Trip Report: Four Days of Tokyo Disney + Universal Studios Japan and More

[Wendy Pleakley]

Is that the “Magic Lamp Theatre” show? Is it worth a visit?

I didn't end up seeing any shows on this trip, but I echo that I vaguely recall this one being so-so in 2002 because of the language barrier.

I recall one show in DisneySea from way back then that had a really cool moment where the entire theater was consumed by fog. If you're into shows I'd look for something that appears to have standout music or a uniqueness to it.

For me, seeing both nighttime shows at each park was enough, and they were both fantastic.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Oh absolutely. We’re currently aiming for 4 days per park minimum. We’re moving staying in Dubai to another trip for more Tokyo time.

This spring I spend one day in Dubai and four days in each Tokyo park.

That was too long in Dubai, too short in Tokyo Disney...


Also, if Disney is your hobby, then there's no shame in just going somewhere for the local Disney park. Nobody thinks himself a cultural barbarian for flying transcontinental to WDW and not combining that with Washington and Chicago. So no pressure to visit the rest of Japan or France if your goal is the local Disney resort.

 

[marni1971]

This spring I spend one day in Dubai and four days in each Tokyo park.

That was too long in Dubai, too short in Tokyo Disney...


Also, if Disney is your hobby, then there's no shame in just going somewhere for the local Disney park. Nobody thinks himself a cultural barbarian for flying transcontinental to WDW and not combining that with Washington and Chicago. So no pressure to visit the rest of Japan or France if your goal is the local Disney resort.

We will schedule a “Tokyo day” since we do want to see a bit of the city but primarily we’re going for TDL. Same as when we go to Shanghai. And we did with Hong Kong (and loved the city so much we’re going back)

 

[The Empress Lilly]

We will schedule a “Tokyo day” since we do want to see a bit of the city but primarily we’re going for TDL. Same as when we go to Shanghai. And we did with Hong Kong (and loved the city so much we’re going back)

I think HK a much more charismatic city than Tokyo. Incredibly dense and with a million things to do. By contrast Tokyo is spread out and a bit bland. Osaka and surroundings are more fun, more interesting for both classical and modern Japan.

I did do two days in Tokyo last trip, the Saturday and Sunday in between my Disney days, to avoid the weekend crowds.

As for Shanghai, I've more or less lived there. A superb city, but you also don't need more than two or three days to see the touristy sights, unless you travel around a bit to neighbouring areas such as Suzhou or the West Lake. For my liking, Shanghai is prettier, friendlier and more modern and convenient than Tokyo. YMMV. Both are fabulous, each in their own way. I'm curious to find out what you'll think of Shanghai DL. I'm of the apparent minority who thinks its a great park. It has major design flaws, but equally as many terrific aspects.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Fantasy Springs is the hot new land at Tokyo DisneySea and Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey is the hottest new attraction. It's the one I regularly saw sell out of Premier Access passes and commanded a 120 minute wait time for much of the day.

While I did see the wait time drop to 20 minutes after 8:00 on previous days, that's not a guarantee. I knew I'd probably want to ride it at least twice so I paid to ensure my spot.

I never got to see the standby queue and I'm okay with that.

This attraction is basically what Florida's Frozen Ever After could have been had they not been restricted by using the existing Maelstrom infrastructure.

If Frozen Ever After is a 6 or 7 out of 10, this is a 9 out of 10.

It shares some DNA with Florida's, with similar scenery and animatronics. It's not a leap forward in technology the way some other Tokyo attractions outshine their North American counterparts.

While it's only 2 minutes longer it just feels more complete. There's more directional changes.

Not groundbreaking but Tokyo unsurprisingly provides the definitive Frozen attraction.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Lunch was at Vulcania which is a buffeteria style restaurant like Queen of Hearts next door.

Chilled noodles were 1,280 yen and I continued to be impressed with the food value here. I added some dim sum for good measure.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Is that the “Magic Lamp Theatre” show? Is it worth a visit?

If the wait is 15 minutes or less, yes

Yes, the show is not in English, but it's very visual, not hard to understand the plot and its something unique to this park and somewhat unique in the scope of Disney 3D movie attractions.

 

[Disney Analyst]

If the wait is 15 minutes or less, yes

Yes, the show is not in English, but it's very visual, not hard to understand the plot and its something unique to this park and somewhat unique in the scope of Disney 3D movie attractions.

Thanks! I don't expect anything to be in English, so I don't mind being partially confused while enjoying a spectacle, or an attraction regardless.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Toy Story Mania! is super popular in Tokyo and was one of a few attractions I never ended up doing.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was certainly the parks marquee attraction when it opened and is still popular. I believe we paid to skip the line here as well.

This attraction uses the Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers ride system and is housed in the parks central volcano, befitting it's status.

It's a short ride but has some decent set pieces and a thrilling finale.

The attraction is visible in action from the park, adding kinetic energy and enticing visitors.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Mermaid Lagoon is a primarily indoor area housing themed rides aimed at kids, many of which will be familiar to visitors of A Bug's Land in California.

Sadly, the Little Mermaid theater show has been closed for some time.

In a sign of changing times, as much as it's for kids the pathways as you enter are now lined with people of all ages posing for photos in the picturesque environment.

We did ride Scuttle's Scooters (just outside) and The Whirlpool (inside) attractions at some point this day.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Snacks today included Lassi & Strawberry shaved ice.

Snacks also included a Chai spiced churro.

Snacks also included Roast Beef Popcorn.

Dinner was at the Casbah Food Court which specializes in curry dishes. Good food, good environment as always.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Fairy Tinker Bell's Busy Buggies our final new attraction in Fantasy Springs with Rapunzel's Lantern Festival being closed. My timeline is off a bit, we did this before dinner. Please scroll back and review the dinner post to get the proper effect.

This is a short ride akin to Heimlich's Chew Chew Train in California (RIP). The ride vehicles have some spinning motion but it's a fairly basic affair.

I was disappointed in this one mostly because it was a 50-minute wait for a short and basic experience. It's new so that's par for the course. It's an example of capacity being important because a long wait for a so-so experience is not satisfying.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

We did Peter Pan again at some point.

Raging Spirits was an evening visit because that was the best available time using the free Priority Pass.

This is a short coaster with some nice lighting and fog effects.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I also forgot to mention we did Jasmine's Flying Carpets which is your standard Dumbo-esque spinner.

Another classic attraction since DisneySea's opening is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Some nice queue elements:

I don't recall loving this one back in 2002 but it's quite good. I'm not a huge fan of the submarine rides in general because you're looking out a tiny window and it all feels a bit claustrophobic.

To quote Homer Simpson at Universal Studios however, "all the seats are the same except the ones that are better".

For this attraction, the front seats are worth requesting. Instead of looking at a limited view of the scenery as you dive through the water*, when you're in the front you're seeing a wide expanse of underwater scenery and the scope of the ride is really much more impressive.

*spoiler alert, attraction does not actually go underwater.

Mermaid Lagoon at night:

We caught the Believe! Sea Of Dreams show on the way out, but from the side. We'd get a proper view of it another evening.

One final note. I tried using Google Translate at the Peter Pan pre-show. Worked perfectly.