Tokyo Disney Resort is noteworthy of many things, it is the third Disney resort following Disneyland and Walt Disney World, the first international Disney resort, the first Disney resort in Asia, the only Disney resort not to be owned in any capacity by Disney (instead being owned by the Oriental Land Company with a license from Disney), and the most popular theme park in Japan. But most importantly...
Tokyo Disneyland is your land
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In the 1970s, the Disney brand was achieving total fame in Japan. Despite this, Disney began in the planning stages of building a theme park outside of the US. However, Disney sought a license agreement with the Oriental Land Company (OLC) in 1978 to possibly avoid the costs at that time of owning a foreign theme park in Japan. In 1979, both parties agreed to construct the theme park and after four years of construction, Tokyo Disneyland was opened on April 15, 1983.
Since then, TDL has captivated both guests in Japan and guests from Asia and beyond. However, way before the Disney/OLC collaboration happened, there were initially plans to build a Japanese Disney Park back in the 1950s, as Japanese businessman Kunizio Matsuo approached Walt Disney with the idea to building a Disney park under a license agreement. However, plans were never materialized and Matsuo's planned Disney park later became Nara Dreamland. Nara Dreamland sadly closed in 2006.
In 1998, Disney and OLC renewed their partnership to build a second theme park, some hotels, a monorail and a shopping complex on the TDL site. This project became known as the Tokyo Disney Resort. The first few pieces of the expansion, the Iskpiari complex opened on July 7, 2000 and the Disney Ambassador Hotel opened on July 20 of that same year. On September 4, 2001, the long-awaited Tokyo DisneySea and the adjacent Hotel Miracosta opened its doors.
As part of the 25th anniversary celebration of TDR in 2008, the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel opened. In 2016, Disney and OLC announced a massive Fantasyland expansion for TDL and a version of the Soarin' ride for TDS. In 2018, Disney and OLC announced that TDS would get an eighth themed land known as Fantasy Springs featuring rides from Peter Pan, Tangled and Frozen that is set to open in Summer 2024. In 2022, TDR opened another hotel, this time themed to the Toy Story franchise.
Theme parks
Tokyo Disneyland
- World Bazaar: The main entry point, similar to Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland, the land is based on a 20th-century American town. Due to Japan's rare weather conditions, the entire land is enclosed in a giant glass roof.
- Adventureland: This version of Adventureland is similar to the one seen in the Magic Kingdom in addition to featuring its own version of Disneyland's New Orleans Square. The TDL version of Adventureland is home to three key attractions a Jungle Cruise, which is the exact version seen in the Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean (as well as a version of the Blue Bayou restaurant) and the Western River Railroad. There is also a version of the The Enchanted Tiki Room show, but with a Stitch twist and a version of the Swiss Family Treehouse.
- Westernland: Similar to Frontierland at all of the other Disney parks, this land is named differently due to the term being much more understandable to Japanese people. This land is home to versions of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Tom Sawyer Island Rafts and the Country Bear Theater.
- Critter County: Similar to the one seen at Disneyland, the land is home to the (only surviving) Splash Mountain, after it was closed at the US parks to make room for Tiana's Bayou Adventure due to the controversy regarding the source material the attraction was based on.
- Fantasyland: The land is home to a number of attractions regularly seen at the Disney parks such as Dumbo (the only one with the pre-1993 Magic Kingdom-style mechanism), Alice's Tea Party, Peter Pan's Flight, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Pinnochio's Daring Journey (TDL was the first park to debut the attraction as the ride wasn't ready for DL at that time), Snow White's Scary Adventures, "it's a small world" among others. It is also home to The Haunted Mansion, which for some reason is located in this land, as well as two original attractions, Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast.
- Toontown: Similar to the one seen at Disneyland, this land is largely an exact copy of the one seen at DL (before its 2023 makeover), and like the one at DL, it is home to versions of Gadget's Go-Coaster and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.
- Tomorrowland: Similar to the one at the Magic Kingdom (pre-1994), the land is home to Space Mountain (initially a version of the one seen at Disneyland, but by 2007 it was revamped to be more futuristic, until 2024 when the ride will close for a total reimagining of the attraction, as well a Tomorrowland revamp). The land is also home to Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek, a version of Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, The Happy Ride with Baymax, Stitch Encounter, and a version of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Tokyo DisneySea
- Mediterranean Harbor: Set in the fictional Italian seaside town of Porto Paradiso, the Harbor is home to the Venetian Gondolas, a walk-through attraction called Fortress Explorations (where the SEA (Society for Explorers and Adventurers) organization originated) and a version of Soarin' Around the World (titled Soaring Fantastic Flight) in 2019.
- Mysterious Island: Set inside Captain Nemo's homebase of Vulcania, the land is home to Journey to the Center of the Earth (which is situated in the park's icon, Mount Prometheus) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (instead of a version of the Submarine Voyage-style attraction that was previously at the Magic Kingdom, it is a totally different attraction)
- Mermaid Lagoon: An part-indoor, part-outdoor area themed to The Little Mermaid. The land features six attractions featuring five original attractions as well as a version of the Jumpin' Jellyfish ride seen at Disney California Adventure.
- Arabian Coast: The land features one original attraction, Sinbad's Storybook Journey (originally it was in a darker-tone as Sinbad's Seven Voyage before the 2007 refurbishment) while all the other attractions are themed after Aladdin: Jasmine's Flying Carpets (a version of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin/Flying Carpets over Agrabah ride seen at the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney Studios Park), The Magic Lamp Theater and the Caravan Carousel.
- Lost River Delta: Themed as a Central/South American jungle, this port is home to its own version of the Indiana Jones Adventure (coincidentally themed around the Crystal Skull before the fourth movie came out) and a coaster known as Raging Spirits.
- Port Discovery: A retro-futuristic marine research base, this land is home to the Aquatopia ride, the DisneySea Electric Railway (which connects to American Waterfront) and Nemo and Friends SeaRider (replacing the opening day StormRider attraction).
- American Waterfront: Split into a Cape Cod area and a early 20th century New York City area, this land is home to a version of Tower of Terror, but instead of CBS' The Twilight Zone it is a completely original story set in the Hotel Hightower, the land is also home to a version of Toy Story Mania! and the DisneySea Electric Railway stops there.
- Fantasy Springs: The newest land in the park. The land is planned to consist of three different areas themed around Peter Pan (and its spin-off Disney Fairies), Tangled, and Frozen, with four attractions. The land is planned to open on June 6, 2024.
