9:30AM - 1:30 PM - TRAVERSE TOWN/LUNCH!
We walked into the complex with most of the team having some semblance of an understanding for Traverse Town, while others such as myself had no clue what they were talking about.
@Evilgidgit explained that this was an entirely indoor complex based on Traverse Town, a recurring location in the Disney/Square Enix video game franchise of
Kingdom Hearts. The exterior looks like a bizarre mishmash of European architecture, with red-tiled rooftops, towering chimneys, and a domed roof, but it reflects the nature of Traverse Town.
In the games, Traverse Town exists to offer refuge to characters who have lost their worlds to darkness, and is home to a variety of Disney characters. In Ikspiari, this concept is realised within the town centre, as Traverse Town is brought to life within an entirely indoor shopping and dining complex. Every shop and restaurant is owned or at least implied to be connected to familiar Disney characters, but also a few original ones too, creating a fully realised community of colourful people, businesses, and attractions.
That was enough for us to be stoked! We went inside and were immediately met with incredible world building and environmental designs.
We walked into the central square, or first district, of Traverse Town, which is made up of crooked, stylised houses and buildings. Almost like an indoor Diagon Alley, Traverse Town is a fully interactive and immersive environment, with several street characters, and Disney characters wander the streets. Each building was unique in its own way, most resembling medieval or Tudor-style construction, cared for and decorated by their respective owners as how they see fit. It always appears to be perpetual night in the interior, with a clear night sky showing the many stars above, with the occasional shooting star or Gummi Ship flying overhead. There were many nooks and crannies to explore, and many secrets to discover in the town.
As we learned, Traverse Town is split between three districts, each hosting a myriad of shops, restaurants, and attractions. The first district acts as the central hub.
The first attraction is the environment itself. We purchased our own Keyblades, which, like the wands of Diagon Alley, can interact with the town around them. We found interactive items and locations around Traverse Town, and aimed the tips of our Keyblades towards said discoveries to trigger an animation or special effect. These magical effects can vary, from triggering clocks in Geppetto’s workshop, to causing a dark alley way full of Heartless to scatter. We found out that the Keyblades can be taken home, but their interactive magic wand software would only work within the confines of Traverse Town. Needless to say though these were souvenirs we couldn't miss!
After walking around and doing some exploring, one draw into Traverse Town is a stone wall with a large circular stain glass window, almost like something from a church. The sleeping form of Sora,
Kingdom Hearts’ hero, can be seen on the window, and guests may here the distant sound of an ominous choir. Venturing through a heart-shaped door takes us into
Kingdom Hearts: Path of the Keyblade, a short but charming walkthrough, retelling the story of the first
Kingdom Hearts game through a series of dioramas. The full tour would take about ten-to-twelve minutes to complete. Each diorama comes with minimal special effects/animatronics, as well as a short narrative, we ventured through stone halls, that appeared to blur between cave walls marked with kiddie drawings, or the halls of a grand castle.
That was a ton of fun!
Another interactive attraction that covers the whole of Traverse Town is the
Dalmatian Puppy Hide ‘n’ Seek. Approaching the front of a townhouse where the melodious keys of a piano can be heard, we participated in a fun scavenger hunt to locate the 101 Dalmatians, hidden throughout Traverse Town. We downloaded an app onto our phones called “Spot Those Puppies”, and kept track of all of the puppies they have found. Finding a certain amount will allow us to win vouchers, FastPasses, rare merchandise, etc, which can be collected from any shop in the land.
The first district has a number of restaurants and shops to explore.
Traverse Treats appears as a quaint street side coffee shop that sells a variety of delicacies, cakes, and sandwiches.
This is the point when we decided to have lunch at one of the myriad of options Traverse Town offered us!
We ended up going to
Hanzo’s, a traditional Japanese kissaten café, that what some people would call retro (i.e. set in the “Showa”-era of Japanese culture). It is a quiet, neighbourhood bar and café that serves coffee, desserts, and both European and Japanese cuisine. Hanzo’s is run by the unseen owner, Hattori Hanzo IX, a worldly traveller and explorer, who may have a connection to S.E.A.
After a scrumptious meal we looked around to see the other offerings in Traverse Town - unfortunately though - we were too full to venture inside....
There is the
Salty Sweet Ice Cream Kiosk, selling
Kingdom Hearts’ trademark food product, a delicious ice cream bar that is somehow salty and sweet at the same time. Whilst queuing for their ice cream, guests can read about the history of how Scrooge McDuck invented the frozen treat, and read reviews by several past customers, including Sora, Roxas, and Axel.
The Sorcerer’s Appetizers takes on a more fortified, medieval appearance, resembling a tower awkwardly built into the town’s skyline. Guests may recognise this as taking influence from Yen Sid’s tower. The restaurant is a counter service establishment, themed after
Fantasia, and specialises in European cuisine, most based on the various classical symphonies used within the film and
Fantasia 2000. The restaurant is split within four distinct areas, based on the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Pastoral Symphony, Dance of the Hours, and Night On Bald Mountain.
There are several shops in the district, including the
Item Shop, run by Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie. You can buy a large variety of merchandise, clothes, costumes, and toys based around
Kingdom Hearts. Thematically, the Item Shop is the central shop within the community, so has a lot of photographs of the locals together, with Sora, Donald, and Goofy visible in a lot of them.
Geppetto’s Toys speaks for itself, resembling the carpenter’s humble cottage and shop, and sells many wooden toys, puppets, and even clocks. Guests can buy wooden Keyblade replicas here. They can even meet Geppetto’s apprentices, and learn how wooden toys are carved and made.
The second district has a more industrial design to it, with the large Gizmo Gummi Ship Factory acting as the weenie of the land. The large white, clockpunk building, complete with a clock tower, houses Traverse Town’s major attraction.
Gummi Ship Adventure is a simulated shoot ‘em adventure, mixing elements from Star Tours and Astro Blasters. Guests walk through the chambers of the factory, where Chip and Dale build and fix Gummi Ships, which can traverse the universe to visit the many worlds of
Kingdom Hearts. Guests are identified as new recruits for an Anti-Heartless Patrol, who pilot Gummi Ships and must protect the worlds from invading Heartless.
Taking direct inspiration from the Gummi Ship minigames in the video games, up to four guests board their Gummi Ships, acting as pilots and gunners, who control the vessels. The Gummi Ship goes on a short 6-to-10 minute route through space, battling Heartless, and flying through different worlds to stop invading darkness. Each adventure is different from the last. There are about sixteen simulator Gummi Ships in the attraction.
Exiting the ride takes guests into the
Gizmo Shop, a gift shop that focuses on selling technology or artistic merchandise, emphasizing design and creativity. This is also where guests buy their customised Keyblades, which can be either made of lightweight metal or wood, and can be given their purchases to paint and customise themselves.
Across the way, with flickering neon lights, stands
Flynn’s Arcade from
Tron. A gaming arcade stuck in the 1980s, the arcade has many classic video arcades and reflect the arcade craze in Japan. Guests can find a backroom, that leads them to what appears to be the Grid, and participate in several
Tron-inspired games and activities.
Kupo Corner is a café and gift shop dedicated to Moogles, iconic critters from
Final Fantasy that also appear in
Kingdom Hearts. The shop sells a lot of Moogle merchandise like plushies, cushions, clothes, lunchboxes, etc., but also promotes
Final Fantasy games, characters, and purchases. The café side is similar to a maid café, with the cast members being members of a Moogle Fan Club, inviting guests to join, play games, have some fun, enjoy milkshakes, puddings, and fun-flavoured recipes, and maybe try a little karaoke.
Guests can also meet Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey in a M&G area.
The third district is more of an entertainment and major shopping area. The
Traverse Town Theatre is a six-screen cinema complex, that plays many movies and short films from the Disney catalogue. The cinema is open from 10am to 11pm, and will screen new releases as well, including Marvel and Star Wars films.
Another attraction are the
Kingdom Hearts Escape Rooms, a series of exciting escape rooms where guests must figure out puzzles and mechanics in order to advance to the next room. Keyblades purchased can also play a role in the activities.
Bella Notte is a major table service restaurant within Traverse Town, based within a rotunda, allowing guests to dine and look over the rest of the shopping resort. The exterior resembles an Italian restaurant from say Verona or Rome, made of ancient stone walls, with several candlelit tables on the exterior. The restaurant specialises in Italian and American cuisine, including the signature Bella Notte Spaghetti Bolognese dish. Resident musicians will appear to serenade couples. Guests can also find delight in the water fountain outside, and locate Lady and Tramp’s love heart outside on the pavement.
Merlin’s Teashop is a magically themed tea house that mixes Japanese and British cultures together in a bizarre but humourous mash up. The teashop primarily serves a simple menu of tea, coffee, and cake, but breakfast is served here from 7am to 12pm. Merlin himself will also make an appearance, accompanied by other magical friends like the Blue Fairy, the Fairy Godmother, and even Madam Mim. The furniture is also rather lively.
Shops include
Mad Hats, run by the Mad Hatter and March Hare, selling a menagerie of colourful and often impractical hats and clothes, but also isn’t without a teapot/teacup section;
Casey Jr. Cookies, a bakery and sweet shop that resembles a circus tent, related to Dumbo and the Casey Jr. Circus (i.e. the Storybook Circus); and
Fables, a bookstore owned by Belle herself, where guests can find a quiet corner to sit down and read for a while.
The Sunny Rock Stage is a dinner theatre that is themed around a 1950s-60s rock ‘n’ roll diner, but on a larger scale. Lilo, Stitch, and their friends have opened up, or possibly taken over this dinner hall, changing it into a tribute to Hawaiian culture, rock ‘n’ roll, and the concept of Ohana. A relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, Sunny Rock Stage serves American and Hawaiian dishes, all named after classic rock ‘n’ roll songs, and 1950s dishes and beverages, with a heavy emphasis on milkshakes and cola.
The restaurant’s titular stage plays host to a variety of entertainment. The daily show is
Lilo & Stitch’s Ohana Festival, a 25-minute musical show where our favourite Hawaiian heroes gather guests to celebrate the joy of family and music. Lilo is insistent on celebrating the family traditions, but also to include tracks from Elvis Presley. Songs include “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Suspicious Minds”, and “Burning Love”. Stitch, ever the exciteable alien, gets a little carried away and invites his cousins to join the party. Soon, Jumba, Pleakley, Captain Gantu, and Dr. Hamsterviel also show up, battling for Stitch (and the mike), before Lilo manages to broker peace between everyone with Ohana.
Nightly entertainment can vary in the restaurant. Original bands and musicians will be invited to perform, international performers, tribute bands, Elvis impersonators, fire breathers, and a Hawaiian hula dancers. Stitch may also appear to perform “Stitch’s Revue”, dressed like the King himself.
After meandering through all of Traverse Town and having a nice lunch - we then traveled outside to Poppins in the Park, and then onto Mickey Avenue - a pavilion dedicated to classic Disney animation.
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