The day started with some trepidation: should I really pull the trigger and do a day at Tokyo DisneySea or listen to the voice in my head telling me it would be weird to go to a Disney park alone and that I should do something more worthwhile with my time? The art museums and cultural sites I was thinking about as an alternative don’t open until 10am and I’d already been up all night with jetlag so I resolved to just go for it.
After a series of wrong trains — and still not having cash for the JR Line — I got myself sorted and finally made it all the way to Tokyo DisneySea. A sea of people was already lined up for security at 9:00, so despite one more delay, I still got into the park plenty early.
The entrance to the park was stunning, and then things only escalated from there. I absolutely loved my whole day. What an incredible experience!
I lined up for “Journey to the Center of the Earth” first. The sign warned of a long wait.
The 140 minutes shifted to 160 minutes mere moments after I took the photo. That’s a 2-hour-and-20-minute wait! But once the ride vehicle shifted into high gear and we raced through the tunnels, I whispered to myself, ‘This is awesome.’ That’s the exact moment I felt vindication. I knew, with total conviction, I’d made the right call.
One of the things that made the day so special was the people. The civility here is remarkable. I witnessed exactly zero people budging in line or displaying any friction whatsoever. I can’t say the same for my trips to Disney parks in Anaheim. People just went about their business happily and quietly. I love it here.
I watched an Aladdin-themed magic show, which was fun even with the language barrier, and also did some shopping. I went on quite a few rides, twice on “Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure”. I also used the single rider line for the rollercoaster ride “Raging Spirits”, which features a single vertical loop after a thrilling drop. As it happened, the single rider line had just closed. The kind cast member took pity on me and let me in — not before standing me up against the height ruler, though. Onlookers chuckled as the cast member measured to see if I was too tall to ride.
The lunch I bought at The Ugly Duckling didn’t look like much but the taste was amazing! The ambiance and theming of the restaurant also made for an enjoyable meal. Some Aussies sat at the table next to me, and their cute baby spilled some water. The baby and I made eye contact immediately after, and she smiled mischievously — delighted to be keeping everyone on their toes.
By 6pm, tired and sore, I ventured back to my hotel in Tokyo. Yes, the park had finally gotten the better of me with three hours left to enjoy it, but since I had been up since 2am, I needed to get home and sleep. Once again, I took multiple wrong train lines (my ways are not your ways), but I finally got myself sorted and relished the strange but amazing shower in my tiny hotel room before I collapsed into bed.
