by ERICA YAP;
"WE COULD SEE MT FUJI IN ALL ITS WHITE-CAPPED SPLENDOR ON THE HORIZON."
Out of all the four full days I spent in Japan, the one I enjoyed the most was our unofficial “main event”--- the trip to Tokyo DisneySea. After our scrumptious buffet breakfast at the 50th floor of our hotel, which was the APA Makuhari Hotel, we headed over to the Kaihin Makuhari train station nearby for our long-awaited train ride to Tokyo Disneysea. Since it was a clear day out, we could see Mt. Fuji in all its white-capped splendor on the horizon while we were travelling by train. It was truly a sight to behold.
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| FIGURE 3.01 THE BREATH-TAKING SUNRISE VIEW FROM THE 50TH FLOOR OF APA MAKUHARI HOTEL |
When we arrived at the amusement park, it was filled to the brim with people. Even on a weekday (it was a Friday then), it was teeming with visitors and it was hard to keep track of one another. I was very much afraid that I would get lost in the park. Disneysea was only part of the Disney theme park, and it was so big that it had its own separate train line, complete with Mickey-Mouse themed coaches. It was a 20 minute ride past Tokyo Disneyland to arrive at our destination. As our tour guides purchased entrance tickets, we waited eagerly outside the entrance.
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| FIGURE 3.02 A TICKET AND GUIDE MAP TO TOKYO DISNEYSEA |
After we got our tickets and entered the theme park, I was immediately blown away by the sheer size of the park. Disneysea was sprawling, covering 176 acres and consisting of 7 'ports of call', differently themed sections of the park, all in line with its nautical exploration theme. Each park has its own name as follows: Mediterranean Harbour, American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island.
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| FIGURE 3.03 AN INSIDE VIEW OF 'THE LITTLE MERMAID'-THEMED AREA OF THE PARK |
Mt. Prometheus is the icon of Tokyo Disneysea. In the foreground is the Mediterranean Harbour, surrounded by the sea. The volcano erupts at certain times during the day and is audible throughout the entire park. Our large group split into smaller groups and we were left to our own devices to explore the park.
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| FIGURE 3.04 MOUNT PROMETHEUS |
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| FIGURE 3.05 MY GROUP MEMBERS AND I |
First, we headed to the most thrilling ride of the entire park, which was the Tower of Terror. Apparently, it was a free-fall ride that consisted of 7 high speed drops. I, for one, was very excited to try that out. The concept for the ride was that it was a hotel that belonged to an eccentric billionaire that was cursed by an African doll.
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| FIGURE 3.06 THE TOWER OF TERROR |
It was a pretty intimidating sight and the queue was very long, but in the end the ride was definitely worth the wait. I screamed my heart out and the 'up's and 'down's of the ride made my stomach feel weird. If I could, I would ride it ten times over.
We moved as quickly as we could through the park, aiming for the most thrilling rides Disneysea could offer. Sadly, the day passed very quickly and night approached, along with the bone-chilling winds that lashed against our bodies. It was unfortunate that we had to spend most of the day in the never-ending queues, but the whole experience was something I will never forget as long as I live.
Not to mention that Disneysea looked absolutely stunning at night. The winter nights in Japan are nothing like the stuffy, humid nights we get here in tropical Malaysia. The air was crisp and clean, and the starlit sky served as a wonderful backdrop to the closing of a great day out. There was not a cloud to be seen. The lights that adorned the park were dazzling and it made the park even livelier than it was in the day. I say that it definitely beats any of the amusement parks here by a long shot.
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| FIGURE 3.07 VIEW OF THE AMERICAN WATERFRONT IN THE EVENING HOURS |
And it was very, very cold. Words cannot describe how cold it was. The wind was unforgiving and by the end of the day all I wanted was to go back to the hotel and soak in the onsen or hot springs. It was winter in Japan, and the wind made it unbearable. Not to mention we had a long walk from the station to the hotel, and even in the city the wind still assaulted us.
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| FIGURE 3.08 I FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHY JAPANESE PEOPLE WEAR FACE MASKS IN THE WINTER |
My experience in Tokyo Disneysea was something unlike any other. It was a one-of-a-kind, eye opener for me, but it also made me feel very small. The realization that I still had so many more places to explore and so much to see and experience washed over me, and I will never be content with staying put in just one place. We spent the whole day there but we only explored about 30% of the whole park.
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| FIGURE 3.09 THE SUNSET |
I would recommend everyone to go to this amusement park as it is one of the best in the world. As a whole, my trip to Japan was unique in the fact that there were no parents supervising us and we were almost like adults there. I relished in the freedom that was given to me there, and Japan is a country I will not fail to visit again.
Japan, I salute you!
日本一番！さよなら！
日本一番！さよなら！
