I suppose it’s tradition now, that I go to DisneySea on my birthday. It was a little more crowded than last year, but not more than any normal day. In just one year, my pace at the parks has become much slower.
There’s some vague information about the Oriental Land Company replacing a lot of Port Discovery with something new. Though I understand, it’d be a shame to lose such a unique experience as Aquatopia.
I leisurely walked around the park, starting at the Tower of Terror, to Indiana Jones Adventure. There’s a seaplane beached at the edge of Lost River Delta, similar to the one Jock Lindsey flew with Indy in Raiders (OB-CPO). This one’s designation is C-3PO, and if you walk close to it, you can see footprints in the sand leaving the plane toward the temple.
After, I went to Raging Spirits, got an almond cake in Arendelle, and then Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure, Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, and then lunch at Casbah Food Court. Curry with naan and a Food & Wine Festival exclusive item, tandoori chicken with cheese sauce. That was great.
From there, I walked to Refresco’s to get a sherry cocktail, went to Journey to the Center of the Earth, and—for the first time—a round trip on the Transit Steamer Line. There are a few docks in different areas for the attraction: Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, and Lost River Delta. Depending on the dock and time of day, the boats take different routes. Sometimes to the next stop, sometimes they skip a stop, and sometimes they do full round trips. I boarded at Cape Cod in American Waterfront. It was so nice to finally make the full trip.
I walked over to Mediterranean Harbor for a coffee, and sat in a shaded area, watching Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket, and Pinocchio playing with guests. In Japan, most characters don’t have lines to meet them. They move around a bit more and guests form a circle around them and hope to be picked out of the crowd.
Geppetto walked up to my bench and made a few gestures, wondering if I am waiting for something. He spread his arms out to fly, and I responded, “Soaring? No, not today.” We cheesed for a couple photos and he went off to play with other guests. Then Jiminy Cricket came up to me. (Keep in mind, I’m just enjoying the atmosphere and drinking my coffee. I’m not asking for attention.) Jiminy gestures in a way to ask if I’m waiting here for a long time. I showed him my phone reservation for Nemo & Friends Sea Rider, across the park, in 20 minutes.
Then Geppetto came over, and encouraged me to get up, walked me over to a picturesque spot. Despite adoring fans, he grabbed Jiminy and Pinocchio for a group shot, which was very sweet. It’s sometimes hard enough to get just one character in a shot.
Then they jogged in place, directed toward SeaRider across the park. I yelled,「大丈夫！」I’m in no rush to do anything.
After SeaRider, I got a broccoli and cheese fondue snack with a bloody mary. Food & Wine Festival is dangerous for me. Everything is perfectly sized to snack on.
I’ve said it before, I love how many opportunities this park provides to frame things beautifully. Every little window, every archway, they’re all over and each one has a great subject beyond them.
I spent some time in this spot for a while, between American Waterfront and Mediterranean Harbor. It’s just really nice. I love that Cape Cod lighthouse. What a gorgeous park. They really made something great here.
A few weeks ago, I heard Justine was in the country and we’ve been messaging about her trip. I told her I’d be at DisneySea for my birthday if she happened to be around. Near the end of the day, she texted me saying she was near the AquaSphere. It’s been almost 8 years since we went to Universal Studios in Hollywood. Despite both being Apple nerds, it’s somehow more appropriate that the two of us only seem to meet at theme parks.
That was a really nice ending to a pleasant day. It was great to see her again after so long. I waited for the AquaSphere turn back around to Japan, and headed home to my Tokyo Fami for an impromptu pizza dinner.
Same as last year, here’s a bonus construction photo of the new Space Mountain.
