“To all of you who come to this happy place, welcome. Here you will discover enchanted lands of Fantasy and Adventure, Yesterday and Tomorrow. May Tokyo Disneyland be an eternal source of joy, laughter, inspiration, and imagination to the people of the world. And may this magical kingdom be an enduring symbol of the spirit of cooperation and friendship between the great nations of Japan and the United States of America.” Card Walker on April 15, 1983.
Tokyo Disneyland was the first international Disney park to be built outside the US. As previously mentioned in my Tokyo Disney Ticket Guide, Tokyo Disney is not actually owned by the Walt Disney Company but by the Oriental Land Company. Sixteen years after Tokyo Disneyland was opened, a second theme park called Tokyo DisneySea was built next door. Both parks are very popular and can be quite crowded, but are definitely worth a visit from any Disney fan.
Something Tokyo Disney is famous for are their large variety of delicious popcorn flavors. There are both sweet and savory flavors and each popcorn cart is listed on the map. Some of my favourites were Milk Chocolate, Honey, Strawberry, Garlic Shrimp, and Soy Sauce & Butter. These flavors are constantly changing and some are only found in Disneyland and some in DisneySea. One popcorn tip is if there is a flavor you really want to try but it has a long line, check the map for another location with the same flavor. At least twice, we saw a Caramel cart in one part of the park with a line of at least 50 guests, but walked by another Caramel cart ten minutes later that only had about 5 guests in line.
World Bazaar
“Go back in time to early 20th-century small-town America! Shops and restaurants line the Victorian-style streets.”
Instead of a typical Main Street, U.S.A., Tokyo Disneyland opens with the World Bazaar. This land sticks to the original turn of the century, small town theming, but with some amazing improvements. First is the beautiful glass roof that covers the entire World Bazaar. This gives the land a classy indoor/outdoor feel, but it’s also nice having an area of the park that is climate controlled to escape bad weather. The other improvement is the cross street leading into Adventureland and Tomorrowland. The other Main Streets have just the stub of a cross street, but having more than one exit from World Bazaar into the rest of the park majorly helps with both crowds and navigation.
There is one Main Street vehicle, the Omnibus, that travels around the large hub area in front of the castle. Another attraction is the Penny Arcade. The majority of World Bazaar is made up of shops including the Grand Emporium, Magic Shop, World Bazaar Confectionery, and The Home Store. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is located in World Bazaar.
For restaurants there are the quick service locations Great American Waffle Co, Refreshment Corner, and, my favourite, Sweetheart Café where guests can buy the famous Mike Wazowski melon bread. There is also the Ice Cream Cones quick service. There are three table service restaurants in World Bazaar. The Center Street Coffeehouse does not require advance reservations, but both the Eastside Café and Restaurant Hokusai do. Reservations in Tokyo Disneyland are called Priority Seating and can be made online one month in advance.
Tomorrowland
“Fly into imagination, action, and adventure in the space-age world of tomorrow.”
Home to classic intergalactic themed attractions such as Space Mountain, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (which all offer FastPass), Tomorrowland is also where my favourite Tokyo Disneyland attraction is. Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek is a fun and interactive dark ride based around the popular Pixar film. It differs from the ride in Disney California Adventure because in Tokyo guests are given flashlights to use to search for monsters. Just shine your flashlight (and each beam makes the shape of a different character) on the Monsters, Inc. symbol and an adorable monster will appear. This attraction also offers FastPass and is one of Tokyo Disneyland’s most popular rides so make sure to get FastPasses early in the day.
Please note that the Star Tours FastPass kiosks are not located near the ride but are at the Tomorrowland Hall. This building is also where guests can use the lottery system for a chance to win priority seating at one of the popular shows. There is no extra cost for playing the lottery, but you can only do so once per day per show. One show in Tokyo Disneyland that use this lottery system is One Man’s Dream II which is at the Showbase theatre in Tomorrowland. Currently there is a special It’s Very Minnie show playing at this theatre instead for a limited time, but it still uses the lottery system. Another attraction in Tomorrowland is Stitch Encounter which is a show similar to Turtle Talk with Crush at DCA and Epcot, but is only performed in Japanese.
There are a number of quick service dining locations and snack kiosks around Tomorrowland. These are the Tomorrowland Terrace, Pan Galactic Pizza Port, Plazma Ray’s Diner, Soft Landing for ice cream, and The Popping Pod for popcorn.
Toontown
“Come visit the fun and funny town where Mickey and his pals live, work, and play.”
Toontown in Tokyo Disneyland is very similar to Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland, only the layout is mirrored. The two main attractions here are Gadget’s Go Coaster and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. The toons all have their homes here including Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Treehouse, Donald’s Boat, and Minnie’s House. Mickey Mouse hosts a meet and greet at Mickey’s House, and at Goofy’s Paint ‘n’ Play House guests can help Goofy redecorate with his Toontone Splat Master paint applicators. A children play area called Toon Park is located near the entrance to Toontown.
There are multiple food wagons snack kiosks throughout Toontown including Dinghy Drinks, Toontone Treats, Toon Pop, Pop-a-lot Popcorn, and Mickey’s Trailer. The only quick service location here is Huey, Dewey, and Louie’s Good Time Café.
Fantasyland
“Enter the world of Disney fairy tales and stories, from Snow White to Pinocchio and others.”
Home to the gorgeous Cinderella Castle, Fantasyland is filled with whimsy and wonder. There are many classic attractions here such as It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Snow White’s Adventures, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. Other classic attractions with a name change are Alice’s Tea Party, Castle Carrousel, and Snow White’s Adventures. Another super popular attraction at Tokyo Disneyland is Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. This trackless dark ride is based around The Many Adventures of Winnie Pooh and offers FastPass.
The only other attraction to offer FastPass in Fantasyland is the Haunted Mansion. Fun Fact: despite being found in multiple Disney parks, the Haunted Mansion is located in a different land in each of them.
Inside Cinderella Castle is Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall which is an interactive walkthrough featuring classic scenes from the film. Also in Fantasyland is the 3D show Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
There are four quick service locations in Fantasyland: Captain Hook’s Galley, Troubadour Tavern, Magical Market, and Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall. This Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant was my favourite. The food was delicious and the theming was amazing. Also in Fantasyland are Cleo’s (a soft drink kiosk), and the Village Pastry snack kiosk.
Critter Country
“Critter folktales from the South come to life on the banks of the Rivers of America.”
Critter Country in Tokyo Disneyland is even smaller than the one in the original Disneyland, but is still cute!
There are two attractions here: Splash Mountain which offers Fastpass and the Beaver Brother’s Explorer Canoes. Only in Tokyo is the splash on Splash Mountain controlled. The logs are on rollers and are set down into the water at the bottom of the big drop so there is no splash from below. Instead, there is a spray from above which can be turned down in cooler weather so guests don’t get as wet. Cast Members also squeegee the seats of the logs after each ride so guests don’t have to sit on wet seats. Tokyo is amazing.
Grandma Sara’s Kitchen is a nearby quick service restaurant and Rackety’s Raccoon Saloon is a snack kiosk.
Westernland
“It’s the old American frontier. Come ride on out to the wild, wild, West!”
Instead of Frontierland, Tokyo Disneyland has Westernland since the word Frontier doesn’t translate from English to Japanese. Westernland is home to the Westerland Shootin’ Gallery, Country Bear Theater, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island and the Tom Sawyer Island Rafts. There is a character meet and greet called Woodchuck Greeting Trail in Westernland and of course, Big Thunder Mountain which offers FastPass.
Camp Woodchuck Kitchen, Pecos Bill Café, Hungry Bear Restaurant, and Plaza Pavilion Restaurant are all quick service locations. Turkey legs can be found at the Cowboy Cookhouse snack kiosk. Also in Westernland is the Diamond Horseshow, a dinner show which requires advanced reservations.
Adventureland
“Cruise along tropical jungle rivers, glimpse into the mysterious world of pirates, and more. Adventure awaits you!”
There are two areas in Tokyo Disneyland’s Adventureland: a classic jungled themed area and a New Orleans area. In the jungle area, there is the Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions, Swiss Family Treehouse, and The Enchanted Tiki Room: Stitch Presents “Aloha E Komo Mai!” Here is also where the Western River Railroad is. Instead of a train circling the entire park with multiple stops like in other Disney parks, here the train only has one station and loops through Adventureland, Westernland, and Critter Country.
Restaurants in the jungle area include the quick service locations Boiler Room Bites and China Voyager. There are multiple snack kiosks including: The Skipper’s Galley, Squeezer’s Tropical Juice Bar, and Fresh Fruit Oasis. The Polynesian Terrace Restaurant is a dinner show that requires advanced reservations. Currently for lunch the show Lilo’s Luau & Fun is performing (which will be closing on March 31, 2020), and for dinner is Mickey’s Rainbow Luau show.
The New Orleans area of Adventureland is home to the classic attraction Pirates of the Caribbean. Nearby is Theatre Orleans where the show Let’s Party Gras! performs which offers lottery seating. Themed to The Jungle Book, The Jungle Carnival is a shop with boardwalk style games where guests can win prizes. These games require a separate fee and are very popular. There was a huge lineup every time we walked by.
In the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is the table service Blue Bayou Restaurant which requires advanced dining reservations. The Crystal Palace Restaurant also requires advanced reservations. Café Orléans is a quick service restaurant and there are three snack kiosks: The Gazebo, Parkside Wagon, and Royal Street Veranda.
Other Tokyo Disney Resort posts:
Quick Guide to Tokyo DisneySea
A look at Tokyo Disney Merchandise
Check out these other Quick Guides to the Disney Parks!
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