Disney Sea (Tōkyō Dizunīshī)

On Memorial Day we went to Disney Sea up in Tokyo.  It is a theme park near Tokyo Disney where the kids and I went last June.  You can get there by train, but this time we decided to drive.  It only took 1 hour to get there, and was by far cheaper to drive (even with all the toll fees), than for all of us to take the train. Parking was convenient and only a short distance from the main entrance.

Just inside the park.  It was hot and crowded.

We were hoping that by going on a Monday it would be less crowded.  Unfortunately, it was still quite busy.  It wasn't until after the fact that I found out that The City of Yokohama had a holiday on Memorial Day.  We still had a good time even though we had to wait in some really long lines.  I was just grateful that the weather was nice a majority of the day, and that it wasn't humid.

Great European theme.  You can see Tower of Terror to the right.

I liked the ambiance of Disney Sea.  I have heard many people rave about it, and say how fun it is. It reminded me a little of Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, and Las Vegas combined into one.  It had nice walking areas, some shopping, a lot of food vendors, yummy popcorn (Milk Tea, Strawberry, etc) a welcoming breeze from the water and a variety of rides for the thrill-seekers and non-thrill-seekers.   

The photo from the Indiana Jones ride.  Too funny!

We decided against the Fast Pass because the return times were late in the day.  The shortest wait we had was about 20 minutes, while the longest wait was 1 1/2 hours.  At least in the longest line, I ran into 2 different sets of friends from Yokosuka.  Some of our favorite rides from the day were:  Tower of Terror,  Indiana Jones, and Journey to the Center of the Earth.  We were sorry we didn't get a chance to ride on the upside down roller coaster because it was closed.  We'll have to try to catch that ride the next time we go.

Something I learned about going to Disney in or around June, is that you should bring both an umbrella and/or a poncho.  The lovely day we were having quickly turned stormy and we found ourselves in a downpour.  Luckily, we were close to Mermaids Lagoon where we were able to seek refuge....and buy new ponchos (at 500 yen a piece) and an umbrella. 

New poncho and umbrella.

After a fun-filled day, we watched an amazing Disney water show.  It was perhaps the highlight of the day.  A lot of music, dancing, lights and fireworks.  It was really impressive.  Overall, we had a really great day.

Water show and fireworks!