Tokyo Disneyland
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Disney theme park | |
![]() ![]() Cinderella Castle is the icon of Tokyo Disneyland |
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Tokyo Disneyland | |
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Location | Urayasu, Chiba, Japan |
Opening Day | April 15, 1983 |
Resort | Tokyo Disney Resort |
Theme | Magic Kingdom |
Website | Tokyo Disney Resort Homepage |
Operator | The Oriental Land Company |
Tokyo Disney Resort |
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Tokyo Disneyland |
Resort hotels |
Disney's Ambassador Hotel |
The Oriental Land Company |
Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド Tōkyō Dizunīrando?) is one of two theme parks in the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and was opened on April 15, 1983. The park was constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering in the same style as Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. It, along with its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, are the only Disney parks not owned by The Walt Disney Company.
There are seven themed areas, each complementing each other yet unique in their style. Made up of the World Bazaar, the four classic Disney lands: Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, and two mini lands, Critter Country and Mickey's Toontown, the park is noted for its huge open spaces to accommodate the massive crowds the park receives on even moderate attendance days - Tokyo Disneyland was, up until three years ago, the single most visited theme park in the world, and its sister Tokyo DisneySea was the second.[citation needed]
Tokyo Disneyland will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its grand opening in 2008.
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[edit] Dedication
"To all 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 peoples 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." -E. Cardon Walker, April 15, 1983
[edit] Attractions
With only a few exceptions, Tokyo Disneyland for the most part has the same attractions found in Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Fantasyland
The icon of Tokyo Disneyland, Cinderella Castle is nearly identical to its counterpart at Walt Disney World in Florida.
Also in Fantasyland, one can find The Mickey Mouse Revue, an Audio-Animatronic musical show. This attraction originally debuted at Walt Disney World in 1971; it was later translated into Japanese and moved to Tokyo Disneyland. (The 3-D film Mickey's PhilharMagic now occupies the former Mickey Mouse Revue theatre in Florida.)
Adventureland
Unlike its sister parks, Tokyo Disneyland does not have a railroad encircling it. There is, however, an attraction in Adventureland called the Western River Railroad, but it cannot be used to travel from one area of the park to another; rather it makes a scenic round-trip excursion.
World Bazaar
Instead of a Main Street USA, Tokyo Disneyland has the World Bazaar, whose most noticeable aspect is that it is enclosed under a glass canopy.
[edit] Trivia
In 2001, Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong-il (the leader of North Korea), was arrested in Narita International Airport while traveling on a false passport. He claimed he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland, however popular opinion holds that he was attempting to visit a Soapland within Japan.
[edit] External links
- Tokyo Disney Resort web site in Japanese and English
- Resort Maps in Japanese and English
- Google Maps (satellite image) (Latitude: 35.633 Longitude: 139.882)
- Happy Jappy - Tokyo Tourist Guide including large Disneyland section
- Tokyo Disney Resort at Home