Anyway it was a grand day and I very much enjoyed Yumi's company. I may post a few pictures on my web album this week. (By the way, I updated it a few days ago. If you don't have my album's address, please email me. I don't want it to be public though. ^_^)