Originally Posted By TDLFAN It's september 4th in Tokyo at 8:40AM and TDS is about to open on it's 10th anniversary day and launch their "Be magical!!" celebration. Just wanted to wish Tokyo DisneySea a happy happy happy 10th anniversary today,and may this year be a very successful one. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Originally Posted By TDLFAN BTW.. while I am not able to visit TDS today.. my spies tell me that the lines to enter the park at 6AM were already pass the ticket windows.. which are about 100 feet behind the turnstyles.. Impressive!! Then again.. this is Tokyo Disney resort and that's what it means when management loves their parks enough to celebrate them. Fans join in.. and all is wonderful and memorable, and a great time is had by all. Its a lesson the walt Disney Company can re-learn.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 Happy anniversary to one of THE BEST theme parks in the world!!! Wow - time has flown!!! TDS and indeed, the OLC, are showing up the WDC in espousing Walt's own ethos that "quality will out"!
Originally Posted By SuperDry Happy Anniversary! I so wish I was there today. I thought I might just be able to pull it off, but things didn't quite work out.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Some photos from the official site: <a href="http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/photo/11090402.html" target="_blank">http://www.tokyodisneyresort.c...402.html</a> <a href="http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/photo/11090401.html" target="_blank">http://www.tokyodisneyresort.c...401.html</a> <a href="http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/photo/11090403.html" target="_blank">http://www.tokyodisneyresort.c...403.html</a> <a href="http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/photo/11090408.html" target="_blank">http://www.tokyodisneyresort.c...408.html</a> What a treat!! Imagine if WDW was putting that much effort into their 40th.. but no But still.. with HKDL's 5th already in progress, this is a great time to Disney park hop in Asia.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 And I love how when you see the smiling CMs, you KNOW its sincere. Anyone who has been in the immediate glare of one of those smiles knows what it feels like! Forget the rotund, unshaven, slovenly faces of WDW.
Originally Posted By SuperDry And, here's video of the 10th Anniversary ceremony, featuring Kagami-san and Tom Staggs: <a href="http://youtu.be/_W4WNnLjfPw" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/_W4WNnLjfPw</a>
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Here's hoping Skaggs will learn something from the japanese management and come home knowing how to properly run and build a Disney theme park.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN OK... I just got back from a quick 3-hour visit to TDR. Went into both TDL and TDS and checked out the new decor for TDS' 10th... MY 1st impression of what I saw..?? OH.. MY..FREAKING.. GAWD!!!!! If this was the "budgeted version of the anniversary event.. i could only imagine what the real one-year long event was really going to be like!!! Needless to say.. Now I am even MORE FURIOUS about WDC not doing anything for WDW's 40th and furthermore.. I will NOT pay a penny to attend any of those rippoff halloween parties at the MK. WDC.. SHAME on you all!! OLC, please take the wheel.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN So anyways.. a bit more info on what I saw the other day at TDS.. The park is tastefully decorated. Banners celebrating each port of call hang over the ticket windows. Once inside the park. The main decoration around the Aquasphere is a gloriously lavish centerpiece, featuring a colorful version of Mickey's Sorcerer hat.. which itself is surrounded by the other characters featured in this celebration. The entire display covers 50% of the diameter around the Aquasphere. It is lavishly designed and meticulously constructed. The statues of the characters are each on their own a photo spot. But the lavishness of it all does not end there. The entire display is covered in tiny points of LED lights and at night, it becomes a colorful light show in it's own right. If you visit.. stop and take your time absorving the details of this most impressive anniversary display. Once you enter the park.. again, more lavishly detailed decor awaits you. The welcoming sign above the tunnel under the Miracosta is also a 3D extravaganza, framed with beautiful stain glass-like panels at ground level, and also comes equipped with glittering lights and reflective touches for an even more impressive night time show. Banners also frame the way through the tunnel under the Miracosta. Once in Mediterranean Harbor, all lamp posts are decorated with colorful banners of different designs and topped with 3D ornaments and the 10th anniversary logo. NOTHING here is done on a painted flat as is the case with the crap they do at WDW.. All decor is textured and well done and for those of us who love to take in the details.. there are many. You can spend time just taking in the small details of everything they have done to make this ocasion a memorable visit. Much has been said about the colorful sorcerer hats that are found around the entire TDS park..and some people were somewhat unsure of their merits in regards to their surroundings, and I was one skeptical one as well. I am happy to report that most of those sorcerer hats (each representing a different character in each post of call) are simply joyous to look at and photograph. They are not any bigger than maybe 12 feet tall, and while they are colorful and celebratory, their meticulous designs somehow manage to blend perfectly well with their surroundings, because they were designed to showcase each port's unique elements and theming while incorporating the featured character per port. Again.. nothing was done flat on a surface. The decor on the hats and the character statues are gloriously designed and elaborately done, oozing with details that can be small enough to miss. Two of them stood out for me.. the Mermaid Lagoon hat reproduced the same textures of the Triton castle's wall tiles, and details are beautiful, like the string of pearls being held up by Ariel. The other sorcerer decor is the most impressive of the ones found inside the park and it's located at the top of the archway leading into Arabian Coast, featuring Genie. As an added interactive feature, you can place your hand on panels at the base of these hats and you will hear magical chimes play. Think musical pixie dusting. ATT: Fun souvenir item to buy.. At any gift shop or stand in TDS, you can purchase a "Magic Wand" which will allow you to collect musical chimes from each sorcerer hat icon around the park. Once you have collected all the chimes, you can bring your wand to one of three designated spots and receive a commemorative anniversay medal. Speaking of merchandise.. the anniversary event does not disappoint. You will be able to find such fav items like teeshirts, pins, postcards, keyrings, pens, toys, towels, decorative figurines, photo albums, hats, food items of different types in anniversary boxes, many Duffy/Shelly Mae bear anniversary collectibles, watches, jewelry, door mats.. etc etc etc. The amount and variety of anniversary merchandise puts WDW's 40th anniversary to bloody shame, which is sad because in Orlando, the WDW 40th is only about the merchandise and nothing else, which is a tragedy IMHO. Also on sale in the TDR parks (and soon outside in regular retails across Japan) is the 3-cd deluxe TDS 10th anniversary album which costs a hefty 5,775 yen, but they also have a single CD version "be Magical" anniversary cd. Finally.. there are those little things that many guests would take for granted but also show how seriously OLC takes their parks' overall show experience to surpass and surprise guests' expectations.. During the celebration, a special 10th anniversary guidemap has been produced, along with an even more colorful "Today" show schedule, which also serves as the unofficial newsletter of new food and merchandise items on sale, plus cross-U info from the hotels, TDL and other issues related to TDR. both the "Today" schedule and Guidemap leaflets are produced in glorious color with real pictures, in excellent quality paper and digital printing. But to me.. the "piece de resistance" is the TDS CMs' name tag. As seen in previous anniversaries, usually the anniversary logo is applied to the name tag in lieu of Mickey or a park image. Here at TDS, OLC has supplied the CMs with a beautifully crafted add-on 3D sorcerer hat and magic wand pin that attaches to the back side of the nametag, giving the nametag a crafted, framed look that is simply gorgeous to look at. This little detail is just the classiest touch I have ever seen displayed on CM's costumes. HUGE KUDOS from me. CMs probably agree because I noticed all of the C<s looked happier than ever before..performing with noticeable PRIDE. They deserve that. And that folks is what TDS' 10th anniversary is all about: the little details that make a HUGE impression and create long lasting memories you can cherish a lifetime.. which is something the management teams in the USA have somehow forgotten to do in regards to their US parks' milestones anniversaries. Then there is what I am not covering here.. the special anniversary greeting, other anniversary streetmosphere shows and the most technically advanced version of Fastasmic!, plus the return of the nightly fireworks show over the skies at both TDR parks..all combined to make this the year to visit Tokyo DisneySea. The celebration reminds us to "Be Magical!" but that is exactly what OLC has made this TDS 1oth anniversary to be: MAGICAL indeed. Happy 10th TDS!!!!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros So what you're saying is that it's "just okay", right? : ) Are there any websites out there with pictures up? I always seem to end up on pages that are in Japanese, and then I'm completely lost for trying to find things.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>>So what you're saying is that it's "just okay", right?<<< Wrong. I am not talking about the MK at WDW here. AS for pictures of all I have commented on.. well, you are out of luck since I no longer post photos or do long press reports. I guess you will just have to go and see for yourself.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 TDLFAN - I think Ferret was kinda joking about you saying it was "just okay". ; )
Originally Posted By TDLFAN I know he/she was joking, but I do not joke about quality (or in WDW's case, lack of) when posting an opinion.
Originally Posted By TokyoSea yes, happy aniversary indeed! but no thanks for the pitiful anniversary goods! who designs this stuff?! I just wanted a nice baseball cap (like what I have for the 5th) and all they had was this horrible puke blue and tacky gold cap... the shirts weren't any much better either. guess I have to wait until the 15th...
Originally Posted By TokyoSea and while I am on this rant... I still feel the park is being taken over by DUFFY! Did anyone notice in Cape Cod that the Duffy Show in the boat house, outdoor photos with Duffy and another Duffy photo shoot in the waiting area for the ferries right next door are happening simultaneously? Does that mean (and I certainly hope not)there are 3 Duffy? Or has TDR gotten so greedy with this character that it doesn't care about spoiling the dillusion, sorry I meant illusion for children and guests?
Originally Posted By TDLFAN You just noticed that Duffy has taken over TDS?? LOL ..and yes, the caps were not my favorite.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 I am hoping Duffy works in my favour. The more people lined up to buy things for this stupid bear, the less in line for my favourite attractions!
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Don't count on it. Duffy's lines are only longer than those at the attractions on days when they release new merchandise. Other days.. nope. Attractions have longer wait times. While you are there... don't forget to visit Duffy's new meet and greet spot in Cape Cod. The queue is actually more themed and interesting than some attraction queues at WDW.
