Tokyo DisneySea is unlike any Disney park I have ever gone to. It kind of gives me some Epcot vibes, but it is totally it’s own different thing. We were only able to explore it for one day as we chose to spend most of our time at Disneyland Tokyo (you can read our recap here), and one day was definitely not enough! We did however walk the park a good three times to make sure we prioritized the things we could not get back home and soak up the environment as much as we could.
One Day Itinerary at Tokyo DisneySea
The thing about Tokyo DisneySea is that it has different islands that are themed differently. Sort of like the countries at Epcot, but instead of countries it’s kind of cultural islands with an ongoing nautical theme. Walking around the park makes you feel as an explorer as you land on different landmarks like the colorful Mermaid Lagoon or the very steampunk-y Mysterious Island.
In my opinion there is no right way to go about this park as it has something to offer in every corner and the most unique part is the ambiance of the park itself. It really is breathtaking! The great thing about this park is that the focus isn’t on rides and attractions, but on the theme and overall experience. If you’re spending a day like we did, our number 1 tip is to scope out with rides you want to do and get fast passes for them right when the park opens. That way you have plenty of time to just walk around, eat, shop and take it all in. So, let’s get to it shall we? Let’s talk about the rides and attractions!
Tokyo DisneySea Rides + Attractions
So what should you skip and what should you experience? Well, if you’re familiar with the parks in the States, you should skip the rides that are replicas and prioritize the ones you cannot get anywhere else. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth, are two of the ones exclusive to Tokyo DisneySea. You also wanna hit Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. It is similar to the attraction in Disneyland, but different-enough that you will want to do it so I would definitely put it on the list.
If you have time at the end of the day or if the wait times are low, then you can go on Toy Story Mania or Tower of Terror which we do have at Walt Disney World and/or Disneyland.
What to Eat & Drink at Disney TokyoSea
Snacks! It’s all about the snacks! Not only will you find the cutest things to eat but also amazing flavors! Tokyo DisneySea is known for it’s popcorn! There are carts located all through the park offering different flavors, anything from soy sauce to curry and strawberry. You should try at least one for the experience. The curry one was our fav!
If you have a sweet tooth, we loved the green alien Mochi over by Toy Story Mania! They are almost too cute to eat… almost! You get three different flavors: chocolate, strawberry and matcha! Honestly you can’t go wrong, there is plenty of gyoza and dumplings to keep you going throughout the day. We didn’t really encounter any bad food at this park, everything was so good!
There’s also lot’s of places to get your happy hour on! We started off the day getting some Asahi beers from Nautilus Galley at Mysterious Island. They had different cocktails with boba but they sounded waaay to sweet to me so I passed, but the drink itself looked very cute and refreshing if you love sweet drinks! We also stopped by the Teddy Roosevelt Lounge which reminded us of the Carthay Circle in California Adventure except this bar was inside a big ship!
Where to Shop at Disney TokyoSea
Here’s the only downside in my experience about Disney TokyoSea… most of the merchandise is for Duffy the Bear. I was very excited to see that there was this giant McDucks “Department Store” that was all decked out and decorated to make Mr. Mc D proud! But it was all Duffy merch! It was very disappointing. BUT you can’t go wrong with the stores at the front of the park. Like Tokyo Disneyland, there’s a “main street” right as you enter the park that is full of normal park merch.
That’s all folks! I think Disney TokyoSea is hard to explain because it is all about the atmosphere. While we did do a couple of rides, I mainly enjoyed walking around the property and taking every single themed land in. If anything, getting an Asahi beer and walking with Keal was the best time! Whatever you choose to do, just being in that ambiance makes it all worthwhile.
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Have you been to DisneySea? What was your fav thing to do?
