Sarah in Disneyland (Day One)

Ahhh yes! It only took eight months, but I was finally able to get to Tokyo Disneyland! I had wanted to wait for my friend Steph's visit later this year but Cris had the brilliant idea of taking me here shortly after my return from my hometown to cheer me up! Smart thinking Cris!!

The trip overall was really amazing! I'm still a bit tired from it a week later actually, but I'm almost so excited to go back! I've broken the blogs into two entries since we did one park each day. We stayed at an amazing hotel on the Disney Monorail (which was a bargain and included a free Breakfast buffet! And boy did they do breakfast!! Anything you wanted you could find! From Swedish meatballs and french fries to miso soup and rice to pancakes and fresh fruit and pastries. So much more was there, but you get the idea!

So, Disneyland. Much, much smaller than the one in Florida, with a slightly confusing layout (I got turned around more than once, haha) *but* the parades were AMAZING and I was ridiculously pleased with Haunted Mansion (one of my favorite attractions!!)! You could see the effects CLEARLY (not like Florida's, which seem smokey at times and leave you wondering what you're supposed to be seeing) and there were a few different ones even! The graveyard was hilarious because the song 'Grim Grinning Ghosts' seemed to be much faster than usual and there were MANY more ghosts around! Renaissance ghosts, ghosts on bicycles, and so much more! Annnnnnd the "hurrrry baaaack" lady's speech and the crystal ball's were in ENGLISH! BONUS!

Overall the technology felt superior in Tokyo DL but a few of Walt's dream ideas and perfectionist ideals were ignored. But we had an amazing time and I really miss it! Lucky I'm only 2.5 hours away, door to door at any time! (Though I won't be able to return until Steph's visit at least, but that's okay! I want the excitement to build up again and to share the experience with my Disney homegirl!! She'll understand a lot of what I want to say about the parks where people who haven't worked for the mouse would wonder, "what's the big deal?" Like Cris did, LOL!) OKAY, let' get started!!

Cinderella's Castle from the front door of Haunted Mansion. You can see the flying Dumbo's too!

This ferry boat is packed like a tin of sardines!

The entrance to Haunted! So similar, and yet so different!

I'm really excited about this! It's a restaurant that doesn't exist in Florida! The Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall!! I can't wait to go to it! "Today we're going to eat like cabbages and kings!!"

It's funny to me that toothbrushes would be a souvenir choice as Disney. Especially this many, which makes you think they would be perfect gifts for other. I find it especially shocking considering the dental care in this country! There are no six-month or yearly check-ups! You go to the dentist when you have a problem... and trust me, a lot of these people may not realize it, but there are definitely some problems!

For Marci: I saw these and wanted desperately to get them for you, but the phsyics of getting them to America (they're huge) seemed treacherous. I guess you'll just have to come visit and you can take them home in your carry-on, ey?? =D

Stunning MOSAIC tile, massive scenes depicting Cinderella's story!

From the castle gates you can see the World Bazaar (our version is Main Street USA), and the castle looking thing in the background? The new Disney Hotel, whose rooms *start* at $400 US per night! Ouch!

Cris on the teacups! My Stitch headpiece fell off and the ride was put into immediate shutdown! A castmember ran and got it for me and we all got to go for another spin!! I couldn't believe it was my fault, but Cris noticed that my headpiece was just small enough to get through the massive cracks between spinning platforms! Had I known that would happen, I'd have thrown my headpiece off in every ride, LOL!

Alice was hanging out with Tweedle Dee and Dum between the Queen's Banquet HAll and the Teacups.
Cris thought she would speak Japanese, but I just laughed and told her to get closer. Sure enough, Alice spoke her childlike English. Somehow I knew none of the gaijin cast would speak Japanese in character.

This version of the Country Bear Jamboree was an entirely different show! It was about summer vacations and even featured a giant bear dressed as Elvis! Most of the songs were famous American song (i.e. Beach Boys, Elvis, etc.) that only had the chorus in English and the verses in Japanese. Hilarious!! This picture was of a bear named Wendell. We took a picture so Wendy-chu would remember he was there with us in spirit!

Twins!

This just tickles me!!

The JUBILATION parade! The only pins I could find on all of Disney property were for the parades, rides, and one water show! It was a far cry from the pin selections in Florida, but maybe that's better (for my wallet, at least!) =D This is Minnie Mouse and the Blue Fairy leading the parade with their pegasus party from Fantasia!

The big 4 Princesses were on this float but it was hard to get more than two in the same picture!

Pochontas and Meeko lead this float, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear are in the center, and Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet are in the back! Way to incorporate so many movies into the same float!! (Tigger's tail is a giant spring [of course!] that's attached to the tree above him! He was actually bouncing ten feet in the air or so and possibly on a trampoline! So cute!

Lilo and Stitch say Aloha!

We couldn't get a good shot of this float but it was so cool! Can you see the giant metal ship that the pirate is on? Well, Peter and Wendy are on the front of the ship, and it's rocking wildly back and forth, almost like the ones from the fair!

As it began to rain (we were lucky to be going into things both times and never got wet!) we looked for the closest restaurant that didn't serve curry. Guess what we found??? Yup! Grandma Sara's Kitchen, right next to Splash Mountain! I had a yummy beef stew!!

Pirates queues inside of a typical New Orleans style house! There's even a portrait that looks like Elizabeth Swann in the living room where you queue! I kind of missed queueing in the caves BUT there was a restaurant that viewed the very beginning, which was cool (a little like Mexico in EPCOT) and they had updated it so Jack was there! Argh!!

Ahhh dinner! For the ridiculously cheap for Disney price of $16 I was able to get a Stitch head lunch box with a huge lanyard so I can wear it like a necklace and it was filled with dinner! A Burger, fries, and drink!
So cute!!! Sugoi! Kawaii, ney??

The castle at dusk.

With over a million lights, DREAMWORKS is the electrical parade!

See Alice sitting near the tail? CUTE!! I <3 Cheshire Cat!!

SO GREAT!! Pete's Dragon as a float?? AWESOME!! And Pete can be seen riding his neck! Cho sugoi!

Cinderella's dress kept changing, supposedly by 'magic' and it tickled me to pieces!

Mary Poppins and Bert are in the front and JIMINY CRICKET is straddling the moon!!! I've never heard of him on a float or as a character!! I have no clue whose on the back of the float because I was so amazed by the front and middle!!

We were wandering through the stores, desperately parousing for chocolate (which is hard to find at Disney since Japan doesn't use many, if any, refined sugars!) when we stumbled upon this Route 66 display in a corner of a store in New Orleans Square!! Everything was ridiculously overpriced so I thought I would take a picture to show my Mom! Look Mom!! Cool, huh? Y'all are famous, even in Japan!!

We settled on some waffles (which had the consistency of a donut) for our sugar fix and headed back to the hotel! We had spent a full day and were exhausted, but had trouble sleeping as we were in silly, giggly, first-time-at-camp mode!! Good times though!!! =D

And Disney Sea was even better!!!!!
Stay tuned for Part 2!! =D