One word. Disneyland.
Nothing will bring out the kid in you faster than seeing Cinderella's castle, Mickey Mouse and smelling curry and soy sauce flavored popcorn.
Gordon and I planned a last minute trip (in under one week) to go to Tokyo Disneyland. Even though its called "Tokyo" Disneyland, its actually in Chiba prefecture, not far from Gordon and I. It has been on my Japan list of to-dos and we finally decided to bite the bullet and go. Fortunately we went during the regular season and not the peak season (can you say 3 hour line?) We also visited during Disney's Halloween time!
 |
| At the entrance to Tokyo Disneyland. Unfortunately, it rained all day, BUT the lines were a lot shorter :) |
 |
| Brass band greeting us near the entrance in front of Cinderella's castle. |
 |
| The light parade at night. I finally got to see Mickey and Minnie! |
The rainy weather really worked to our benefit and drove away the large crowds. On average we waited in line for about 30 minutes. The longest wait was at Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (our favorite ride). We waited about 50 minutes. It was worth it!
The next day we went to Tokyo Disneysea. This is considered the more "adult" park and has more roller coasters and attractions geared toward an older crowd. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We were grateful for no more rain! However, with the beautiful weather came the crowds.
Disneysea's entrance is set-up like an Italian villa. It has beautiful buildings and the only hotel, the Mira Costa, where you stay IN the park. Yes, you can watch the parade and fireworks from the comfort of your room!
 |
| Gordon and I at the Roosevelt Lounge. |
 |
| Waiting in line at the Tower of Tower. Not so scary when your wearing Minnie ears. |
One of the biggest attractions right now at Disneysea is Toy Story Mania... and that's just what it is... MANIA. Gordon and I would check on the line for the ride every once in a while and there was a consistent 3 hour wait for the ride. No thank you. Luckily, Gordon and I were wise and knew if we waited until the park was about to close, we'd have a shorter wait.
9:30 rolled around (the park closes at 10pm) and we decided to jump in line. At this point the wait was only 1 hour and 30 minutes. In typical Disney fashion, everyone who wanted to ride the attraction could even though we were going way past closing time.
To say that Gordon and I loved Toy Story Mania would be an understatement. This attraction has Disney magic on steroids and we were juiced! The ride is a basic point and shoot ride with a twist. You wear 3D glasses and shoot 3D objects. Your total is tallied on a scoreboard in front of you and you get to compete against your partner next to you. Not to mention the ride is longer than most of the rides at Disney, so the wait seems worth it. Let the record show that I totally swamped Gordon.
 |
| Toy Story Mania. When you walk into the attraction you feel like you've shrunk to the size of a toy. Don't you love the employees' outfits? |
 |
| Tinker Toys... and a long line. |
 |
| After we got off the ride. The park was slowly clearing out. No more lines! |
Gordon and I really enjoyed our Disney adventure. Its certainly not for the faint of heart though. Be prepared to wait and wait some more. But you'll find the some attractions are well worth the wait!
