We arrived as soon as the park opened, but there were already people seated along the perimeter of Mediterranean Harbor at Tokyo DisneySea. They had come prepared with foldable mats to sit on and small umbrellas to ward off the mid morning sun.
At exactly half past nine, the “Happiest Celebration on the Sea” kicked off Tokyo Disney Resorts’ 35th anniversary. A festively colored boat carrying Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters, including Duffy and friends, greeted guests while the rousing anniversary theme played.
When it ended 10 minutes later, we moved on, wanting to check out the different sights. We looked back but there were still people seated by the Harbor, waiting for the next show scheduled in a couple of hours.
This scene would be repeated several times at Tokyo Disneyland, where some park-goers are known to spend the entire day seated by the curb, securing their spot for an unobstructed view of the parade route.
We were told that many of them held annual passes to the parks, which allow them to visit the “happiest place on earth” on a regular basis. When they come over, they focus on their favorite parts—either the parades and other performances or the thrilling rides.
45-minute spectacle
With new attractions planned for the 35th anniversary of the grand opening of Tokyo Disneyland Park, there is more for visitors to see and experience.
The daytime parade “Dreaming Up!” is a 45-minute spectacle of color and music with 140 performers, including over 50 Disney characters, divided into five units.
We spotted Mickey Mouse and Pluto on the first float drawn by winged horses. Goofy headed the second with characters from Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio. Next came Minnie Mouse along with Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White and Rapunzel.
The last two units caught our eye, as it featured characters from “Beauty and the Beast,” including dancers in gowns designed to look like tiered cakes, and headpieces like those high tea trays.
Closing the parade in flight-inspired fantasies were Baymax, Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan and Wendy.
The “It’s A Small World” ride has also just reopened with a number of enhancements, including close to 40 new figures based on characters from Disney films. Keep your eye out for Elsa, Anna and Olaf from “Frozen,” Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” and Rapunzel from “Tangled,” among others.
For this milestone anniversary, a 10-m tall monument featuring nine Mickey Mouse statues greets guests once they set foot on Celebration Street in Tokyo Disneyland. Each statue is dressed in different costumes from Tokyo Disneyland anniversaries and from the Tokyo Disney Sea grand opening.
During the day, the anniversary theme song will play on a loop in Celebration Street. At night, the tower and ceiling will be illuminated in a multitude of colors.
One day might be too short to see and experience all that Tokyo Disney Resort offers, but if you plan wisely and arrive early enough, you just might catch most of the highlights for its “35th Happiest Celebration.”
