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Tokyo Disneyland

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Tokyo Disneyland (東京ディズニーランド, Tōkyō Dizunīrando) (local nickname TDL)[1] is a 115-acre (47 ha) theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo.[2] Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside the United States and it opened on April 15, 1983. The park was constructed by WED Enterprises in the same style as Disneyland in California and Magic Kingdom in Florida.[2] It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses intellectual property from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo Disneyland and its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, are the only Disney parks in the world not owned or operated by The Walt Disney Company in any capacity.

Tokyo Disneyland
Cinderella Castle, the icon of Tokyo Disneyland, in 2023.
LocationTokyo Disney Resort, Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates35°37′58″N 139°52′50″E / 35.63278°N 139.88056°E / 35.63278; 139.88056
StatusOperating
OpenedApril 15, 1983; 41 years ago (1983-04-15)
Operated byThe Oriental Land Company
ThemeThe Kingdom of Dreams and Magic
Area115 acres (47 ha)
WebsiteTokyo Disney Resort Homepage

The park has seven themed areas: the World Bazaar, Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Critter Country and Toontown. Many of these areas mirror those in the original Disneyland as they are based on American Disney films and fantasies. Fantasyland includes Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, based on Disney films and characters.[3] The park is noted for its extensive open spaces to accommodate the large crowds that visit the park.[2] In 2023, Tokyo Disneyland hosted 15.1 million visitors, making it the fourth-most visited theme park in the world and the second-most visited theme park in Asia.[4]

History

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The idea of a Japanese Disneyland dates back to the late 1950s when Japanese businessman Kunizo Matsuo approached Walt Disney with the idea of a Disney park in Nara. While it is rumored Walt initially agreed to the idea, he later dropped out of it. Matsuo, still determined to open his Disney-themed park, opened Nara Dreamland in 1961, a near replica of Disneyland except without Disney's characters or intellectual property. This park would continue to operate until 2006, and was eventually demolished in 2017.[5]

In February 1974, the Oriental Land Company (OLC) formally invited Disney executives to Japan for a fact-finding tour. In June of the same year, the company's president, Chiharu Kawasaki, visited Disney's headquarters to reinforce the OLC's desire to bring Disneyland to Japan. Kawasaki once again extended an invitation to the top Disney executives to visit Japan; the offer was taken up in December.[6]

After many years of negotiations Masatomo Takahashi, president of the OLC, signed the initial contract for the construction of Tokyo Disneyland in Chiba Prefecture in April 1979.[7] Japanese engineers and architects visited California to tour Disneyland and prepare to construct the new park.[8] The construction of the park began a year later and was covered by hundreds of reporters as an indication of the high expectations for the park in the future. The final cost of Tokyo Disneyland was 180 billion yen rather than the projected 100 billion yen.[8]

On February 28, 2020, the OLC announced a temporary closure of Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea from February 29 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The closure, originally slated to expire in mid-March, was later extended twice, with the latest extension being until July 1, 2020.[10]

Park layout and attractions

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Main article: List of Tokyo Disneyland attractions

With a few exceptions, Tokyo Disneyland features the same attractions found in Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.[2]

World Bazaar

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Main article: Main Street, U.S.A.

World Bazaar is the main entry corridor and primary shopping area of Tokyo Disneyland. Despite the use of the word "World" in its name, the general look and theme of World Bazaar is that of early 20th-century America, matching the "Main Street, U.S.A." areas of other Magic Kingdom-style parks. World Bazaar consists of two intersecting "streets": Main Street (the primary corridor running from the main entrance toward Cinderella Castle), and Center Street, which forms a perpendicular line with Main Street and leads to Adventureland in one direction and Tomorrowland in the other. World Bazaar has a permanent canopy covering the Main Street and Center Street areas, designed to protect guests from the elements.[11][12]

Adventureland

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The Western River Railroad
Main article: Adventureland (Disney)

Adventureland consists of two distinct yet complementary areas: A New Orleans-themed area and a "jungle"-themed area. It borrows stylistic and architectural features from the New Orleans Square and Adventureland areas found in Disneyland Park in the United States.[11][12]

Westernland

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Main article: Frontierland

Westernland is an "old west" themed area, the counterpart of Frontierland in other Magic Kingdom-style parks. The landscape of Westernland is dominated by Big Thunder Mountain, a Monument Valley-style mountain surrounding a mine train roller coaster, and the Rivers of America, a man-made waterway that is home to the Mark Twain Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, and numerous live and Audio-Animatronic animals.[11][12]

Critter Country

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Main article: Critter Country

Critter Country is a small area of the park with the key attraction being Splash Mountain, a log-flume ride which opened in 1992 and is based on the animated sequences of Disney's 1946 film Song of the South.[13][14]

Fantasyland

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In Tokyo Disneyland The Haunted Mansion is located in Fantasyland.
Main article: Fantasyland

Like other Magic Kingdom theme parks, Fantasyland's central entryway is a castle, in this case Cinderella Castle, a near exact copy of the one in Florida's Magic Kingdom. Lacking any "thrill rides", Fantasyland's attractions are generally dark rides that take visitors through scenes from Disney films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio.[11][12]

A new Beauty and the Beast sub-section opened in September 2020 as part of the theme park's largest expansion. A dark ride named Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast is housed in the new Beauty and the Beast Castle with Maurice's Cottage and Gaston's Fountain at its entrance.[15] The new section also houses Belle's Village which includes the La Taverne de Gaston eatery, and Village Shoppes selling souvenirs and gifts.[16]

A new stage show venue named Fantasyland Forest Theatre is also part of the expansion. With a capacity of 1,500 people, the venue will introduce a 25-minute Mickey's Magical Music World show.[17]

Toontown

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Toontown
Main article: Mickey's Toontown

Like its counterpart at Disneyland, Toontown (called "Mickey's Toontown" at Disneyland) is heavily inspired by the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The major attraction here is Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin.[11][12]

A new attraction named Minnie's Style Studio opened in September 2020 as part of the theme park's largest expansion. As a character greeting area, it allows guests to take photos with Minnie who will be wearing a rotating selection of seasonal outfits.[16]

Tomorrowland

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Main article: Tomorrowland

As is the case with other modern-day Disney theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland's Tomorrowland forgoes a realism-based vision of the future and instead features science-fiction fantasy themes. Architecturally it borrows much from the 1971–1993 version of Florida's Tomorrowland. Rides include Space Mountain, and Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

A rotating car ride named The Happy Ride with Baymax opened in September 2020 as part of the theme park's largest expansion. The ride is the first Disney attraction to be themed based on Disney's 2014 film Big Hero 6.[18] A new specialty space-themed popcorn shop named The Big Pop also opened on the same day.[17]

Attendance

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
12,900,000[19] 13,906,000[20] 14,293,000[21] 13,646,000[22] 14,452,000[23] 13,996,000[24] 14,847,000[25] 17,214,000[26] 17,300,000[27] 16,600,000[28]
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Worldwide rank (2023)
16,540,000[29] 16,600,000[30] 17,907,000[31] 17,910,000[32] 4,160,000[33] 6,300,000[34] 12,000,000[35] 15,100,000[36] 4

Future

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Since the park opened in 1983, Tokyo Disney Resort has regularly been one of the most profitable Disney resorts. By 1994, over 149 million people had entered through the gates of Tokyo Disneyland, more than Japan's entire population of 127.6 million at the time.[37] In 1996, it employed 12,390 people, making Tokyo Disneyland the biggest workplace in Japan's diversionary outings at that time.[37] Many speculate that Tokyo Disneyland is such an economic success due to timing and location; the theme park lies in a metropolitan area with a population of 30 million and opened at the height of a booming economy where hard-working citizens desired an escape from reality.[38]

Tokyo Disneyland states that one of its main aims is to improve the park and diversify from the limits of the domestic Disney parks. Tokyo Disneyland has recently been adding a national identity within the parks by adding attractions with distinctly Japanese qualities. Cinderella Castle displays the Disney character and story plot yet presents the story through the eyes of the Japanese. Once dominated by Disney Legends, Masatomo Takahashi, the former president of The Oriental Land Company, states this growth and development as one of its primary goals: "We must not just repeat what we receive from Disney. I am convinced that we must contribute to the cultural exchange between Japan and U.S.A."[8]

Incidents

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Main article: Incidents at Tokyo Disney Resort

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Shoji, Kaori (April 12, 2013). "Tokyo Disneyland turns 30!". JapanTimes. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Japan's Disneyland a little different". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 10, 2012.
  3. ^ "Attractions – Tokyo Disneyland". Tokyo Disney Resort. Archived from the original on November 24, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  4. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2023 Global Attractions Attendance Report". 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Abandoned Nara Dreamland: Japan's Almost-Disney". www.themeparktourist.com. April 13, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  6. ^ "Inviting Disneyland to Japan | History / Chronology | About Us | Oriental Land Co., Ltd". www.olc.co.jp. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. ^ "Masatomo Takahashi". D23.
  8. ^ a b c "Oriental Land Co, Ltd. creation period – 50 years of History". OLC Group. November 28, 1980. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  9. ^ "Tokyo Disneyland to close through mid-March on coronavirus concerns". CNBC. February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  10. ^ Yasharoff, Hannah. "Tokyo Disneyland, Universal Studios Japan extend park closures over coronavirus". USA Today. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d e Travel, Klook. "The Ultimate Guide to Tokyo Disneyland for a Magical Time - Klook Travel Blog". www.klook.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Tokyo Disneyland". www.japan-guide.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  13. ^ Splash Mountain Archive (December 23, 2022). "Tony Baxter Explains Splash Mountains History (Disneyland)" (YouTube). YouTube.
  14. ^ "Splash Mountain History". SongoftheSouth.net. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012.
  15. ^ "Beauty and the Beast ride to open in 2020 at Tokyo Disneyland". Blooloop. September 20, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Tokyo Disneyland's Beauty and Beast Castle, largest expansion in park's history, to open on Sept 28". Japan Today. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Leggate, James (September 17, 2020). "Tokyo Disneyland expansion with 'Beauty and the Beast' castle opening this month". Fox News. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  18. ^ "New Experiences at Tokyo Disneyland Park Featuring New Fantasyland, Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast and More Open Today!". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  19. ^ "TEA/ERA 2006 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/ERA. 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  20. ^ "TEA/ERA 2007 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/ERA. 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  21. ^ "TEA/ERA 2008 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/ERA. 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  22. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2009 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/AECOM. 2010. p. 7. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  23. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2010 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/AECOM. 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  24. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2011 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/AECOM. 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  25. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2012 Global Attractions Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 8, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  26. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2013 Global Attractions Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  27. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2014 Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association/AECOM. 2015. p. 7. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  28. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2015 Global Attractions Attendance Report Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  29. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2016 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  30. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2017 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  31. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2018 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  32. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2019 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  33. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2020 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  34. ^ "Events & News". Themed Entertainment Association. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  35. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2022 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  36. ^ "TEA/AECOM 2023 Theme Index and Museum Index" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  37. ^ a b Raz, Aviad E (2000). "Domesticating Disney: Adaption in Tokyo Disneyland". Journal of Popular Culture. 33 (4): 77. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3840.2000.3304_77.x.
  38. ^ Rishou, Makiya (April 12, 1994). "Disneyland in Tokyo Is a 10-Year Hit : Entertainment: The attraction thrives, even during an economic downturn. It has had 140 million visitors". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
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35°37′58″N 139°52′50″E / 35.63278°N 139.88056°E / 35.63278; 139.88056

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