Tokyo Disneyland Park Update

[KeithS]

A big press release today from Disney relating to Tokyo Disney Resort. It is essentially their entire line up of new events and attractions right through to early 2016.

The only new attraction in that time is the opening of Stitch Encounter - which will be similar to that in Hong Kong and Paris (no indication if they'll run English sessions, but I would think not.) Also opening is the re-worked show in the Mermaid Lagoon Theatre that previously hosted the wonderful Little Mermaid show. The new show will be called King Triton's Concert.

Anyway - you can read the entire press release yourselves below!


Tokyo Disneyland® Park and Tokyo DisneySea® Park announced their annual schedule for fiscal year 2015 (April 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016). The two Parks will continue to offer Guests distinctive, Disney-style experiences over the upcoming year with a variety of new entertainment, special events and programs. Please see below for more details (in chronological order).

April 2 – June 23, 2015

“Disney’s Easter”
This regular springtime event will also be offered at Tokyo DisneySea for the first time in 2015, so Guests can enjoy Easter at both Parks.

At Tokyo Disneyland, the setting for the whimsical Easter-themed event is the secret Easter garden. Guests will be able to participate in a new way in the main entertainment, a parade featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in new costumes.

Tokyo DisneySea will offer a stylish Easter with beautiful flowers, Easter eggs and bonnets. In the main entertainment, presented in Mediterranean Harbor, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their Disney friends have come up with an ingenious plan to show off their best Easter fashions. Guests can enjoy the bright and colorful Easter event in Tokyo DisneySea style.

April 24, 2015

Tokyo DisneySea Mermaid Lagoon Theater

“King Triton’s Concert”
Mermaid Lagoon Theater will be renovated with screens inside the theater, as well as with a new stage, lighting and other equipment. A new musical show, set in the world of the Disney film The Little Mermaid, will be presented here. In the show, King Triton presents a musical concert with the familiar Disney characters Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian who bring to life the beautiful world under the sea through their music, songs and dynamic performances.

June 24 – July 7, 2015

“Disney Tanabata Days”
The Japanese star festival known as Tanabata will be celebrated at Tokyo Disneyland with traditional decorations in World Bazaar. Guests can write their wishes on Wishing Cards to be hung from the grand centerpiece. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, dressed as Hikoboshi and Orihime, the two star-crossed lovers of this festival, will greet Guests along the parade route.

At Tokyo DisneySea, Guests will find traditional Tanabata decorations in the New York area of American Waterfront and in Mediterranean Harbor, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will appear in a greeting show dressed as Hikoboshi and Orihime, the festival’s two star-crossed lovers. Guests can enjoy Tanabata in a unique Tokyo DisneySea style.

July 9 – August 31, 2015

“Disney Natsu Matsuri”
Natsu matsuri means summer festival in Japanese and Guests will be able to enjoy the hot summer with the Disney characters in this energizing special event. Decked out with Japanese banners and lanterns, the Plaza in front of Cinderella Castle will be the venue for the festival. Booths selling festival goods, cold drinks and other items will add to the festive atmosphere. In the main show, everyone will get soaking wet as they enjoy the group dancing and the summertime heat.

“Disney Summer Festival”
Enjoy this mid-summer festival of tropical fruit and Latin rhythms. The main venue is Mediterranean Harbor which will be transformed with banners in vivid colors and juicy tropical fruit decorations for a cheerful and bright summer mood. While volumes of water spray around the area, everyone can join the Disney characters in singing and dancing to the rhythmical music of the tropical summer carnival led by Minnie Mouse. And in Lost River Delta, Guests can enjoy the fun and cheerful program, Fruta! Fruta! Fiesta! which celebrates the rich harvest of fruit.

July 9, 2015

“Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights”
This nighttime parade will be presented with a brand new float featuring Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from the Disney film Tangled. Also, seven other floats, including the pirate galleon from Peter Pan, will be revamped. With these changes the parade will lend even more sparkle to the Park after dark.

Summer 2015

Stitch Encounter
Tomorrowland, themed to space and the future where the unknown and lots of adventures await Guests, is the location of this new theater-type attraction inspired by the Disney film Lilo & Stitch. Children and adults alike will enjoy the humor and surprises of the communications they can have with Stitch who appears on a large screen in the theater.

September 8 – November 1, 2015

“Disney’s Halloween”
Again in 2015, each Park will offer in its own way a Disney’s Halloween event.

At Tokyo Disneyland, the Disney characters will be joined by the Halloween ghosts for a happy Halloween fair. Dressed in their costumes for the parade, Mickey Mouse and his friends together with the jack-o’-lanterns and ghosts will make the fair even more exciting and fun.

Tokyo DisneySea will offer the event with a new theme for a cool but ominous Halloween with the Disney villains. The Park will be transfigured into an other-worldly place where Mickey Mouse and his Disney friends along with the villains spread a gorgeous and stylish Halloween. Guests can enjoy a show on the waters of Mediterranean Harbor that creates a frightfully cool Halloween from the world of the villains.

November 9 – December 25, 2015

“Christmas Fantasy”
Tokyo Disneyland is at its loveliest during the Christmas season. Guests will find a 15-meter-tall Christmas tree at the center of World Bazaar, as well as holiday photo locations, garlands and other decorations in each themed land. This time, Mickey Mouse and the other Disney friends will appear in a new parade featuring characters found only during this season.

“Christmas Wishes”
In each of the themed ports, Christmas trees and other monuments put up by the Disney friends with their Christmas wishes will create a heartwarming and romantic atmosphere in the Park. This year, a brand new daytime show will be presented at Mediterranean Harbor and holiday entertainment will be presented at American Waterfront. A nighttime show will feature Christmas trees on the waters of Mediterranean Harbor creating a fantastic atmosphere. Guests are sure to enjoy a Christmas event full of variety.

January 1 – 5, 2016

New Year’s Programs at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea
Both Parks will celebrate the start of the year with colorful Japanese-style New Year’s decorations at the entrances, merchandise featuring the zodiac animal for the year and traditional New Year’s cuisine. The Disney characters will be dressed up in kimono to welcome Guests in Japanese style.

January 12 – March 18, 2016

“Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Fantasy”
This special event will be themed to the Disney film Frozen. In addition to entertainment programs, Guests will find decorations of ice and snowflakes that help transform the Park into a world inspired by the film.

“Disney Princess: Welcome Little Princesses”
Young Guests participating in this program will be able to enjoy various activities like meeting the Disney Princesses and becoming a make-believe princess will allow the Guests to immerse themselves in the world of the princesses.

“Sweet Duffy”
Guests can enjoy the gentle and heart-warming world of Duffy in this program that offers merchandise with cute designs, tempting sweets and photo spots where delightful keepsake photos can be taken.

[KeithS]

(Thanks to Julie McIntosh for giving me the heads up on this)

Yesterday, the Oriental Land Company announcement major expansion plans for the Tokyo Disney Resort.

A massive redevelopment of the whole of Fantasyland will take place, almost doubling its size. No specific details of new attractions have been formerly announced although other media sites are betting on a Frozen attraction. The redevelopment will also involve changes to the Tomorrowland area (the concept art seems to show the removal of the Autopia-ride area to make room for the larger Fantasyland.

In addition to the Fantasyland expansion, Tokyo Disneysea will get an entire new port on the expansion pad besides Lost River Delta. The theme of the new port has not been announced but the port will be approximately the same size as the Arabian Coast land. Other improvements in TDS will include a new moveable (rising) stage at Mediterranean Harbour to improve show viewing.

Work has already begun on the expansion and if you want to read the full OLC press release including seeing the concept art - check out the PDF file here:
http://www.olc.co.jp/en/news/olcgroup/20141030_05e.pdf

This is exciting news for all Tokyo Disney Resort fans!

[mushu mama]

Oh wow... thats huge... kinda wish we'd ridden Autopia last time now

A new port particularly is very exciting...* making a mental note to get back to Tokyo *

[KeithS]

Another update from the Oriental Land Company today on the future expansions of Tokyo Disney Resort - and it's a big one!

They've announced a whole new port for Disneysea - Arendelle! Yes, we'll soon be able to visit our Frozen friends and go on new adventures. It is to be built in the vacant expansion pad up near Lost River Delta. Here is the concept art released by Disney today:

Copyright Disney

They've also announced two new areas which are part of the Tokyo Disneyland Fantasyland expansion that was discussed here last year: there is to be a new Alice in Wonderland themed area, and what looks like a Beast's Castle attraction that appears similar to the restaurant in Walt Disney World. Again, see the artwork below!

Copyright Disney


Copyright Disney

So what do you think? Ready to book your next trip? I am - but I think we'll need to wait, there's no date yet when it is due to open!

[BrizMarc]

Tokyo Disney was going to be our next trip but I agree. Might have to wait till its all done

[KeithS]

Another year and another Tokyo Disney Resort attraction update.  It would appear that some of the previously announced changes may not make it off the drawing board and instead have been replaced by new attractions.

The attached link will take you to the news story:
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201604/5049/

[KeithS]

Disney Parks Blog are reporting that the ground breaking ceremony for the fantasyland expansion took place yesterday. This is for the production of the new trackless Be Our Guest ride, new Broadway style theatre and new Big Hero 6 spinner ride as well as shops and restaurant themed to Beauty and the Beast. See link in previous story.

While there has been no further talk of the Arendelle Port for Disneysea, what we heard when we were there last week is that it is on hold until after the 2020 Olympics. Apparently construction workers are too expensive at the moment as they are all employed on Olympic projects that costs don't warrant building a major port. This will be revisited when the Olympics are over.

[Mel]

Oh my God!!!  How did I miss this?  This is going to push our (in the very far future) planned trip back I think.  It sounds amazing!

[calisota]

An Arendelle Port really makes sense but what is a "trackless" ride?


Greg

[KeithS]

Trackless is like Mystc Manor in HK or Pooh in Tokyo, where the vehicles aren't on a track but move independently using radio tracking. It means vehicles can drive quite erratically rather than following a metal track.  It is more expensive to build but gives the guests are more enjoyable experience.

[calisota]

Trackless is like Mystc Manor in HK or Pooh in Tokyo, where the vehicles aren't on a track but move independently using radio tracking. It means vehicles can drive quite erratically rather than following a metal track.  It is more expensive to build but gives the guests are more enjoyable experience.

Cool. Haven't done either of those yet (although they sound more my speed) but plan on getting to Hong Kong sometime soon.
Greg