A broad living a Broad: Disney Sea

Last week we decided to take advantage of the fact that Aaron was in port, and actually had some days off. I had to work on Thanksgiving, so on Friday we decided to skip the hordes of people waiting in line at 5 a.m. for the Navy Exchange's less than desirable merchandise, and head out to Tokyo Disney Sea. We didn't tell the kids we were going just in case something came up (which is usually what happens when we plan something fun). Of course Aaron and I woke up at 5 a.m. to the sound of rain thundering down. We spent a few moments trying to decide if we wanted to attempt the hour and a half drive, and the possibility of being soaked all day. Aaron said that he would rather go and have it be bad weather, then stay home and have it clear up.....so, off we went. We told the kids we were going to Yokota Airforce base to go shopping, but once we hit the parking lot of Disney Sea they caught on, and the look on their faces was priceless. Once in line we figured out that this park opens up later than regular Disney. We waited for 45 minutes, which in the grand scheme of things isn't too bad for anything related to a Disney Theme park. As soon as the gates opened, the rain stopped.

The best part of Disney in Japan, is the over zealous enthusiasm of adults when it comes to the characters and rides. They sprint at full speed towards the ride of their choice, even when there is no wait. There are also many who seem perfectly content waiting in line for 2 hours just to get a picture taken with Chip and Dale. We however, took our time, and even stopped for some Cappuchino popcorn before heading towards the first attraction we came to.... Journey to the Center of the Earth. Once we got there, we realized that Mateo was a few cenimeters too short to go on it. I sent Aaron and Abby to go first, and Mateo and I hung out checking out the Volcano architecture, and eating our popcorn. After about 10 minutes, Aaron and Abby appeared. I asked them how it was, and Aaron said it was kind of boring. I asked Abby if she liked it, and she just said it was "ok". Abby and I got on the ride, and it did seem pretty tame. It was just a little train car going through caverns and you could see crystals, and little creatures here and there. I kept wondering why there was a height restriction on it......and I soon found out. All of a sudden a huge dragon type creature appears, there is a blast of fire, and the trains goes from a snail's pace, to very fast, and it's shooting straight up. I knew something was terribly wrong when I could see the sky, and steam. Before I knew it we were dropping straight down. I screamed of course.....and then couldn't stop laughing. My husband and little actress of a daughter pulled one over on me. They lied to me about it being tame, so I wouldn't know what to expect! If we had come into the ride from the other side, we would've seen the others coming out, and screaming on their way down.

The rest of the park was great. We only had to wait in line 1 time, for 20 minutes. Every other ride we got straight on. There were a couple of rides that Mateo was too short for, but it worked out well because he probably would've been to scary for him anyway.

The whole park has a "Sea" theme. Unlike Disneyland which has different "lands", Disney Sea has different "Ports" which divide up the park. The above picture is from the American Waterfront Area. I thought this section was very pretty. There was a lighthouse, and it had a New England fishing village vibe to it (not that I have been to a New England fishing village). In the background you can see the Volcano which houses the Journey to the Center of the Earth ride.

Can you believe it? We actually got a picture of all of us together. It's a rare occasion. Looking at it, gives me further proof that I need to stay behind the camera instead of infront of it. This was taken on a Galleon ship overlooking the Mediterranean Harbor.