Disneyrandu!

"Disneyrandu, Disneyrandu, Disneyrandu!" - that is the sound of a train full of kids about to get off at Imahara Station, just outside of Disneyland. The Japanese language doesn't truly have the letter "L" or single consonants other than "N," which leads to a lot of funny words. So, with funny words we were led to fun times at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.



Like most days we started out a train, but this time we weren't so blessed as to simply catch one train and call it good. No, we had the pleasure of finding the Keiyo, which was a treacherous walk through the underground labyrinth at Tokyo Station.

Not only was a it a long and confusing walk, we were led down escalators that were steep enough that you could simply lean back and fall asleep and wouldn't have to worry about falling forwards. Seeing how Tokyo station is regarded to by locals to the be the most confusing of stations I find it rather cool that we managed to get to our destination on time. Oh, and speaking of cool things - ever heard us talking about how we think we have been blessed with good timing? Well, we happen to be here for the 25th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland.

Pulling into the station you are immediately greeted by the wonderful site of the Tokyo Disney Hotel - it it's self a work of art. In fact the whole park is, thanks to the staff who are always in a rush to keep things neat. The employees are constantly keeping things cleaned (one person with a broom, one person with a dustpan - how's that for productive hours), constantly monitoring lines, constantly yelling "welcome" to you.

Other than looking great, having great rides, there are a few drawbacks.

1. Lines are crazy long. We're talking three hours a ride.
2. Estimated wait times are never correct. Seeing how perfectly on time their trains are it's very odd to see them have wait times be off.
3. Curry and black pepper popcorn. More of a plus/minus seeing how I like curry, but on popcorn...really?
4. Most rides are in Japanese.

Now the fourth one only makes sense, but it does take a tad bit off of the ride.

Despite any setbacks though we managed to have a great time hitting up many an awesome rides - including the amazing Tokyo Disneyland exclusive, "Pooh's Honey Hunt," which takes you on an adventure through the hundred acre wood.

Fast forward now onto the next day we continued our adventure by visiting Tokyo DisneySea, which in my opinion was the greatest theme park I've ever been too. As soon as you step through the front gate you receive this feeling that you have arrived at somewhere very different than your regular Disneyland.

A giant harbor sets in the middle of the park with a volcano jutting out of the skyline, spewing out real fire. Around the park are more themed areas, such as large scale city walls around Agrabah and a faux Taj Mahal, a Myan temple, Mexican marketplace, and an underwater city.

All of the rides, with the exception of the Tower of Terror, were original creations. Although The Tower was in fact my favorite there were many that gave it a run for it's money.

Journey though the Center of the Earth is a great case in point. It is a dark ride, where you travel though a steam vent down towards the earth's core. Along the way you run into odd creatures, lot's of hot air and real fire. The climax of the ride though is a fast exit through the top of the parks volcano.

Once again; great rides and some amazing times. Sure, there was a lot of walking and a crazy train ride, but I guess that was all part of the fun too.

To check out our photos of the two parks click here.