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Today was a long day. We were up before the sun, which rises at by 4:30am here in Tokyo. Spent some time going through pictures and a gameplan for the day then ventured to the Sheraton Club for a while to wait for breakfast at 6:30am. We were done early and on our way to Tokyo Disney Sea by 7:15am and in line at the park at 7:37am. They started moving guests through security at 8:30 and then the turnstiles at 8:45am. We made it into the park at 9:03am and started the trek out to Fantasy Springs. We tracked down the end of the queue for Frozen at 9:25am and started to inch toward the attraction. As we reached the entrance to the formal queue the attraction went down, this was about 10:30am. It was down for nearly 40 minutes until we moved again. 11:43am we boarded our boat. So about 4.5 hours from entering the park queue and over 3 hours from entering the attraction queue. After our cruise we looked around Fantasy Springs and decided to go to Ikspairi for lunch then stop by the Sheraton Club to see if they had anything interesting out. While there I tried my luck and secured seats for the final Big Band Beat Special Treat at 5:20pm. I returned to Tokyo DisneySea a little after 2pm and spent some time in Mediterranean Harbor and the American Waterfront. Walked by the SS Columbia and out to Cape Cod Passed through Port Discovery, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon and the Arabian Waterfront on my way back to Fantasy Springs. Spent more time just exploring the new land and taking pictures of the rockwork, attractions, and took a brief look into the gift shop. Then crossed the park to the American Waterfront to join the rest of my group. Caught a band performing then the Big Band Beat Special Treat show. After the show it started to drizzle and radar showed a couple hours of possible rain so decided to head back to the room to get a snack and umbrella. Returned to Tokyo DisneySea about 7:10pm, 5 minutes to spare before Believe Sea of Dreams from Fortress Explorations. After the show returned to Fantasy Springs for some night pictures. Peter Pan was posted at 30 minutes so decided to give it a try, turned out to be just about that to reach a boat and slightly shorter the pre-show. After the ride had only a few minutes until the park closed so walked around Fantasy Springs until the closure announcement played then headed back to the entrance to catch a Monorail to Bayside Station. Walked back to the Sheraton to call it a night.
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- I started my day extremely early. The combination of going to bed early and the time change meant I was up with plenty of time to see the sun rise this morning, and the sun rises around 4:30 am.
- Typically, after traveling, I try not to have a busy day, but today is my only day to visit Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey in Fantasy Springs, it closes for renovation tomorrow, so I made today a park day. This means I am in for a long day.
- We decided to pay a visit to the Sheraton Club early to get out of the room for a while. Breakfast does not start until 6:30 am, but the club is accessible 24/7 if you use your room key for beverages or just to sit in. There were a few other early risers entering/exiting while we were there. It was a nice option to have access to the space, I thought this was a definite plus compared to the Hilton Club level.
- Breakfast consisted of a mix of Western and Japanese options. We were there early and watched an initial rush, then things settled down. It was less crowded than last night, but still, a lot of people were there before 7 am. I did find it odd that they had French fries on the buffet for breakfast (but not for the evening).
- Since we were all up, we left for the park earlier than planned. The original goal was 8 am to be at Tokyo DisneySea. We were there by 7:40 am.
- As I arrived at Bayside Station I saw there were a good number of guests queued up at the Fantasy Springs Hotel entrance before 7:30. I was expecting some but not that many since it was still 90 minutes before park opening, and they all get in 15 minutes prior to regular guests and do not have to hike through the park. I guess they really wanted to take advantage of getting in and were playing the odds that they would open the park earlier.
- Bayside Station was not busy so it was a quick process to purchase our Resort Liner passes and catch the next train to Tokyo DisneySea where we joined the growing queues for the park entry.
- The posted opening time is 9 am this morning, but actual opening times for Tokyo parks vary, and you just do not know. A little after 8 am the security line started to move as they started to screen guests in the front of the queue. Looked like they were filling the area between security and the turnstiles. This process continued for about 20 minutes as we inched our way forward. Then we stopped. Assumed this meant they filled that space and the park had not opened yet. We started moving again around 8:45am so it seems they opened at 8:30 for the early entry and 8:45 for everyone else. I made it through security and into the park just after 9 am.
- Since my last visit they have added new security scanners. You walk up, stop, and it scans you. A cast member watches for an indication then directs you toward the park or secondary screening. The process was faster than Anaheim but not as quick as Walt Disney World. Secondary screening, they glanced in the bag and had you walk through a metal detector.
- Once in the park, I started the hike to Fantasy Springs. The new land is in the far corner of the park, to reach the Frozen attraction, it is a similar distance from the entrance of EPCOT to the American Adventure. It was about a 20-minute walk from the entrance to the queue.
- Along the way, I checked the Premier Access for Anna & Elsa’s Frozen Journey, and it was sold out, so my only choices for the day were the standby queue. I was happy to have this open. Prior to April, if you visited, you had to try for a standby pass, which would have been substantially more nerve-racking and challenging.
- I walked at a good pace, keeping up with the mass of guests flowing toward Fantasy Springs. A small portion of the crowd stopped for Soaring, but a vast majority continued on with us to Fantasy Springs. As you approached the land, you could already see extended queues for the Rapunzel and Peter Pan attractions reaching the entrance to the land. I kept looking for the Frozen queue and kept walking. There were some cast members along the way pointing toward the end. I finally found the end wrapped around the area and almost back toward the exit for the attraction. I entered the queue at 9:25 am. As I made my way back through Fantasy Springs in the line I was finally able to take a look around and take in the sights. We were able to see a good portion of the springs/gardens near the Fantasy Springs Hotel due to the long queue and how it wrapped around the area.
- Just after 10 am, we were within sight of the queue entrance, and the wait time sign went blank. The attraction went down. We moved up a bit as people left and tightened up in the queue, and we were just a few groups from entering the queue when we settled in for the wait. I had decided I was waiting until I got on or they cleared the queue. Since it was my one day to ride, I assumed it would only get worse, so I might as well wait it out.
- Just after 11 am, they opened the doors and we started to move again. We moved at a good pace. It seems they had already cycled through most of the guests who were in the interior queue. In the end, it took about 140 minutes, of which an hour was spent waiting during the breakdown. From when I arrived at DisneySea, it was close to 4 hours to visit the single attraction.
- The question you have to ask after investing that much time to wait for an attraction is was it worth it. For me since I had one shot and I have been to the park a number of times spending my morning on a single attraction was ok. I thought it was a very well done attraction with a detailed interior queue and the attraction itself is in a different league than the Frozen Forever attraction in EPCOT. The attraction carries on the DisneySea tradition of having an extremely detailed environment both inside and out. The large number of Audio-Animatronic figures throughout added to the experience. The boats were comfortable with indications for each seat so you were not squished into a row. I found the ride experience to be a little on the rough side for a boat ride with the number of times it switches from forward to backwards. These transitions were not that smooth.
- After spending the entire morning with Frozen the group was tired. We looked at the wait times and meal options in the park and decided instead to head to Ikspairi for comfort food and a calmer experience at McDonalds then
- On the way back to DisneySea we stopped by the Sheraton Club to see what they had out mid day. They had some assorted snacks out and that was it. It was nice to relax in a quiet lounge with something to drink for a few minutes looking over the park.
- I was able to secure/win spots in the Big Band Beat – Special Treat show via the Entry Request System. This visit they changed the show process. There is no longer any stand by option at all. On previous trips the first show was standby and sometimes the balcony was standby for later shows. This trip your only choice is the lottery through the Entry Request system which is included with your park admission or to pay via the Premiere Access system. It appeared the balcony and sides were the Entry Request and the prime viewing the Premiere Access/Paid seating.
- I spent the first part of the afternoon walking DisneySea visiting most of the lands and seeing what was going on. I took a look at some of the Food & Wine Festival decorations and tried to catch some of the atmosphere entertainment.
- At the Tokyo parks atmosphere entertainment schedules are not available. You are supposed to happen upon it and be surprised by it. I am not a fan of this as I enjoy seeing the various groups and having to randomly walk around or listen for them then move quickly to find them is less than ideal and inefficient to me. I am assuming this is done to minimize crowds and have a better experience for those watching the shows. Today I was able to catch most of a set of a band performing for the Food and Wine Festival in the American Waterfront, and a custodial worker who features sound effects as he interacts with guests. Both were great experiences, and I was happy to find them, but I wish I were able to find more.
- Big Band Beat: A Special Treat will be wrapping up its run in September. No replacement has been announced yet. As I have said before, if you have not seen the original show, this is a nice character show. If you saw the original show, this is a shell of its former self with no live band, fewer performers, and a less elaborate show.
- The weather forecast going into the day was good, and even midday it was good. But when I exited the theater after Big Band Beat, the skies were dark, and it was drizzling. I called up the weather apps, and they said storms in the area and showed some heavy rain nearby. Of course, I did not have rain gear with me, so we decided to leave the park and head for cover. Made it back to the Sheraton without getting wet.
- Stopped by the Sheraton Club for a snack and to see what was out this evening. They had some promising-looking chicken and rice. The chicken did not taste too bad, but it was lukewarm to cold, so I did not eat much after two attempts.
- I kept an eye outside and on the weather apps, and it looked like the storm had passed and the rest of the evening would be ok. So I grabbed a rain jacket and set out for the park just before 7 pm with the goal of making the 7:15 pm Believe! Sea of Dreams show.
- I made it to the park with 5 minutes to spare, so I had enough time to hike around to Fortress Explorations and watch from the back side, which was new to me. Last visit, the Fortress was closed for renovation, so I could not watch the show from there.
- DisneySea was open until 9 pm, so I had a little over an hour after Believe! Sea of Dreams. I spent the time roaming around Fantasy Springs. I had hoped to try and visit Frozen one more time, but they cut the queue well before closing because it was several hours long. Peter Pan did dip right after the show, so I was able to visit Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure with a minimal wait.
- I had fairly low expectations for Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure. I am not a big fan of screen-based attractions nor CG. I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. Some of the flying moments were really well done and immersive. Other transitions and elements were a little more awkward, but overall it was a fun experience. The queue had some interesting props to look at along the way, too. The mix of Standby and Priority Pass was great during my visit. Both queues kept moving most of the time, which made the wait much more pleasant than it could have been.
- I wandered around Fantasy Springs, taking a look at the rock work and land after dark. It was a tad on the dark side, but fun to see all the elements with few people around.
- I found it a bit annoying that they do not utilize the Fantasy Springs entrance/exit more. I was a couple of minutes walk from my room at the Sheraton, but had to hike the half mile or so to the park entrance, then take the Resort Line around to Bay Side station to end up a hundred yards or so from where I was. In June, they will be allowing Toy Story Hotel guests to utilize the exit. It would be nice if all Bayside Hotels were allowed to exit. I understand trying to make the entrance a perk for those staying at Fantasy Springs, but the exit seems a nice compromise.
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