DisneySea on Friday, May 15
Second time visiting DisneySea, and am happy to report that it continues to be one of if not the best theme parks in the world, though the crowds were kind of ridiculous.
My partner and I first visited the park in Feb 2024 aka pre-Fantasy springs, and spent most of that trip running around all the lands and the main ride attractions (took ~40K steps that day - big oof). This time around, we wanted to explore the new land and just vibe - maybe check out some rides that were closed our last trip, see a show or try a sit-down restaurant.
Jetlag was on our side and we arrived outside the park entrance ~6:45 AM, which got us into the park at 9:10. Most people brought a blanket to sit on while waiting, and we only had to stand for the last hour before opening - this was a nice change from 2024 when we also arrived a few hours early and stood the whole time. Weather was cloudy but the sun came out in force later, so our light jackets ended up being necessary sun protection.
First thing we aimed for was the Fantasy Springs area, specifically the Tangled ride (sadly the Frozen ride was closed for scheduled maintenance). We got there at 9:22, with a posted wait time of 20 minutes. Grateful we did this ride first thing because the wait later ballooned to 1.5-2 hours, and never really went down. We didn‘t rely too much on fastpasses/DPAs, but given the crowds, I would highly recommend it if possible. The ride itself was short and lovely - the lanterns took my breath away.
Aside from the ride lines, the Fantasy Springs area was not crowded in the morning and we took our time admiring the fountains, the hotel, and Elsa’s ice castle; Anna and Elsa were also near the Frozen ride chatting and taking photos. We had a lot of fun wandering around the area with Hook’s pirate ship. DisneySea theming is 10/10 - even the booth that sold garlic shrimp popcorn looked like something the Lost Boys would sail in.
The lines for the Peter Pan and Tinkerbell rides were ~40 minutes at this point with no signs of getting shorter, so we decided to walk to a ride that was closed last time - Sinbad. We liked it so much we rode it twice. Best of all, when we were there at 10:30-11 AM, it only had a 5 minute wait time!
While waiting in the post-security pre-entrance crush at 9 AM, I was glued to my phone and got a day-of Magellan’s reservation for 11:30. The normal set menu is 8000 yen and includes 4 courses - appetizer, soup/fish, a main, and a dessert as well as coffee/tea. We were seated under the huge globe and wandered around a little to peek into the side rooms and the secret bookcase door. Overall they really nailed the old world explorers club aesthetic. The food was also in line with fine dining - smaller portions and high quality. If you are looking for a splurge or a quiet/elegant place to eat, would recommend.
Another ride that wasn’t open our last trip was the trolley, which we happily rode from Port Discovery to the American Waterfront. We then walked toward the Venetian gondolas, but were told that because of the Jubilee celebration boat show, they would resume service at 4:40. With wait times between 2-4 hours for the major rides at this point, and given we snagged tickets to the 2:35 PM Dance the Globe show earlier in the day, we stuck around the waterfront and Toy Story areas to browse the shops and get some ice cream. Luckily a lot of characters were out and about in these areas - we ended up seeing Donald, Scrooge, Daisy, Pluto, Marie, Clarice and the green army men in the span of about 20 minutes (~1:25-1:45).
The Dance the Globe show was a lot of fun, and the dancers really brought their all. The 25th Jubilee song is also extremely catchy. If you also end up going on a sunny day, be aware that there is no shade and you are not allowed to have umbrellas open during the show, so you and everyone else will be slowly roasting for ~25 minutes. Was feeling pretty tired by this point, but earlier we had gotten a DPA for Journey to the Center of the Earth, which was a welcome respite from the heat and one of the best rides in the park. It ended up being ~30 minute wait with the pass.
Spent our last moments admiring the Mysterious Island area, pressing a medallion with Chandu on it, and heading out with some new, wonderful memories.
P.S. Last time we visited the wait times were high but not as high as they were this time around, which of course could be due to any number of factors. Part of me wonders if overall wait times would differ if Frozen and Indiana Jones were in operation (Journey to the Center of the Earth was also closed for an hour in the afternoon), though I’m sure the time of year/day of the week, or changes to the park since then (Fantasy Springs, the Jubilee celebrations, etc.) have a significant impact - ultimately it’s a testimony to how much people want to go here ❤️