Sunday, July 05, 2009
Two Parks, One Day: PART ONE
After an 11-hour flight, we arrive in at T*kyo's airport (outside the metro area), and are wisked to our 1st stop: The Sheraton T*kyo Bay, next door to T*kyo D*sneyl*nd.
The hotel had it's own chapel, and a view of the Bay, natch.
...and a toy/game arcade... wildly colorful and fun....
...oh the things I didn't buy... so many retail temptations on this trip....
He's very popular in Japan.After checking in we had an hour to rest (we didn't dare nap), then met at 8pm for dinner at hotel Mirac*sta, a very grand mediterrean style D*sney resort that faced T*kyo D*sney Seas th*me park.
Lobby....
(looking up at the rotunda ceiling... I believe each goddess represented a land in the park)
The view from a private dining area of the lagoon at T*kyo D*sney Seas:
Yes. That's a volcano.
And yes, it erupted.
The water show on the lagoon, taken from the restaurant balcony...
Restaurant interior... I believe it was called Oceana.
Perplexing first food item.. the very first real food we ate in Japan. It was like gelatin with a foamy thing on top. I still have no freakin' idea what it was, and the taste no where near what I thought when I put it in my mouth. This may be the strangest thing we ate (but obviously very haut cuisine and uber shishi).
This was just beautiful. It was kinda doughy when you cut into it. I think it was a yummy rice ball with a flavored coating. Beautiful presentation.
Starter course... fresh, flavorful sea food and sauces. So tasty.
The next morning, after recovering from the time-zone change, we were up bright and early, and shuttled off to The D*sneyl*nd H*tel... gorgeous!
The chandeliers...
Victorian dollhouse with a D*sney theme (not apparent til you go around back and see the inhabitants)
We joined Mr. L. for a whirlwind tour of both parks (he was to see "what's new," our tour led by representatives from development and imagin**ring). Little did we know, it was going to be a golden ticket...
The view from the park entrance... looking back at thousands of park guests waiting for the gates to be opened.....
An improbable camera opportunity... Main Str*et devoid of all bodies. This shot is looking BACK toward the turnstyle entrances. Note that their Main Str*et is smartly sheltered from the elements by a beautiful glass and steel ceiling (cuz it does rain and snow there).
Looking the other direction, toward the castle... wait... what's that thing running towards us?
BEAR ATTACK!!!
What we were about to see I call "The Godzilla Run"
...or as the guide put it... 30,000 people entering the park at once!
Apparently, there is no larking about the parks in T*kyo. They arrive, they have a necessary battle plan for combatting the huge crowds, and they know what they want to see. It seemed that half was heading toward the newest attraction on their list, and half heading toward the Fast P*ss Lines (there were 2.5 hour waits just for the FP's).
I love this shot. I call it:Perplexed Boy Thinks, "Silly American, you're going to have to wait in line if you don't hurry."
You could fork left, fork right, or head straight toward the castle. We did a little of both on our guided tour.... at breakneck speed, I'll add. The day was completely jam-packed with fun stops and activities, which meant I was going to be hustling to get photos!
Another entry arch decoration..
I was like a bee hopping from flower to flower, snapping shots (some blurry with haste) and then running to catch up. Hitting two parks in one day was a tall order. And we enjoyed every moment of it.
It really is a small world. As evidenced by me finding out that our randomly chosen, very sweet guest-r*lations vip-guide had been trained in FL by our "sister-friend," Robin. It was a "You know Robin??" moment. (Admittedly, anyone in GR at WDW does know Robin...she gets around)
Taken later in the day, sunlight slightly stronger (oh yeah... T*kyo is humid... just like FL... gah, so hot and sticky)
The best snack of the day surprised me, tho I have no photo fo it. Curry Flavored Popcorn. I love curry, but on popcorn?? Oy yes. And we loved it. It's their most popular flavor, second to Butter & Soy Sauce!
Loved this building. Zoom to see details of the roof.
Their home for ghosts. :)
We got to go on the newest ride... a fast-paced whirling, spinning forward motion dark ride themed for the P*xar movie "M*nsters I*c" ... it was a game of flash-light tag, where you shined the light to make monsters appear and do things, while following the main characters through the crazy maze of M*nstropolis. We rode it three times so that Mr. L. could have a complete experience (it's slightly different, depending on which car you sat in).
Nearby pastry shop... I wanted to taste these so badly.... I can imagine they were like Crack-Twinkies.
This still makes me laugh. It's my favorite line from the movie. When I saw the poster they'd created, as if the musical was real, I love it ... clever.
We also got a backstage viewing of the new parade ... we were just behind the big gates, no one but performers there, waiting to enter the park in formation ...
I had to shoot all shots so as not to show any of the back-stage area... so most were from the back of the performers just as they were heading out into the park....
The Costumes were fantastic.Closing shot for my T*kyo D*sneyl*nd post (PART ONE), tho this was NOT the end of our day! Life-sized characters hidden in T*morrowland... most of you will recognize:
STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO: The AMAZING T*KYO D*SNEY SEAS !!!
(the post is actually ready to go! As soon as enough people look at/comment on this one, I'll know to post the next set...)
Oh, and do tell me your favorite photo!
~Shephard :)
Labels: Tokyo
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